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1. A tiny lamp that'll create a stunning sunset or sunrise right in your dorm room. This is perfect for a college student whose space doesn't get much natural light, but you still want that ✨golden hour✨ vibe.
There is just a sunset lamp *or* you can get the 2-in-1 that has the sunset and rainbow option. You can turn both lights on at the same time or just one. Each lamp has seven adjustable levels to change up the light intensity. BTW, it's powered by USB!
Promising review: "I ordered this lamp as a gift for my husband. We just set up a room in the basement where he keeps his records, films, musical instruments and other fun stuff. We call it the music listening room — he has a stressful job so he really enjoys going down to the basement and listening to a record and turning on some nice mood lighting. I ordered the sunset lamp as a complement to the theme of the room and we just love it. The closer you are to the wall, the more of a defined a circle it will cast, and the farther back you move the lamp you will see more of an ambient light instead. It’s a really cool light that looks great next to our other eclectic lights, lava lamps and such. When not in use, the lamp is very small and discreet, just a few inches high and sits on the desk in the room." —MBA Squared
Get it from Amazon $17.99+ (available in two colors).
2. Or a night-light projector to turn your walls and ceiling into a nifty light show. There are five themes to choose from, including constellations and planets. It will feel like you're falling asleep under the stars in your dorm!
It powers itself either through USB or three AA batteries, and comes with five different patterns: magical planet, starry star, constellation, undersea world, and even a happy birthday one, which will be very on theme whenever there's a celebration in your household.
Promising review: "This product is a really nice gift for kids and even adults. The night lamp when lit in the dark room feels like you're out in the woods where there's no city glow, and you're gazing at the stars. The quality of the pixel is really good (sharp images), and the images move around." —Rae Cai
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
3. An abstract tabletop mirror tiny enough to fit on your desk but big enough to work perfectly as your "getting ready" mirror. It's also ~great~ for mirror selfies.
BTW, there is a plastic film on the mirror you're supposed to remove before use!
Promising reviews: "Really cute and fits my room really well. I like the color, and it’s a good size!" —Stephani Hernandez
"I use it to get ready every morning!! So cute, also very easy to clean. Hasn’t cracked no matter how rough I am with it. It’s very light weight and a great gift for yourself or anyone. Definitely worth the price $$!!!" —M. Gonzalez
Get it from Amazon for $10.99.
4. A handmade moon phase garland that'll make your dorm room look ~out of this world~.
If you can't hang things on your walls with a nail or screw, these teeny command hooks will be *perfect* for hanging up all of your art!
Base Roots is a woman-owned small business based in Las Vegas.
Promising review: "I'm an incoming freshman this fall and I bought this to add some personality to my dorm. It has beyond exceeded my expectations! I placed it directly on top of my dorm bed as shown in the display photos and am so pleased with how it looks. It fits perfectly with the grey/white color scheme I was going for and have received numerous compliments from both my friends and RAs when they've visited. I cannot stress enough how much of an 'aesthetic feel' it adds to my dorm." —jhsgf
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
5. A flower garland you can use to decorate around your desk so you'll feel like the main character of a Jane Austen novel while you write your college essays. If you have a loft bed, you can wrap the garland around the posts for a whimsical look!
BTW, the pack comes with five garlands, and the photo above is all five of them twisted together to look thick and luscious!
Promising review: "So I wanted to go ham on decorating my room, and I thought it’d be really cute to wrap flower garland around my string lights. These were perfect! You get so much and they’re so pretty. I want to get more to put other places in my room — they’re so cute." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in eight styles).
6. A pom-pom throw that will instantly add ~pizzazz~ to your bed and quite possibly make your dorm-mate jealous! It's *perfect* for cozying up while you watch a flick on your laptop.
It's wrinkle and fade-resistant!
Promising review: "I purchased this pretty throw for my daughter's dorm room. She loves that it’s so lightweight and soft. She wraps herself in it to watch tv after a long day of classes, and she says it feels like a warm hug from mom! Mission Accomplished 😍!" —gagootzah
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in four sizes and 19 colors).
7. A set of geode bookends so you can keep all of your college textbooks in one place while showing off your impeccable sense of interior style. They're also heavy enough to work as paperweights!
They also look pretty dang gorgeous just sitting there by themselves!
JIC Gem is a small business that specializes in crystals in healing stones.
