Make your room Instagram-worthy without blowing your budget.
Tired of how your room looks? Learn how to decorate your room with these top tips:
Add strings of fairy lights
A string of fairy lights is essential for anyone looking to create a snug bedroom worthy of Pinterest. These can be draped around a room and are also perfect for holding up photographs with pegs or paperclips. You can get battery powered ones or mains electricity ones. Just remember to turn them off when you’re not home!
Customise your bookshelf
Anything can be transformed to hold your belongings if you get creative. Even a small stepladder can become a cute storage feature with a bit of love and attention. If your bookshelf has a plain back panel, you can personalise it by adding photos into the empty spaces behind your books.
Don’t forget your drawer space
Simple measures can transform your storage space to make it look organised and attractive. Use strips of coloured cardboard, shoe boxes or plastic containers as dividers which can quickly jazz up a clothes drawer in seconds and make it easier to find your clothes, too!
Poke holes in lamp shades
Everything can be personalised – even plain lampshades! If you poke holes in them, you can project any pattern you want around your room. Word of warning – only do this to lamps you own though, or you could face losing your deposit.
Create your own deadline board
It’s no secret young people have a lot to remember, especially if you are studying, what with all the course deadlines, exam dates and catching up with friends. You could cover every inch of your room with post-it notes, but a much better (and tidier) solution is creating your own deadline board.
There are lots of ways to do this – cork, cardboard or even an old tray with string, push pins and coloured pens to help brighten up your schedule and inject some colour into your space.
Add wall hangings
Wall hangings and tapestries can really brighten up a wall. You can use patterned sheets or cutouts of colourful cloth if your budget doesn’t allow you to buy something specific.
If you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at what interior designer Paigebrowndesigns did on this student room. She attached this pretty, blue tapestry to the wall using double sided tape – an easy decorating solution if you are not allowed to make holes in walls.
Be careful how you hang them, ask your project manager if you’re allowed to pin them up, first!
Hang accessories on a board
There is no reason why storage options can’t be attractive too. Use a cork board or canvas with hooks and pins on your wall or even on the inside of wardrobe or cupboard doors to create a storage space that shows off your items. They can be used for jewelry, scarves and smaller bags or even in the kitchen for utensils and other small items that clutter up surfaces or drawers.
There’s a how-to on building your own below from the hellobeauty blog.
Make it happen
Spice things up with cushions
Slogan cushions or those with a colourful or quirky design can bring a bed area to life, and you can find them all over the place for cheaper than you might think. Charity shops are a good call, but budget stores like Dunelm and TK Maxx have lots of options too and they can really add some colour and personality to your space… As well as extra comfort!
Paint your own rug
An easy way to get a unique, personalised rug is to paint one. There are lots of cheap rugs out there in thrift stores and other secondhand shops for you to use, but you’ll get the best results if you use one with a low pile. Look on you tube for more advice and instructions
Use Washi Tape for everything
Washi Tape is a magical Japanese masking tape that is completely removable and reusable (so don’t worry about your deposit!) Use it for making photo frames, crafting removable wallpaper and, decorating shelves and cupboard doors… anything really.
Personalise your hangers
If you have an open wardrobe with a visible hanging rail, things can look messy really easily if you use a load of mismatched hangers. Instead, try buying a set of cheap hangers and then customising them so they match your room. Add sequins, cover them with fabric or spray paint them gold for a luxurious touch…
Add some greenery
There’s not much to this trick, we’ll admit, but adding a few plants here and there is an easy way to bring life to a room. They also come with a surprising array of health benefits, like making the air cleaner and helping you study better. Aloe vera, jade plants and rubber trees are all really easy to care for and will add a bit of outdoor beauty to you indoor space.
Organise messy wires
You’ve got your phone, your tablet and your laptop… all of these things need to be regularly charged. With so many wires it’s easy for your favourite electronics to pile up and begin to look unsightly. But we’ve got a fix for this, too: make your own charging station! You’ll be surprised how quickly things look tidier without all the wires.
Build your own