After entering college, the next step is choosing where to live. For students who come from another city or country or who just live far away from college, the best option will be to move to a dorm. Unfortunately, in most cases, a dorm room is pretty small and not that attractive. That’s why not many students choose this option and usually rent a separate apartment.
Sure, it is much more comfortable, and you will have your personal space so that no one can bother and annoy you. But it is not the cheapest variant for students. In order to afford a rented apartment, one should find a job with a reasonable salary. It should also be understood that besides the job you have to do all the homework.
In case you have trouble combining a job with homework, you can search for the services designed to simplify your life. For example, you can choose the best paper writer at WritePaper, who will gladly give you a hand. Thus, you will save both your time and energy and use it for something else.
If you have decided to live in a dorm, don’t jump to the conclusion that it is going to be a disaster. First of all, it is only a temporary accommodation. Secondly, precisely in the dorm, you will discover what the student life is like, meet a lot of new people with whom you can share unforgettable memories, and enjoy the best years of your life.
Thirdly, a small dorm room is not a sentence. In this article, we will share with you some DIY ideas of how you can turn dull accommodation into a cozy and comfortable place to live. Let’s get started!
Paint the Wall
Wall painting is considered one of the most beautiful ways to decorate a room. By painting the walls, you can make the space look larger or smaller. Before you start painting the walls, you need to think carefully about what exactly should be depicted on them and make sure that the picture is in harmony with the overall design of the room.
Even before that, though, you should check with the rules and ask your residence hall director to be 100% sure you can paint the walls. Dorm rules can be strict and it’s best to be safe.
The next step is priming the walls, that is, preparing for the painting itself. Only after that can you begin to decorate the walls with drawings. If you have artistic skills and are confident that you will not mess up everything – you can start drawing right after preparations. But if you are not good at it, you should better search for some stencils on the internet.
Create a “Green Corner”
It is well known that flowers and plants are not only the main source of oxygen but also a beautiful and modern decoration for your accommodation. With the help of plants, you can refresh the room and make the interior eco-friendly and more natural. The selection of flowers depends not only on your taste but also on the conditions needed for certain types of flowers.
Some need a lot of water, and others need a lot of sunlight or shade. For example, large potted plants (palms, cacti) should be placed in corners or next to chairs and sofas. Hanging planters will decorate the window and wall. And the thing is that you can make the pot by yourself by using empty cans and jute rope. You can place bouquets of cut flowers in a corner, on a shelf, or even on the floor.
If you do not like living plants, you can use dried flowers. For example, natural unpainted compositions of cereals or physalis will work for sure to add coziness to your place. In addition, you can grow mint and other herbs and flowers on the windowsill. You can place such mini-gardens in painted wooden boxes.
Use Pictures Made of Thread
Don’t rush to the store for copies of famous art or ordinary photo prints. Create your own artwork from materials you have on hand or that you can buy for a penny at the store. Pictures made of thread are a modern and unusual way to decorate, which you are unlikely to find with your friends or neighbors. To make such a composition, you will need only 3 tools: board (thickness of 3-5 cm), thread, and nails.
Creating such a picture will take you a couple of hours, even without any special skills in drawing or sewing:
- Choose a picture, print, and cut out the necessary parts – they will become your stencils.
- Print the design on the board.
- Use nails along the contours of the images at a distance of 5 mm from each other.
- Then, you can place thread between nails in a specific order, or chaotically, depending on what image you want to create.
Make a Dreamcatcher
If you are a big fan of unusual handmade decorations, you should definitely try to make your own dreamcatcher. It will not only brighten up the interior, but it is also believed to protect you from bad dreams. To make a dreamcatcher, you need a hoop, wicker, floss, feathers, beads, scissors, glue, needle, and ribbons.
When all materials are ready, you can begin:
- Prepare the base. If you choose wicker for the base, bend it into a circle and fold the ends. Wrap embroidery hoops or rings of other materials with threads and leave a loop so that the dream catcher can be hung up. Each new loop should fit tightly on the hoop and completely hide the base.
- Weave a web. The web is the inside part that fills the empty space of the hoop. Tighten the knot on the hoop, pull the thread along the base, and knot it again. The distance between the bindings can be different, depending on what web you want to weave. Then go to the second row. But here, the thread should not be fastened by the base but by the first row. Fix the last row with a strong knot.
- Embellish your dreamcatcher. You can decorate it using anything you like: bright feathers, weaved ribbons, multi-colored laces, and glass beads.
Artificial Lights
If you want to upgrade your dorm room, you can add more colors to it. You can make DIY your lights, and they will become a romantic addition to cozy evenings:
- Bottle-lighting lamp. You can make such a lamp in a few minutes. Take a bottle and put a luminous garland. For the second option, the bottom of the bottle must be cut off, and an ordinary light bulb must be fastened inside. Instead of bottles, you can also use glass jars.
- Ball-lamp. This is another cool idea that will brighten up the interior. To create it, you will need a balloon, thread, glue, and petroleum jelly. Inflate the balloon, apply petroleum jelly to it, and wrap the rope that has been soaked in glue around it. When it dries, burst the balloon, pull it out, and thread the string lights inside.
- Moon-lamp. You need to take a ball as a basis. The first step is to soak tissues, paper towels, or toilet paper in glue. Then cover the ball with them in several layers. Let it dry and paint it using a white color. With the help of a sponge, you should make gray-colored spots on the surface. After the ball is completely dry, make a hole in it and place a light bulb glued to a plastic bucket inside. Secure it with glue.
To Wrap It Up
Even though the dorm is your temporary accommodation, it is still important to decorate it so that you will make yourself at home. Any decor created with your own hands will be a unique addition to your home. To make it beautiful and cozy, don’t use your wallet – use your imagination.