[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. These things are easy, fun and a great way to save some serious cashola.]

For all you organized chicas like me out there, you understand the importance of a bulletin board. You can put up papers and important notes before they get lost in the shuffle on your desk. You can hang your keys on them. Heck, you can plaster them with pictures and have a make-shift frame!

The problem is, bulletin boards are either ugly or look like something out of a 3rd grade classroom. You don’t want that stuff hanging in your perfectly decorated dorm room!

Solution: the wine cork bulletin board. It’s chic, it’s cute, and it’s easy to make with all those wine corks you college girls most definitely have lying around. If not, pop a few bottles and get crafty! Whoever said being a wino wasn’t productive?

Ingredients:
A backed frame/a piece of wood cut to the desired size and shape
Enough corks (lying on their side) to fit in this frame
Carpenter’s glue
Push pins
Perhaps another glass of wine to keep with the theme…..

Directions:
1. Set your corks out in a pattern of two tall and two wide across your backing of choice. If you are using a frame, you will line these on the glass where the picture would normally be showing.  You may have to cut a couple corks and get fancy to make everything fit.

2. Glue corks in place with the carpenter’s glue. Set to dry.

3. Once the corks are secured in place, hang your new masterpiece up on the wall! Stick cool push pins in it, hang a picture and – voila – personalized! Or, if you like the way it looks as it is, feature it on your wall as a piece of homemade art.

Have no fear my decorating minions, get your hot glue guns ready and lets get crafty!

Let’s Make… Picture frames! Posters are so…mainstream. Everyone has them. Why not hang your own pictures in personalized frames?

 This is an easy craft. You can find ready-made frames for cheap at any dollar store, walmart, or craft store. All you need to do is decorate with fabric, sequins, or little plastic accents…things you can again find at walmart or a craft store. Just apply them with your hot glue gun…and there you have it!

Let’s Make… Beaded curtains!  This project will take a little more time to finish, but it allows your mind to go to a zen-like place while you do it.

You will need: Beads! Fishing line and a tension curtain rod.

First measure your door frame and decide how thick you want your curtain to be. Thicker curtains call for more beads. Cut your fishing line to fit, and then start stringing your beads (this part takes awhile).

Once you’re done stringing all your beads,  apply them to the rod and hang. Put a dab of hot glue over the part where the beads are tied over the rod to keep the steady. There you have it!

Let’s Make… A bulletin board! Tired of all that random paper that you acquire but are to pack-raty to throw out? Make a bulletin board! You can do one of two things for this: buy a pre-made board and just paint the frame, attach some beads, or glue fabric to the edge with your hot glue gun — or, you can cover a piece of plywood with fabric (hot glue the fabric down) then crisscross ribbon over the fabric to stick notes and pictures inside.

The most important thing is to have fun doing these projects!  College can be stressful, crafting shouldn’t be.

[Crafty photo from craftzine.com]