As you’re shopping for dorm room essentials, spend some time thinking about how to make your new room reflect your personality. Decorating dorm room walls is one of the most fun parts of moving into college. It is a way to express yourself and be creative with the blank space in your dorm. College dorm decorations can also make great high school graduation gifts.
You can use Command Strips and Hooks to install many of these wall art projects. Another idea is to use Washi tape to put up lightweight posters or just make fun designs on the walls.
For inspiration on dorm wall decor ideas, check out Pottery Barn Teen.
Before you buy anything, make sure to check the residence life section of your college website to follow all the rules for decorating your dorm.
Best dorm wall decor ideas for 2024
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1. Flags and Banners (Fanatics)
Fanatics has flags and banners for 500+ colleges and hundreds of pro sports teams. Your teen can show off their favorite team by hanging up these lightweight flags — instant icebreaker and dorm room decor!
2. Fairy Lights (Pottery Barn Teen)
These fairy lights are such a cute addition to any dorm room. They are trendy and are ideal for having a movie night with friends or studying late at night. These are super popular among college students.
3. Tapestries (Pottery Barn Teen)
Tapestries are a decorative way to fill an entire wall! Also, they can be inexpensive. Beach, watercolor, pastel, or nature tapestries are especially popular right now. I had a giant tapestry with a mountain scene in my room and sometimes it actually felt like I was there.
4. Full-Length Mirror (Amazon)
Many dorm rooms do not have a mirror, so hanging a full-size mirror on the wall can be a great idea. This is also useful for getting ready in the morning to see your entire outfit before leaving for class.
5. Leaves Garland (Amazon)
These have been super popular among college students recently. They can be hung around the room ceiling or down the walls as decoration. In my sorority house last year, so many rooms had either a leaf or flower garland, making the whole room feel like a forest.
6. Custom Name Signs (Etsy)
Custom name signs are a perfect dorm decor idea for you and your roommate. They can either be hung next to each other on the wall or each side of the room. My roommate and I had these signs, and we hung them on our door, but they can be used anywhere in the room.
7. No Nails Square Study Wall Boards (Pottery Barn Teen)
This square study wall board is a great way to showcase photos of friends and family or hang up to-do lists and reminders. It can be easily hung up with no nails.
8. Dry-Erase Board (Pottery Barn Teen)
A dry-erase board is perfect for very organized students who plan things out in advance. It is simple and is great for planning out the month, adding holidays, assignment due dates, and other important dates to remember. I had one of these as a freshman, and it was so convenient having my calendar right in front of me with all my events planned for the month.
9. Custom Neon Sign Light (Pottery Barn Teen)
Light-up neon name signs are a great addition to any dorm room. Especially for watching movies late at night, these lamps are perfect when it would be too light to have the lights on but too dark to have the lights off.
10. Wood Monogram Letter (Etsy)
This is another fun addition to the wall you could match with your roommate. There are so many cool fonts to choose from, and you and your roommate could even paint the letters together as a fun little project.
11. Hanging Shelf (Etsy)
You can create a gallery wall with hanging shelves. They can be used for plants, favorite photos, an inspirational quote, or just storage for small items. They are super cute and will look good in any room.
12. Photo Clip Lights (Amazon)
These cute string lights have clips that can be used to hang photos from home, then later add to them with pictures of your new college friends.
By the way, if you have an instant camera, like the Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera, you can take instant paper images that you can hang on your wall and share with friends.
