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Looking for ways to spruce up your space for spring? It’s time to add personal touches to your dorm room and jazz it up and make it feel like home.

1. Better Lighting: Dorm room lighting can be a bit industrial–to put it nicely. Dorm room lights just aren’t inviting and they remind you more of a gas station than a home. Christmas lights are the perfect way to add a touch of something to the room and add some softer mood lighting to your room. What’s best is that you can string many strands of lights together for a great look.

 Try white Christmas lights and clear (or colorful) tulle! Cut the tulle into strips and tie a strip between each light. When it all comes together your lighting situation will be far better than before– find instructions here!

2. Pictures: Adding pictures to your room is the perfect way feel at home. I always have plenty of family photos around my room that keep me positive when I’m missing home.

3. Canvases: Crafting is the perfect way to get your mind off of worrying about school. Have a craft night and maybe even invite others to paint some of the decor for your room so that you’ll have a piece of them and their creativity to keep.

4. Rugs: Rugs come in all shapes and sizes and they are the perfect way to make your dorm room feel more comfortable. They are great because they stop your feet from hitting the cold hard dorm room floor in the morning and also because they add a pop of color to the room.

5. Bed Sets: One of the easiest ways to instantly to jazz up a room is by making your bed; and doing it with great sheets! A lot of space in your room will be taken over by where you sleep–so it’s no wonder adding your bed sheets will make the room feel more alive!

6. School Decor: I love to have a few piece of school spirit in my room. Right now I have my first ever set of bambams (the noise making devices passed out at games) on my wall. I just waited for the air to deflate out of them–and I haven’t gotten rid of them since my freshman year (I am a junior now.) They are just sentimental to me and the perfect simple and cheap dorm room decor.

7. Storage: Storage may seem like just a necessity that you need–but even that can make your dorm room sparkle–just match your new storage stuff to your dorm room theme. That way your storage can become a part of your room, not just something you stick under the bed.

8. Seating: Adding seating can be a great way to add some character to your room. You don’t have to go all out- because you probably don’t have too much space- but you can buy a storage ottoman or a nice bouncy chair or beanbag that’s easy to move around.

9. Stuffed Animals: When you get to college it’s your time to be a kid again. Bringing a stuffed animal or two is totally acceptable, especially of the pillow pet variety. It’s always awesome to have cute stuffed animals on your bed, and it gives you something familiar in your room.

10. Wall Decals: Wall decals are a great way to put some design into your room. Wall decals are easy to apply and make your own. Kits are pretty inexpensive and they mask any empty wall spaces in your room. I have Dandelion wall decals in my room and they were the cutest and easiest to put up wall decor I have.

I want to know! What are your favorite dorm or apartment DIY tips and tricks? Leave a comment below or by tweet me @AmandaJPCross and hashtag #UChic!