Ways to Keep a Dorm Room Organized

You have to maximize every inch of space in a dorm room. Don't let the small space cramp your style! The key is making sure that everything has a place and everything stays in its place.

Since our oldest son has completed his freshman year at college, I have made a few changes to this list. Some of the stuff you see on the college dorm shopping lists aren't helpful for being a minimalist in the dorm. Truly, keep half of that stuff at home because they won't have space for it anyway!

Dorm Room Organization Ideas

Space saver bags are great o help keep things organized. Dorm rooms are very small, therefore using every inch is critical. Space savers will help you maintain the clutter and allow you to have a stylish room. With a little bit of creativity, you can make this small space feel like home.

The Ikea Frakta Storage bags WITH zippers are a MUST BUY! These made moving in SO fast and simple! We loaded up several bags full of stuff, zipped them up so the contents remained inside then unpacked when we got to his dorm. I kept a few bags at school with him so he could fill back up whenever he came home to visit (and they were usually filled with his dirty laundry…). We made sure he had all the bags so he could easily pack up everything when we moved home for the summer.

Over the door hanging shoe bag with many plastic pouches help to keep loose items more tidy. Organize your cosmetics, toiletries, pens, packages of popcorn, snacks, cleaning supplies, in one place to keep them orderly and compact. Get a few of them so they can keep one in their room, and possibly another in a bathroom area if that is allowed.

Bed lifts to raise your bed can give you lots more storage space! Store unused items, clothing, and shoes under your bed. Our son's bed was raised pretty high as it was so these actually weren't necessary. We did take a small plastic storage dresser which fit perfectly under his bed. Just check with the school to find exact dimensions to know what you can or should buy.

3M Hooks, specifically the larger ones that can hold a towel, hoodie, jacket or other large item that may otherwise end up on the floor. Again, depending on the bathroom usage situation, you could also get an over the door hook rack so they can keep towels and other items to dry. We actually had one for the back of our son's closet door.

BONUS: Keep all of the paperwork in check by using a bulletin board. Stay on top of any assignments and appointments to ensure you don't miss anything. The sooner your student can adopt a system to ensure they are more organized with paperwork and deadlines the BETTER!

Moving off to college will be many students first time leaving home, therefore their dorm room will become their home away from home. By using these frugal tips for decorating and organizing, you can achieve a frugal dorm space that is full of design and style.