Moving into a new house or apartment is like having a blank canvas waiting to be painted. The problem is that most students find their canvas a little bare either because of lack of money or ideas. The solution lies in a little creativity, not lots of money.

A simple way to cover up dull, white, wall space is with a can of paint. Home Depot, 1910 W. 31st St., sells gallons of interior wall paint ranging in price from $18-35 and spray paint for as little as 99 cents. Painting is a quick and easy way to brighten up a room, but make sure to check with your landlord before you paint. Even though most complexes repaint the walls after each tenant, they might not be too keen on using 10 coats of white paint to cover up the midnight black color you used in your room.

Kyle Gorynski, Topeka sophomore, and his roommates decorated their house with paint they found in the basement when they moved in. They all chipped in to make the kitchen several different colors.

“I like the way we did our kitchen,” Gorynski said, “because it is a unique thing we all took part in that makes it feel like home.”

The house Gorynski lives in on Mississippi Street has been rented by students for years. Gorynski said that by adding his own artwork in the kitchen he would be passing down something to the house’s next tenants.

If you live in a complex that doesn’t allow you to paint or you fear getting paint on your Uggs, many Lawrence stores offer great alternatives to a simple paint job.

The Third Planet, 846 Massachusetts St., is a unique shop that has been a mainstay downtown for many years. With such popular items as tapestries, posters, vintage metal signs and Buddha statues, there’s a good chance you can find something funky and affordable to decorate your place with.

Some students take a more relaxed approach to decorating than the usual, and try to work with what they and their roommates already have. Layla Habibi, Wichita sophomore, lives with three roommates in Jefferson Commons, 2511 W. 31st. St., and enjoys the unique items each person brought from her former residence.

“I have my entire life to match and live in a picturesque living room,” Habibi said, “but since I am in college I really just want to have a bunch of cool stuff, whether they match or not.”

For decorations, Habibi shops at Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., and Target, at 3201 Iowa St., for the low prices. Habibi said these stores were good alternatives to places like Bed Bath & Beyond, 3106 Iowa St., because she was short on cash.

“If I had the money I would shop there,” says Habibi, “because they have some very unique items that not a lot of people have, but sometimes they are too expensive.”

Wherever you choose to shop or whatever mantra you invoke during your decorating endeavor, one simple rule can be applied: Your options are limited only by your own creativity. With a little imagination, some thorough shopping and some initiative, anyone can have a superbly decorated place without spending an exorbitant amount of money, time or effort.