If you have a student heading off-to-college soon, fun dorm decor will be key to making their dorm room feel both stylish and cozy. Let’s face it, dorm rooms are small and compact and there may only be a few small areas of the shared space to style. You would be amazed at how you can transform their space with led lighting or hang a fun tapestry to be the centerpiece of the room. Decorating a dorm does not have to be expensive either! We found some of the best, Ultimate Dorm Decor Ideas and dorm room essentials for your college-bound student.
You can also check out some of The Best Dorm Room Storage Ideas for students.
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Finding Your Dorm Room Layout
Finding your student’s dorm room layout is a super important first step in choosing out their dorm decor and dorm room essentials. There are several places that you can find important information about your school’s dorms. The college itself, almost always has housing pages on their website with important information like how many students share a room, what different dorm buildings they offer, what type of furniture will be provided and what the rules are for hanging dorm room decor. Some schools even provide room and furniture measurements. Larger schools may have a variety of different types of dorm buildings and you may need to wait for your student to get placed in a dorm, to get more information about their room layout. You might also consider looking for parent Facebook pages for your student’s college. In these groups, parents often upload room photos or they can give important dorm tips and you can ask questions. YouTube is another great place to find dorm room tours or other videos of your student’s college dorms.
Dorm Room Decorating Tips
Decorating a dorm room does not have to be expensive or hard. College Guys typically won’t want too much decor. You could probably get away with a large tapestry/wall flag, some led lights and a few other dorm room essentials. College girls will typically want either a tapestry or a set of prints for the walls, a neon name sign, some faux plants and a few other things. When choosing decor, one of the best tips Dorm Room Decorating Tips is to choose a theme or color palette. It makes it easier to have a decorating plan and it prevents over-buying. Below are some examples and tips on where to find the Best Dorm Decor Ideas.
Attaching Dorm Room Decor
Once you figure out the dorm room decorating rules at your student’s college, it will be easier to choose out decor and how it will be installed, based on your student’s dorm rules. Some schools will let you use easy-off Command strips and hooks to hang decor and other schools might not allow anything to be hung on dorm walls. Command strips and products are some of the most popular hanging products for Attaching Dorm Room Decor. You can find strips, hooks, even small, lightweight Command shelves. Command products are supposed to be no-damage. Just be sure your student removes them according to instructions, so they don’t cause damage to the dorm room walls.
The Ultimate Dorm Decor Ideas
Transform your college-bound student's dorm room with the best Dorm Decor Ideas.
You can find some of the most trending Wall Tapestries for Girls at Society6. Choose from boho prints, sunflowers, cowgirl, sunsets and more. You can choose sizing on each tapestry, to fit your student's dorm wall. Some of my favorites are this Boho Sun, These Sparkly Cowboy Boots or this cool Tiger Tapestry.
If you are looking for cool tapestries for guys, Society6 has some great options that guys will love. From sports, to surf to sneakers and more! You can choose each tapestry in a variety of sizes. This Ballpark with the Los Angeles Skyline is unique or this Legacy Sneaker Tapestry or this simple Bruh tapestry, there are so many options for guys.
If you are looking for an affordable tapestry, this Boho Wall Tapestry would be a fun choice. It comes in several sizes and is high quality for an affordable price. See all of the Affordable Tapestries on Amazon.
Your college student will love the selection of College and Pro Flags and Banners at College Flags and Banners Co. There are so many team options from NCAA to MLB, to NFL and more! I love the vintage-looking pennants.
These affordable NCAA College Banner Tapestries are a fun choice to show your school spirit. They are simple and many of them even include wall tack pads.
There are so many great digital artists on etsy that create print-ready artwork that you can download and have posters made yourself. This beautiful set of Custom Butterfly Digital Prints can be personalized and would make a great room decor. Or You can buy this super affordable Huge Pack of Trendy Digital Prints for one great price. One of my favorite places to print posters is shortrunposters.com and you can just add these Lightweight Minimalistic Poster Frames.
You can find more digital art prints in so many themes. You can buy the files of these digital print-ready files and make these posters the theme of your college dorm. I love these Black Coquette Style Digital Posters or this Huge Pack of Vintage Cowgirl Prints. One of my favorite places to print posters is shortrunposters.com and you can just add these Lightweight Minimalistic Poster Frames.
