How to Install Shelves in Dorm Rooms Without Drilling

Supplies

• A trip to the local hardware store will give you the necessary materials. You'll need two to three white, plastic-coated wire-frame shelves slightly smaller than the width of your dresser, four shower tension rods, U-brackets sized to fit around the shower rods -- four for each shelf -- and heavy-duty Velcro patches. The wire-frame units also come in baskets instead of shelves, so you can mix and match what works best for you.

Vertical Rods

• Apply a 1-inch piece of Velcro to the top and bottom of each rod, and set the rods on the top of your dresser, bookcase or other solid object in the room, pointing upward and creating a rectangle frame for the shelves. The Velcro on the bottom of the rod should be set into Velcro attached to the top of the dresser or bookcase. Extend the rods until they almost touch the ceiling, then put the other half of the Velcro patches on the ceiling.

Installing Shelves

• Continue extending the rods until you have a firm bond between the bottom object the rods are resting on and the ceiling. Adjust the first shelf height to where you want it. Unscrew the U-bolts and wrap them around each end of the shelf next to a shower rod. Tighten the screws back onto the bolt until the shelf is firmly connected. Do not over-tighten, as this may bend the rod. Install the second and subsequent shelves the same way.

Modifying

• If you desire to have a solid surface for the shelves instead of a wire frame, then cut out cardboard to fit the area and cover it with contact or shelving paper. Between the tension and the Velcro, the shelves should stay put until you want to remove them. Lighter objects are safer to put on the shelves instead of multiple books. Even a shelf drilled into a stud can have difficulty with the weight of many textbooks.