Promising reviews: "I love it — the rocks are BEAUTIFUL. These are great book holders. I have them across my fireplace mantel and have had nothing but compliments. I highly recommend for the crystal quality, and I’ll definitely be ordering more in other colors in the future. Thanks." —GH
"I am a college student looking for cute bookends that would hold multiple binders containing loose-leaf books. The 5- to 6-pound bookends passed the test." —GH
Get a pair from Amazon for $28.99+ (available in six colors and four weights).
8. An owl table lamp to add a bit of whimsy to your dorm. It comes with a shade *and* an LED lightbulb with a lifespan of 25,000 hours. So basically, almost your entire college life, if you never shut it off!
Promising review: "One word describes this little lamp: ADORABLE! I'm so happy with it! It isn't a super bright lamp but is brighter than a nightlight and adds a nice touch at the end of my back hallway. Quick shipping and secure packaging made it an easy purchase. I'm so pleased with this lamp and highly recommend it." —SMK
Get it from Amazon for $44.99.
9. A neon acrylic frame that can be hung on the wall or stand on its own on your desk. The best part? When light hits it juuust right, it will cast a lovely rainbow all over the dorm walls.
10. A set of fairy lights so you can create a super cozy ambience in your dorm, making your space a relaxing haven to come back to after a long day of classes.
It even comes with eight different light modes, including a *twinkle* mode, with a controller attached to the lights so you can easily switch between them. If you need another one for your space, do not fret! You can connect up to five to each other!
Promising review: "I bought this for my daughter’s dorm room, and it was perfect for taking up great wall space. She loves it! She uses these lights normally at night instead of her main light. My daughter says she gets lots of compliments. They were really easy to hang with command hooks and are very lightweight." —Randa W.
Get them from Amazon for $18.89+ (available in five colors).
11. A floral coaster to keep your brand new desk protected from the pesky condensation your energy drinks sweat during your study sessions. Each coaster is handmade using real flowers and leaves, making them super unique! These are also sold individually, which is great because you probably won't need a set of eight in your tiny dorm room.
Poppy & Pour is a California-based Etsy shop established in 2020 that specializes in custom flower coasters, keychains, and more.
Promising review: "I got the surprise option with and without the gold rim, and I’m so happy that I got an even balance of white and multicolored coasters. These are so beautiful, and I can’t wait to use them!" —Jenny H.
Get it from Poppy & Pour on Etsy for $14+ (available with or without gold trim).
12. A luxurious duvet cover because sometimes the easiest way to decorate a small space like a dorm room is to change out your bedding! It even comes in 14 colors!
Each set comes with a duvet cover and two pillowcases. Reviewers mention this can be used for a dorm, but if you have a Twin XL bed, this duvet is a great option!
Promising review: "I bought this duvet cover for my dorm room. I got the gray color, and it matches the pictures perfectly. Even after washing and drying, the material is wrinkle-free and extremely soft. It will be perfect for the cold months of winter! Great value for the product. The pillowcases are quite large as well, perfect for decorative-type pillows." —Amazon customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in sizes Twin – Cal King and in 14 colors).
Or take a look at some of the other best duvet covers available on Amazon.
13. And a sweet little dust ruffle so you can hide all of the stuff you've been storing under your bed while simultaneously making your dorm room look ~oh-so-cute~.
Promising review: "It looks nice on my daughter’s bed in her dorm and hides her extras under her bed." —CRWilliams
Get it from Amazon for $10.19+ (available in sizes Twin – King and 23 colors).
14. A gold wire photo wall frame to display photos with your hometown friends, mementos while at college, and other small trinkets.
15. A floral medallion tapestry that'll cover up your boring dorm walls, adding some ~life~ to your space.
It comes with two traceless thumbtacks, two metal clips, and two mounting tapes, so you can hang it however you like.
Promising review: "It's so cute, and the color is very vibrant. It fits perfectly in my dorm, along the length of my bed. It's a pretty thin and almost stretchy material, but I was still able to iron it to get the wrinkles out. It is lightweight, easy to hang up, and exactly what I wanted." —Michelle Simons
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in medium and large, and in three colors).
16. A disco ball planter to light up your dorm in such a funky way you'll struggle to *not* break into a dance.
Promising review: "This planter brings me so much joy every day! It is well crafted and beautifully packaged. I appreciate the extra touches, like the fact it comes with a few extra mirrored tiles and that there are different ways to display it — it comes with a stand and nicely braided hanging rope. Every day my whole living room becomes a party. :) I cannot recommend it enough." —Phil
Get it from Amazon for $29.97.
