The chances are that there is not much to make your dorm or apartment to make the space feel like your own when you're young. That is especially true if you want to do alternative, really interesting, things, and don't have a ton of money. Does this mean you're bound to live with ugly furniture and bare white walls furniture? Of course not. Here are a few design tips for the do it yourself inclined.

Color and ambiance: Dorm rooms and most apartments come with boring, standard-issue white walls. If you want to add some color without much hassle try Christmas lights. Surely, by losing these lights, there is no easier way to change the feel, look, and color of a room. To hang them you simply just tack them up around the border of your room's ceiling. If you put all red lights up your room will appear to have a red hue to it. Another alternative is to put up more than one color and choose which set to plug in. Green today and blue tomorrow, for example. It's affordable and simple. You can switch the bulbs in some of your lamps to colored "party bulbs" and you can further add to the effect. This is a perfect choice since so many kids like to have ambient lighting. Plain white Christmas lights can also change the look of a room, without providing too much light.

Floors: Do you have boring floors with ugly tiles or nasty carpet? Not a problem. Although buying an area rug can be expensive, many stores sell affordable, large, bath mats which may be used as smaller area rugs. Although it may sound strange there are plenty of stylish, large, bathmats from which to choose, including ones made of fake fur. In addition, they tend to be easier to clean than an area rug if they get wet and are meant to be slip proof. Further, you can easily buy and cut what is known as remnant carpet to either make their own area rugs or to carpet smaller rooms. The whole idea is to be creative.

Futons: If you have inherited an old futon that is less than perfect for your decor there is something you can do about that as well. For significantly less money than the cost of a futon cover, you can find bed sheets that will serve nicely as a futon cover. At many stores, in a mall for example, one can find all kinds of things, like Night Before Christmas sheets. Even in the kids' sections of regular stores, there are plenty of interesting and useful things. Halloween is a great time to look for things like pumpkins and spider webs. Valentine's day is great for hearts. Use your imagination and be creative. For example, an affordable way to personalize your futons is with throw blankets which are made of fleece and usually cheap. You can also usually find complimentary pillows for affordable prices (along with matching pillowcases of your choice) at major discount stores.

Kitchens: Don't forget craft stores. You can find all kinds of things cheap and ready to customize at almost any craft store. Containers, jars and storage tins can be customized to hold anything from spatulas to spoons to napkins to food items. Craft stores, as well as major discount stores usually have affordable towels and the holidays are a great time to stock up on your favorites. You can also customize craft foam to make kitchen (or dining room) place mats.

Furniture: While you're at the craft store, you may notice some boring, unpainted wooden furniture. You may find a thrift store with some functional but hideous looking furniture. The easiest solution is paint. Simply buy some paint and sealant (the sealant is important as it will protect the paint) and color the furniture such that it suits your personality and needs. You can paint your do it yourself furniture with a brush, or you may want to try different techniques, such as sponges or stencils, to get multiple hues and different effects.

General supplies: If you are going to get into alternative home design, it is important to have some basic supplies: In case something spills, it is always good to have a bucket and strong cleaner on hand. An inexpensive drop cloth is also a good idea if you're painting furniture or other items.You can use shower curtain liner or a cheap plastic table cloth for this. It is necessary to have pencils are good as they are good for jotting down measurements, marking tack holes or sketching out designs. A sharp utility blade and scissors should also be in your bare basics kit, as should glue and a hot glue gun. They are great for decorating, especially if you will be adding things like stones or jewels to items (such a canisters or plain storage boxes). They can also be used for small repairs on wooden items.

In the end, when it comes to having an alternative looking dorm or apartment, without spending money, the trick is to look to be creative. There is really no limit to what you can do once you tap into your creativity.