Ever since the beginning of Gossip Girl (pre and post threesome) and the sensational style of Blair Waldorf, hair flair has rocked the fashion world. What is hair flair, you ask? Um…only the most vital/amazing/and necessary accessory any woman can own, obvi.

Hair flair can transform an entire outfit and conceal your unwashed hair on days when you just don’t have time to shower (i.e. after a particularly long Tiki Tuesday). More importantly, unlike those expensive skinny jeans you picked up at the Nordstrom half-yearly sale, hair flair will always fit regardless of those holiday pounds, the freshmen fifteen, or the beer belly you’ve been sporting since football season (curse you keg stands and beer pong).

Well, if you want the same accessories as the Upper East Siders but don’t have the same cash monay, don’t worry.  Here is a thrifty way to get the fabulous look without paying the big bucks. And if this particular style isn’t for you, something is wrong with you we’ve got another awesome DIY hair flair project you can do instead.

What You’ll Need:

Stretchy headbands/headwraps: You probably have one of these lying around, but if not, these are super cheap and you can pick them up at drug stores like CVS, Long’s, Duane Read or at any beauty store. My favorite brand to use is Scunci No Slip-Hair Grips because they come in packs of 4, are comfortable, and easy to decorate. Use a black headwrap to keep it classy or a bolder color to add some extra pop.

Fabric: A foot or two of any type of cloth fabric in any color/design you want! Most craft stores sell fabric squares meant for quilting, which are perfect for creating your hair flair, as your fabric needs to be cut in a square shape before you begin. Bonus: Many craft stores (Michael’s or JoAnn’s) have tons of leftover fabric scraps that you can get for super cheap. Just ask one of those ladies with the scissors! Read More »

We all know that painting the walls in your dorm room is a giant no-no. Hell, you can’t even hammer a nail into those things! But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for some BS Animal House poster for your wall decor; there is another way to show off your creativity and create a space that is both cool and easy to remove at the end of the year so you can get your security deposit back. Because that is a lot of money.

Enter: Paint Chip Art.

Paint chips – or paint samples, rather – are those little cards you can pick up from your neighborhood hardware/paint store. They’re out there for the taking so people can test out colors at home. But they’re good for more than just sampling colors; these free color palettes are perfect for decorating on a college budget.

I stumbled upon this eco-friendly decorating idea during class on Greenwala.com and was immediately inspired. I have big plans for the weekend (starting with a very important trip to Home Depot) and thought I’d share some of this inspiration with you. Decorating has never been easier! Read More »

A few weeks ago, I packed up everything I own into a compact yellow truck and drove halfway across the country to unload it all and dump it in a new place. I started fantasizing about decorating ideas for my new pad long before I got here (like on the million-hour drive), and one of the things I was most into was vinyl wall art. It’s unique, it’s removable and it’s just pretty damn sweet, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want a a pretty peacock, an intimidating toilet seat (on Etsy, of course), or some gorgeous bamboo trees adorning their walls.

But at $30-$150+ a pop, all I could afford were sad little 6″ tall animals, and I wasn’t about to shell out a bundle for something I was pretty sure I could do myself.

Turns out I could! And it’s even easier and cheaper than I thought. These wall-art companies must be fleecing people! Stop them by doing it all yourself.

Here’s what you need:
- Scissors
- Clear tape (optional)
- A marker
- Self-adhesive vinyl ConTact paper (Note: This is cheap and available by the yard in a variety of colors at almost all hardware stores.) Read More »

[Ever see something you want but don't have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don't know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy's craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. So get to your nearest craft store for the essentials and let's make some fun sh*t.]

Every college girl has moments of extreme stress/anxiety/feeling a little crazy. Rather than take it out on a poor, defenseless friend (or door), I have the perfect project to ease your mind:The Dammit Doll.

These little dolls make great targets for taking out your frustration when you’re stressed about school, when you have guy troubles, and just in general when you need something to throw, jab, squeeze, or stomp on (not that I promote violence).

They also make great gifts for your angst-filled friends as well, and are much cuter than your average bland stress ball, not to mention cheaper than anger management classes.

Materials:

- Felt

- Stuffing (cotton balls, beans, pine straw, rice, etc.)

- Needle & thread or sewing machine

- Decorations (cut-out felt pieces for clothing, sequins for eyes, pins for jewelry, etc.) Read More »

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and if you’re lucky enough to spend it with someone special, do you really want to do the tired “dinner and a movie” routine? You can do that any night. But if you want to make this V-day is special, whether it’s your first celebration with a new beau, or you just want to use the holiday to put the spark back into your romance, why not go all out on February 14?

When you tell your sorority sisters/coworkers/Advanced Spanish class, the dozen roses they received will suddenly seem wilted.

1. Take a hot air balloon ride.

For listings in your area, see HotAirBallooning.com, which also has plenty of reading material for you to brush up on before you hit the sky. Depending on where you live, it might be too cold in February, but warmer states have plenty of opportunities (Florida has ten listings of hot air balloon companies on this site!). As long as you can do heights, this is the perfect opportunity to let your honey hug you close as you look over an endless array of trees and mountains while the sun sets on a perfect afternoon.

2. Take a massage workshop…and then perfect your technique.

If you are both totally stressed with school, this is a sensual way to be close, while letting yourselves relax. See what types of introductory classes are available in your area, from Hot Stone Massage to workshops designed just for couples. Once you’ve mastered your craft, this is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Read More »

Sooner or later, you’re going to have to take electives.  Maybe you’re taking Physics 1 and Chemistry 101 at the same time.  Maybe there is a math class in there too.  Or maybe your advisor just told you that you need an elective to be able to graduate.

