As they say, there’s no place like home. Unless, of course, you’re in a brand new city bustling with inspiration and creativity, about to dive into a new academic year of possibilities!

A room is much more than just four walls and being on a student budget doesn’t mean you can’t add your flair to the new space.

We asked Academy of Art University Orientation Leaders for some advice on how to decorate your room without breaking the bank!

1.    Create your own gallery.

“It depends on what you want, but it’s overall cheaper to buy supplies to make your own decorations along with whatever you can find. Also, apply your art skills and reuse art supplies you already have to make decorations.” – Daneal Jackson (School of Visual Development)

2.    Don’t forget where you came from.

“Take literally as much as you can from your house as possible. Take it all. Take all your posters. Take those random figurines. Just do it.” – Mica England (School of Photography)

3.    Search online for discounted goods.

“I shopped on Walmart.com where you can get cheap art supplies, notebooks, writing utensils, clothes and many other things that you may need. Walmart is cheaper than Target and if you spend $50 and up, you get free shipping!” – Unique Cooper (School of Motion Pictures & Television)

“It’s also cheaper to shop online via eBay or Amazon, but cheaper options may take a longer time to arrive at your place. If you already have Amazon Prime I would recommend looking into it.” – Daneal Jackson (School of Visual Development)

4.    Browse nearby thrift and department stores.

“You might get some cheap stuff for home at Target, Best Buy and Office Depot. You can get things for $1.50 from Daiso, which has products from Japan. Chinatown also has some pretty good cheap things you can buy for your house.” – Vishali Sitharthan (School of Fashion)

“I recommend these three stores: Sutter Fine Foods or any place that takes Knight Kash (if you have Knight Kash), some stores in Chinatown sell relatively cheap decorations, and Walgreens (especially if you have a Walgreens member card).” – Daneal Jackson (School of Visual Development)

“Dollar stores (especially the one on Excelsior).” – Lorena Juarez (School of Photography)

5.    Ask around.

”Ask around the school because people are bound to give away their stuff for free or for a cheap price.” – Victor Pothikan (School of Animation & Visual Effects)

While decorating can be a fun time, be sure to be mindful of your dorm regulations to avoid any penalties for damages. Happy decorating!