5 Simple and Economical Ways to Decorate Your First Apartment Or Dorm

It is an exciting day when you go off to college or move into your first place. I remember fondly my little apartment with barely enough space to fit my twin mattress and single foldable chair. I was all of 19 years old and decorating was not on the top of my to do list at the time.

With going to school and working my budget was very tight. I think I just used some poster putty to hang posters up that I found at the local bookstore. It worked for me at the time.

Now that I am older I am still a thrifty shopper but I am also more creative in the ways I decorate our apartment. Our budget has always been limited but I have learned to use what I have access to like magazines, repurposed fabric, natural resources like pine cones and twigs as well as dollar store finds. I must admit though I still use posters and poster putty to decorate my boys room and even my creative inspiration wall.

Just because you are young and on a budget does not mean your apartment has to look like it is starving. Get rid of the bare wall syndrome and give one or more of the following ideas a try.

1. Printable Art

Printable Art is an easy low cost solution to the bare wall syndrome many young college students face. Sites like IndieFixx.com offer the Feed your Soul program which encourages you to smile and enjoy art even in a rough economy.

2. Dollar Store Finds

For a couple of dollars you can purchase 3 - 5 wooden picture frames at your local dollar store. Use items such as printable art, a nice piece of fabric, pictures of friends or family, and even your own art work to bring color to your walls.

3. Second Hand Fabric Bunting

You can find some of the greatest vintage fabric prints at thrift stores. I usually find them in the linen department. Once you find the fabric make a bunting to hang across a bare wall. You don't even need to sew it, just use fabric glue instead. You will need some binding or ribbon to adhere the triangles to and even that can be purchased at some thrift stores.

4. Decorative Vinyl Wall Art

With vinyl wall art you can decorate an entire wall without having to permanently alter your apartment or dorm room. You can purchase them online at etsy.com and amazon.com or if you are artistically gifted, just print some off using vinyl sheets from your local office supply store.

5. Potpourri Sachets

Decorating an apartment or dorm does not always mean putting something on the wall. Try making some sachets and placing them in a basket on a table or counter. You can make them square, rectangle, or even mix the shapes up a bit. Choose material to complement your style and as in the case of the bunting, try using thrifted material. You can still get by without having to sew these too. Just glue 3 sides and wait for them to dry. Add lavender or potpourri and glue the remaining side closed.

I hope you are inspired by these simple and thrifty ways to bring life and color into your little space. Be mindful in the colors you choose and the purchases you make. You do not have to be a rabid consumer to live a beautiful life.

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Party Supplies - 4 Simple Ways to Make Your Party Embellished

Embellishing a party can be a little bit tricky. Especially if you don't have the means to make it exactly the way you want it to look. Everybody that throws a party has the perfect dream of what they would like for the party and, of course, what will happen while the party is taking place. You picture everyone having fun. But, very rarely does it turn out the way you would like because of financial means and because problems tend to show their ugly face up at the worst of times. So, the surest way to have a successful party is to be safe and make it a party with just the essentials.

Decorate With Party Streamers and Balloons: One of the best ways to "dazzle" your party is to make a dazzling room. Decorate it with every color you can imagine of party streamers and balloons. They will make the room light up with bright colors and your guests won't be able to resist smiling and they will, for sure, get into an irresistible mood to have fun

Treats with Plates, Cups, and Napkins: At a party, people tend to want to go for something to eat which can include all different kinds of foods. So, treat your guests with some "treats" of your own and serve them on the very colorful party dishware. Get some bright colored cups, plates and napkins and it will help heighten the party spirit.

Toys and Party Gifts: Not everybody does gifts at a party, and the reasons behind this are in particular because of the age range, or because they don't have the means. The toys tend to be given to kids because they are more hands-on than adults. But the party gifts can be a great idea for the adults depending on what you want for your party. Some people want things simple with just the bare limits and would rather like to enjoy the companionship with their friends. Other people, in personality, like to give things whenever they have an opportunity to give. And such things can include the party gifts which can be things like mints, bags of candy in some party bags, or maybe something that coordinates with the occasion for the party. A thank you card would be sufficient also. Your guests will love it.

Have a Party Theme: What makes things fun, also depending on the occasion, is to have a theme for you party. For instance, if it were a party around Valentine's Day, you could have your colors be red, white and pink and have hearts everywhere, from your decorations down to your plates and tablecloth. It will help you with the decisions you need to make and also it will be a whole lot more fun for you and your guests.

