I scoured Pinterest and compiled a list of the cutest dorm room crafts to commemorate your semester abroad. Happy crafting!
1. Make a Shadow Box – Shadow boxes are a great way to show off just about anything. Personally, I saved receipts, tags, and ticket stubs from things I bought and places I visited while studying in Europe. Everything from boarding passes, wristbands, stickers, maps, and photos can be displayed in a shadow box. Plus, it can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like! You can purchase a shadow box at your local craft store. Check out this fellow HC member’s how-to blog: http://gina-alyse.com/2014/10/diy-travel-souvenir-wall-art.html/
2. Pin a Map – This craft is great if you are looking to make a big piece of wall art. All you’ll need is a map of the country you studied in and push pins. Simply place a pin on each city you visited and “viola”! You’re done! Another option is to string yarn to each pin and have each strand return to the pin over your host city. If you travelled a lot outside of your host country, you can even create a map of the continent of where you visited the most countries!
3. Make a Postcard Clothes Line – One inexpensive and convenient souvenir to collect while abroad is postcards. There are many different ways to display your postcard collection (in a journal, album, or frame) but I found the most fun way to show them off is to string them from a homemade clothes line. Additionally, this craft won’t break the bank because it only requires wire and clothespins.
4. Wine Cork Bowl – After studying in Italy for 4 months with my two best friends, it is safe to say we drank a lot of wine. I kept the cork from every bottle we shared together to display in a glass bowl or jar. It is an adorable way to make a one-of-a-kind decoration or centerpiece for your dorm room.
5. Make a Map Banner – Using maps from cities, countries, or even attractions you visited while abroad and letter stencils, trace the letters over a map and cut them out. Pick your favorite travel-related phrase or quote and make a banner of it using your hand-map map stencils and a piece of string!