In our society today, we cannot turn on the television or open our social media without seeing someone, somewhere creating, designing, and crafting! The "Do It Yourself" craze is becoming the new anthem for college students nationwide and it is not stopping there! Not only is DIY inexpensive and fairly simple but allows for the alteration of store bought items and furniture in ways that are representative of your own style and taste. This style of décor allows for unique, budget-friendly styles that can be interchanged and altered for months (or years) to come! And the best part; anyone can do it!
Grab your laundry quarters, dorm dwellers, and transform everyday supplies and furniture into something impeccable and stylish for your 2016-2017 dorm or apartment! Here are some of the most versatile and useful DIY projects and the best ways to make your horribly boring dorm room or apartment stylish and personalized!
1. Wall Decals, Canvases, & Prints
Anything can be used as wall art from bicycle wheels to typography prints to wire wall grid organizers! As styles change, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends, but an impeccably designed wall filled with prints, patterns, or shades of color will never go out of style. Thrift stores are a great resource in finding unique and stylized wall art. Sites like Etsy often have downloadable prints ranging from .50 cents to $2.00. These can be printed directly onto photo paper and hung with tape, clothes pins, or even clipped to decorative clipboards and tacked onto the wall! Adding your own personal photos can be a great way to spice up dreary white walls and create specialized gallery walls. Dollar store frames can be incredibly useful and can be painted with acrylic or spray paint for a custom look. Canvases can be purchased for relatively little money and painting your own art can be both satisfying and frugal! Command hooks and strips can also be your best friend when you go to hang items on your walls! They leave no damage but remain secure year round. Check out these wall décor items on Pinterest!
2. Bedding
Bedding can be the most expensive item you purchase for your apartment or dorm. To get stylish and trendy bedding, you don't need to visit Urban Outfitters or Pottery Barn. Buying inexpensive bedding and DIYing a bit can help you produce something similar, if not identical, to the costly $100.00-$200.00 option! Popular bedding styles such as Bohemian and Chic are often unattainable by budget. Try recreating your own tie dye duvet, adding pompoms to your pillow edges, or creating watercolor sheets out of the Room Essentials $14.00 version from Target! These DIY's can be accomplished with a little direction from an online source and some craft supplies like yarn, dye, Sharpies, rubbing alcohol, and stock white (or any other color) bedding essentials! Check out this comparison between a pompom duvet from Urban Outfitters (left) and a DIY duvet with yarn pompoms sewn on (right)!
3. Bookshelves & Accessories
Bookshelves can be relatively inexpensive at superstores like Target and Walmart, and can add storage and style to your room or apartment for under $20.00. By adding elements to fill your shelves, you can make even the most boring and bland walls look spectacular! Choose items that represent you! A globe painted your favorite color can double as a travel board by adding photos to places you've been and push pins to places you long to go! Bookends are a great item that is useful and beautiful at the same time. They can be used for aesthetic value, but can also serve as great storage for clothing, shoes, bags, or school supplies! Vases and faux flowers also add a pop of color and personality to a bookshelf top while mason jars or wire baskets speak for a specific style! There are never ending options for decorating and purposing bookshelves. Try personalizing your bookshelves by using ModPodge and scrapbook paper to cover the backing or applying decorative Washi tape to the edges of the shelves! Both are inexpensive and stylish ways to add pops of color or pattern to store bought, factory bookshelves!
4. Rugs, Curtains, & Tapestries
Rugs, curtains, and tapestries are a great way to make a small, boring space seem fresh and personalized. Rugs add a pop of color and texture and keep your feet warm in the winter! Nothing is cozy about concrete or tile floors, so adding a stylish and functional rug can help tie everything together as well as covering up any unsightly flooring your room may have. Curtains can be a great way to decorate dingy and dull window shades. They are unsightly and certainly don't flow with your personal style! Change it up by swapping out black out curtains in the summer and spring months for blocking light and heat, and sheer or patterned curtains in the fall and winter for a cozier feeling that will let the light in! Doubling up curtains can also add a sophisticated and over the top style, while billowed white sheer curtains add a reflective space, making the room look bigger, brighter, and softer. Tapestries are a wonderful way to add color and print to your walls or ceiling without paint or wallpaper. These beautiful printed fabrics can be held in place with curtain rods and Command brand hooks or strips. They can also serve as a piece of art above your headboard or as a curtain for your window. Tapestries are fairly inexpensive, but you can DIY your own by purchasing a white flat sheet and tie dying or painting it with acrylic paint. Iron on letters or stencils can help to add prints and text for a personalized touch! These three categories may seem simple and plain, but they will make any apartment or dorm feel like a suitable and stylized home away from home.
Decorating and DIYing your new dorm or apartment doesn't have to cost you the equivalent of your college tuition! Find a style that suits you and run with it. The internet is full of DIY projects that can add a personalized touch of flair and function! Finding existing pieces and making them your own can turn any drab and downtrod dorm into a unique and exciting space. Adding pieces of art, customized bedding, decorative and functional furniture, or just the essentials can and will transform your new space into a place of comfort and style!
