Dorm room decor 101: styling art prints in your small space

College move-in day has finally arrived! I imagined that when my last first day of school rolled around, I’d know exactly what I want to do after graduation and have everything together. Let’s just say– after a year and a half away from school, the only thing I am 100% certain about is how I want to decorate my dorm room!

Am I embarrassed to admit that? Absolutely not. As discussed in my previous blog post, I am obsessed with Danish-inspired art and dorm room decor. Figuring out how I wanted to style my space was a no-brainer!

I have seen so much inspiration on Pinterest for colorful wall prints – like these and THIS – that I knew I just had to use my Cricut Explore 3 to customize my own handmade prints for the school year. You can see in my last blog post here, I was so proud of the results! Now I’m here to show you how to best showcase your handmade Cricut projects in your dorm room, building a cohesive design inspired by your handmade art.

Find a fabulous frame

Let’s pick up where we left off– I finished the project but hadn’t framed the prints. I found the perfect white wooden frames online (size 10” x 12”) and placed the prints in the frames over white matting. This offered the crisp, clean look found in most Scandinavian designs and prints. I preferred a light and bright décor theme to make my room appear larger, but feel free to play around with colors and materials that match your desired look.

Placement is everything

I decided I wanted the prints to become the focal of my room, greeting my guests as they walk in. To accomplish this, I stacked them vertically on top of one another, right across from my door, ensuring that they were level and evenly separated. You can use non-permanent adhesive strips to keep them in place without damaging any walls!

Keep colors complementary

Danish décor is natural, airy, and cohesive, so I wanted to pull inspiration from my Cricut prints when choosing my bedding and other decor for a unifying look. I purchased gingham pillows and a pastel throw blanket that would pick up on the colors of the wall prints, and I am so happy with how the color scheme turned out! The Cricut cardstock colors were the perfect pastel tones that I needed to create the bright and happy vibe I was looking for.

If you’re brainstorming ways to create a unique dorm room for the back-to-school season, consider making your own wall prints with the Explore 3! Though my prints were a point of inspiration for my Danish-themed design, you can utilize Cricut to craft any aesthetic. I recommend playing around with other materials, like gold foil or vinyl, to curate wall art projects that fit your personal style.

Decorating a dorm room has become such a special ritual for college students. Handmade pieces can inspire you to craft an entire aesthetic you never dreamed possible! Moving forward, I know all my sorority sisters will be asking me to craft prints with Greek letters, USC designs, and other personalized graphics and phrases. I’d recommend checking out Cricut’s other dorm-friendly decorations and projects to help spruce up your space!