Decorate a College Dorm Room for Less Than $300

Decorating is usually an expensive process, but when the person decorating is a college student that is strapped for cash, the decorating budget can really take a hit. Decorating a college dorm room doesn't have to be expensive at all if you look for things in the right places. Here are some tips on decorating your college dorm room for less than $300.

Choose a Color Scheme

The first thing that you need to do is choose a color scheme. A good color scheme for a college dorm room has two to three colors, with one remaining a neutral such as white, beige or grey. Most college dorm rooms are small, so you have to be careful to choose a color scheme that will make your room appear larger. Your best bet is to choose a color that you like and pick up a color swatch at Home Depot or Lowes. These paint swatches will usually have three or more colors in the same color family. Once you narrow it down to the three that you like best, you have officially picked your paint colors. The prices of paint vary greatly, they can cost as much as $50 per gallon or as little as $15 per gallon. Since you are on a tight budget I highly recommend that you choose the latter.

Buy Used Furniture and Décor

Never underestimate the power of Ebay. Ebay can be a college student's best friend. Sure, the things you will buy won't be brand spanking new, but most of the items up for grabs on Ebay are in relatively good condition. Being a poor college student, you can't really afford the luxury of buying brand new furniture and accessories. So go hunting on Ebay for furniture, accessories and art that you want think would look great in your new dorm room. Remember to remain inside the boundaries of your chosen color scheme, to make your dorm room look more put together. Remember when shopping on Ebay to check the sellers ratings, this will let you know if they are trust worthy or not. Ratings on Ebay tell the story of how well an experience a customer had when buying from the seller. If the seller isn't reputable and has ever scammed a buyer on Ebay, you will know. If a buyer's experience was less than stellar, they usually do not have a problem letting the world know what a scam artist the seller is.