Music lovers will enjoy these Album Cover Digital Art Prints. Your college student can choose the album of their favorite artist and once the files are received, print their own music art posters. One of my favorite places to print posters is shortrunposters.com and you can just add these Lightweight Minimalistic Poster Frames.
These Custom Neon Signs are the ultimate room decor items for college students. There are lots of options for fonts, colors and you can even add a heart, a moon or a crown. You can light up your student's name or favorite phrase. The price varies on sizing and options you choose. The 30 inch size is a great option for a bedroom wall. If you want more options, check out this neon seller. These are custom, so allow time for shipping.
These Govee Smart LED Light Bars that integrate with Alexa or Google Assistant, are so versatile. They can be all mounted or sit on the mounts to set them next to a computer monitor to provide mood lighting. Govee gaming light bars can react and move to the beat of your music, movie, and gaming audio for an immersive sound and light experience like no other. They work with Alexa and Google Assistant via WiFi to effortlessly control these gaming light bars features hands-free, including on/off, brightness, colors, and even lighting effects. These light bars are app-controlled. Customize the exact light you want with Govee Home App. Control segmented color and brightness, group with other Govee lights by rooms, automate lighting schedules, and discover more user-generated effects in the Light Studio.
These super affordable and highly-reviewed Fairy Photo String Lights are super popular with college students. With 33 feet and 100 LED fairy lights, they give a lot of wall coverage. This set includes 50 clear clips to attach photos or artwork. They can be bent around anything to add some light and are battery-powered.
These affordable and highly-reviewed huge rolls of Daybetter LED Strip lights can really illuminate your student's dorm room. This set includes 2 rolls of 65.6 ft. of LED lighting, a total of 130 feet. Use the Daybetter app to control the different lighting modes and colors. This set also includes a remote and a power supply.
These super cute Custom Embroidered Pillow Covers from Pine Trove Gifts are a great dorm decor accent piece! Your student can choose from a variety of colors, sizes, fonts and they can do a name, monogram, zip code and more.
These vintage-looking School Spirit Piped Pillows make great decor for college-bound students. These pillows come in lots of great college designs.
These Custom Pet Photo Pillows of your family pet make great decor items for your college-bound students. These are super popular decor items and I love that they will remind them of their furry loved ones. These customized pillowcases are made of premium velvet, filled with 100% cotton. They are incredibly soft and smooth. The outstanding printing technology brings your personalized design to life, and even after multiple washes, the colors will remain vibrant. The concealed zipper ensures a seamless appearance, and the pillows are machine washable and iron-friendly, ensuring long-lasting durability without deformation. Choose from a variety of sizes and customization options.
If a headboard is a room decor must-have, your student will love these No Nails Headboards from Pottery Barn Dorm. From simple to lavish, Pottery Barn Dorm has lots of great headboard styles in so many cool designs, colors and textures. These headboards include wall mounting hardware or they can be mounted with velcro.
This super affordable and pretty Modway Emily Tufted Upholstered Headboard makes a great budget college dorm headboard option. It comes in a few colors. These headboards can be attached to dorm beds with large zipties or velcro straps. See all of the Modway Affordable Headboard Designs.
These Dorm Headboard Portable Pillows are an affordable way to give that headboard look without the hassle of assembly. This foam pillow will fill the gap between mattress and wall. Say goodbye to uncomfortable gaps and awkward spaces between your bed and the wall. This dorm headboard cushion is specifically crafted to fill that void. Plus it includes a removable and washable cover!
If you want to skip the headboard, these high quality, Wowmax Large Boster Triangular Headboard Pillows are super supportive and are perfect for dorm rooms. Tt is perfect addition to any college dorm room, and makes an excellent gift for new students, making the transition to dorm life easier and more comfortable. The cover is removeable and washable.
If you are looking for a high quality back support pillow for your college-bound student, the Husband Pillow XXL is a great choice. It's taller and wider than the average reading pillow. The husband pillow serves as a sturdy and full-formed bed backrest that supports the entire upper body as no other pillow can. Just look at those generous dimensions! Your student will feel comfortable with this supreme support pillow that is filled with premium shredded memory foam and features a smooth highest quality microplush cover. This pillow ncludes a detachable neck roll pillow on bungee and a built-in side pocket to hold your remote, phone, etc. As well as an additional back pocket to hold your glasses, a book or magazine, the neck roll or removable covers, or anything else you want close at hand while in bed.
