A big part of moving into a dorm room is in one simple question, how are you going to decorate it? Whether you want to put posters up of your favorite music artists, movies, or celebrities, or you want to hang up inspiration artwork and paintings, decorating your dorm room is an essential part of going to college. While your main focus will be on your studies, meeting new people, and even getting involved on campus, creating an environment that you are able to work in and creating a safe space is a big part of moving into a dorm room.

Lots of colleges don’t want you to put holes in the walls, so it can be difficult to try and find an alternative way to hang up your beautiful tapestry. If you’re struggling, we are here to help you with an easy step-by-step guide on how to properly hang up a tapestry in your dorm room without damaging the walls so that at the end of the year you can pack up your dorm room and your security deposit before heading home.

Hanging a tapestry in your dorm room involves a couple of simple steps:

• Step 0: Picking out the perfect tapestry for your dorm room
• Step 1: Choosing the right place to put a tapestry in your dorm room
• Step 2: Stocking up on tapestry-hanging supplies like adhesive strips
• Step 3: Setting your adhesive strips and putting your tapestry in place
• Step 4: Sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying your decked out dorm room!

We’ve got lots to cover, so let’s jump right in!

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One easy way to decorate your dorm room walls is by hanging up a tapestry. There are so many different designs to choose from when it comes to tapestries that it can be very difficult to pick the perfect one, but once you get it, the next question is how do you hang it up? Lots of colleges don’t want you to put holes in the walls, so it can be difficult to try and find an alternative way to hang up your beautiful tapestry. If you’re struggling, we are here to help you with an easy step-by-step guide on how to properly hang up a tapestry in your dorm room.

Step Zero: Choosing the Perfect Tapestry for Your Dorm Room

Before you can get started hanging a tapestry in your dorm room, you have to sift through all of the options out there to find the perfect tapestry for your style and budget.

If you haven’t already picked out the tapestry you want to hang in your dorm room, this is the time to start looking! Since they’re printed on fabric, tapestries are pretty versatile and can be folded, tucked, or draped to fit in most spaces, so you don’t really have to worry about finding a tapestry that is the exact dimensions of the space you’re hanging it unless you have a very particular look in mind for your space.

Tapestries come in every color under the sun, which means you should have no trouble finding one that fits your dorm decor. You can go bold with the colors and design to draw lots of attention to the tapestry as an accent piece, or you can choose a more neutral color that will break up your blank white walls without taking too much attention from the rest of your room design.

You’ll also want to put some thought into your tapestry’s design. Most tapestries on the market feature a mandala, which is a geometric design that radiates out from the center of the piece. In Hindu and Buddhist culture, mandalas are spiritual symbols that have been used for centuries to represent different aspects of the universe. Mandalas aren’t just beautiful -- you can also use them as a tool for certain types of meditation as well.

Other tapestries feature prints of photographs -- beach scenes and cityscapes are both popular. You can even find tapestries with affirmations on them so that you can start every day with a positive message of encouragement.

Not sure what type of tapestry you like best? These are a few of our top sellers -- check them out for some inspiration!

Zahra Wall Tapestry

Price: $30.99 | Size: 92.52 x 84.64”

At the top of our list is the Zahra Wall Tapestry. Featuring a beautiful mandala design in cool blue tones, this tapestry is the perfect way to cover up a lot of dorm wall to create a relaxing space. 

Plus, the simplicity of the design means that it can be adapted to fit any dorm room aesthetic -- you can use it as a bohemian accent piece in an indie-inspired dorm room or a nice wash of blue in a modern, monotone blue dorm room. The possibilities are endless, and the choice is up to you!

The Optimist Let Equality Bloom Typography Tapestr

Price: $19.00+ | Size: Available in multiple sizes

While many tapestries feature a mandala design, you can also find prints that feature affirmations or other text. This tapestry encourages you (and everyone who walks into your dorm room) to let equality bloom, a timely reminder in the unprecedented times we’re currently experiencing.

Bree Madden Surfer’s Point Wall Hanging

Price: $39.00+ | Size: Available in multiple sizes

Looking for something a little different? This hanging tapestry delivers. Made from cotton yarn attached to a wooden dowel that runs along the top end of the print, this tapestry is a portal to the waves on a faraway beach. And when you’re stressing out over homework and projects and extracurriculars and exams, isn’t picturing yourself on a beautiful beach with the water crashing onto the shore a nice way to relax before you jump back into your work?

Note: You’ll follow a similar process to the one below to hang this type of tapestry, but you’ll probably just need a single adhesive hook rather than 2-4 adhesive strips.

Dash and Ash Cassiopeia Wall Hanging

Price: $39.95+ | Size: Available in multiple sizes

This one is for the minimalists, the bohemians, and the art deco-lovers. The simple geometric design on this black and white wall hanging can be adapted to fit a variety of dorm decor styles. It would look right at home as the only art piece in a clean, minimalist room or tucked between many other pieces of wall art in a more bohemian room. You could even pair it with gold accents for an art deco-inspired dorm room that feels positively Gatsby-esque.
Note: You’ll follow a similar process to the one below to hang this type of tapestry, but you’ll probably just need a single adhesive hook rather than 2-4 adhesive strips.

