Well, who would have thought I’d be decorating a college dorm for the first time at my age. I was a commuter kid. My dorm adventure began last week when Amy Buckman from Saving with 6ABC challenged me to decorate a dorm room for under a $125.
I embraced the challenge and made my plan to deliver a fresh, trendy room on a budget. Philadelphia University was very gracious to lend me a dorm for a day. I had no idea these upper classmen dorms were so big, bright and modern. So, I knew I needed to turn to thrift stores and discount shops to stretch my dollars.
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The elements of my room were pulled together from Impact Thrift Stores, Michael’s Crafts, Lomax Flooring and Dollar Tree. Paying tuition can be overwhelming enough, so you too, can try these money saving tips to give your kids great dorm décor without taking a second mortgage.
Buying Linens – Your student will need bed linens, a comforter and towels, of course. Thrift stores often have gently used items that you can machine wash or dry clean before the big move. Discount stores like Big Lots are a great resource as well. I found a gorgeous lavender sateen comforter with two pillow shams at Impact for $25.99. Using a 20 percent off coupon from my Giant grocery receipt, I saved even more!
Wall Décor – Posters are a dorm room standby. Michaels carries lots of posters and you can use a 40-percent-off coupon. Then go grab a cheap frame at Impact and spray paint it. But you can find fun and more-sophisticated wall decor when you think outside the frame! I found an old cafeteria tray; you know those durable plastic ones crazy kids would sled on. I used the tray as a canvas for a paper and decoupage project. A richly colored peacock paper covers the old tray and it set me back 50 cents for the tray and 48 cents for the paper. Sweet! The tray can be wall mounted or double as a lap top tray. For another fun project, seek out old album covers or magazine stories and decoupage them to a treasured item like an old skateboard.
Organizers – Your student is bound to have more “stuff” than they can fit into a small space. Organization is key.Thrift stores may have milk crates and other plastic storage items. But don’t forget to check 5 Below and Dollar Tree for closet caddies, shower totes and paper tamers!
Rugs – Philadelphia University impressed me with fresh wall-to-wall carpet, but most dorms have cold tile floors. An area rug will warm up the space and add a little color. I found a great rug at Lomax Carpet Mart for $90, made in USA, and stain resistant. They also carry a selection of larger trendy dorm rugs for $49. Think dark or multi-colored rugs for stain resistance.
Lighting – Hard-working kids need good task light! I found a simple black desk lamp for $4 at Impact. Thrift stores often have cool retro lamps that need an updated shade. Grab half a yard of fabric at Joann Fabrics and glue a fun print to an old shade. Target is another spot for cheap, trendy lamps. Be sure to pack light bulbs, too.
Have fun, be thrifty, get back to school!
