How to personalize your dorm room

Dorm rooms are never as big as you expect them to be - add a roommate to the mix and you'll soon realize you don't have a lot of space left over for decorations. The area might be small, but that doesn't mean you can't personalize it to fit your style. It simply indicates you have to get creative with your adornments. For instance, a whiteboard offers a variety of decor options for any room. Here are a few more ideas to help you spruce up your room and make it feel more homey:

Lights

Overhead lights are fine during the day, but at night, it's nice to use something a little softer. Avoid flooding the room with light by hanging a string of globe lights across the room or as a border around your bed. These bulbs create a pleasant illumination alternative that add a little character to the space, but they also won't disturb your roommate too much if you have to get up in the middle of the night.

Lanterns are another option for brightening your space. Use command hooks or tape to hang the lamps from the ceiling. For some fun mood lighting, try finding ones with colored shades, like pink or blue.

Decorate your walls with creative stationery that shows your personality.

Pictures

It's easy to get homesick when you move to college. Combat these wistful feelings by decorating your room with photos from home. Most dorm room policies prohibit holes in the wall, so forget hanging picture frames and create a wall collage with a stack of photos instead. A cool arrangement of images will make the room more inviting and is also a good way to add some decor to the walls. 

Utilizing scrapbook paper is another way you can embellish the walls without poking holes in the drywall. Go to your local craft store and choose a book of decorative stationery. You should be able to find a variety of paper sizes and images, so make sure you select one that fits your personality. Take the paper back to your room and use tape or sticky tack to either strategically place whole sheets of patterned paper around the room, or make a stencil and cut out shapes. For example, if you like elephants, you could use a stencil to create several cutouts and then string them together for a wall decoration. Easily hang your new elephant decor by fixing a command hook to the wall and tying the string around the catch. 

Boards

Boards are useful in a dorm room for things like pinning items that inspire you and creating to-do lists. Pin boards and whiteboards are two decorative and functional elements every room needs. A stick on whiteboard is perfect for personalizing a space because you can put it anywhere and write anything on it. For example, you could place one of these boards on the top of your desk and use it as a doodle and note taking surface.

You can also use shaped dry erase boards to mix up the look. Sticking a quote bubble on the wall above your desk and writing notes to your roommate is one idea. If you're looking over notes for an exam you could print "Shhh, studying," so people will know not to disturb you when they come in.

If you like the idea of a dry erase surface, but want one that's a little more unique, try using a black dry erase board. The dark surface can create some interesting contrast in your space, and bright colored markers will really stand out on the surface. These re-stickable boards are also perfect for any dorm because you don't have to worry about damaging the wall at all. You can stick the board onto the wall and easily remove it at the end of the year without removing any pain.

Pin boards are another useful tool for your dorm space. Sticking scraps of paper and other items into the cork will show your individuality and make the place looked personalized. Drawing some bold lines across your pin board for a monthly calendar is another creative option. Stick notes and other items around various days to keep track of your activities and goals for the semester.

Incorporating any of these ideas into your space will instantly transform it into a homey setting with personalized style. Try mixing various ideas to see what works best for you and your room.