As my freshman year of college is coming to an end real soon, it’s safe to say that this year truly went by faster than I expected. This means that besides studying for my finals, I will be moving out my dorm room into an apartment off campus. While many high school students are finishing up their senior year and getting ready to head off to college in the fall, one thing many people think about all summer is how they are going to decorate their dorm room.

For me personally, I had a billion ideas of how I was going to decorate because for the first time, it was my own space and could decorate however I want. I stalked Pinterest, Youtube videos, and Instagram photos trying to get an idea to decorate my room to look cute, but also have a bit of my personality in it. At many places, dorm decor can come across extremely pricey which at first intimidated me, and I’m sure intimidated many people, so I will be sharing some of tips and tricks on how to make your dorm cute on a budget.

1. Look through your own house for items that could be cute, as well as useful.

Often times, we have many things stored away in our garages, closets, or even our own rooms at home that we haven’t put to use that can be extremely useful in a dorm room. I personally had a million photos I had printed out and never hung up, as well as extra hangers at home that really came in handy when moving into the dorms.

2. Don't underestimate Amazon!

I bought almost all of my dorm decor on Amazon for under $50. Not only were these items extremely inexpensive, but absolutely adorable. I bought many of my desk and wall decorations from here and get compliments all the time. When my people come over and take a look at my dorm room, they think I spent hundreds of dollars making my room look as cute as it is, they are shocked that many of my items are from Amazon. I’ll link one of my favorite and inexpensive dorm decor items here .

3. Flea Markets are your best friend

For someone who loves thrifting and finding the cutest vintage items, check out your local flea market. As a Los Angeles native, my personal favorite flea market is the Melrose Trading Post. I found a couple of signs I put on my wall from here and they look as good as new.

Also, many of the items bought at flea markets are one of a kind, so chances are you won’t have the same stuff as your friends. And at the end of the year, if you want to get rid of them, you can sell your items and make some extra cash.

4. Department store clearance sections

Many people get turned away by Nordstrom Rack, Saks off Fifth, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Macy's. But to my surprise, while shopping for dorm decor, I was able to get deals that I probably would not have found otherwise. I got a fluffy blanket for my bed that was originally $70 for $10 at Saks off Fifth.

If you don’t have time to shop much in person, the clearance section online at these prospective websites is the way to go and you can have them shipped to your dorm. I will link one of my favorite items here

Here’s a photo of how I decorated my freshman dorm room. Hope this helped give you incoming college freshman some inspiration.