Sometimes the best way to break the ice with your new roommate is by doing craft projects together that you can use to decorate your dorm! Below you’ll find 3 craft ideas and tips for on-campus DIYs. Whether you consider yourself crafty or artistically challenged, anyone can make these low-budget crafts – so grab your roommate (and friends) and get started!
Tie-Dye
Perfect for a sunny afternoon If you never tried it before, or if you’ve only ever dunked a t-shirt in trash cans full of dye at camp or with a sports team, you might be intimidated by the idea. Luckily, tie-dying is actually really easy and if you’re trying to save money, there are options besides buying $20 kits. You’ll be able to purchase everything that’s included in craft store kits in one stop at most grocery stores for $20 or less with enough supplies for way more projects than a kit would allow for. You can also tie-dye a flat sheet for a DIY Tapestry!
Tips for Tie-Dying on Campus:
1. In most grocery stores, you should be able to find single color dyes in the laundry aisle. You can buy packets of powder dye or bottles of liquid dye for about $2.50 each.
2. Instead of using buckets to dilute the dye, you can buy squeeze bottles or even try using any plastic bottles or bowls you have lying around.
3. Make sure the fabric of the shirt, pillow case, sock, etc. you are dying are cotton. Polyester and microfiber will not absorb dye so try to find fabrics that have a high percentage of cotton or are 100% cotton.
4. Use disposable gloves or else you WILL end up with stained hands for a few days.
5. Make sure you dye outside on a grassy area, not on pavement.
6. If you’re worried about staining the sinks in your dorm’s bathroom, check to see if your laundry facilities have a utility sink.
Paint Wine Glasses
(Photo by etsy user ASouthernSoiree)
Whether you and your roommate are both 21+ or you just want to feel fancy while you drink apple juice, painting wine glasses is super easy! Cheap wine glasses aren’t hard to find, my roommate and I bought some from Walmart for under $1 each.
Tips For Painting Wine Glasses:
1. Keep in mind that if you are living on a dry campus or in an alcohol-free zone, you might not be allowed to have any sort of alcohol related items in your dorm, including empty wine bottles and your beautiful hand painted wine glasses. You might want to check with your RA first just to be sure!
2. Use non-toxic paint pens to dot designs (Pinterest has some great ideas!)
3. Leave at least an inch around the rim paint-free so that way you don’t accidentally ingest paint while your drinking from the glass.
3. Decorate letters for your door
(Photo from purejoyhome.com)
Stuck inside on a Saturday after your plans got rained on? Head to a craft store and grab wood or cardboard letters for you and your roommate’s first initials!
Tips on Painting Leetter:
1. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time painting, you can grab scrapbooking paper instead and use a foam sponge brush to glue it on. Make sure the glue you are using will dry clear.
2. Use glitter glue if you like a little extra sparkle
3. Whether you opted for decorative paper or paint, brushing a layer of glue on top will add a protective seal and depending on the glue you choose, it will give your letters a matte or shiny finish.
4. If you’re feeling extra, decorate a “&” to place beneath your names
5. Get creative with ribbon, buttons, photos, washi tape, fake flowers, etc.
6. Use heavy duty command strips to safely attach the letters to the outside of your door!
I hope these ideas have inspired you to get crafting with your roomie!