Tile floors, standard issue furniture worthy of the military, plain white cinder block walls – you guessed it, collegiettes™, we’re talking about your average dorm room! As any collegiette™ with the dorm room blues would know, its time to get creative. Her Campus JMU is here to show you some do-it-yourself fun ways to liven up and chicly organize your space for fall. Grab your craft supplies and get ready to turn your dorm from drab to fab!
The first things people complain about in a dorm are the overwhelmingly white cinderblock walls. Your focus here should be to add color and light in a way that will open up the space and make it feel less claustrophobic. Create more light by hanging Chinese paper lanterns, or stringing white Christmas lights around the perimeter of the room. Keep your windows open to add as much natural light as possible, since we all know how the standard florescent bulbs feel more like a hospital than a living space.
Now that you’ve “shed some light” on your dorming situation – it’s time to add color! Purchasing brightly colored bed sets and throw pillows to match your style will liven up your room and are the easiest ways to showcase your personality. Investing in a long body pillow or pillow “husband” (the ones with the arms) can help your bed double as a couch for hanging out. Personalizing your stuff with monogrammed pillows or photo pillows is another cute way to add a finishing touch to your bedding.
Looking to liven up your boring walls but don’t want to go the standard poster route? Try mini bulletin boards that come in sets of four – you can add photos of friends and quotes or lyrics you like in a collage style fashion for a super cute pop of personality. Cover the bulletin boards with fabric or scrapbook paper first for an even brighter look.
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Hang curtains to make your room feel even more put together. You can purchase single panels from your local stores, or create your own with any fabric you want. My freshman year I used an extra bed sheet to create a bright pink valence above my window, just hang with your mounting tape of choice and shape with safety pins. Tie it all together with a coordinating ribbon in the center!
If you’re worried about your bed looking like a dime a dozen college bed, create your own headboard. Grab a large piece of foam board, surround with quilt or pillow batting, cover in a fabric of choice and staple.
For a finishing touch, add your initials! Wooden or foam letters can be bought inexpensively at your local craft store, and are completely customizable with paint or colorful paper. Try purchasing mod podge glue and a funky sheet of card-stock paper to design your letter. Trace the letter onto the paper and cut it out, then place a thin film of mod podge over the surface of the letter. Place your cut out on top of the wood and glue and finish it up by modpodging over the entire thing. Simple personalization for a low cost!
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Like any collegiette™, you might have trouble finding places to put all of your stuff. The standard under-bed cart shelving is great, but no one likes to have all of their stuff on display. Solve this problem by taping pieces of scrapbook paper to the inside of your drawers, and voila! Cute, fashionable storage for less than $1 a sheet! If your desk is always a mess, invest in a desk hutch that you can paint and personalize with decorations and photos. Consider it a 3D corkboard with the fabulous ability to hold textbooks and any other supplies you might want.
Let’s face it – every collegiette™ has a ton of jewelry. Boxes might take up too much room, and 3M hooks just aren’t cute. The great news is you can create your own jewelry hanger in a few simple steps! If you’re only looking to hang necklaces and bracelets, purchase a key hanger from your local super store, such as Target, and attach cute ribbon to the back so you can hang it from a wall. Your jewelry will hang from the hooks where keys would normally go. If you need a bit more storage than that, again purchase a hang-able corkboard or mesh board. Giant thumbtacks can hold necklaces and bracelets, and earrings can be stuck into the cork!
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your dorm room décor; your room is there to become your personal sanctuary and you want to make sure it feels like home to you. Check out websites like ratemyspace.com for inspiration, which feature a section on dorm rooms created by other students. Take a study break, and spice up your space!