Genius, Cheap DIY Dorm Room Ideas | 14 Cheap DIY Dorm Room Ideas You’ll Love

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This post is about DIY dorm room ideas.

College dorm room decor ideas, organizing ideas, and color schemes are all great projects that you can do yourself!

Sometimes getting things from the decor section at target is great, and sometimes it’s extremely overpriced and way out of your budget.

The best remedy for this problem is to do it yourself! Buying supplies separate and putting them together yourself is a great way to save money, and customize stuff however you want. Perfect for matching your college dorm room theme!

Here’s 14 DIY dorm room ideas.

DIY Dorm Room Decor Ideas

1. Spray Paint Mason Jars

Mason jars are a great way to add some cute storage to any surface. I really like having them as pen jars, or using them as vases for succulents or fake flowers.

Mason jars are actually relatively inexpensive, and you can find them at a lot of thrift stores. Since you’re painting them anyways, if they look kind of old from a thrift store it’s no big deal.

Here’s some of my favorite sizes, and favorite trendy colors of spray paint!

2. Cookie Sheet Magnetic Board

When it comes to small space in tiny dorm rooms, utilizing vertical space can help with storage – and decor – issues a ton. I love the idea of hanging a cookie sheet above your desk with command strips, and using that as your own magnetic board.

With no full sized fridge to stick reminders on, this is and even better location! If you want your cookie sheet to match your theme even more, just spray paint it!

3. Dry Erase Picture Frame

Dry erase markers work on glass, and a picture frame is a great way to make your own, customizable dry erase picture frame.

I really like sticking a weekly, print out calendar in a picture frame so I can write down each week’s menu/meal plan and hang it in my entryway!

Here’s the picture frames I recommend.

4. Gallery Wall

A gallery wall is a great way to make a big statement with wall art in any dorm room. I really like mixing and matching picture frames, canvas prints, posters, and bulletin boards.

An array of a bunch of different sizes makes the perfect gallery wall! I really like hanging some thin fairy lights around the edges of all the frames, and adding some non-frame items like letters and differently shaped mirrors.

Here’s some of my favorite picks for a gallery wall. See if they fit your theme!

5. Washi Tape Geometric Door

You’ll notice quickly that people like decorating their freshman year college dorm room doors. I think a really cute way to make a nice statement is to use washi tape to create a full door geometric statement.

Washi tape comes in tons of colors and patterns, and it’s a great way to add an accent color to your college dorm room color scheme!

Related: 9 Dorm Room Desk Organization Ideas

6. Trendy Coasters

Coasters can be a little more expensive, and they don’t need to be!

My mom actually showed me this DIY, and it’s a great one. You can use these cork planter coasters and paint them to match any theme.

I have ones that are painted with chevrons, and with a letter “C” for my name. These are a cheap DIY that is so cute!

7. Tapestry Headboard

A DIY “headboard” adds a lot to a dorm room! Instead of stretching a tapestry completely out, hang it with command hooks to match the width of your bed, right at the head. Hang some fairy lights around it, and you have an awesome, super cheap DIY headboard!

Here’s my favorite fairy lights, and I have an entire post on the cutest college dorm room tapestries. I recommend heading over to that post if you’re going to buy a tapestry for your college dorm room!

Related: Cutest College Dorm Room Tapestry Ideas

8. Rustic Wood Art

A wood palette decorated however you like is a great way to add a rustic element to your dorm room! The nice thing about a nice wood palette is you can use stencils and paint it however you want, add fairy lights, whatever floats your boat.

9. Contact Paper Plastic Organizer

A simple, 3 drawer plastic organizer is a great addition to your dorm room, that adds a ton of storage! They’re also relatively inexpensive, which is a win-win.

The only problem I had with mine is that it had clear drawers, showing everything inside. With everything in my dorm room matching my dorm room color scheme, I wanted this organizer to match as well!

Adding some contact paper to the outside of the drawers is a great way to make your 3 drawer organizer an accent piece!

10. Blanket Hooks

Command hooks are surprisingly super sturdy, and utilizing vertical space is an absolute must have for space saving in a college dorm.

Hanging extra blankets, or making a DIY set of keyring hooks is super easy and cheap with command hooks!

Here’s the cute ones I recommend. Keep in mind that these can always be painted, too.

Related: The Best Dorm Room Cleaning Essentials

11. Accent Full Length Mirror

You’ll notice that there’s some cheap full length mirrors floating around target the month leading up to college move in. Take advantage of this! Get your cheap mirror, because you can make it trendy and cute yourself.

I recommend gluing flowers, rocks, sea shells, fairy lights, whatever you want to the frame of your mirror to make it match your college dorm room theme.

12. Flower Letters

A great addition to any dorm room and any gallery wall is a large letter. Wooden letters are relatively inexpensive, and are perfect for adding a big accent.

Gluing fake flowers to the letter of your choice makes an even bigger statement, and looks even more elegant.

13. Throw Pillow Covers

When getting throw pillows for your dorm room, I really recommend just getting inserts. A lot of throw pillows online actually are just covers, and don’t come with inserts.

By just getting inserts, you can change your theme instantly by just getting different covers. Plus, you can make your own covers! They’re not that difficult to make, and it gives you a ton of creative freedom.

14. Wreath Decor

An embroidery hoop leaves a lot of room for creative freedom. With the large assortment of fake plants at the craft store, it’s really easy to make a super cute DIY wreath.

My favorite uses different sized hoops and fake flowers glued to it.

This post showed you 14 DIY dorm room projects – to save money!