DIY Decorating: Part 1

If These Walls Could Talk

Ah, September. A time for new classes, new books and of course, new living arrangements. And, with new living arrangements—be it dorm, house or apartment—there arises a need for new décor. With tuition bills looming you’re probably searching-for-quarters-in-the-couch-to-buy-Ramen broke. Fortunately, you can have an awesome crib and still afford life’s little pleasures…like food.

This week, I’ll be giving you tips and tricks that I’ve discovered in my four years of turning a rented space into a home. For now, let’s talk basics. If you want your dingy dorm or living room to look a little better instantly, I have one word for you: walls.

Painting walls is rarely an option when you’re a college student, so most people tend to give up on the idea of having anything but dull, whiteness surrounding them. This is not a necessary concession by any means! The easiest way to get creative is with posters. But why follow the crowd when you can get creative, and for a fraction of the cost? Stop by CVS or Family Dollar and pick up some sidewalk chalk. It washes off of most painted walls, cinder block or wallpaper, and you can decorate however you like. Just test the chalk in an inconspicuous area first, to make sure it washes off easily to prevent nasty fines at the end of the year. Also, go easy on the red and pink chalks…they tend to be harder to wash off completely.

If photographs are more your style, try taking a new approach to the standard bulletin board. While surfing the net last finals week, I saw someone who had used a garden lattice for hanging pictures. Lowe’s sells that kind of thing for a relatively inexpensive price. But why buy something you could make yourself? Use some poster putty (or nails, if you’re lucky enough to have that option) to stick long pieces of twine or string to the wall in a lattice pattern. Then, use paperclips or clothespins to hang pictures on your lattice. Get creative; decorate the clothespins with markers or glue bottle caps on them.

If posters are simply irreplaceable in your decorating, don’t splurge at retail stores. Check out Amazon.com or AllPosters.com for inexpensive options. You can also call the Athena, Athena Grand, or the Nelsonville 10 to see what they do with their old movie posters. A lot of theatres give away or sell posters after the films have moved out of theatres. If you’re lucky, you might even score a promotional cardboard cutout from a recent flick.

Check back tomorrow for more tips on having a party friendly place!