So you may be an expert on decorating a college dorm room, but what do you do now that you have a whole student apartment to decorate?
Never fear -- it's not all that different, except that now you have lots more space to make your own. Like a dorm, there's only so much you can do, as you don't own the place and can't paint the walls and make other modifications. But unlike a dorm, an off campus apartment is more like a home, so you have room (at least some room) to spread out your stuff and make the place look great.
As a student, of course, you don't have the money to make your first apartment look like the Pottery Barn catalog -- and that's just fine. You have more important priorities and more pressing needs for your money. With a little creativity, though, you can stretch your budget to make your place look less like off campus housing and more like your home away from home. Here are a few easy and cheap decorating ideas.
Curtains and Window Treatments
One of the easiest ways to brighten up your home is to decorate the windows. Your place probably comes with some basic window treatments, like Venetian blinds, but there's no reason why you can't remove these (just don't lose them).
Unfortunately, curtains and other window treatments can be pricey if you buy them new, so save money by shopping in thrift stores, looking on online sites like Craiglist or eBay, or raiding your parents' basement. Another simple idea: keep the Venetian blinds on and top them off with a pretty window valence, which is a decorative, pillow-like contraption that fits over a curtain rod. If you're really crafty, of course, curtains aren't that difficult to make.
Decorative Fabric
Curtains aren't the only use for fabric. Stop by a fabric store and buy what's on sale, and you can use your inexpensive finds to add color to your apartment. You can drape fabric over an old couch or chair , create a canopy for your bed, a runner for the floor, or whatever you can dream up. When you move, you can use the fabric for another purpose--if nothing else, you can cut it up for cleaning rags.
Bathroom Decorations
You can spend a fortune on fancying up your bathroom, but why bother? Here are some inexpensive and easy bathroom decorating ideas that will make this room so much more homey.
Wall Hangings
Now that you're not living in a dorm, you probably don't want to stick posters all over your walls. However, expensive framed art probably is out as well. A good compromise is to buy some inexpensive frames and fill them with whatever you like -- photos, cheap art, maps, posters, or whatever. One stylish way to do this is to be a bunch of small matching square frames and use those to decorate a wall. or check out a discount store, thrift store, or yard sale in search for some simple and unique things to hang on the walls. Another easy -- and practical -- idea is to hang small shelves on the walls. Just be careful when you hang them up not to do damage.
Lamps and Lights
True, there's nothing that screams "student apartment" more than Christmas lights strewn on the wall--that is, except maybe a neon beer sign -- so you might want ti skip this stereotypical decorations (unless you like this things, in which case, go for it). However, some simple, inexpensive lamps can soften the mood of your apartment.
Be Creative
Moving into your first place is a treat, so don't stress out about making it look perfect. With a little creativity, you can make your apartment look unforgettable without spending lots of money.
For more ideas on setting up your first place, visit the College Student Apartment Guide!
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
