A Dozen Tips for a Super-Organized Dorm Room

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Most dorm rooms are teeny tiny. And sure, you probably don’t need a lot of stuff when you go off to college, but you still need some stuff. How are you gonna fit it all in? And how are you going to fit it all in in a way that doesn’t make your dorm room look like a complete disaster? We’ve got a few ideas.

(Image credit: Jessica Slaughter)

Follow Topics for more like this

Follow for more stories like this

(Image credit: Jessica Slaughter)

Above: Jessica Slaughter lofted her bed (the beds in her dorm allow for this option, so she didn’t have to build anything) and put her dresser and a bookcase underneath. A rolling IKEA cart holds kitchen supplies, and also keeps them easy to access.

(Image credit: I Heart Organizing)

Here’s a great idea from I Heart Organizing: stack a shelf above your desk for additional storage space. (If the shelves are shallow enough, you can still use the desk for a laptop.)

(Image credit: I Heart Organizing)

Command hooks are a great way to provide a spot for oft-used things like headphones, keys and laundry bags (seen here in an image from I Heart Organizing).

(Image credit: I Heart Organizing)

Another idea from I Heart Organizing: set your microwave on a crate and use the space to store dishes and kitchen supplies. Click through to their website for even more dorm organizing ideas.

(Image credit: Wohnidee)

Here’s a DIY from Wohnidee for converting an IKEA Ekby Alex shelf with drawers into rolling underbed storage.

(Image credit: The Fashion Keye)

Elizabeth from The Fashion Keye used risers to raise her bed for extra storage underneath. She also had the bright idea to cover her room’s closets with curtains hanging from a tension rod, which doesn’t add any extra storage but definitely makes the room seem less cluttered.

(Image credit: Rachael Hairstylist)

Use Command hooks to hang styling tools (or whatever you need in the bathroom) from the inside of a cabinet door. Image from Rachael Hairstylist on Instagram.

(Image credit: Dream Green DIY)

From Dream Green DIY: Use removable adhesive hooks to hang a file organizer to the side of your vanity (or to the wall) and use it as a catchall for hairstyling supplies.

(Image credit: Real Simple)

Drawers and stacking baskets can help you make the most of the space under your sink, as seen on Real Simple.

(Image credit: The Lovely Side)

If you have the space, add a bookcase behind your headboard, as seen on The Lovely Side.

(Image credit: Her Campus)

You can also get shelves that are specifically designed to fit around the head of a twin-sized bed, as seen here on Her Campus. (You could also purchase a typical freestanding bookshelf and hack it by removing some of the shelves — but make sure that thing is sturdy before you put it above your bed!)

(Image credit: Jessica Slaughter; Wohnidee)

Re-edited from a post originally published 8.16.2016 – AH