How to Hang a College Flag in a Dorm Room

The first rule about hanging college flags in a dorm room is that there isn't one universal rule that applies to schools. In other words, one school might allow certain types of adhesives on dorm walls, while another across town does not. In many cases, it's OK to hang these flags as long as there's no permanent wall damage.

Before scrounging up some supplies to hang your college flag, read through the dorm rules. You're not the first student eager to hang things to personalize the dorm, so there's a good chance the rules about dorm walls are well documented. In particular, find out what's not allowed. For instance, if the rule says no holes in the walls, as is the case at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, forget about any options that would make holes, even tiny ones. If the rules state what's not allowed, they often suggest what is allowed. Even if the walls are made of brick or cement, whatever the school's guidelines suggest should adhere to it.

Ask your resident adviser or resident assistant what's allowed or not allowed as far as displaying decor. It's their job to know the rules and help students navigate them. Perhaps they even know of some creative allowable options that students came up with in semesters past. There's a good chance they know which areas are off-limits as well; for instance, some schools may not allow flags and other decor on doors.

Keep some painter's tape handy and ask a friend to position the flag in the spot you've selected after first ensuring you're allowed to hang decor there. Stand back and view it from afar, asking your friend to move one end or the other until the flag looks straight. If it's a pennant-style flag with only one straight end and you want that end vertical, line it up visually with something else nearby, such as a window frame.

If perfection is the goal and you don't have a level, use a tape measure to ensure the flag is level or straight along whichever edge needs to be straight. For instance, if a triangular pennant's straight left side is exactly 8 inches from the door frame as measured from the top left side of the pennant, the bottom left side of the pennant should also be 8 inches away. Tear off small pieces of painter's tape and use them to mark the perfect alignment for your flag since marking on the wall with a pencil is probably off-limits. Wipe down that area of the wall with a rag to make sure there's no dust, as poster putty or removable mounts might not adhere to a dusty wall.

Following the school's rules, use poster putty, poster mounts, or removable mounting squares to hang the flag. Flip the flag face down on a desk. If using poster putty, put a pea-size bit of putty in each corner and a little extra along the center of the top edge if it seems the flag needs it. Carry the flag and line it up with the tape pieces on the wall and then press the flag in place. Remove the painter's tape.

If using peel-and-stick mounting squares or poster mounts, remove the backing paper from one small bit of the mounting material at a time, sticking it onto the back of the flag along the back near the corners. As a friend holds the flag in position on the wall, lift one corner at a time to peel away the mounting material's backing paper, smoothing the adhesive substance onto the wall. Repeat for each additional piece of mounting material and then remove the painter's tape from the wall.