This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.
You’ve gone to the beach and binge-watched an entire Netflix series in one day. You’ve seen just as many firework displays as possible and now you’re looking for something new to do. The heat has become horrendous and now you may be stuck in a rut indoors, trying to avoid the hot weather. Well, channel your inner artist and turn out some cool new crafts. You can keep them for yourself, give them away as birthday presents or even start working on sorority gifts. Check out these ideas and hit up Pinterest for more inspiration.
Update an Old Mirror
We all have one of those cheap, plain, and ugly mirrors that hung in our dorm or apartment all last year. Why not give it new life and make it something that you look forward to staring at every morning when you do your hair and makeup?
After seeing two different Pinterest posts, I decided to combine the ideas. One was about decorating a mirror and the other was about using fake flowers to decorate a hanging letter. I purchased the fake flowers on sale at Michaels and added a twist by putting the word “Love,” on cardboard with cute paper on the mirror. Make it your own by choosing flowers or any other material that speaks to you. One idea that looked especially cool was buying a bunch of old matchbox cars, dying them all one color and then hot glue gunning them on. The possibilities are endless!
Get Crafty with a Collage
I’ve known my best friend for almost 15 years, so for her birthday I made a collage. Instead of pasting photos on just a normal piece of paper, I placed them on a cute box she can use to store jewelry or other treasures. This is a great idea for a friend because it strays from the usual gifts our friends are used to receiving and is personal.
I also bought myself a plain black 9” x 11” calendar this year to stay organized. So instead of just keeping it a boring black, I’m going to collage photos of all the places I want to travel to stay motivated. Collages are a simple way to show a friendship or more. There are so many different options so mix it up! Use magazines, photos or other materials.
Paint It Out
One of the simplest things to do where you can allow your creativity to shine is with paint. Gather up your old shades from grade school and high school projects, or go buy new ones to suit your ideas. You can do something as simple as painting a cheap picture frame to abstract finger painting if you want to go back to your childhood years.
Another idea involves going outside or finding a location in your house where it is okay to try the painting project every girl has wanted to do since watching The Princess Diaries. Find a white canvas, stick paint filled balloons in the places you want and go to town with darts to have a really fun experience while creating a unique piece.
Have more creative ideas? Comment below with your favorite do-it-yourself projects.