So, you can see that even the bare necessities and minimum essentials, your party can still be a huge success without the stress!

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Table Runners - Simple Accents to a Dining Table

Table runners can be a great way for you and some extra accents to your dining room or kitchen. While they may seem like a small detail of the rest of your dining room's decor, the fact of matter is that these are one of the more noticeable factors in your decorating. When everyone has sat down at the table, they will notice the runners more than they will notice most of the other things in the room.

Choosing the right table runners can be difficult, because there are so many out there for you to choose from. There are many designs, colors, and materials for you to pick and choose from in order to come up with the perfect runners for your dining room's decor. You should pay attention to the rest of your dining room before finally choosing runners in order to ensure that the ones you choose will work well with everything else you already have set up.

The most common materials that you will find table runners made out of are polyester and silk. There is a noticeable price difference between the two, with silk being more expensive, but in many cases most will not be able to tell the difference without touching them. If you are working on a budget, then it is a better idea to go with those made of polyester. Ones that are made of polyester can look just as elegant as any runner made out of silk as long as you are picky with the colors and designs present on the runner.

Most of the designs he will find these in will be either Oriental or Victorian-style. Both of these work well in most decors, so you should determine which one would do best in your individual style. The color also matters, with the most common ones being white, beige, red, black, burgundy, brown, and green. Those that are darker colors or have accents that are anywhere from white to golden in color. Most of the ones that you will find will have the perfect color accents for the color adorns the runner.

Also be sure that the runners that you choose are one third of the table with. Not only that, but they should be 12 inches free so that 6 inches cutting off the side. It's the perfect size, though depending on your table you may want a different size order to make it seem larger or smaller. If you have a tablecloth, then you are going to want to place your runner in the middle of the table on top of the tablecloth. This really makes table runners stand out, especially if the runner that you choose happens to be much darker than your tablecloth.

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4 Simple Tips to Create an NFL-Themed Room

For some of us, life would be complete if we could watch an NFL game every day of the week. However, this would cause a world of logistical problems, with exhaustion and injuries becoming major issues for the players. In addition, sometimes needing to wait for something that we want to experience, such as watching an NFL game, makes it much more special once the time arrives.

However, for those who live for the next NFL game, have you considered displaying your dedication, through your living space? Regardless of which NFL team you cheer every Sunday, following some basic guidelines can help to turn one room (or every room) in your home, into a shrine dedicated to your favorite professional gridiron team:

1. Work from the ground up
Sports are literally up in the air, in outer space. However, on Earth, people play sports on a variety of surfaces. When creating a sports theme for a room, start with the floor. If you are an NCAA or NFL football fan, use green carpet to give the appearance of grass. Meanwhile, if you are a fan of collegiate or professional basketball, a wood floor can give the aura of a basketball court. If you want to get extreme, you could also paint your favorite team's logo on the entire floor.

2. Accessorize, accessorize
You can create an attractive, vibrant sports-themed room, without making your bank account balance showing the digits of a concluded sports game. For example, throw pillows and throw blankets are an excellent choice. Throw pillows are perfect for chairs, sofas, and beds. They help you to say, "I am an NFL fan," without saying "I spent my life savings on this NFL merchandise." Meanwhile, throw blankets also provide an outstanding accessory for a room. Place them on your bed or hang them up on the wall.

3. If walls could cheer
When creating a sports-themed room, do not forget the walls. You could display some framed photos of your days playing high school sports. If you have graduated from amateur sports playing, to professional sports watching, then you could hang up some action shots at a recent NFL or NCAA tailgate party. Furthermore, you can use a variety of accessories, such as NFL merchandise, to add to the sports-themed decor of the room, including:

· banners
· flags
· pennants
· throw towels
· wall clock

4. Less is the new more
Few of us have the means to buy every piece of merchandise that includes our favorite sports team, such as a beloved NFL squad. Thus, you need to be selective when creating decor for your room. Aside from the financial aspect, you do not want areas of your room, such as the walls, looking cluttered. Thus, an ideal decorating example would be an NFL wall clock, and either a banner or a flag. You could also include a huge portrait of your favorite team's arena or arena, showing the region surrounding the structure. This gives the message that you are not only a fan of the team that plays in the arena or stadium, but you are also a fan of the area that it represents.

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