As the summer weather cools down and everyone gears up for another semester, getting homesick is a common occurrence. Instead of begging your parents to come pick you up every few weekends (although that may be tempting!), try bringing a piece of home to campus with you. Here are six do it yourself dorm decorations that can help make your home away from home a little more you.
1) Elephant Wall HangingsTo create this absolutely adorable decoration, you’ll need colorful paper (Pinterest recommends scrapbook paper), tape, and ribbon.
Online, find a stencil of an animal of your choice – my favorite is an elephant – and trace the stencil onto colorful paper. Once you’ve cut the tracings out, evenly space out the elephants and attach them to the ribbon (hot glue works best). Using tape or, if your walls allow it, a push pin, attach the hangings to your wall. Super easy, and super cute!
2) Ribbon Box Power StationIn order to save space and prevent a tangling of wires, a ribbon box power station can easily separate which chargers belong to you, and which belong to your roommate. You’ll need a ribbon box (available at craft stores), a power strip and something to cut with.
Cut a hole in the side of the box – big enough for the cord of the power strip to fit through. Put your chargers in order, and cut out holes on the side of the box for the chords to slip through. Make sure to label each spot so you know which charger belongs to what device – easy, efficient, and it keeps you organized!
3) “Keep the Change” Laundry Room JarThose of you living off campus know the pains of having to save change in order to do laundry – but this craft is a great idea for those living on campus too. The Keep the Change laundry room jar is a smart and easy way to save up money to either put on your U-Card or to use at a Laundromat. Making this is a little difficult, but worth it. You’ll need a piece of wood, paint, stencil letters, a sawtooth hanger, nails, a mason jar, a pipe clamp that fits the mason jar, and a screwdriver.
Paint “Keep the Change” onto the piece of wood and let it dry. Next, flip the piece of wood over and attach your sawtooth hanger using nails. Put the pipe clamp around the mason jar – make sure to keep the part that allows you to loosen and tighten it on the side of the jar (This opening will allow you to remove the jar to empty it). Take the mason jar out and nail the pipe clamp onto the wood, centered. Tighten the clamp around the jar using your screwdriver. Attach it to the wall using nails, or anything sturdy enough to support it. Fill with change and enjoy!
4) Clothesline Picture HangerInstead of hanging up frames or taping your pictures up, the clothesline picture hanger is an easy, cute way to spice up your dorm – and it allows you to cherish memories from home even when you’re away. You’ll need a clothesline, clothespins, and of course, a ton of pictures.
Drape a clothesline or two across your wall and secure with a nail or a hook. Evenly space out your pictures and secure them on the clothesline using the clothespins. Intertwining the clotheslines with white lights adds some ambiance to your room as well.
5) Floral LetterA floral letter adds some color to your room and is incredibly easy to make. All you’ll need is a large, wooden letter of the first letter of your name, individual fake flowers, glue, a nail and some string.
Attach the flowers to the letter using a hot glue gun. The more colorful the flowers, the prettier the letter! Make sure the entire front side of the letter is covered. On the back of the letter, glue your piece of string to make a handle that you can hang from the nail. Attach the nail to the wall and hang up your letter – cute, chic, and easy!