It’s a new semester, you’ve moved back into your room and fancy a change. Your endless Instagram scrolling sessions and multiple Pinterest boards have made you believe you’re the next best interior designer so it’s very easy to get carried away and let the bills rack up when decorating a new room.
But not to fear! We have narrowed it down to three top ideas to help you decorate within your student budget without losing out on the room you want.
Revamp with fairy lights
Fairy lights are a cheap and cheerful way of not only adding light into a small dark university room but they can also be used to hang photos – a necessity to make your room more like home! Extra photos/quotes can be stuck around the fairy light using coloured tape.
TOP TIP: Use clear hooks as a discrete way to attach your fairy lights without damaging the walls.
Fairy lights – Ikea £4.50
Clear hooks- Staples £3.25
Photos – PhotoBox 5p per print
Decorative tape – Hobbycraft £1-2
Stay positive and be inspired with a magazine wall
This idea is taken from writer and fashion director Amanda Brookes’ book Always Pack a Party Dress. Amanda says creating a wall of your favourite things, people and quotes in a place which is always visible is a creative way of staying inspired and positive. Although our version is quite girly, focusing on fashion and femininity, this is a room décor feature which can be re-modelled for a guy, as it revolves around your own personal interests.
STUCK FOR IDEAS? Visit websites such as Not on the High Street and Unsplash for printable and purchasable images and inspirational postcards.
Inspirational postcards – Not on the high street £1-2
Photo paper – HP glossy photo paper, 25 sheets £6.10
Fashion magazines – £2-3
Get crafty with cushion covers
WARNING: THIS IS MORE FOR THE CRAFT ENTHUSIASTS.
We all know how small uni rooms are, so instead of re-decorating your room by adding more extras, you can achieve the same effect by just changing up your necessities.
One uni room essential is cushions, as they are associated with comfort and homeliness, so why not personalise them so your room becomes more of a home from home!
There are various ways in which you can personalise cushions so here are the two top ways in which you can achieve your desired effect.
- For those… less creative…
Upload your own photos or quotes to a website and they will print your design and send it to you. Yes, it’s that easy!
Photobox £24-32. - More ambitious?
Buy your own fabric and your own stuffing, and sew or iron on your own designs. This can be quite complicated but certainly adds more of a personal touch! Simple steps can be followed online at http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pillow
Ebay – Pillow making kits £10+
Hobbycraft – Fabric and stuffing – prices vary.
So there you go, three fairly simple suggestions for how you can decorate your room on a budget. All adaptable for your personal style and perfect for finding ways to fill those big blank walls!
Emma Heasman and Charlotte Hurst
Image Credit: Emma Heasman and Charlotte Hurst
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