Living the Gray Life

A Fitness & Lifestyle Blog

| Posted in: College, DIY, Dorm Room

Creating A College Dorm Gallery Wall

Coming back to college this year, I knew I wanted to do something a little different with my dorm room. Last year’s decor was great, but I wanted to make my room look a little more mature and not like a typical freshman year dorm. That meant getting rid of the posters and cliché canvases and switching to something more eclectic that I can change out whenever I want!

Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.

Gallery walls can be made as large or as small as you need which is why they’re perfect for a dorm. I don’t have a roommate this year (a perk to being in residence life) which means I have four blank walls to cover. By the end of the year, this gallery wall will probably cover my entire room, but right now I just have it focused over my desk. Plus, I want something pretty to look at when I’m slaving over homework, so the desk is a perfect place!

STEP 1: COLLECT THINGS

The perfect galley wall, in my mind at least, is a collection of stuff from my life. It’s stuff that I’ve made, stuff that I’ve been give, stuff that means something to me. I want to be reminded of positive times, memories, and feelings when I look at my gallery wall.

Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.
School Letters | Clothespin Photo Display | Monogram Canvas Art

Some items to consider:

  • Flags (country, school, state)
  • Canvases
  • Hand lettering pieces
  • Postcards
  • Pictures
  • Motivational signs
Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.
Colorful Canvas

Like I said before, I love it to be a collection of items. I recently got a blogger license plate from an event here at school, and it fits perfectly! I also made sure to bring my beautiful sign from Scripted by Sinclaire which you can see peeking out at the top.

Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.

Calendars are another one of my favorites. My big, monthly calendar is from Target. I love how much big it is and how much room there is to write. Perfect for my hectic schedule this year! Smaller calendars are also a great decorative touch. The one above is from the Dollar Spot at Target and I got it back in January when all of their yearly calendars were coming out.

Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.

I love hand lettering and it’s something I do in my free time to de-stress. I made a ton of little hand-lettered pieces this summer and I brought some with me to college. Add a little Washi tape and they look like masterpieces up on the wall! If you’re not gifted with the pen, there are some awesome prints available online as well.

Want your dorm room to feel more homey? Create a gallery wall! See what I use to make my gallery wall, what items are perfect, and the end result.

And there’s my complete gallery wall. Well, completed for the moment because I’m always adding more stuff! If you have any questions about where anything is from, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Remember, a gallery wall is all about your personality so let it show! What are your favorite ways to decorate a dorm room? 

~abigail gray