College life means freedom. Freedom to wake up whenever you want, freedom to go to class if you want to or not and freedom to decorate your room however you want.Each of the 2,989 students who live in TCU’s residence halls can be their own interior decorator – the challenge is doing that on a college budget.

Decorating your dorm room or apartment is part of the college experience, said Daundria Randolph, a sophomore social work major living in Sherley Hall. It involves making your own decisions.

“The most important thing is to make sure you make your living space your own because it is like your little home away from home,” Randolph said.

Randolph, whose bedding is light pink, said calm colors are important to her because it makes a room more comfortable.

To complement the bedding, an inexpensive window treatment can be made by cutting a bed sheet in half, said Rachael Yoss, a junior interior design major. She said you can slide a curtain rod through the pre-made pockets on the top of a bed sheet and choose a fabric to match your bedding.

“To make your ceiling look taller, mount your curtains at ceiling height,” Yoss said.

Another challenge is the limited desk and closet space in dorms. A drawer unit helps make storage space for school supplies and books. You can also use crates or containers to carry your stuff when moving and then turn them into storage units, Yoss said.

“If you don’t have something in a container, it is harder to utilize your vertical space,” Yoss said.

These inexpensive boxes can hold shoes, clothes, belts, socks and practically anything in an organized fashion, she said.

One way to make your room unique and save money is to make items you need instead of buying them.

Wall decorations can be made by purchasing a bed sheet or fabric that complements the color of your bed and stapling it to a wooden frame, Yoss said. Two medium-size wooden frames can be made with a $2 piece of wood from Home Depot.

Yoss said she always goes to the clearance section at Target and buys anything she might use for decorating later.

“Target has trendy things at a good price point, and they are good quality,” Yoss said.

Yoss said she bought three shelving units recently for $12 and a set of vases for $3 each in the clearance section at Target.

If you’re still frustrated about what to buy and where to buy it, containerstore.com/college is a great source and solution. This Web site provides a breakdown of everything a student might possibly need in a dorm room.