From do-it-yourself headboards to Pinterest-perfect picture letters, these projects are perfect to liven up a drab dorm room.
Let’s face it: Dorm life is no stay at the Ritz-Carlton. Between the blank white walls, communal showers and the whole roommate situation, making your room comfortable, let alone home sweet home, can seem like an impossible task.
Want to make your dorm seem a little less prison cell and a little more hotel suite? Check out these five quick and easy DIY projects, perfect for the creative college student on a budget:
DIY Charging Station
Between your laptop, cell phone, tablet, e-reader and the rest of your miscellaneous electronics, tripping over a mess of cords in a dark dorm room is basically inevitable. The solution? Pick up a cheap ribbon box (or shoebox — honestly, any type of box will work), cut a few holes in the side with a utility knife and hide that ugly power strip inside its cute new home. Just thread your cords and chargers through the holes and say hello to your new no-fuss charging station.
via allyou.com
Washi Tape Pinboard
Washi tape is basically the Holy Grail of dorm room decorating. Easily removable, cost-effective and available in a rainbow of colors and patterns, the thin Japanese tape has become wildly popular with scrapbookers and DIY-ers across the globe. And the best part? It won’t mark up those bland dorm walls. Use it to get creative on a blank canvas, cut it into shapes to use as wall decoration or spice up a boring bulletin board with a geometric washi tape pattern. The options are endless.
via homedit.com
Insta-Worthy Letters
Sure, you could keep it simple and hang all those photos of your hometown friends and beloved pets on the wall in a cool Tumblr-chic geometric pattern (and if you do, make sure to use something like sticky tack that won’t damage the walls). Or, you could try something bold with a DIY letter-shaped photo collage. Using a paint brush, apply Mod Podge to the backs of photos, wrapping them around a wooden letter, trimming off any excess overlap. Smooth out the photos to prevent air bubbles, let dry for at least 30 minutes and seal the collage by coating the pictures in another layer of Mod Podge.
via houseontheway.com
Cardboard Headboard
Dorm room beds can be kind of miserable. They’re tiny, uncomfortable and most likely have been slept in by like 20 other people. Unfortunately, there’s no real escaping the two-plus years of dorm bed nights. There is, however, a trick to help warm up your sleeping space: a DIY headboard, made with just a few simple materials. Start by stenciling and using a box cutter to cut out a piece of cardboard in the shape and size of your choice. Wrapping a large piece of fabric around the cardboard cutout, use tape or tacks to secure it in place. Voila! Place the headboard between the wall and the top of your bed for an instantly more comfortable living space.
Via starsforstreetlights.com
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DIY Terrariums
Missing the outdoors in your 10-by-8 single? Bring nature inside with these DIY terrariums, which combine three simple materials to create. Just fill a glass bowl, jar or globe of your choice with moss, gravel or glass pebbles, add a few small plants and get ready to watch your garden grow. Make sure you use “air plants” for this project — they’re available online and are low-maintenance enough for any busy college student.
Via cieradesign.com
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