• Decor does not have to be complicated.Living room image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  While you're in college, your living room will probably be in a college dormitory or a rented space that you can not alter too much. Even if you can do whatever you want, money during this stage of life is usually tight. Free decorating ideas rely on creative thinking and good old-fashioned elbow grease (that is, time and effort) to substitute for money.
  
  

Display Items

• Movie posters often have eye-catching designs.Movie dancers image by Vojsek from Fotolia.com
  
  When you visit a store--particularly a big-box retailer--or a venue such as a movie theater or live performance space, take note of the decorations. These may include giant posters, stand-up cutouts depicting movie characters and colorful cardboard advertisements hanging from the ceiling. These decorations usually get rotated out with the coming of new movies or, in the case of a store, a new season's merchandise. When you see decorations that you like, ask to speak to a manager. Explain politely that you are interested in the decorations and were wondering if she would set them aside for you after they are taken down. Offer to leave your phone number and be sure to check back often. Hang or set up the decorations in your college living room.
  
  

Silhouettes

• Alternately, silhouette a tree or mountain range.silhouette 1 image by creamofcornish from Fotolia.com
  
  Take a cue from those old MP3 player print ads and create your own silhouettes on the walls. Gather friends, a light source and a black marker. Arrange the light source so that your shadows are thrown on the wall or walls that you wish to decorate. Strike party poses as if you are dancing or talking while holding props such as soda cans. Have someone trace the silhouettes with the marker. Fill in the silhouettes with paint or leave them as outlines. Alternatively, you could paint around the outline, creating a reverse silhouette, a style often seen in antique brooches.
  
  

Wall Collage

• Photo collages are a fun way to display memories.summer collage image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Ask friends and relatives to give you their old magazines. When you have amassed a substantial collection, sit down and go through them, tearing out every page that appeals to you. A good strategy for finding enough images for a wall collage is to choose a color or color family, such as reds and purples, and tear out every page that has a substantial amount of that color. Paper one wall of the living room with the torn-out pages. Attach them with tape or tacky poster gum. Note that tape may leave residue on the wall--you may have to repaint the wall when you remove the collage.