Decorating Your College Dorm Room Retro Style

Are you going off to college in the fall? Have you been wondering how to decorate your dorm room? Don’t worry! We are here to offer lots of retro-inspired ideas on what you can do to your room.

An easy way to bring life to a small dorm room is to decorate with a theme in mind. This unifies all of the separate pieces and makes the décor of the room flow together. We have many items that can be combined to create your perfect theme. Here are a few suggestions of what can be done…

A dorm room with a retro theme can easily be put together. This is a broad category, and can encompass a lot of different pieces such as lava lamps, funky area rugs, vintage style clocks, reproduction concert and movie posters, vintage signs, comic book and super hero items and even 50s diner accessories!

Do you love listening to music? A dorm room filled with music memorabilia with a Tabletop Jukebox as the centerpiece is a fantastic way to personalize your room and show off your music collection! While you listen to your music, you can look at all the Reproduction Concert Posters hung on your walls and drink coffee from a Rolling Stones Mug or a Beatles Glass. You will be the envy of the dorm with a room as cool as this.

Are you the type of person that likes to come home to a groovy room and chill out? All you need is a Lava Lamp in your choice of color, and a colorful VW Bus Floor Mat. Hang a beaded curtain up and put some Rock Concert Posters and Music Signs on your walls, and you are good to go.

Are you a surfer? Do you love the beach lifestyle? Beautiful metal signs with surfing and beach scenes bring the ocean right to your door. Add a Surfboard Shaped Clock and some reproduction Bruce Brown Movie Posters and you’ve got a great start to a surfing room. If you’re lucky enough to have your own bathroom, decorate it with the Hula Girl Shower Curtain and matching Hula Wastebasket to complete the theme.

Surfing items also go great with a Tiki room! We have Tiki Mugs, Tiki Lamps, Tiki decorations and even the Dancing Dashboard Hula Girl! Add some lounge signs and a great Tiki Drink Area Rug and enjoy your retro tiki room in style.

A room inspired by garage art can be really awesome. We have hundreds of car signs to choose from such as Vintage Auto Signs, Logo Signs such as Chevrolet and Ford, Hot Rod Art signs, Garage and Gas Signs, and funny No Parking Signs. We also have Rear-end and Front-end Car Shelves, and even a Chevy Bel Air Coat Rack. You won’t run out of ideas for this room!

Do you like urban retro style? Start with one of our Manhole Cover Doormats, and mix it up with a beautiful Vintage Inspired Clock or Mirror. The sleek Chinese Take-out Container Lamps add a feeling of urban mystery, and don’t forget the Ceramic New York City Greek Restaurant Mugs. They bring a touch of the big city to a small room.

Are you a swinging bachelor ready to entertain at a moment’s notice? You’ll definitely need some of our cool Lounge Signs and Mirrors. You’ll also need a Cocktail Shaker Lamp to set the mood, and a Zebra Pattern Area Rug will complete the look. You’ll be entertaining in retro style all year long.

RetroPlanet.com has hundreds of retro items that can be combined to create the look you want. They also make fun and unique gifts for college students. Check out our Dorm Room Décor category or look through our website and come up with your own unique theme for your room. Choose from our huge assortment of products such as doormats, vintage metal signs, cool area rugs, funny magnets, movie and concert posters, funky lamps, cool accessories and much more! Let your imagination run wild and have a great time decorating your room. We guarantee you will have one of the coolest dorm rooms on campus!

Retro Party Favor and Gift Ideas

Looking for party favor ideas for your next celebration? Look no further -
Retro Party Favors are the best! Not only are they unique, they bring back memories and a feeling of nostalgia. Here are a few ideas to get you started, so let your imagination run wild and have fun while you create your own retro party favor gifts!

For a child’s birthday party, what can be more cool than handing out the toys you played with as a kid? Remember the Balsa Wood Airplanes? Or the fun of playing with Jacks or Marbles? The old fashioned Paddleball game is still a favorite with children and adults alike. And who could forget the challenging hand-held pinball games and the famous Slinky!

A very cool classic Chevy car carton filled with old fashioned candy is another great idea.

Planning a theme party, a margarita night, or a retro shindig? Pass out these cool sunglasses and let the fun begin! The best part is that they liven up any gathering and are perfect party gifts for the guests to bring home with them.

Vintage style steel bottle openers can be given out at almost any occasion. Guests will love the classic steel design, and they look great with any decor. They make the perfect favor gifts for a 21st birthday party, or a summer celebration.

A great idea for reunions or milestone birthdays are books and magnets highlighting your special anniversary, reunion, or birthday year.

One of the best ideas for party favors are retro magnets with humorous modern quotes. These make wonderful gifts for bridal showers, baby showers, or any occasion and always let your guests leave with a hearty laugh. For an even more unique gift, wrap the magnet in tulle fabric or use a small gift bag, add some chocolates, tie with a ribbon, and voila!

In the heat of the summer, a luau or tiki party is the way to go. A great way to bring fun to your party and give guests a cool gift is to serve tropical drinks in Tiki Mugs or shot glasses that the guests can bring home with them. Another idea is to decorate with tiki candles, and then hand them out at the end of the party. And if you want to really give your guests a cool party favor, check out this Dancing Hula Dashboard Doll. She’s tropically retro and always fun to watch!

Check out the RetroPlanet website for even more Retro Party Favor ideas. Be sure to send us a picture or comment if you want to share your creations with us!

Balsa Wood Planes Bring Summer Fun

There’s an interesting story behind the creation of Guillow balsa wood airplanes. It began when a former WWI U.S. Navy aviator by the name of Paul K. Guillow started a company called Nu Craft Toys in 1926 out of his barn. His experience and interest in aviation led to the introduction of a line of military airplane models made out of balsa wood. The first official aircraft flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright had occurred in 1903, only 23 years prior. Airplanes were still very much a novelty. In 1927 when Charles A. Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris, the nation’s interest in aviation soared. As a result, Guillow’s model airplane kits were very much in demand, making it necessary to move his toy company to a larger place, and again to an even larger one in 1933 to the present location at 40 New Salem Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The name of the company was changed to Paul K. Guillow, Inc.

The first product line of balsa wood airplanes made available was of WWI biplane fighters that sold very well right up to the mid 1940’s. During WWII balsa wood was harder to get since it was being used to produce life rafts and life jackets for the war. The 1950’s saw a renewed interest in balsa wood airplanes that continues today.

Retroplanet.com carries two models of balsa wood planes, both with a 12-inch wingspan. There’s the Jetfire Balsa Wood Glider and the Sky Streak Balsa Wood Airplane, which is a rubber band-powered plane.

Get a bunch of these planes this summer for when you’ve got friends and family over. Set them loose in the sky and have a blast. They can also be used for races. See who can make them go the fastest or the highest! They always make great party favors, too.