Corner of dorm room with white bunk bed, posters on walls, string lights

The Ultimate Guide to Decorating Dorm Room Walls

Worried about personalizing your dorm? There are many ways to make it your own without breaking the rules (or bank)! Here are some of your best options.

Dorm rooms: Most are old, institutional, and just plain dull. You’ll be living in this teeny, tiny space for the whole school year, and we’re sure you’ll want to do some decorating to make it your own. But most colleges have a lot of regulations regarding what you can put on your walls. No paint, no tacks, no nails—no fun! There are some easy ways to get around these restrictions to make your dorm a place you’ll want to come home to. We looked online and found some of the best wall décor for college students; everything is removable, reusable, or safe for room inspection. To avoid buyer’s remorse, be sure to review your own school’s rules before you invest in anything. (And one more thing about money: Always look for coupon codes and shipping deals for online purchases! A quick Google search can usually yield valuable discounts for well-known websites.) 

Photo collage

Nothing says “college” like a wall plastered with your favorite photos. This is the college student classic! There are many ways to hang up your pics: You could create your own wallpaper by covering the entire surface, make a fun shape like a heart, or hang them up like laundry on a line. You can even use visually similar shots to create a sort of photo-wallpaper effect. Whatever you do, be sure to use a safe adhesive—like dorm tape or blue painter’s tape—to avoid any damage. You don’t want to ruin your photos or pay fees to repair your blistered walls at the end of the year!

Related: 5 Tips for Decorating Your Dorm to Help You Settle in at College 

Wall decals and wallpaper

These dorm-safe stickers are easy to apply and remove from smooth walls, and they can often be reused after each application. Available on sites like Etsy, DormCo, and Fathead, wall decals can be decorative or functional—or both! Here are a few different options to inspire you:

Striking peel ‘n’ stick

Huge self-adhesive stickers are a great way to enhance a boring, white wall and show off your interests. Display your favorite animal, flower, or sports team—but the options extend beyond birds, poppies, and Gators, of course. There's a sticker for anything your heart desires if you look hard enough! Removable decals also make cool decorations for theme parties and holidays—think of a space-saving fake Christmas tree when you aren’t allowed to have the real thing.

Practical décor

You don’t have to hang a life-size Danny DeVito on your wall to make it prettier (but you could and it would be hilarious). These options are less overwhelming than those monster decals but just as ornamental while also serving a purpose. Sticky message boards and timepieces don’t require a screw or nail to hang on the wall; all you do is peel, stick, and use. So easy, attractive, and RA approved!

Rooms with a view

Window stickers are ideal if the view outside your dorm room—or lack thereof—leaves much to be desired. They could also dull the pain of homesickness with a familiar scene or help you escape to your happy place during a study session. Fathead offers a wide array of Instant Windows, but other online options may cater more to a college student's budget.

Temporary wallpaper

Removable wallpaper can add color to your dorm that looks permanent but easily peels away at the end of the school year. Use it to cover your entire space or just an accent wall. You can even create your own unique patterns with blank canvas wallpaper, made for the artist in you! Temporary paper can be pricey, but Dormify.com has some pretty good deals, regularly offering discount codes and free shipping on minimum purchases.

Related: Smart Ideas to Decorate and Save Space in Your College Dorm or Apartment

Paint swatches and samples

Paint chips are all over Pinterest! Those little swatches are free for the taking at home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, and they can be used for a number of creative projects: accent walls, murals, arts and crafts...the list is as long and as captivating as a rainbow.

Rainbow rooms

These vibrant works of art make us want to run to Sherwin-Williams and steal every paint sample they have! Your rainbow wall can be as big or as small as you like. All it takes is some patience and creativity to customize this project for rooms of all shapes and sizes.  

Funky patterns

You don’t have to restrict your paint-sample wall art to rainbows. Patterns like chevron, stripes, or polka dots can spice up any free space and take a lot less planning and fewer swatches than a fully covered wall. You could also create a mosaic design if you’re feeling really inspired! 

DIY paint-chip crafts

Paint samples can also be used for fun little projects that you can transport home after you take them down—just don’t make holes in the walls to hang them up! Display your one-of-a-kind paint-chip picture, calendar, or garland using Command hooks or the like. They stay on the wall using a self-adhesive strip and easily come off without any residue. And they can hold up to a few pounds—perfect for a small canvas or picture frame!

Related: The Most Important Things You Need for Your Dorm Room

Sure, there are a lot of limitations to what you're allowed to do to decorate your dorm room, but there are also a lot of creative solutions you can turn to that are absolutely okay. With a little research and some brainstorming using these ideas, you can turn your dorm into a fun little oasis that any of your new campus friends will want to visit—and you'll feel comfortable living in all year round. 

Making your room a comfortable place to come home to isn't the only way to help you ease into college life. Check out some expert answers to the common question: How Can I Make the Transition to College Easier?

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About Claire Carter

Claire Carter

Claire Carter is the Director of Content at CollegeXpress and a proud alumna of the University of Maine, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism with a minor in English. Go Blue!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH


Maliha

Maliha

High School Class of 2019

My college search began at CollegeXpress. Due to this helpful tool, I was able to gather a lot of information to guide my college planning decisions. Through CollegeXpress, I was also able to apply to several scholarships to help pay for my tuition. I would definitely recommend this website to anyone who wants to explore colleges and get more information from admission experts, counselors, and real students.

Tinuola Dada

Tinuola Dada

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2015

I am very excited to be this year's recipient of the Multicultural Student Community Service Scholarship. This scholarship will bring me ever closer to my academic and professional goals. CollegeXpress has been an exceptional resource to me, and I recommend it to all rising seniors as they begin to navigate the college application process.

Kory Gilbertson

Kory Gilbertson

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me explore my views on college in that "why do I wanna go to a certain school" way. It’s helped me explore the best fits in all of these outstanding choices. All these college admission counselors can access my accolades showing them how I could help their college. This source of information helps me show these admission directors who I am and what I'm interested in. Thanks to this platform, my experience for education will be better than most, and I'm so grateful for all that it has provided for me.

Heather McCarty

Heather McCarty

High School Class of 2020

CollegeXpress has helped me with the college application process. The tips and tricks for important essays were so helpful. I also gained useful knowledge about college life. Even though I’m fully online, CollegeXpress has helped me develop a sense of how college is in person. The experiences from college students that were featured on their Instagram page have shown the good, the bad, and the “secret” life on campus from a reliable perspective. Not to mention, they relieved my feelings of anxiety about the workload. I can now understand how it can be stressful, but it takes self-control and willpower to get assignments completed on time and with quality.

Wendy Thompson

Wendy Thompson

Owner, Westport Educational Consulting

I just discovered your site and LOVE it—fun, interesting, full of incredible information you can’t find anywhere else, and a godsend for those of us in the college counseling business. I am a fan!