Neat Dorm Organizing Solutions!
I’ve spent a lot (read: a lot) of time on Instructables this summer learning how to make little this‘s and that‘s and doohickeys. During my tenure on this Internet home for crafty people, I ran across a few ideas for dorm-approved storage/organization solutions. If you’re like me, young firstlings, you’ll find that all your beautiful arrangements of little pen cups and school supplies and sticky note pads, intended to make your desk the perfect work area, will be hidden behind piled junk after a few weeks. Here, then, are a few suggestions (I can’t vouch for their effectiveness, I haven’t tried them!) for nifty ways to increase your dorm room organization!
First, the no-screw mini shelf:
This neat little device functions using Command hooks as the supports. I’ve never tried them, but these little adhesive-backed hooks are reportedly pretty sturdy, so I can imagine a shelf using four of them would be a decent place to put little items like glasses, change, or keys. One definitely useful feature of this design is that all the components can be found at the Vanderbilt bookstore or at Office Depot near campus, so you don’t have to bring along parts – just build it when you need one!
This one won’t really save you desk space (being a desk tray), but it is certainly a cool way to recycle and save money rather than buying a desk tray from an expensive retailer! Also neat is the fact that by folding more shelves, this organizer is virtually infinitely expandable.
Warning – This guide tells you to sew things. If you’re not handy with a sewing machine (or don’t own one), I’m sure hand stitchery would work just as well, and if you’re just not ready to commit to sewing for your dorm room (I’m looking at you, males), I’m sure you can use your big college brains to come up with a different way to secure the mats together. That being said, I think this is a really cool idea, especially because nearly every night last year, I was forced to hang dangerously out of my bed to try and set my book on my desk before going to sleep. Maybe adding a zip-tie or two to the top of the caddy so it would be securely fastened to the bedframe would be a solid engineering decision, especially if you plan on using it for holding heavier items like books.
Hopefully incoming first-years (FIRSTLINGS) will find these ideas as useful as I do, or at least get an idea of some of the organization concerns to keep in mind throughout the year. Keeping your dorm and working space clean is definitely important to your mental health, and having a few tricks up your sleeve will help to stave off mess-stress.