college girl decorating her dorm wall by sticking magazine cutouts to it

7 Easy Dorm Decor DIY’s That Will Make Your Aesthetic Dreams Come True

College Life Made Easy is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Cute DIY Decorations for Dorm Rooms

young college girl is cutting out inspirational images from a magazine to decorate her dorm room

Going to college and studying for a degree in your chosen field is an exciting period of life – even if your dorm room could use a little TLC.

Thankfully, changing the vibe of your room from hospital to hospitable doesn’t have to break the bank.

In this post you’ll find some of our favorite cheap and easy DIY decorations for dorm rooms.

DIY Dorm Wall Decor & More


1. Easy Flower Wall

When considering how to create the perfect dorm room aesthetic, the addition of plants or other greenery is a must. Adding indoor vegetation will instantly make your college room feel less sterile, provide low maintenance beauty, and can even boost productivity.

However, you’re not limited to only potted plants.

With a DIY flower wall, you can get creative with you decor options and add a pop of color all at the same time.

Start by gathering a bouquet of either real or faux flowers. Next, figure out how you want to hang the flowers. 

blue and white hanging flower decor in college dorm
📷 Sweet Teal

You might spruce up your space by simply taping the stems to the wall. Or you could make flower chains using hot glue, and then hang them from the ceiling to create a botanical “headboard.”

There’s clearly more than one way to approach this fun craft, but the end result is always dreamy!

2. Moon Phase Wall Hanging

Urban Outfitters is a popular spot with both millennials and gen z. They have some really cool items, but the price tags can be steep.

If nothing else, UO is a great source of inspiration because with a little creativity you can recreate stylish wall decor for a fraction of the price.

For example, the DIY Moon Phase Garland shown in the video above is quick to make. It’s a chic way to infuse your dorm with boho vibes (even if you don’t have a particular interest in astrology or witchy things).

And despite being a simple banner, it’s surprisingly versatile. It’s most commonly made of gold or silver materials and can be hung horizontally or vertically.

As an added bonus, this garland is so light you can hang it up using washi tape – no need to damage your walls.

3. Tassel Pendant Light

diy pendant light craft made with white yard on wire circle
📷 The Sorry Girls

Everyone knows student housing lighting leaves something to be desired. The standard light fixtures are devoid of softness and anything that feels remotely homey.

In an effort to create a more inviting atmosphere, I suggest stringing up some fairy lights and switching things up with this next DIY project.

A DIY Pendant Light is not only lit, but also incredibly easy to make. You can whip it up in the comfort of your own dorm room with not much more than yarn, metal craft hoops, and hot glue. How cozy is that for a dorm decor idea you can do yourself?

When you’re finished, sit back, relax, and get ready to impress all the other students on your floor.

4. Custom Neon Sign

aesthetic dorm room decorations diy ideas 5
📷Rookie Mag

Neon lighting is having a moment – it’s very much in right now and popularity is projected to increase. It’s all over the decorating scene on Instagram and Pinterest. You’ve probably seen neon in your fellow classmates dorms and apartments, too.

There’s no mystery behind this trend; Neon signs are just plain cool. Especially custom neon pieces! A favorite quote or saying in eye-catching glowing letters? YES PLEASE.

The only downside being, neon signs aren’t cheap. Not to mention custom ones get pricey real fast. Making your own DIY Neon Sign is the next best thing.

 

Though it may seem like an intimidating project to tackle, the process is honestly very straightforward.

No soldering iron needed to create this budget-friendly DIY dorm decor idea! Armed with wire lights, metal wire, string, and some patience, you’ll be able to bring your vision to life in no time.

5. Geometric Photo Display

photo display wall decor in abstract geometric shape
📷 The Caldwell Project

Dorm rooms, though small, have plenty of bare wall real estate to decorate. And pictures are one of the best things to hang on dorm walls.

Whether you want to display memories of home or new memories shared with college friends, a DIY Geometric Photo Display is a great way to add texture and depth to your room.

This cheap dorm decor idea is extra fun because it’s open-ended. There are endless geometric shapes to create and the choice is yours to make.

Just be sure to sub push pins for nails to protect the walls and spare your deposit on move-out day.

6. Wall Grid Organizer

This next DIY decoration for your dorm room is a triple threat. It combines visual interest with utility and only requires a couple of items from the dollar store.

Dorm wall decor is nice, but wall decor that helps you organize your life? Even better!

You can use a Wall Grid to hang art, accessories/jewelry, a calendar, notes, and, of course, pictures.

It’s the perfect thing to jazz up your desk space or to create a faux entryway area (aka the catchall zone). ‘Cause without a dedicated place to set down keys, sunglasses, and the like, it’s way too easy to misplace that stuff.

7. Wire Word Art

speach bubble wire art wrapped in hot pink yarn
📷crafts.tutsplus.com

As a college student, creativity is one of your greatest resources. For one, it’s free. And for two, experimenting and trying new things is what your college years are all about.

And as you discover more about yourself, this lends to opportunities for expressing yourself through a multitude of mediums.

Like wire art, for instance. Which is truly a quick, easy, and affordable way to manifest some phrase or idea in your life. They typically don’t take long to make either.

This DIY Wire-Wrapped Word craft is a fun little project you can do with just a few simple materials. You can go creatively as wild and crazy as you want, or you can keep it simple with a more minimalist style.

Aside from being cute wall decor, it’s one of the most inexpensive ways to add some personality and improve the overall vibe of your college dorm.


college girl is sticking inspirational magazine cutouts on a wall in her college dorm

Final thoughts on dorm wall decor diys

So that concludes this post on cute dorm decor ideas you can DIY.

Let us know which craft you liked best or other fun decorating ideas you have by leaving a comment below!

More dorm decorating ideas:


Pin it for later 📌:

7 aesthetic diy wall decor ideas to decorate your dorm, infographic to save to Pinterest

Cheap Dorm Room Decor Ideas

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *