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We’ve all had to deal with cramped closets, small dressers, and tight under the bed storage space. To be totally honest, my freshman year dorm room was HUGE but now that I live in a single room, I’ve been forced to get creative. Here are five dorm room hacks to save space in your new dorm room.
Hanging Shoe Pockets
Laura Ashley, bedbathandbeyond.com; $20, shop now
This is the best space saving hack. I put hanging shoe pockets on the outside of my closet door and fill them with basic necessities like tide pods, dryer sheets, silverware, and even lollipops for visitors. By putting my actual shoes in the bottom of closet, I free up plenty of space in the shoe pockets for things that are normally packaged in bulky cardboard boxes. I bought mine from Bed Bath and Beyond but you can easily find them on Amazon.
Rolling Makeup Carts
SALT, bedbathandbeyond.com, $30; shop now
I keep everything in my rolling makeup cart. My cart has two shelves and a top platform that holds my blow dryer, curling iron, and flat iron. In one shelf, I keep all of my hair and body products and in the other I store my makeup. This frees up drawer and desk space for school supplies or bigger items. A feature of my makeup cart is that it also offers several power outlets so that the cart itself only takes up one power outlet in the wall. Another plus? You can usually find these carts at T.J. Maxx or Home Goods for a substantially lower price.
Removable Wall Organizers
Let me introduce you to the greatest use of removable adhesive strips. Getting wall organizers, hooks, and decal calanders is any easy way to free up floor space. With removable adhesives like Command Strips, you can easily move towel hooks, cups for dry erase markers or lighting features from the floor to the wall without damaging your dorm room.
Collapsible Storage Bins
Room Essentials, target.com, $4; shop now
Storage bins take up a lot of space. I tend to put things like shoes, socks, and basics in collapsible cubes. If I have too many cubes or not enough space, I can fold up the empty cubes and store them at the top of my closet until I need them again. These usually comes in packs of two cubes, and I got mine at Target.
Throw Pillows
Lilly Pulitzer, thepaperstore.com, $42; shop now
Alright, hear me out. Dorm rooms are small and fitting an extra chair or bean bag can make the space even tighter. If you are lucky enough to have a window seat in your room, grab a bench cushion or a handful of throw pillows and create a cozy corner for visitors. The space will feel more inviting without minimizing square feet.