Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Cal Poly | Life

Five Crafting Ideas To Keep You Sane During Finals Week

Updated Published
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Allison Weil Student Contributor, Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Poly chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Finals week is the busiest week for stress, late nights, and caffeine-fueled study sessions. The first thing to do when you’re stressed is take some alone time and take a breather, but you might as well keep yourself entertained while doing so. Here are five simple and enjoyable crafting ideas to keep you sane during finals week.

Mini Vision Boards

It’s difficult to stay motivated towards the end of quarter/semester, so create a vision board to keep you going! Cut little scraps of pictures and words from old magazines to create a small collage. Sometimes a little visual pick-me-up to look at is all you need to get you going throughout the day. It’s crucial to be yourself every day and know your worth, so create this vision board to keep you inspired throughout the week!

Scrapbooking

You will definitely want to look back on old memories and you can do this by scrapbooking with old photos and old mementos from trips, hikes, even napkins from a restaurant date. Your local convenience store or Dollar Tree has a large variety of stickers and different crafting essentials such as tape, letters, string, and most of what your local craft store would have to offer. Some may think scrapbooking is expensive, but it can most definitely be done on a budget. Use those same magazines from the vision boards for cutouts and print some pictures for cheap at your local same-day printing service.

Home-made Bookmark

When you’re drowning in textbooks, you might as well make a custom bookmark to make the experience a little more enjoyable. I know you must dread the crease line on your page due to folding the corner, so grab some cardstock and cut it out to your desired size. Then, bedazzle it, paint it, color it, put stickers on it–whatever your heart desires. Not only can you use this for all your textbooks, but you can make multiple to use for your personal books.

Personalized Cards

Personally, I know I never have cards to give anyone on a special occasion and never have time to go out and get one. That’s why I made over ten cards to keep on-hand to give to my loved ones on significant occasions. You can make them for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or just a thank you card. They don’t have to be super extravagant; you could just use some folded up cardstock with a watercolor painting.

Home-Made Scented Candles

To keep you calm during your study sessions and relax during your crafts, you can soothe your senses with homemade scented candles. Using wax or soy wax (whatever you prefer), essential oils, and a wick, you can create candles with calming scents like lavender or vanilla. The process of candle making itself is incredibly relaxing, and the end result provides a comforting atmosphere for your study space.

Engaging in these crafting activities can help you stay balanced and reduce the overwhelming stress that comes with finals week. So, set aside a little time, get creative, and give your brain the break it deserves!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Allison Weil

Cal Poly '26

Allison Weil is a third-year journalism major with a concentration in public relations and a minor in media, art, science, and technology. She writes for Mustang News as a Special Sections reporter and enjoys exploring new hikes in San Luis Obispo, as well as going out to eat with her friends.