17. A delightful ceramic trinket dish so you can add a refreshing pop of color to your otherwise drab desk. Just look at your cute little trinket filled with your earrings, rings, and necklaces when stressing about exams and deadlines. ❤️
Redefine Lovely is an Etsy seller that has tons of unique goods and artwork, like hand-painted ceramics, prints, and stickers.
Promising review: "I bought this item for my sister, and she absolutely loves it!! The details and color of this item were amazing! The seller did an amazing job!!" –Alexa
Get one from Redefine Lovely on Etsy for $15 (available in nine designs).
18. A cool vase designed to look like an old-school orange juice carton and will undoubtedly make you want to drink OJ out of a cardboard box again. Maybe the dining hall has some?
19. A realistic moon-shaped light that you can adjust to make brighter or warmer based on your current mood. After that long day of back-to-back classes, you'll want a dim, warm light to relax and enjoy the rest of your night. ~Ahh~.
The USB operated lamp has 4–8 hours of battery life and can be charged quickly within 2–3 hours!
Promising reviews: "I originally bought the 7-inch moon for my husband as an 'I love you to the moon and back' gift for our anniversary. I loved his moon so much that I kept stealing it from our bedroom and taking it to the living room. So I bought myself the 5.9-inch moon to compare sizes and have one to call my own. As it turns out, the slightly smaller 5.9-inch one is just as amazing as the 7-inch. These moons charge up fast with a cord (with a cool 'blue moon' color when charging), and then once charged, they are completely free from cords or connection dependence. They light up with a very detailed real moon surface design in white or yellow, which will totally mesmerize you. You can literally 'hold the whole moon in your hand' and use it as a cordless and battery-free lamp, a nightlight, a lantern, or a quasi-candle in the dark. The wood stand is sleek, super easy to assemble, and a perfect accent to any room décor. These moons are the best gift for friends, family, co-workers, kids, pets, and spouses." —Amazon Customer
"So special for science geeks or lovers of nature and all things magical. My son, in his final year of college, loves it! His roommates and guests make positive comments." —Over50AndWise
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in four sizes).
20. A fluffy area rug so soft, you'll daydream about digging your toes into the shag the second class is over. Plus, it'll make your dorm look so inviting and cozy!
It even has rubber spots on the bottom so you don't have to worry about it slipping *or* spending extra money on a slip pad!
Promising reviews: "Best rug EVER!! No, seriously, it is so soft! I bought this one for our living room. We have a similar rug we purchased at Lowes for three times the price for our bedroom, and my husband and I decided that we would rebuy this one instead. We are actually ordering two more for the baby's room and our middle daughter's room. So many people have complimented this rug and asked us to send them the link!" —Ashley Bryan
"Worked well for my daughter’s dorm room. She loves it." —K
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in 14 colors).
21. Or a beautiful runner if you share your dorm and the beds take up way too much room, but you still want something cozy in-between each side.
Promising reviews: "This rug came rolled up in thick plastic, and the quality and colors are just perfect. For the price, this rug is great. It blends well with my decor, and I like the fact that it is soft but seems durable. In addition, it's easy to vacuum to clean. This is what you need if you are looking for a nice-looking, not expensive rug." —Martha
"Great rug for a great price. Helped make dorm more cozy!" —Carissa Bruton
Get it from Amazon for $21.50+ (available in two styles and four sizes under $50).
22. A pearl lamp your college friends will call you ~shellfish~ for when you refuse to tell them where you got it because of how dang darling it is.
The battery-powered pearl light can be removed from the ceramic shell base and carried around, so you can use it to walk around your dorm room at night without waking up your roommate!
Promising review: "This is a pretty and unique light but be aware that the battery only lasts about 48 hours, so I removed one star. It is quirky and has unique mood lighting." —T3268
Get it from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in two colors).
23. A glass essential oil diffuser so you can decorate your dorm with a gorgeous piece of decor while simultaneously making your room smell heavenly.
If you're not allowed to use essential oils, it's still a great way to add some moisture to an otherwise dry room, *and* it provides a lovely light show!
Promising reviews: "It’s beautiful!! Best oil diffuser I’ve ever had. Everyone is asking me where I got it. It gives off a lot of mist, makes my whole room smell wonderful, and it’s a great conversation piece. Highly recommend it." —Danielle Martinez
"I never leave reviews, but this deserved one. It’s simply beautiful! I love the light show; it takes me back to my youth in the '70s! It’s easy to use and puts out a lot of steam. It's really nice!" —Kindle Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.97+ (available in 10 styles).
