Some of you may remember that last year I filmed a series of super short segments for HLN featuring my boys’ bedroom makeover. Well I am happy (and terrified) to report that I will be filming another HLN segment this week, and this time I will be talking about dorm room decor ideas. The segment will be about 3-5 minutes or so (so don’t blink!) and will air during Weekend Express this Sunday, August 17. I’m not sure of an exact time, but it will be sometime during the Weekend Express program. Feel free to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for behind the scenes updates on Friday! I will be heading to the studio at CNN Center to film. For now, I wanted to go ahead and show you a sneak peek of all the projects I’ll be featuring. With “back to school” in full swing (is it just me or do kids go back WAY too early nowadays?) it was a fun challenge for me to compile some ideas for decorating a dorm room on a budget, but keep in mind these ideas can translate to any home or office too. In fact, some of these we do use at our house.

Update: You can find a link to the segment here!

Tinted Glass Jars

These are super easy to make, and you could use any size jar depending on what you want to store inside. (They are perfect for pens and pencils.) We use small jelly jars for art supply storage, but you could use larger mason jars or glass canisters for makeup or toiletries. Tutorial here.

Upcycled Food Canisters

Dress up old food canisters using fabric, or Mod Podge and gift wrap, scrapbook paper, or any decorative paper, and plop them on top of your desk to use for school/office supplies (or any other small items). I used an old Quaker Oats container but I’ve also used a bread crumb canister and a Pringles container in the past. Any cylindrical canister would work fine. I covered mine with fabric by running a strip of double-sided hem tape along the height of the canister, adhering an edge of fabric to it, then wrapping the fabric around and finishing it off with another strip of hem tape. I used hot glue around the top and bottom rim. I embellished mine with ribbon and feathers cut from glitter cardstock. This really is a great opportunity to upcycle something that would’ve otherwise been tossed in the trash.

Fabric Covered Storage Box

It doesn’t get easier than this! Cover a cardboard box in fabric. Embellish with ribbon or fabric flowers, and then use it to hide your clutter. I actually used a diaper box for this one and we have used it in the past for my son’s homework papers and also for small toy storage. Any size box works fine — shoe boxes, moving boxes, whatever you have on hand. Tutorial here.

DIY Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

I was going to type a quick tutorial for this (it’s super easy!) but then I found this one from Chelsea at Two Twenty One and she covers it perfectly. She even used pink fabric! (Great minds think alike.) The only difference is that I used furniture nailheads since that’s what I had on-hand, but you could use regular thumbtacks to create the nailhead trim look too. My fabric (in the photo above) is courtesy of Online Fabric Store (from my Haven Conference swag bag).

Removable Wallpaper

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I am slightly obsessed with Wallternatives Wall Appeal. This is removable wallpaper that can be removed and reused — perfect for dorm room walls! I love that you can peel it off and use it again, so you don’t have to throw it out when you move out of the dorm. It comes in several pretty colors and patterns. (Stay tuned because I have a fun project planned with it!) Wallternatives also makes headboard shaped decals which are perfect for dorm rooms, or you could create a template using brown craft paper, then trace and cut out the removable wallpaper into the shape of a headboard and you could stick it on the wall behind the bed. No one wants to move a big heavy headboard into a dorm room, and the plain mattress and box springs aren’t exactly the cutest, so why not DIY a faux headboard?

Chalkboard Decals

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This is another fun product from Wallternatives called Chalk Talk. They come in lots of shapes and sizes, and this is the perfect alternative to a memo board. You could use it to write messages to your roommate, or your weekly schedule, “to do” lists, reminders, or anything else you want to display. These are also reusable. I have the large size of the Teux Deux List Chalkboard Vinyl Wall Decal. You’ll be seeing this somewhere in my home very soon too!

Disclosure: I received the Wallternatives removable wallpaper and chalkboard decal for free to review. You will be seeing more about these products on the blog very soon! This post contains affiliate links.

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-Erin