Either way, more than likely, you’ll start looking at the art classes.  It’s a coast class right?  Draw some pictures, get a little paint under your nails, maybe make a charcoal drawing of fruit.  Simple.  Relaxing

Until you meet… The Art Major.

She will show up on the first day of class with a portfolio already in hand.  It doesn’t matter if she’s a freshman or not; her portfolio will be as big as Barbie’s dream house and contain every sketch, scribble, and doodle she ever made.  Be careful about this one.  There’s a great possibility that you’ll get whacked with that thing before the semester is over (she doesn’t always care/is too high to notice where she’s  swinging it).

Just like any other stereotypical person on campus, the Art Major one has a uniform.  This person is going to be wearing a black hoodie zipped up.  The hoodie will have <insert “artistic” band name here> on it.  They wear jeans or cargo pants.  Their shoes will be flats with something like stars on them, oftentimes doodles on by the wearer.  Sometimes the uniform will vary so, when in doubt, look at the face. Read More »

A while back, a friend called me and broke some news to me that has changed my life completely.

Cassie: Girrrrrrrrrlllllll, don’t hate me, but I gotta tell you about a website.

Me: Why would I hate you for telling me about a website? Is it porn?

Cassie: It’s craft porn.

Me: Craft porn?! What’s the url?

Cassie: www.etsy.com You’ll never get off of it. You’re gonna be hooked. But you’re gonna love it.

Two months later, I still can’t get off of etsy.com. It’s kind of like ebay, but there’s way cooler sh*t and no lame bidding. Artists and craft-sters from around the world put their hand-crafted items on etsy with a price. If you like something, you buy it.

Yes, it sounds like the same-old shopping website, but it is so much cooler. The stuff on there is home-made and all kinds of awesome.

From tote bags made from seat belts to mushroom shaped salt and pepper shakers, etsy is seriously everything a craft-lover could ever dream of. It’s like going to Arts & Craft fairs from around the world without getting off your lazy ass.

It is the perfect one-stop-online-shop for all of your gifting needs: everything is unique, lots of the stuff is super cheap (those mushroom shaped salt and pepper shakers were on there for 5 bucks!), and you get to discover new talent from around the world.

If you love the idea of personal and crafty gifts, but you’re too lazy or talentless to make your own, definitely scope out etsy. You are going to love me it!

[I used to think I knew everything...until I found myself stranded in the middle of adulthood with no map and no one to guide me when I got lost. I have learned a lot since then - from how to balance a checkbook to how to sew on a button - and will share my wisdom with you. Every Monday I will be back to teach you how to do something useful, even if it also happens to be completely random. Because, hey, you never know when you just might need to know how to change a tire...or mix a perfect martini.]

I think we can all agree that Hallmark cards are lame. If the card doesn’t contain something that you would actually say out loud on it (“For You, Mother, on Your 50th Birthday,” anyone?), it’s not worth spending your hard-earned cash on. Especially considering they cost like $5!

So what’s a gal to do when the holidays and special occasions roll around?

Duh! Make your OWN cards.

If you normally run screaming at the thought of anything crafty, take a deep breath and hang with me for a second. I also hate crafts, but I love to make greeting cards. They’re so much fun, and you can personalize them any way you want. AND they can be as simple or as involved as you like—no need to spend an hour laboring over intricate cutouts and frilly decorations if you don’t want to.

Here’s the other good news—they’re easy. All you need to make a basic card is some paper that you can fold and some markers (or crayons, pens, colored pencils, paints, or even chalk). Try making a painting on the outside of your card and writing a message on the inside. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, do a stencil or make a collage. A mosaic is another fun idea.

And don’t limit yourself. Remember, you can use anything to spice up the design—ribbon, googly eyes, fabric, shells or leaves, beads, scrap paper… you get the idea. Here are a few materials you may want to gather: Read More »

I love comics. I really do. Art, story, quick pacing. Awesome. The worse thing about comics? Having to wait a month between issues. Or if you’re like me and wait for the collected volumes then the wait is more like six months to a year. But still I love them. So when I need to fill that void of comic while I await the latest Fables book I turn to the internets. The next best thing to a comic in hand is a comic on screen I say! Not a comic book aficionado? No problem, I’ve got a list here to get you started. There’s a little bit for everyone on this list but be warned, this is no list of Sunday morning funnies. These are hardcore. And highly enjoyable!

[Oh and a note, many of these comics a feature a strong cast of female characters. Not because I’m being all super feminist but because well, girls kick ass]

1) Questionable Content

Indie hipsters, a trendy coffee shop, obscure references and snaky comments. No it’s not your Saturday afternoon, it’s a daily web comic by J. Jacques featuring a cast of hip twenty somethings just trying to make their way through life. Oh and also there are havoc wreaking tiny robots. Join the adventures of Faye, Marty, Dora, and the rest of the gang as they work through their piles of issues, find love, and make fun of the goth kids in the mall. Funny and easy to get into. A great place to start Read More »

Top three favorite things: 1) Margaritas, 2) Fashion, 3) Art projects.

Top one favorite activity: A fashion-based art project fueled by margaritas!

This spring, designers such as John Galliano, Christian Lacriox, and Dolce and Gabbana have been drawing inspiration from the art world to produce amazing, eye-catching pieces that are an art school dropout’s (read: me) dream come true. And while pieces like this might be difficult to put together on a Sunday afternoon; with some ambition, craft supplies, and a little buzzed-up creativity, you too can be a part of this wikkid hot trend!

Necessary supplies:

* Something you want to spice up. This can be a dress, purse, pants, skirt, t-shirt…literally, anything. If you want to go blank canvas style, hit up American Apparel or save your money and just get a three pack of Hanes wife beaters. However, I personally think this project gets even more exciting when you’re working with something that already has a pattern on it, so don’t rule out that plaid skirt from your private school days. Read More »