Easy Dorm Room Storage Ideas for Back to School

Thank you to At Home stores for partnering with me to share dorm room storage ideas.

Bubbles starts kindergarten in less than a couple of weeks.  Getting her ready for school has had me thinking back to all my first days of school, from kindergarten to high school and even to college.

We have a few years before we need to think about college planning again, but I have friends who are sending their kids for the first time.  I wanted to share some of the easy dorm room storage ideas that were most beneficial to me as a college student.  Some of them are so obvious, you may not have even thought of them!

Easy Dorm Room Storage Ideas

Your Dorm Closet

Of course you use a closet for storage.  But how you use it is key.  One of the first things my roommates and I realized after moving into our dorm room is how much space the dressers take up.  So we moved them into the closet.

Let’s be honest, the amount of clothing that college students hang up is, well, small.  So move your dresser into your closet, leaving a little space on the side for the things you do want to hang up.  You can use the surface of your dresser for shoes, a little lamp, and to store your accessories.

Re-Use Backpacks & Suitcases

Remember the suitcases and backpacks you filled up with your stuff on the trip to college?  Why just store them, when you can use them for storage?  Repack them with (clean & neatly folded) seasonal clothing, supplies you only need occasionally, and other items.

Wheeled Storage Carts

I had at least two, if not three, of these in my dorm room every year.  They’re just so multi-functional!  Fill one with your dishes, snacks, paper goods, and similar items.  Fill another with shorts, t-shirts, underwear, and socks (the dresser in your closet will fill up faster than you think).

Store those filled backpacks and suitcases under your bed or on the top rack of your closet.  Slide one or two of the wheeled storage carts into the closet next to your dresser.  Suddenly those four walls will start to look a little further apart.

These tips can be replicated in any small space.  For example while I was reorganizing my daughter’s room recently, I moved a wheeled storage cart that I found at our local At Home store.

I filled one suitcase and backpack with winter PJs, outdoor gear, and long-sleeved shirts and tucked them next to the cart.  In the divided spaces on top of the cart I tucked hair bows, flip-flops, and headbands so Bubbles can easily choose what she wants.

If you’ve never visited At Home stores now is the perfect time.  Their 2016 Campus Collection has tons of options for both storage and decor.  You’ll find everything from rugs to lamps to picture frame to bedding to furniture and everything in between.

Speaking of everything in between there’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at college and realizing you’ve forgotten something at home.  Grab this free printable college move-in checklist to avoid unnecessary trips.

What dorm room storage ideas have worked for you?