10 ROOMMATE PRANKS THAT ARE FUNNY AND HARMLESS


*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Living with roommates can be stressful. You may have to deal with a lack of privacy, personality conflicts, and coordinating chores. On the other hand, it may help you meet new friends. Sometimes, some roommate pranks can be just what you need to make living with other people a little more fun!

What Are Roommate Pranks?

A prank is a practical joke or some other mischievous trick. When you use one of these on someone you live with, you have a roommate prank!

Why Should People Prank Their Roommates?

A well-executed prank is always good for a laugh. Ideally, a prank should be harmless, without causing lasting harm to your roommate or their belongings or reducing someone to tears. Remember, it’s only a joke if everyone is laughing! Pranks can help you bond with your roommates and make living together a little more entertaining.

10 Awesome Roommate Pranks

1. Replace Oreo Cookie Filling With Toothpaste

​You may have noticed that the cream filling in Oreos looks remarkably similar to white toothpaste. A classic prank is to open up an Oreo cookie, scrape out the frosting with a butter knife, and replace it with toothpaste. If done correctly, the doctored Oreo cookie will look just like its companions, but give a nasty surprise when someone bites into it!

To maximize the effectiveness of this roommate prank, only doctor a handful of Oreos in the package so that your roommates will happily be eating ordinary Oreos before they get an unexpected mouthful of minty paste. Leave the package opened somewhere where it will be irresistible to them and take out a few of the ordinary Oreos to make it look like others have already been eating them. Then wait for the yelling and cursing.

2. Put a Fake Insect Or Spider In A Lamp

Do you have a roommate who is afraid of creepy-crawlies? Then the fake bug trick is one of the roommate pranks that is sure to leave them screaming! For this prank, all you need is a realistic-looking plastic insect or spider. October is a great time to purchase these, as the stores will be full of Halloween merchandise.

Leave your scary critter inside the glass of a lamp, far enough away from the light bulb so that the heat won’t melt it. This will create a realistic shadow that will make your fake bug appear larger than it is. This works both in ceiling lights and in free-standing lamps. Choose one in a common area, such as the living room or kitchen so that you can watch the fun.

3. Put Salt On Their Toothbrush

If you share a bathroom with someone, this is one of the simplest roommate pranks to try. Sprinkle a little salt on the bristles of their toothbrush and then put it back in its usual place. Make sure to not leave telltale grains of salt in the sink or on the counter to avoid giving the prank away.

Then, all you have to do is to wait until the next time they brush their teeth. If you’re familiar with their usual schedule, you’ll know when to lurk nearby. Try not to laugh too hard when you hear their exclamations of disgust!

4. Wrap Their Bed In Plastic Wrap

Simple plastic wrap can give you endless options for pulling roommate pranks. This one may be a little time-consuming and is easiest if you have another jokester roommate to assist you. The payoff is well worth it, however!

All you have to do is wrap your roommate’s bed in plastic wrap—layers and layers of it. You want it thick enough that they will literally have to cut it off to use their bed to sleep. But, this doesn’t only work on beds, so feel free to be creative! Wrap up their cereal box, their dresser, or, if you’re feeling especially evil, their car.

5. Hide An Air Horn

Air horns are fun tools, giving you tons of options for roommate pranks. They are best placed where your unsuspecting victim will unintentionally set them off. A great way to do this is to duct tape one to a wall directly in line with a doorknob so that someone will set it off when they open the door. This can be the front door, the bathroom door, or their bedroom door.

Sit back and wait for them to jump when they are startled by the loud noise. If you live in an apartment, you may want to use this one sparingly, unless annoying your neighbors is part of the intent. This is also best performed during the day—waking up your entire household in the middle of the night might cause anger and resentment rather than amusement.

6. The Fake Caramel Apple Prank

This is a good prank for the fall, as caramel apples are a seasonal favorite. Be a nice roommate and make a big batch of delicious-looking caramel-dipped apples to share. Except, instead of using apples, use onions. They will look identical to apples when covered with a thick coating of caramel.

Offer the “apples” to your roommates and watch their faces when they take their first bite. If you’re feeling extra diabolical, you can have a mixed batch, some with apples, and some with onions. They won’t be able to tell which are which without tasting them!

7. The Door Ambush

The door ambush is a classic booby trap, we’ve all seen it in movies and TV shows. But, common pranks can sometimes be the one people least expect! This is one of the easiest roommate pranks; all you have to do is balance a disposable cup or plastic laundry basket on top of a partially open door so that it tips over onto the next person who opens it. Then just sit somewhere nearby and wait for your unsuspecting victim!

To keep this a harmless prank, don’t use anything that will hurt your roommate or damage their stuff. You don’t want to use a real glass that can fall on someone’s head or fill it with oil or another substance that can stain their clothes or your carpet. Stick to filling the container with something innocuous, like water or confetti.

8. Make Fake Orange Juice Or Kool-Aid

As you may have noticed, some of the best roommate pranks involve tricking someone into putting something nasty in their mouth. This is a great prank if you and your roommates regularly make up batches of concentrated orange juice or Kool-Aid for the household to share.

Use whatever pitcher that is normally used to mix up beverages. Fill it with water to the usual level, but instead of adding orange juice concentrate or orange Kool-Aid, use the powdered cheese packet from a box of Macaroni and Cheese and mix thoroughly. Visually, they won’t be able to tell the difference. Try not to laugh too hard as they run to the sink to spit it out!

9. Cover Their Room With Pictures Of A Celebrity They Hate

Does your roommate have a celebrity that they absolutely loathe? Then this is one of those roommate pranks that are sure to cause maximum annoyance. Print out a bunch of copies of a photo of their hated celebrity and cover the walls of their room with it while they’re out. You can even make a shrine on one of their bedroom surfaces with a framed photo and some candles.

When doing this prank, be sure not to attach the photos to the wall with anything that could leave holes or damage them. You don’t want you or your roommate stuck having to pay for repairs when everyone moves out. Stick with easy-to-remove Scotch tape rather than thumbtacks. They will be annoyed enough with someone they despise staring at them from every corner of their room!

10. Put Toothpaste On Their Toilet Seat

Toothpaste is a common ingredient in many roommate pranks because toothpaste is something everyone has lying around. For this classic prank, you’ll need some of the white paste kind of toothpaste, rather than the blue or green gel type. Spread a thin layer of toothpaste on the toilet seat. It should be pretty much invisible, especially if the victim is half-awake when they go to sit down.

This is a super easy prank, but one best used if you don’t share a bathroom with the victim in question. If it’s a toilet you use yourself and you forget what you did, you may end up pranking yourself. You want your roommate to be the one with their bottom covered with toothpaste, not you!

Conclusion

Roommate pranks are great ways to make living with your friends endlessly entertaining. And, a good laugh together is a great way to turn strangers into friends!

But jokesters beware: before attempting any of these pranks, make sure the people you are living with have a good sense of humor. You want your victim to be telling the funny story for years to come, not evicting you because you annoyed them too much!

Recent Posts