It’s that time of year again. The summer holidays are finally over, you’ve arrived at Kent and are all settled into your new student bedroom. But although you’ve already unpacked your treasured belongings, something about your new room still looks a little bit… bland, and definitely not literary enough. Never fear, for all you book lovers out there, here are Website Culture Editor Julia Mitchell’s top tips for personalising your room with a bookish twist. Your bedroom will have never looked this amazing!
1) Create a quote wall out of post-it notes
This is something that I do every year and it always looks really quirky. Just keep a pad of post-it notes and a pen across from your bed/chair/favourite reading spot, and scribble down the quotes that stand out whilst you’re reading and slap them on your wall. It will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired whenever you read the notes that you’ve left, and also build in size as you read more books throughout the year.
2) Purchase a book quote picture from Etsy
This is one of those tips that only works if you have a little bit of money to spend, but it’s seriously worth it. There are a bunch of shops on Etsy that recycle old dictionary pages by printing over them with book quotes – like this ‘Have I gone mad?’ Alice in Wonderland Print. You could either buy one, or if you’re feeling really creative have a go at making one yourself!
3) Go wild in your room using a fabric marker and, once again, your favourite book quote(s)
You can customise anything – duvet cover, pillowcase , cushions – just make sure that they’re things you actually own, so don’t go scribbling over your landlord’s curtains.
4) Invest in some book scented candles
This Etsy shop sells cute bookish candles that you can use to scent your room like your favourite reading spots, including a library, bookshop, and cafe (although obviously not all at once). They’re a little bit expensive if you include shipping, but hey, that’s what a student loan is for, right?
Take a look at them here!
5) Don’t underestimate a good poster
This is another cheap and easy way to personalise your bland bedroom walls. Some authors sell book-related posters straight from their websites (see merchandise for John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars as an example), but if you can’t find anything for your favourite book, then you could always cheat and buy a poster for the movie adaptation (if it has one). It’s the next best thing.
6) Make some book bunting
This one is really crafty, and not too hard to pull off either. Simply cut out some bunting flags from old book pages – comic books look even more awesome – and attach them to a piece of string. It would look great hung across the front of your bookshelves or, to be honest, anywhere in your room. If you don’t have a crafty bone in your body, never fear, this is also something you can find for a decent price on Etsy.
7) Organise your bookshelves into a rainbow
You’ll definitely have seen photos of this one on the internet at some point, and it looks amazing! Spend a relaxing afternoon organising your bookshelves into a funky rainbow pattern and you won’t regret it. Plus, having a shortage of one of the colours is a perfect reason to ‘invest’ in some new books!
8) Own lots and lots of books
Make sure that you’ve brought your favourite titles along with you to uni, and keep building your personal library as the year progresses. If you’re feeling a bit strapped for cash, then look out for the second hand bookseller that stops on campus next to Blackwell’s at regular intervals throughout the year. Because for book lovers, nothing beats owning good books, and it’ll make your room look fiiiiine.