Do-it-yourself crafts are a great way to add a personal touch to any room on a budget. Here is a list of simple crafts that can spice up your dorm room when you can’t paint the walls or decorate anything permanently.
1. Painted cork boards.
Small square cork boards like the ones shown below can be found at most any craft store including Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabric, Hobby Lobby, and AC Moore along with bottles of acrylic paint in your favorite color. In order to achieve your desired pattern, place masking tape where you do not want any color and paint where there is no tape.
Materials:
- Cork boards (whatever size you want)
- Acrylic paint
- Masking tape
- Paint brush
- Small Command poster strips to hang them on the wall
Approximate Time: 15 minutes per board
2. DIY Keep Calm poster.
A popular trend recently is Keep Calm posters or T-shirts. Why not make your very own custom poster that can say whatever you want and not have to wait for it to be shipped to you? There are several options to add your own creativity to this poster all you need is poster board, Sharpies, and an idea. You can either draw the symbol at the top or create something else to stick on it.
Materials:
- Poster board
- Keep Calm phrase
- Markers
- Ruler (if you want your letters to be straight)
- Stencils (optional)
- Reusable adhesive, Sticky tack or Command poster strips
Approximate Time: 1 hour
3. Pictures in heart shape with lights.
I love this added touch to my dorm room so much that I have done it two years in a row and it is super simple. Just choose your favorite pictures, arrange them in a heart shape and wrap the lights of your choosing around them in a heart shape. It looks cool with the lights off but even cooler in the dark with the lights on. It is easy to get photos printed through Walgreen's and you can find lights at Target or Walmart.
Materials:
- Printed pictures
- Christmas lights (white, black, colored lights, white lights, etc.)
- Mini light hooks from Demand
Approximate Time: 30 minutes
4. Hanging painted letter.
There are several places you can hang this cute direction that adds to your dorm room. You can either hang it on your door or above your bed to mark your territory. Crafts stores have several different fonts of wood letters to fit your style and you can choose the pattern to paint on it. I chose a tribal pattern because that is what I like but other options could be just your favorite color, a flower pattern, a gradient pattern, chevron, or whatever your little, creative heart desires. Once the letter is painted use your favorite ribbon and a hook to hang it on the wall.
Materials:
- Wood letter
- Paint
- Paint brush
- Ribbon
- Command hook
Approximate Time: 45 minutes depending on intricacy of painting
5. String art.
String art has become a popular craft being passed around on Pinterest. It may seem a little complicated at first but it is pretty simple once you know how to do it and the results are amazing. I personally used foam boards and pins but it can also be done with wood and nails if you want something more heavy duty. Start by drawing your design on the canvas then place the pins about a half inch from each other. Take string you would use to make friendships bracelets, tie it to one of the pins and wrap the string around the other pins several times until you receive your desired look. One warning that I have is that if you use the foam board and pins, the pins will stick out the back unless you cut them. You can also add to the string art if you draw in the white space.
Materials:
- Foam board
- Pins
- String
- Pattern
Approximate Time: 1 hour, add more if you draw in the white space
Have fun crafting!