Step One: Pick Where in Your Room You Want to Hang Up Your Tapestry

Whether you want it right above your bed, TV, or as soon as you walk in the door, picking the perfect place to hang your tapestry can be quite intimidating.

This may be one of the most difficult parts of hanging a tapestry. Picking a spot for it to go can be intimidating. No matter how big or small your dorm room is, trying to find the perfect spot is what will really be the most stressful part of this whole process. You have to remember that this is your space and you should buy a tapestry based on your room’s aesthetic along with your tapestry’s aesthetic. Tapestries can be hung almost anywhere, so here are some typical spots in your dorm room where you can hang it!

If you’re still stuck on where to hang your tapestry, here are some perfect places to hang it where you can maybe gather some inspiration throughout the semester with its simple and pretty touch. Above your TV stand, above your bed, or even just on a bare spot on the wall are all great places to hang your tapestry. Let’s say that you’re running out of room to hang your tapestry. Another great spot would be to hang it over the window! Not only does it prevent your room from getting really bright from the sun, but it also makes your tapestry look really cool when the sun hits it. Just make sure to take into consideration the layout of your room, how you wish to decorate and place your furniture, and also take in the size of your tapestry as well when placing it in your room!

Step Two: Purchase Some Adhesive Strips to Easily Hang Your Tapestry Up

Not only do they prevent any damage to your walls, but they make it much easier to hang up your tapestry!

So, you’re looking for an easy way to hang up your tapestry, but don’t know how to do so because you don’t want to damage the walls of your dorm. Well, we have an easy solution to be able to help you with this issue! We recommend purchasing some Command strips, or other adhesive strips to easily fix this problem that you’re having. While there are other brands of adhesive strips, Command strips are the most well known, but they all work, so if you want to buy cheaper ones, there is no problem with that at all!

Command strips, or other brands of adhesive strips are a quick and easy way to hang up your tapestry with no tools required! We recommend purchasing the Command hanging strips to make it easier to hold your tapestry because of its sticky adhesive back where you put one on one side of the tapestry and another on the wall where you would like to place it. When placing your tapestry on the wall, the velcro on the Command strip will stick together ensuring that your tapestry doesn’t fall down, or move once you put it up on your wall.

Also, these adhesive strips are perfect for hanging up a tapestry because they won’t do any damage to your tapestry, or the wall. This is better than puncturing holes through the wall, which many universities disapprove of, and having to repair the wall and fill in the holes once the school year is over. 

Step Three: Follow the Instructions and Place 2-4 Adhesive Strips on the Wall Where You Want to Hang Up Your Tapestry

Make sure to strategically place them in the correct spots to make sure that your tapestry isn’t crooked!

Trying to figure out how to place the adhesive strips can be tricky, but we are here to help you! One of the big things to do is to wipe the wall with rubbing alcohol first to get rid of any gunk that may be hiding on the walls that could prevent the adhesive strips from sticking. Next, you want to take two adhesive strips and separate them, and click together two of the strips, so that you are easily able to take off the liners so the sticky side is visible.

Once you take off these liners, place them on the wall where you want to hang your tapestry. We recommend that you put these adhesive strips on all four corners of the tapestry, but if you want, the top two corners would be perfect when hanging it up. Once you get the adhesive strips on the wall, carefully put all the corners of the tapestry you want to hang on the adhesive strips and press the tapestry down on them to ensure that the tapestry properly sticks to them. Press the tapestry on the strips for a good thirty seconds to make sure that your tapestry won’t fall down over time. 

Also, keep in mind that you should have someone maybe help and stand behind you to make sure that the tapestry is straight before you completely stick it to the adhesive strips. You don’t want your brand new tapestry to be crooked on the wall when you’re hanging it up!

Step Four: Enjoy Your New Tapestry in Your Dorm Room

Now that you securely fastened your tapestry to your wall, take a moment to appreciate it and how it looks in your dorm room!

Now that you have hanged your tapestry in your room, take a moment to appreciate it. Tapestries are a simple and easy way to make your room go from dull, to making it unique tailored to all of your likes and interests. We hope that it fits and looks good with the rest of your dorm room decor, but we are positive that you did a great job on it!

Hanging up a tapestry is a lot easier than it originally seems and now that you are all done, you can take a moment to admire it and even continue working on the rest of your room. Decorating your dorm room is the first step into a successful college year, so don’t stress on how to hang up a tapestry. Now that it’s all done and over with, you can enjoy how your room is decorated with the new safe space that you created that is decorated to your own personalized likes and interests.

That wasn’t so hard right? Hanging up a tapestry is so easy and you were able to do it in just four simple, and easy steps. While it may seem challenging it can be difficult to pick the right tapestry for you, or because you aren’t allowed to put holes in the wall with thumbtacks, or nails, it can be challenging to figure out how to properly hang up your tapestry. We hope that we were able to help you with four easy steps on how to hang up your tapestry. Is there a simple, easier way that you prefer to hang up your tapestry that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!