Hi everyone! I hope your week is going well, my boys went back to school yesterday so it’s been a big week here, not to mention trying to return to real-life after having such a great time with Christy last weekend!
Today I wanted to pop in with a few things to share. If you have a college-bound student currently or will in the near future,
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Hi everyone, today I am thrilled to be here sharing some ideas for dorm room and small space decorating. Even if college isn’t on your horizon, many of these ideas also work perfectly for a rental situation or when space is at a premium. Getting settled in a college dorm means not just personalizing it {after all, it should have elements of ‘home’ throughout} but also calls for creative organization solutions in a small, and often shared, room.
Dorm room decorating options can be limited so adding things like pretty bedding and art will help make the plain room more appealing. Simple tricks like hanging string lights for a special glow, or stringing some tissue poms from the ceiling can make the room much more fun. You can create these hanging poms {below} with just thumb tacks, fishing line, and tissue paper. These vinyl polka dot decals are also a great, temporary wall decor idea, you can get them HERE.
Making use of the space under the beds is a great way to maximize storage so invest in some simple plastic organizers, as this is the perfect spot to stow out of season clothes and shoes. Next, be sure to cover a cold tile floor (or worn carpet) with a rug, Mohawk has tons of area rug options that are both pretty and durable.
Dorm rooms typically have plain, blah walls but there are many easy ways to add a personal touch. This simple plastic hook gallery wall (below) is the perfect example of how grouping together some art and special items using non-permanent hooks can easily change the look of a room.
You can also create a simple DIY Art Board to hang on a blank wall. Using a pretty fabric, simply cover a bulletin board or like we did here, you can use a large artist canvas backed with some foam poster board. Add some decorative trim and a letter to personalize it and it’s the perfect spot to hang schedules, class assignments, and pictures from home.
Another creative and unique solution is to hang a grid on your wall, like this one that is perfect to clip up papers, schedules and photos. You can see more about creating something like this HERE.
Storage is always the biggest challenge in a small room, especially for clothing, as dorms usually have limited closet space. Hang clothes on thin hangers which will help maximize the rod/hanging space and add storage boxes in pretty colors to stow away smaller accessories. Another easy idea is to use a simple frame with some cup hooks to display necklaces, not only does it make jewelry easy to access, but they will look pretty hanging up too.
Another key to keeping a small space organized is to make the most use of what drawer space you have. These simple drawer organizers are small phone boxes with some scrapbook paper attached on the bottom, they are easy to make and cost almost nothing. They work nicely in both desk drawers for school supplies, or they can be used in a dresser for beauty products or hair accessories.
Since in college studying is a priority it is important to maximize any wall space over a desk. An easy idea is to use a series of clipboards to keep track of assignments or to post schedules and calendars. Simply hang a readily available clip board on a thumb tack (or plastic hook) over the desk, this trick also makes important papers easy to find.
Finally, one last idea that makes a great touch of home for a student far away, as well as easily decorates a boring wall, is a banner of favorite Instagram pictures, you can see the how-to of this project HERE.
Now that we’ve covered the important shopping stuff, here are a few other things. We’re getting ready for our annual Operation: Organization Back to School series but we’re doing it a bit differently this year. We’re teaming up with a group of bloggers to each share a “day in our lives”, chronicling the systems we each use to make our days flow smoothly, especially in the chaos of back to school. That will kick off on August 28th, so stay tuned for more on that!
{Order Pink + Gold version HERE}
Finally, if you are also in the back to school season, you might be interested in our printable Student Planner. If you have a student that struggles with organization, remembering to bring assignments home or keeping track of their schedule {insert my raised hand here!} this printable package is designed to help. I developed this product to help my own kids succeed in managing their schedule and school work. You can read all about why I developed this product and learn more here or head to my online store to order. There is both a girly {pink + gold version} or a neutral blue + green version to select from.
{Order Blue + Green Version HERE}
Hope you have a great day!
XO,
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