A stack of blankets, a pumpkin, and orange candle on a window sill.
Student Life

Dive into Fall with DIY Dorm Decor Ideas

You don’t need to pay a pretty penny to deck out your dorm room for autumn. Cheap fall decor doesn’t have to look, well, cheap, either. With some creativity and a few strategically spent dollars, there’s a lot you can do to create a fall atmosphere in your living space. And with tailgating, shopping for sweaters, and other fun activities on the fall agenda, it’s important not to burn your budget all at once. So, save your cash and have a little chilly weather fun with fall decor ideas from Varsity.

Dollar Store Fall Decor

You can score some amazing deals on fall room decor at your neighborhood dollar store. We came up with these fabulous fall decorating ideas for DIY fans with help from a few affordable tricks:

  • Paint on plain acorn-, leaf- and pumpkin-shaped wooden planks.
  • Fill pumpkin-shaped jars with candy corn or creme-filled pumpkin candies.
  • Create a festive fall tabletop vignette from real or plastic squash, pumpkins, corn, and tiny craft hay bales.
  • Add a fall touch to picture frames or inexpensive lampshades with burlap or autumn-hued ribbon trim.
  • Paste real acorns, fake fall leaves, and other accents around the edges of a small chalkboard.

From supplies for homemade DIY fall decor to ready-made items, dollar stores have everything you need to get into the spirit of autumn without breaking the bank.

Go Vintage

Thrift stores can be great sources for homemade DIY fall decor. Go early in the day to improve your odds of finding unique or even high-quality fall room decor and craft materials. Ways you can use your thrift store finds include:

  • Adorn your table with a cheap tablecloth in rust, brown, orange, or gold
  • Display inexpensive artificial fall flowers in a vintage vase or pitcher
  • Pick up a fall-colored afghan blanket to throw over a chair; be sure to factor in cleaning costs

If your timing is right, you may even come across vintage Halloween decorations. Collectors pay a small fortune for decades-old trick-or-treat buckets, blow-mold jack-o-lanterns, and black cats made of melted plastic popcorn; but you may not have to if you’re lucky enough to score one of these rare finds.

Cute Fall Decorating Ideas for DIY Projects

Of course, craft stores and even discount stores are excellent sources for inexpensive craft supplies. Create fall room decor on the cheap with these homemade DIY fall decor tips:

  • Shape artificial fall leaves into autumn-colored “roses” for a gorgeous centerpiece
  • Paint craft wood slats with fall “bucket list” ideas like “Bake a pumpkin pie” or “Go on a hayride”
  • Cut autumn-colored tissue paper into fun fall shapes; display them individually, as a garland, or as part of a seasonal centerpiece

No matter what, your room will look amazing in no time with these homemade DIY fall decor ideas.

Scary Cheap Fall Decor

Want to put a spooky spin on your fall room decor? Try these ideas to celebrate the most frighteningly fun holiday of the year:

  • Prop a painted cardboard “coffin” against a wall
  • Create ghosts by draping fabric over shaped chicken wire or dress forms with styrofoam heads
  • Make a scary “booquet” by gluing tiny plastic skulls to the centers of artificial flowers and placing them in a flowerpot

If you’re good with a paintbrush, you can design even more spooktacular cheap fall decor with killer jack-o-lanterns and other fun creations.

Manage Your Fall Decor Budget with Varsity

We hope you’ve enjoyed these fall decorating ideas for DIY projects. Your dorm room may look scary this Halloween, but your bank accounts shouldn’t be. Track those fall room decor expenses easily and conveniently with online and mobile banking solutions from Varsity.

From our convenient app (available on the App Store and Google Play) to our paperless eStatements, managing your money has never been easier. Open an account today!

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