Moving into a dorm is one of college life’s more exciting milestones; it’s the first time many kids are living away from the comfy confines of home.

But the thrill can wane when the dormitory door opens. Most dorm rooms are pretty basic, with plain furniture and institutional floors and walls.

So how do you take a room from spartan to snazzy when most of the budget is going to meal plans and books?

“No matter how small and cramped your dorm room may be, you can still find cute ways to store all your stuff – without spending a ton on organizers and decor,” Seventeen magazine editor Kristin Koch says.

She and stylist Sarah Newell suggest creating a floating shelf from a magazine file box, and turning clear plastic paint cans into storage for hair accessories or school supplies. (seventeen.com)

Repurposing and rethinking are the keys to good hacks.

Tikva Morrow is editor in chief at Hometalk.com, a do-it-yourself home and garden website. She says it’s tempting to load up on kitschy decor, but that’s a budget sucker.

“DIY some pretty embellishments of your own instead,” she suggests. “Bring along a few rolls of washi tape for wall decor and picture displays, and make a few large prints for walls.”

Decorative tape and fabric also can be used to jazz up shelving and built-ins.

Is that your roommate’s laptop charger, or yours? Identify the cords and accessories by wrapping them with colorful tape, advises stylist and HGTV.com contributor Michelle Edgemont.

She also suggests adding the tape to a plain table or closet door.

Look online for instructions on how to make no-sew or simple-sew pillows with old T-shirts or sweaters.

“Cute throw pillows are easy to make, and even a headboard can be DIY-ed using a large piece of cardboard, some fabric and a hot glue gun,” Morrow says.

Shower stall caddies can be hung on a door or wall to corral loose items, Gurl.com’s Jessica Booth says.

And organization blogger Laura Wittman says shower-curtain rings can turn ordinary hangers into scarf and belt organizers.

Or use the rings to hang fabric or curtains over existing dorm blinds, personalizing your windows.

In many dorms, beds are on lofts over desks or storage areas, says Target stylist Tiffany Ma. She recommends using Target’s Room Essentials Micro Fiber Sheets with side pockets: “It’s like having your own floating nightstand to hold your phone, tablet, book or glasses.”

The retailer’s also got an over-the-door, full-length mirror with built-in organizer.

“There’s nothing more boring than the typical cinder-block dorm-room wall – they’re almost impossible to nail or screw into, plus you don’t want to get in trouble for marking them up,” Ma says. Consider a colorful tapestry or a mural photo-printed with a “view”: a city at night, a scene from some faraway land, a serene nature-scape. Attach the cloth with nonmarking adhesive strips. (target.com)

Riders get on buses at Mountain Metropolitan Transit’s downtown terminal located at Nevada Avenue and Kiowa Street in Colorado Springs on Thursday, March 3, 2016. CAROL LAWRENCE/THE GAZETTE

CAROL LAWRENCE,THE GAZETTE