College Series Day 3: Dorm Decorating 101

Dorms are like little prison cells. They have white walls, a bed with a mattress, a desk, an uncomfortable chair, and a closet. Sometimes, you have a roommate that you like, and sometimes you have a roommate from hell. BUT the good news is that there are lots of ways to make the room feel like home, even if it feels like a prison cell with a roommate from hell :P

Here are some ideas to brighten up your dorm room:

• Pick a bedspread that is bright and cheery. It doesn't have to be neon pink for crying out loud, but a bedspread with some color can really distract you from the boring walls and furniture. 
• Pick a fun color scheme for your room. My color scheme was pink and purple. A color scheme will tie your room together and make it feel like home. Again, I'd suggest bright colors. There is a reason why most college dorm items come in turquoise blue and pink. Take advantage of it. 
• Hang up some lights on the wall. Command hooks will be your best friend, and Christmas lights will make your room so pretty :) I got some purple Christmas lights and hung them up with hooks, and my roommate and I loved them. 
• Hang up pictures of your friends from back home. They will take you down memory lane when you are feeling homesick as well as make you smile in the morning. Make sure you add pictures of the friends you make in college. :)
• Two words: Wall decals. You can get them pretty much anywhere that sells college items. They easily peel off of the wall when it's time to move out, and they give the illusion of being painted on the wall without using paint. Paint is a no-no in most dorms.
• Personalize with DIY projects. Pinterest has some great ideas for ways to personalize any room, and as long as you can hang it on your walls with a command hook or command velcro, it's allowed :) 
• Posters. Posters are a BIG DEAL at college. Everyone has one. I just ordered a Hunger Games poster for my room from Amazon. If you don't know where to get one, or don't see one online that you like, most schools will sell posters pretty cheap the first week of school in the campus bookstore. That way, you are sure to have room on your walls for them. Another great place to look is Allposters.com.

If you have decorated your dorm in a different way than I have suggested above, let me know in the comments below! We can all share our ideas to create a pretty fancy dorm :) 

Pictures from various sites on google.