This affordable and gorgeous Full Length Arched Standing Mirror will be a staple in your student's dorm room. The top of the floor mirror is designed with a unique arched-top frame, which especially attracts people's attention and highlights the beauty of the mirror. This is a 59"x16" full size mirror. It can be leaned to the wall or free-standing with the stand anywhere in your student's dorm room. Choose from a gold or black frame.
This space-saving Full Length Over-the-Door Mirror is a great option for your student's dorm. Whether you want to get ready for an occasion or for everyday routine, a full length floor mirror will let you see yourself from head to toe. This affordable mirror comes in gold or black and includes the door hardware.
This 3-Way touch dimmable desk lamp is both modern-looking and functional. Students will love this Wireless Charging Desk Lamp that can fast-charge compatible iPhone and Samsung devices up to 10W, plus it includes USB Charging Port output to conveniently charge other devices. It's flexible gooseneck adjusts easily to a variety of angles.
This simple, affordable and modern Metal Adjustable Goose Neck Table Lamp makes a great choice for dorm desks. The flexible gooseneck allows you to adjust the study lamp with ease and direct light to wherever your student wants. Choose from black. gold, pink, silver and more colors.
This Desktop Organizer Shelf from Jerry & Maggie is a great affordable way to display your student's dorm essentials and decor. This unit can be customized to change up the configuration. It is made from natural wood and you can find it in a few great wood colors.
This great 2-Tier Desktop Hutch is perfect for your student to organize their dorm desk. It features shelves on one side and a larger tier on top, plus an area in the back to attach notes, photos and more.
This modern and simplistic Lightweight Felt Bulletin Board is perfect for dorm rooms. This bulletin board boasts a sleek and visually appealing surface, complemented by clean lines and minimalistic designs for a modern and stylish aesthetic. These felt pin boards are versatile, serving as excellent planning boards, message boards, notice bulletin boards, DIY vision boards, picture boards, mood boards and more. They are made of acrylic felt and attach with velcro or consider attaching this board with command strips. Choose from a variety of sizes and colors of boards.
This fun White Pegboard Wall Organizer is a great way for your college-bound student to organize small accessories or desk item. This set includes four panels, measuring 11 x 11 inches each, and, once assembled builds a 22x22 inch pegboard system and it includes 18 accessories. This organizer can be installed with Command Strips or screws. Just be sure you use plenty of Command Strips to support the weight (each package is marked with the supporting weight).
This Langley Street Felty Area Rug is affordable, pretty and stain resistant. Add pretty fushias and golds to your student's dorm with this great rug. It comes in a variety of sizes.
This distressed Madison Collection Accent Rug makes a great dorm rug. The large pattern adds a pretty focal point to your student's room and the pattern will hide the occasional mistake. Choose from a variety of sizes and colorways.
Students looking for a modern print, will love this Non-Slip Moroccan Washable Area Rug. It comes in both dark color and pastel colorways and in a variety of sizes.
This neutral, highly-reviewed Unique Loom Trellis Area Rug is a great option for dorms. Choose from several colorways and sizes.
This amazing Chunky Knit Chenille Hand-Knit Throw will give your student's dorm bed some texture and will pop. I highly recommend buying it in a contrasting color. It's super soft, cozy and provides the perfect amount of weight that you would want in a blanket. Choose from several different sizes and colors.
This super soft ruched Cozy Bliss Faux Fur Throw Blanket will also add texture to your student's dorm bed. This blanket is so cozy and I love the fun texture. Choose from a variety of colors and two sizes.
This Jumbo Urban Lifestyle Oversized Foldable Polycanvas chair folds away to fit in small spaces. Your student will love having another place to sit in their dorm room so guests can comfortably visit and stay a while. Choose from several great colors. You can also get these great chairs in a faux fur or velvet.
More Off to College Ideas
The Best Space-Saving Dorm Storage Ideas
The Best College Dorm Packing List for Girls
The Best College Dorm Packing List for Guys
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