Top Hacks For Decorating Your Student Room On A Budget

Your student room at university is your home away from home, it’s your own space where you can relax and unwind after a busy day, hit the haystack after working hard and invite your friends over.

Whilst decorating and adding your own stamp to your student accommodation room can be expensive, there are plenty of top hacks you can make the most of. 

Student room decor on a budget? Yep, we’ve got it here so stick with us to find out, your room will be the ultimate pad in no time at all! 

student room decor

Deposit-Friendly Room Decor

Whilst living in student accommodation or in a student house, it’s important to opt for deposit-friendly room decor and ensure that you minimise damages. 

If you’re wanting to hang up the likes of posters, photos and lights, it’s best to use command strips rather than blu tack or cello tape as these things can leave marks on the walls.  

You should also make sure not to bring along candles and other hazardous items if you’re living in university accommodation, as they are not allowed. 

The last thing you want to do is risk losing your deposit or having to pay damages when it gets to the end of your tenancy! 

deposit friendly room decor

1. Focus On Lighting 

Need some inspiration for decking out your student pad? The right lighting can really level up your room and make it feel super warm and cosy. 

Your options are endless when it comes to lights to set the tone of your room, there’s fairy lights, LED strip lights, sunset lamps and salt lamps to choose from. 

You can hang your lights around your bed, across the ceiling or even on your pin board if you have one. 

The best part is, these lighting options tend to be fairly inexpensive, with fairy lights only costing a couple of quid. 

fairy lights student bedroom

2. Create Your Own Gallery 

You definitely don’t have to spend a fortune to get your student room looking stylish, there are plenty of budget-friendly decor ideas out there. 

That being said, our next hack is to create your own photo gallery with images of you and your family and friends. 

This will add a personal touch to your room and that way, you can be reminded of your loved ones with photos of happy memories shared together. 

With FreePrints, you can get all the photos off your phone into your hands in a matter of days, and you only have to pay a few quid for the delivery! 

creating photo gallery

3. Get House Plants 

If you want to breathe new life into your bedroom, a budget hack we have for you is to get some house plants. 

Some plants which are low maintenance and stylish include cactuses, spider plants and snake plants to name a few. 

Not only do house plants look great, there’s also numerous health benefits like boosting our moods, increasing creativity, reducing stress levels and eliminating air pollutants. 

Worried about forgetting to water your plants? We don’t blame you, go for artificial indoor plants instead, so you can get your flat looking good without the faff! 

house plants student room decor

4. Transform Your Room With Trinkets 

Trinkets are a great way to spruce up your space, as they’re the best addition for your night standard, bedroom counter or even your desk in your student room. 

You can choose from a variety of trinkets in different shapes, colours and sizes from the likes of B&M, Home Bargains or Wilkos. 

If you’d rather some one-of-a-kind trinkets, you can shop around charity shops or on Vinted for vintage ornaments.

Trinket trays are also great for storing your rings, necklaces and bracelets too, so it’s a win-win!  

trinkets student room decor

5. Kit Out Your Floor With A Rug

Hopefully the carpet in your student flat isn’t looking too worse for wear, but if so, one way you can make your room look more cosy and inviting is with a rug. 

Rugs can add a pop of colour to your space and make it feel less empty, and there’s plenty of styles, colours and sizes to choose from. 

Plus, stepping on a cosy rug rather than your cold floor is much better on those cold wintery mornings when you’re waking up for a 9am lecture! 

Whilst rugs do tend to be quite expensive, if you shop around on the likes of Wayfair, you should get a steal, and there’s plenty of places that offer student discounts. 

We’re sure a high quality rug will last throughout your student years too, so when you move into a house in your second or third year, you’ll be able to make use of it!

bedroom rug

6. Add Some Wall Art 

If you’re wanting to add some character to our room, one way you can do this is by adding some funky wall art. 

You can find cool prints and wall art on Etsy and Amazon, but don’t forget about command strips, as you don’t want to take off a layer of paint off your wall! 

You could even get some funky neon signs to make your room the ultimate pre-drinks space, or flatmate hangout. 

If you’re good at graphic design, you could even whip up your own wall art for your room, for a serious flex when your mates come over. 

wall art student room decor

7. Switch Out Your Bedding 

Getting into bed after a long day is one of the best things in life, right? Well, switching out your bedding will create a totally different vibe. 

If you’re like us and your bed is your sanctuary, be sure to invest in some cosy and pretty bedding. 

Don’t worry, there’s plenty of places out there that offer nice bedding which won’t break the bank, like Wilkos and The Range. 

New bedding won’t just elevate your room and create a sense of zen, it will also help you to sleep soundly too. 

After all, good sleep is important for student life and will leave you feeling ready to tackle the day ahead! 

bedding student room decor

8. Home Keepsakes 

While there are a lot of visual ways to decorate your student room, one way in which you can add a personal touch is by adding home keepsakes. 

Special items from home like a family photobook or ornament will be a nice reminder of the things and the people that you love whilst you’re away, and can be helpful for when you’re feeling homesick. 

It tends to be the little things that really comfort us the most, and this way you won’t be cutting into your student budget. 

Don’t just assume you’ll be allowed to bring your family’s most prized heirloom to university with you though – we’re not sure your parents will be too happy about that! 

family keepsakes

There we have it, our full guide on revamping your student room without putting a hole in your pocket. 

Don’t forget to get creative with thrifty shopping and make the most of our student room decor hacks! 

Wondering how to make new friends as a young adult? Take a read of our blog post to find out.

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