24. A 12-pack of vines that'll add a very unique touch of greenery to your dorm room, making it look like you're living in an old castle like the ~queen~ you are.
You get 12 vine strands, each about 7.5 feet long. You can also pair them with these with string lights or you can pick up vines with lights already attached.
Promising review: "Just what I needed to make my room come to life! I will be purchasing more for other areas of the house. I was surprised by how real they look. There is a slight smell when you open it up (I've purchased other vines, and it's been the same thing), but if you air it outside for a day, you'll be good to go!" —Roxoh
Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $10.98+ (available in a larger size).
25. A macrame hanging wall mirror to add some subtle texture to your dorm *and* be the perfect spot to check for lipstick on your teeth before heading out to your next class.
It weights about 1.5 pounds, which means you can easily use a Command strip hook and not have to worry about it falling down and breaking. No one wants a broken mirror!
Promising reviews: "I’ve had it for about a week, but I really like it! I cut the bottom threads as they were a little too long for where I wanted to hang it. This was my second purchase from this brand; I liked the first product I got, so I gave this a shot, and for the second time, I’m very impressed with the price. Also, it’s a real mirror, not one of the wonky plastic funhouse ones." —Molly B
"I use this mirror in my dorm room for makeup. It's easy to hang and is great for the price!" —Jet Liu
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
26. A set of decorative faux succulents that'll make it look like you have a super green thumb, but I know your secrets. 👀 You're in college! You have enough to deal with and taking care of real plants is not one of them!
Promising reviews: "Looooove these little guys. They look incredibly real and give some life to the apartment. I have these on my coffee table and a few in the bathrooms. I get compliments on them all the time — I just bought more for my sister!" —Lee A.
"Perfect for dorm decor!!!!" —LCS
Get a set of four from Amazon for $27.99.
27. A set of LED light strips because everyone is putting these in their rooms these days so why not? You customize the color, brightness, and timing of the lights, *and* control it through an app on your phone, so you can revamp your dorm room within minutes and have a super cool space to show off.
It comes with adhesive strips and hooks, a Wi-Fi controller, and an adapter, so you can easily install and sync it in your room with everything included. You can even customize it to pulse to the beat of whatever music you're playing. Basically your dorm can become the most exclusive club at your college.
Promising review: "I purchased the Groove Smart LED lights for my daughter, who was heading off to college. The lights were easy to hang (the adhesion strips were strong enough to keep the lights in place yet not damage the dorm walls). My daughter could change the color of the lights with just a click on the remote. The lights are decorative and mood-enhancing." —SteelesBoutiqueAndCollectibles
Get it from Amazon for $25+ (available in four lengths).
28. An antique decorative mirror tray you'll feel super fancy putting your phone, wallet, and student ID on when you get back to your dorm. Then, when you're ready to leave again, you'll know exactly where they are. You can also use it to display your makeup or perfume!
Promising review: "I’ve been on the hunt for a vanity tray, but they’re all so pricey. Not going to lie, when I saw this, I was like, 'no way this is going to be that nice for that price.' But, I can let you know I was happily surprised! It’s perfect! I want every color now!" —xxitsjess69
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in three colors).
29. A "Good vibes" neon sign that'll brighten up your space and remind anyone who enters your dorm exactly how they should act. 💁♀️
Easily mount it onto your wall using the clear acrylic plate, and turn it on by plugging in the low voltage power cord. For reference, it's a little over a foot tall, making it ideal for small dorm rooms with limited space!
Promising review: "It is a bit smaller than I expected, but it’s literally so cute and fits the room vibe perfectly." —Madison Gates
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors).
30. A chunky wool knit pillow to instantly make your dorm look like a cozy ✨ dream✨ — it's practically begging to be hugged!
Clementine's Collection is a woman-owned small shop that produces handcrafted home decor and accessories. Make sure you spot clean the material for a longer-lasting lifespan.
Get it from Clementine's Collection for $40.
31. And finally, a collection of peach and teal wall prints you can decorate your dorm walls with and stick them in any shape or form to match your ~vibe~.
They *do* come with sticky pieces so you can hang them up, but if you're worried about ruining the paint of your dorm walls, these adhesive dots won't damage your walls, and they're reusable!
Promising review: "I love this product! It comes in such cute packaging, and the quality of the photos is really good and very sturdy. One helpful thing is it comes with sticky squares, so you can easily use those to put them on your wall. Photos are so cute — definitely worth the money!" —Andrea
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
Your dorm after its glow-up:
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