17 Products to Make Your Dorm Room Amazing

Rebecca OConnell
College dorm rooms are often small and sometimes come with annoying roommates, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be comfortable and interesting spaces. (Just look at what these students have done!) Here are some items that are sure to make any dorm room smarter—and give it more character.1. MOON LIGHT; $36

Make your whole dorm jealous with this incredibly cool light that looks like the moon. Made of plastic, this gently glowing, battery-operated faux celestial body can be hung on a wall, where it cycles through the 12 phases of the moon before automatically shutting off. Keep the night sky theme going with this heat-sensitive mug, which displays constellations when filled with hot liquid.
Find it: Urban Outfitters2. PERIODIC TABLE BLANKET; $30

Chemistry majors know that having a periodic table around is key. This particular table is printed on a blanket, so it keeps you warm while serving as a helpful reference. The cotton blanket is 47 by 63 inches—the perfect size to wrap yourself in while studying.
Find it: ThinkGeek3. OVER THE DOOR HOOKS; $8

Floor space is a rare commodity in a dorm room, so hooks are key when organizing your stuff. When you can't use screws or nails, consider these brightly colored hooks, which hang over the door and don’t leave any holes in the door.
Find it: Amazon4. CAT PHOTO HANGERS; $10

Forget picture frames—hang up all your favorite pictures with these cute Cat Walk Picture Hangers. The set comes with eight paperclips and a long cord.
Find it: Amazon5. STRING LIGHTS; $28

These firefly lights are on bendable wire; wrap them around bedposts or other furniture for a fun decorative touch.
Find it: Urban Outfitters6. BOOK PILLOWS; $25

If you’re going to fall asleep with your head in a book, it might as well be comfortable. These pillows look just like real books; you can choose between Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland, or Sherlock Holmes, (but only Alice looks like an open book). Each plush book has original cover art and a quote on the back.
Find it: ThinkGeek7. GAME OF THRONES BANNERS; $20

Do you consider yourself honorable like a Stark? Or more devious like a Lannister? Whatever house you align yourself with, make sure everyone else knows it. These Game of Thrones-inspired banners feature the sigil of one of four major houses in the series: Martell, Stark, Lannister, or Baratheon. Unfortunately, all the other houses are sold out at the moment, so Targaryen sympathizers are out of luck.
Find it: ThinkGeek8. CURVED SURGE PROTECTOR; $18-$30

Anyone who has lived in a dorm knows that finding an outlet is tricky business. With the odd assortment of plug shapes out there, sometimes outlets can get obscured and therefore impossible to use. This special surge protector ensures that all the outlets get a chance by allowing them to spin to unconventional angles. That means no more arguing with your roommate over who gets to charge their phone. You can pick between two, five, or six outlets (the mini and five-outlet options come with USB ports).
Find it: ThinkGeek9. USB BED LIFT SET; $41

To tackle both your outlet and storage space problems, consider these bed risers, which raise the bed frame 7 glorious inches while also providing extra outlets and USB chargers.
Find it: Amazon10. CAT BUTT MAGNETS; $10

Now that you finally have your own (mini) fridge, you can decorate it however you like. Everyone can probably agree that cat butts are the best and classiest magnets on the market.
Find it: Amazon11. CARNIVOROUS CREATURES LIGHT CUBE; $30

Studies have linked being out in nature to stress relief. Bring a little bit of nature to your dorm with this terrarium, which comes with Venus fly trap and Sundew seeds.
Find it: ThinkGeek12. DESKSTRUCTURE DESK ORGANIZER; $79

A messy desk leads to stress, especially around test time—so pick up this fun desk organizer, which has a number of building-shaped containers you can arrange into any structure you'd like. Fill the organizer with these adorable animal pencils, and make sure to keep an infectious disease-themed stress ball nearby for when finals roll around.
Find it: Dwell13. DINOSAUR HEAD WALL HANGING; $70

Perfect for paleontology students or fans of Jurassic Park, this plastic dinosaur head, which measures 15 by 10 by 13.5 inches, is sure to spark conversation—and lead to some awesome photo opps.
Find it: Amazon14. CALENDAR WALL DECAL; $9

Simply stick this vinyl decal on the wall and you have an instant calendar to keep you organized. All you need is a dry erase marker to get started. When you’re ready to take it down, simply peel it off—it promises not to leave a sticky residue.
Find it: Amazon15. PORTABLE SPEAKER; $30

Never be without music with this amazing portable speaker. The sleek-looking touch screen lets you change the song, volume, or mode without even having to push a button. It’s Bluetooth compatible so you can even change the music from across the room. It plays for about 12 hours and comes with a USB charger.
Find it: Amazon16. RAINBOW LIGHT; $36

Is there anything cooler than a rainbow right in your room? This special light projects the design on any flat surface you want. You can pick between having the rainbow appear gradually or all at once, and there’s an automatic shutoff so you can fall asleep with it on.
Find out: Urban Outfitters17. UNICORN SLIPPERS; $8

There is a lot of lounging in the dorms, so make sure you have the proper footwear. These one-size-fits-all slip on unicorn slippers won't just keep your feet warm—when these magical creatures peek out from under your bed, they'll also give your dorm room a decorative boost.
Find it: Amazon

September 1, 2016 - 4:00am