September 24, 2025 by

While preparing to attend Cedarville University as an incoming freshman, I filled my time by creating Pinterest boards of cute dorm rooms. These Pinterest boards represented my ideal dorm room, but as I started to shop around for the items on my wish list, I quickly realized how pricey decor can be. I decided to pivot my previous ideas and think of unique ways to make my dorm room comfortable. Here are some simple ways you can decorate your dorm room on a budget too! 

Dollar Tree Picture Frames 

Adding picture frames brings a piece of home along with you to college and elevates the vibe of your room. Adding a frame around pictures from home can make your room sophisticated, add pizzazz, and help with the feeling of being homesick as you transition to life as a Cedarville student. The best part of investing in picture frames is that you are not limited to pictures inside the frames. I have lived with girls who used colored prints as the subject of their frames or even kept the stock photos in the frames, if they fit the color scheme of their rooms. 

String Lights 

Dorm lighting can seem harsh and be a mood killer as you wake up each morning. One easy fix for this without breaking the bank is to invest in some string lights. I have string lights hung from the walls in my room, but I have seen other girls strip them to a singular wall and use it as their go-to outfit picture wall. String lights come in all different bulb sizes, lighting styles, and price ranges. No matter what the aesthetic you are trying to obtain is, you can find a set that fits your vision for your ideal home away from home.  

Corkboards  

Another cost-effective decoration idea is buying a corkboard. You could use a corkboard to hang pictures if frames are not your cup of tea, or you could use it as a place to hang up reminders for classes, events, or planning. I have also seen people leave notes on their friends’ corkboards. The best part of corkboards is that you can rearrange and redo them as often as you like. Corkboards are sturdy and hold a good number of papers, pictures, notecards, etc., while also making it simple to take them down. If having a brown board hanging on your wall feels like it would clash with the color scheme, you could use construction paper or cheap wallpaper to cover the board and still be able to use it to hold up whatever you wish. 

Shop the Sales  

I know that the sales may seem like an obvious start to staying in a budget, but I have had friends find all kinds of on sale decor within their budget at stores like T.J. MAXX, HomeGoods, and Gabes. You do have to be careful when you go to stores like these; at times, I find multiple items for a good price without thinking about how all the good prices add up to go over my budget. One trick for sales stores is to shop out of season. For example, last February, I went to T.J. MAXX and bought a Christmas mug for only two dollars since it was no longer the Christmas season. Decorations out of season save you money and prepare you to change decorations depending on the season you are in.  

Cedarville Classifieds 

Cedarville Classifieds is an online marketplace for students to buy and sell items on campus. This site is often used for textbooks, but students will also sell decorations they no longer want or need. Not only is this a good way to find decorations on a budget, but it is also a good way to sell decorations that do not suit your dorm room needs anymore. I know of some girls who bought a couch from Cedarville Classifieds for their unit lounge! There are good finds on Cedarville Classifieds, and it is also safer than other marketplace sites for students to use. Cedarville Classifieds get sent out each day during the school year with postings split into categories to make the site user-friendly.  

These are just a few ways you can maximize your budget for dorm decorations while you create your dorm room vision. By implementing these tips, you could keep yourself from dipping into your coffee budget for the semester while also having a room that feels like home.  

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