College students already have a lot on their plate, but sometimes we still find ourselves bored. We could study... but we all know how much we love to procrastinate. Whenever I'm tired of school work I like to direct my energy into making something creative. There's just no way to describe finishing something with your own two hands. Art projects are a great way to feel productive, creative, and make some awesome decor for your house or apartment that will totally make your friends jealous of you and your ability to do something besides make Top Ramen in the microwave. So here are ten fun projects you can get into just for the heck of it!

1. Paint with acrylics.

Acrylics are a grade medium to work with if you don't paint often. Challenge yourself and try to paint a picture with one color --you can use black and white to make it lighter or darker. If you don't want to get too abstract you can just paint a picture of your dog!

(This enchanting piece was done by Kirsten Bailey.)

(Found on Etsy.)

2. Put together a photo album or scrapbook.

The year 2015 just ended. What are your favorite memories? Print the best pictures you took on your phone and put them in a photo album. Trust me, you'll love looking at them 10 years from now. If you didn't take many pictures last year, start now! Double cool points if you use Polaroids.

(See more here.)

3. Read a book then mod podge your favorite parts of the book on a canvas.

Think of a book you haven't read that you've wanted to or go ahead and use a favorite book. Take out the pages of your favorite parts, or any of them really, and mod podge them onto a canvas! You can create some other picture on top of that too if you want to get real artsy. You can also make block letters, table tops like the awesome one below, or decorative pots. The possibilities are endless!

(Tutorial can be found on this blog.)

4. Complete a coloring book.

Coloring isn't just for children. There are some really intense coloring books if you know where to look. There's coloring books with pictures, intricate designs, and even human anatomy. Human anatomy coloring books are usually very long, but you learn a lot and there might be coloring books centered on other interests. You can always hang them in you room after you're done.

5. Dip dye/Paint a mug or bowl.

There are tutorials on how to make really awesome mugs and bowls all over the internet and dishware is something you use everyday, so why not make them look amazing and expensive?

6. Melt crayons on a canvas.

Tutorials for this project are also over the internet because it's genius and simple. You can just melt them and make a rainbow or you can put your own spin on it. Try to make a picture with these globs of hot wax or blend all the colors to make an abstract painting.

7. Create a giant stuffed animal. (seriously, GIANT).

With yards of fabric from Jo-Ann's and a LOT of cotton, you can make the stuffed animal you dreamed about having as a kid. Or just make an 8 foot long giant squid because you can. Using a needle and thread is not as bad as it sounds and this will help you get the hang of using one which could come in handy later!

(Here's instructions on how to make this 8 foot giant squid your cuddle buddy for the winter )

8. Master a new hobby by buying a self-help or how-to book.

If you are feeling ambitious and want to try and learn a new hobby altogether it's a good idea to start with the basics, which are normally found in a how-to book or a video on YouTube. If you get through a whole how-to book then you can safely say you know a thing or two about (insert desired hobby here: gardening, rock climbing, becoming a ninja, whatever it is).

9. Invent a board game.

Make a fantastic, super fun, amazing board game. You can make something as intense as The Cones of Dunshire or make a simple game that you and your friends can play drunk. The level of intensity is up to you.

10. Compose a song on the instrument that you play or learn an instrument.

Making your own music can be challenging. In terms of creating art, it's not the same as painting a picture or drawing, it takes another kind of mind to create good music. But don't let the fact that you're not a recording artist stop you from making music for you. I know it's cheesy to say "listen to your heart" or "you just have to feel it" but in my experience, it's the only way to make music at all. Play a bunch of nonsense until it starts to become something real. Work on it until it becomes your song.

Good luck at being awesome college students!