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25 Creative DIY Ideas + Decorating Tips for Your Dorm Room

Written by

Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
As a former Senior Writer at Apartment Therapy, Nancy split her time among looking at beautiful pictures, writing about design, and photographing stylish apartments in and around NYC.
updated Mar 11, 2020
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Living in a tiny dorm room (and being on a tight budget) doesn’t mean you can’t have a stylish space. We’ve rounded up 25 creative DIYs and dorm-friendly decor ideas that will make your room the envy of everyone on your floor.

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1. Put IKEA’s RÅSKOG cart to work for you as a bedside table, for shoe storage, or as a catchall for books or art supplies.

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(Image credit: Pablo Enriquez)

2. Hang a tapestry or colorful rug behind your bed, like Chris and Jenny did in their Williamsburg home.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

3. Buy or DIY a hanging planter. Plants add color to your room AND clean the air.

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4. Put a few pairs of your favorite shoes on display.

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5. A flag hung on the wall is a great way to show your patriotic spirit… and an inexpensive way to fill a whole wall.

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(Image credit: A Beautiful Mess)

6. Take advantage of this easy and and inexpensive method for creating poster-sized enlargements of your favorite photos.

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(Image credit: Oliver Jeffers)

7. Find some cheap framed art at the thrift store and add your own creative twist.

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8. If you’ve got room for a bookcase, try your hand at this impressive IKEA hack.

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9. Dress up your walls with washi tape. It’s cheap and totally temporary.

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10. Take inspiration from one of these 10 creative ways to hang string lights.

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(Image credit: Dabney Frake)

11. Create a DIY canopy for your bed.

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12. Make some of these floor poufs for extra seating.

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13. Make this DIY hanging chair (but first make sure it’s okay to hang things from the ceiling!).

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14. Here are 10 ways to make cinderblock furniture that doesn’t look totally terrible.

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15. Or try out one of these 10 unusual things to use as a nightstand.

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16. Here’s a quick and easy IKEA hack that also makes a great place to stash your stuff.

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17. Line crates with pretty paper and hang them on the wall, or stack them to make shelves.

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18. Feeling ambitious? Try this space saving wall mounted lamp DIY.

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19. Hang up one of these free botanical art prints.

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(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

20. Add a little texture to your space with some sheepskins.

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21. Make this macrame curtain (or keep knotting all the way down for a cool wall hanging).

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

22. Try one of these large scale string art ideas.

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(Image credit: A Beautiful Mess)

23. If you’re super crafty, you could create a frame with some lumber and make this beautiful rug.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

24. Hang some clipboards on the wall and use them for a rotating display of art.

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(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

25. Or create a display for your favorite photos with binder clips and wire, as seen at the Craver Compound. It’s these little things that make a house (or a dorm!) a home.

Want more budget bedroom inspiration?

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→ 25 DIYs for a Beautiful Bedroom on a Budget

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