Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.

First of all, welcome back to school all colligettes out there! Hope you all had a wonderful break and got to recharge your batteries. I came back to my apartment, and it was like walking into Santa’s workshop! I love Christmas, because it’s the time of year when decorations in the home are an absolute must! But even though the holidays are over, doesn’t mean I have to get rid of all the joy. Here are some tips on how to get use out of things you normally have around for Christmas even after the holidays have past, and also some other interior and home ideas:
 
WINE BOTTLE LIGHTS

What you need:

  • Several empty wine bottles and corks
  • Strand of 20-25 lights that run on battery.

How you do it:
First you need to wash the bottles clean, inside and out. Get rid of traces of glue on the outside with a penetrating oil spray. After drying the bottles off, stick the strand of lights into the bottle. If they don’t fit, or need to be plugged into an outlet, drill a hole 1-2 inches from the bottom of each bottle using a ½-in. drill bit designed for glass.
Then put the cork back into the bottle and you got yourself a fun piece of art!
 
 
GLASS LANTERN

What you need:

  • Glass jar
  • Steel wire
  • Cake paper doily
  • Colored spray paint
  • Double-sided and regular tape
  • Possibly a piece of a ribbon or lace

How you do it:
Remove all labels from the jar, hot water helps to make them peel off easy. Remove the glue the same way as with the wine bottles above. Place cake paper on the jar using double-sided tape and mask the parts you don’t want paint on with ordinary tape. Go outside and spraypaint the jar in whatever color you prefer. Wait till the paint is dry and then remove the tape and cake paper and wrap the wire around the jar opening. Bend another piece of wire into a loop and attach on either side of the jar. Finally, glue on a ribbon, cotton band, etc. Done!

COLLAGE

What you need:

  • A lot of polaroid pictures, at least 50 if you want a proper sized heart.
  • A wall
  • Double-sided tape or something else to make the pictures stick

How you do it:
Start by taking a pencil and drawing a heart on the wall in the size you prefer. Than simply fill the heart up with polaroid pictures. Tip: overlapping the pictures makes it look even cooler! You might also want to consider choosing to use black and white photos, depending on the style of the rest of the room.
 

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

What you need:

  • Order text online

How you do it:
Go to www.allposters.comand purchase a wall decal. These come in all sizes, fonts and a variety of different inspirational texts. They’re basically a big sticker which is super easy to place on the wall. Get one that gives you the inspiration you need to have a great day!

New Jersey native, Stephanie, is a junior in the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She is majoring in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Marketing and International Business & Economics. She loves the city and lived there last summer while interning for Ann Taylor. Stephanie loves sushi and Starbucks lattes. She is also a proud member of Alpha Phi and currently serves as the Treasurer on the Panhellenic Council.