7 Essentials To Make Your Uni Room Homely DIY

September is slowly approaching and what does that mean? Back to school, college or uni (or it could be earlier for some places around the world). For so many students out there, it is the exciting (and equally scary) time of moving away from home to go to university. Im one of those students; well hopefully depending on when I receive my results on the 13th of August. 

Along with many other daunting aspects of going to uni, such as meeting new people, the work load and living independently, leaving the comforts of home is a little sad. Especially leaving behind your own room which is your space to design, express yourself and hold all those precious (also many useless) items. 

Lets be honest, university accommodation isnt going to be like living in a luxury hotel. But its going to be your home for the year; your place to study, sleep, wallow in self pity and other things. Adding homely touches to make the place feel more comforting and more like your own place, rather than a last minute booked B&B, is always a great thing to do.

So when Parachute got in touch and asked about uni room/dorm essentials, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share what Ill be planning to take and Ive compiled a list of essentials to make that dull room feel more homely.

A Rug

You may be thinking that a rug is pointless, not only will it add a nice touch to your room, but it will feel like youre bringing a piece of home with you. What do I mean by this? Well, you could use the rug a home for a while before you move out so then when you get to uni and wake up each morning youll be stepping onto a familiar feeling until your surroundings become more familiar.

Comfy Bedding 

What is better than getting into bed after a long, hard day? But lets be honest beds are just for sleeping....what about those neflix marathons! Fluffy pillows and a duvet are obviously needed, but you gotta get a lovely bedding set to cover them - whether you choose one that is plain, patterned or adds pop of colour always make sure its soft!

Blanket

I know you have the comfy bedding and all, but youve got to have a blanket to hand to snuggle into for those netflix marathons, comfort eating sessions or when you have a hangover (I expect that they will be pretty prominent in freshers week). Also, they add a nice touch to any room!

Memories

This one may come in different forms : photos, cuddly toys, ornaments, books etc. You arent going to need to take every little thing you own, just take a small selection that you can have dotted around your room. Even if you dont have the things on show at home (like me), you never know, a quick glance at those items may help banish any oncoming feelings of homesickness.

Greenery

Adding some greenery to a room brings about a sense of calmness. You could pick up a small fake plant or fake flowers (much easier to take care of) and place them in a decorative pot or vase. I plan on picking up some little succulents or cacti and having a few on a shelf in cute little pots.

Fairy Lights

Im not to sure how each university or college is with fairy lights, as I know some places dont allow them. But if youre going somewhere where they arent a problem then go ahead a string some above your bed, across shelves or wherever else theyll go. Fairy lights just make everything better! They instantly make a room feel cosy by flicking them on and any other lights off. So tumblr or what?!

Bunting

If you cant illuminate your room with fairy lights then bunting is a great option, it can make a boring shelf look all pretty or fill blank spaces on a walls. Bunting can easily  be picked up from many craft stores or even ordered online, but sometimes its much more satisfying making your own. 

So here is a really simple DIY you could be doing on those nothing to do days throughout the rest of summer (its a lot easier than it probably looks as the sewn outline isnt needed and only there for decoration).

What you will need:

• fabric (use assorted if preferred)
• triangle template
• needle & thread (use one colour or go wild with a bunch of colours. Matching the colour of the thread to the colours on the fabric looks really nice)
• string
• scissors
• hot glue gun

Directions

1. Draw around your template on the back of your fabric for how ever many triangles you want then cut them out.

2. Thread your needle then go ahead and get sewing about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch from the edge, but make sure to leave about an inch or more at the top of the triangle to create a flap over the string in the next step.

3. Lay your triangles out in the order you want them to go and using the hot glue gun stick the string along the top and fold the flap down over it to fix it in better.

4. Once its all done, hang it up and youre good to go!

So there you have it, those are my tips for making student accommodation more your own. Do you have any to add? Please share them in the comments.

I just wanted to add a little extra on the end to mention something amazing that Parachute does. Whilst having a browse on their website I found out they are in partnership with Nothing But Nets, who provide bed nets to help fight malaria. You can read about it on their website here.

As a little disclaimer, I was not told I had to mention the brand and there is no payment for doing so, but I wanted to mention them as I love that they are supporting a very good cause and wanted to share that. 

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