If you were anything like me when you got to university, you didn’t have a ton of stuff to decorate your room with. I had a few things: tarot posters gifted by my friend’s younger sister, a local newspaper that I liked the front page spread of, and a museum catalogue. But! Now, as a rising senior, I have a pretty awesome room (in fact, not to flex, but my landlord asked my roommates and I if he could take photos of our house since he liked it so much). Here are some tips on how to collect trinkets and other cool things to adorn your room.

Go to art fairs

This is a no-brainer, but there are lots of art fairs in St. Louis that you should be taking advantage of! Fairs such as the Print Bazaar on Cherokee Street, WashU’s own ArtMart, and the Saint Louis Art Fair have tons of talented artists selling their work.. Some of these places are harder to get to than others (especially if you’re an incoming first-year without a car), but if you have upperclassmen friends, it’s always worth asking if they want to go to these. 

Pick up some artsy hobbies

Last summer, I got really into framing, which entailed me buying prints, going to Blick Art Materials to buy a matching frame, and then figuring out how to get the print in the frame properly. This isn’t something I usually do, but the frame is a centerpiece in my room now and often sparks conversation. I’ve put up cyanotype prints that I’ve made, and other random drawings and doodles make up my wall of trinkets.

Buy prints from museum stores

One of my favorite decorating hacks is to buy prints of works I love from museums. For example, when I was recently at Newfields in Indianapolis, I purchased a Robert Henri work in print form, which I now adore. Museum gift shops are often filled with beautiful reproductions of your favorite works, and you also support the museum by purchasing them. The Saint Louis Art Museum has a robust shop and selection of prints, and other nearby museums in the Midwest are always great places to stop when traveling. 

Send letters back and forth with friends

After I left my hometown, I sent letters back and forth with friends and family. The tactile and personal element of sending letters is what appealed to me, and it was a fun ritual to write up and ship these letters out. It was also a great decorating tool — I would hang these letters up on my wall after I received them, and they would function as a pick-me-up after a hard day. Reading something kind that my friends wrote will never fail to make me smile. Similar to picking up a creative hobby, it’s great for your mind to sit down and write something with intention, especially given how much time students spend on their computers every day. 

Implement gifts!

During my first year at WashU, I was given a variety of things through Secret Santas or general hospitality. These include a rock with the Ohio flag painted on it (yay, state pride!), a Lego mug adorned with things that represent me (according to a past roommate), and a beautiful crimson stamp. These have all found their home either on my desk, nightstand, or placed up on my wall. Sure, some of these items may lack a theme or centralized aesthetic, but what’s more important to me is that they were all sweet gifts, mementos of acts of kindness from friends throughout college.

The bottom line from most of these tips is that you should be open to receiving new things for your living space. Oftentimes, it’s best not to come into college with a fully decked-out room: that blocks you from integrating your college experiences into your room. So, if you’re arriving at school with nothing but a comforter and a dream, keep in mind that your room will fill up (often faster than you realize) with embodied memories and moments from throughout the years.