One of my freshman daughter’s absolute favorite dorm items was the custom privacy panel I made for her under her lofted bed. It quickly became her own cozy little space where she could study, relax, and have a bit of privacy in a shared dorm room with two other girls. It was one of those simple additions that made a huge difference in helping her feel comfortable and at home throughout her first year. Here’s a tiktok video link of how it looks like.
Creating a custom privacy panel is an easy weekend project that can make a shared dorm room feel much more comfortable. Before you begin, refer to the “Under the Bunk-Space Curtain” section of the shopping list on this essential list page to gather everything you’ll need.
Benefits of a Dorm Privacy Panel
- Creates a private dressing room when the shared bathroom is occupied.
- Provides a quiet, low-light study space for late-night studying without disturbing roommates.
- Offers a cozy retreat to read, journal, stretch, or decompress after a busy day.
- Reduces distractions, making it easier to focus on homework, video calls, or online classes.
- Gives students a greater sense of personal space in a shared room.
- Makes the under-loft desk area feel more comfortable and inviting.
- Out of sight, out of mind—hide your desk/area mess until you’re ready to clean up.
Shopping List
- Curtain track (Amazon link)– Very simple installation and it works pretty solid.
- Curtain hooks (Amazon link) – Attach the bed skirt to the curtain track so it slides easily.
- Double-sided removable mounting tape (Amazon link) – Securely attaches the curtain track to the underside of the bed frame without damaging the furniture. I had a thicker tape which I had to cut in half lenth-wise to put on the metal bunkbed frame.
- Bed skirt (Amazon link)– 60″ bed skirt was a right fit and found a light weight and pretty wrinkle free item in Amazon. I had to cut it for just one side coverage but we could have used two sides to cover two sections if we wanted. This bed skirt serves as the privacy curtain, creating a cozy and functional enclosed space beneath the lofted bed.
Choosing the Right Bed Skirt Length
Not all lofted dorm beds are the same height, so measure the distance from the underside of the bed frame to the floor before purchasing a bed skirt. Choose a length that hangs just above the floor to provide maximum privacy while allowing the curtain to slide freely without collecting dusts or being stepped on and eventually rip. If the available bed skirt is too long, simply hem it with iron-on hem tape or trim it to fit. If it’s too short, consider a longer size or adding a decorative border along the bottom. School Housing website usually have the dimensions of the bunk bed set up, or you can measure it during the dorm walk-thru if the school offers.
Assembly Steps
- Measure the length and width of the lofted bed opening and prepare curtain rails. The rail comes in a kit which has everything you need to craft for the use of a single year at least. The kit was very compact so I questioned whether it will hold the weight but trust me this is a solid piece when you put together as long as you have a good extra double sided tape.
- I precut the long side of the twin size bed extra-long length (60″) bed skirt with the curtain hooks already in place so hooking them on the rail was easy. And any strings to tie them to the bunk bed column when it’s not used.