Here's How to Add a Stylish Headboard to Any Boring Dorm Room Bed

Here's the thing about dorm rooms: School-issued furniture and style don't really go hand-in-hand. In the most basic scenarios you get a bed, some drawers, and a desk and chair. So, when you head off to school to settle in for your first semester, you're tasked with making your tiny new space work for you and making it feel like home, and that means decorating it to feel like a normal bedroom as much as you possibly can. Having a headboard—especially on a bed that is, most likely, a very simple and not-so-comfy wooden frame—is just one way to upgrade your space, but it can be a challenge to make it work since most headboards either mount to the wall (impossible with those cinderblock rooms!) or to the bed frame (you're not exactly allowed to drill into your provided dorm bed.)

These headboard ideas are totally dorm-friendly, because they either mount to the wall with adhesive strips and hooks, rest on the bed, are designed to wedge in between the bed frame and the wall, or are made specifically to mount to dorm bed frames without any hardware required. There are even a few options that aren't headboards or headboard cushions at all, but clever wall decor that gives you the illusion of having a headboard. In any case, there are plenty of styles, colors, and options to choose from.