I’m sure that I am not alone when I say that lockdown (all three of them!) has made me do some seriously uncharacteristic stuff. But possibly the most surprising thing to emerge from months of being locked up is my new-found love for all things DIY and home décor.
I cannot count how many times I have arranged and rearranged my bedroom, along with most other rooms in the house (much to my mother’s dismay). And despite my constant search to find my own personal aesthetic I think it’s safe to say that inclusivity, acceptance and spreading those positive vibes are the best aesthetics of all.
So, in honour of DCUSU’s Rainbow Week we will be taking you through our ten favourite ways to celebrate LGBTQ+ from the comfort of your own home.
Starting off simple, we have the ever-so-classic coloured fairy lights. As we know, strip lighting is all the rage so why not make it meaningful and use the colours of the LGBTQ+ flag.
Moving on up, and getting a little more creative, take some plain glass jars or drinking glasses (ask first, duh!), and fill them with a choice or a mix of…. Colourful beads, colourful paper, colourful GLITTER or even skittles (any excuse!).
Another idea if you have more time and excess food dye, is to tint glass jars in all the colours of the rainbow. It’s actually a super simple process and there’s loads of fabulous videos on Youtube for tips!
Incorporating another lockdown essential we have the ever so classic tie- dye! Go as crazy as you can…. cushions, curtains, bedsheets, pillow cases and whatever else you can get your hands on.
As a primary teacher (to-be), I am personally very excited about these next ideas.
I know we all remember the joyous days of ‘leaf rubbings’ in school. For those who have never had the pleasure, it is simply taking a leaf from outside, putting it under a page (with the veins turned upwards), and furiously rubbing a crayon over and over until the outline of the leaf becomes visible on the page. So why not take multiple colourful crayons and create a beautiful rainbow leaf for yourself? (Yes, I will be doing this with my future pupils!!).
Another idea is to take plain wooden pegs and paint them in the colours of the LGBTQ+ flag! Sidenote: use these pegs to hang up your pictures from pre-lockdown times on a string across your room for extra cuteness points.
Now if that sounds like too much creativity, never fear, I come prepared with some lazy ways to celebrate your pride or act as an ally.
Firstly, add some colourful cushions to your bed or couch to spice up your life a little.
For your bathroom, lay out a colourful towel display (subtle but effective), or use this fabulous pride towel to let your true colours shine through even when doing the most mundane of tasks!
In order to decorate yourself, why not try painting your nails in rainbow colour or mix it up and experiment with the LGBTQ+ flag on your eyelids.
Last but not least, why not support small local businesses and try some cute rainbow coloured handmade earrings!
So, there we have it folks! Just like all of the colours of the flag and everything it represents, there are a million and one ways to identify and a million and one ways to celebrate! Happy Rainbow Week!