Happy Good Friday, everybody! Really, Fridays are always good. It’s the weekend! But since today is Good Friday, we’ve been thinking about some ways for you to make this day extra good. Great, in fact. So whether you’re at home celebrating Easter or Passover with your family, or heading out tonight with friends, we’ve got what you need.

Here are 7 free or cheap ways to make your Good Friday great.

initiating the gallery...

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via auremar/Shutterstock]

There’s been a reoccurring trend in the fashion world lately. Shoes are getting higher and higher these days. Three inches? Four inches? Five inches?  I’ve even seen six inch heels that are now considered chic. And while they look great on the pages of Elle and Vogue and in that online shopping cart you start but never check out, when taken out of context they might not look so chic. In fact, they might actually look like, well… stripper heels.

Laugh all you want but these days there’s a fine line between chic and cheap, between designer heels and stripper heels of the exact same height.

Think you can tell the difference? Test your knowledge. I promise, it’s not as easy as you think!

Here are 59 cheap, fun, and easy activities that everyone can do on their day off. And yes, sleep in is one of them.

1. Recover from the thirsty weekend without guilt.
2. Film a lip dub. Lady Gaga is always a fun choice, and there is always the possibility that she will Tweet you to fame amongst her little monsters.
3. Rewrite that resumé and polish up that portfolio, this is the time to apply for part-time jobs and internships that start in May!
4. Day-cation. Find somewhere fun in your town to spend the day. Preferably free.
5. Better yet, take a trip! Everyone needs a vacation from their vacation, right?
6. Find a scenic landscape and have a photoshoot. You and your friends are all overdue for new profile pictures.
7. Movie (hopping) marathon. Ryan Reynolds has a new movie out this weekend and you know you’ve been wanting to see Black Swan.
8. Study? Nah.
9. Make a photo collage for your side of the room. If you want motivation, create an “I Want” board out of magazine cutouts with everything that’s on your wish list.
10. Burn a CD (or make a new iPod playlist) of your favorite songs. If your iTunes library has mutated into the thousands, this task could take all day.
11. Host a clothing swap with your friends. You save money and a trip to the mall while finally cleaning your closet and getting new clothes (new to you, at least).
12. Start the P90X workouts. Again.
13. Do it like a middle school sleepover and take a spa day – manis, pedis and maybe even that haircut you’ve been needing (hint: you need it).
14. S’mores. Even if you don’t have a gas stove, you definitely have a microwave.
15. Errands? Goodness, no.
16. Hit up a show: stage musical, poetry reading, improv comedy troupe, concert. Especially now that Gossip Girl is on hiatus, there’s no excuse for putting off quality amusement anymore.
17. Head to a busy place and pretend you are a trend hunter. Walk up to random people in cool outfits, introduce your work, and spend the day taking fashion photography.
18. Work out. HARD. Then reward yourself with some delicious desserts.
19. Try a new recipe! Plenty of time to mess up and start over, if necessary.
20. Experiment with a new make up routine in the safety of your own apartment.
21. Go through your Facebook and detag the unflattering photos – both personally and professionally. It will be a very productive day off!
22. Recollect your walks of shame and submit your Morning After story to College Candy.
23. Write some snail mail letters to your friends at other schools. Who doesn’t love getting a letter over an email?
24. Paint. Even if you are awful, there’s nothing more satisfying than covering a blank canvas with whatever you’re feeling. If it sucks, just claim it’s abstract.
25. Play in the snow. Soon it will be gray and dirty and disgusting, so make a snow angel while you still can without risking an infection.
26. Hit up CVS, buy color-in-a-box, and dye your hair.
27. Have an internet sabbath. For the entire day, shut off your computer and see what the boredom inspires you to do.
28. Sleep! Sleep in, take a nap, go to bed early. Just catch up on your shut-eye and recharge for the following week.
29. Go home for the day, enjoy mom’s cooking, and relax.
30. Visit a friend at a different school.
31. Play a pickup game of soccer with some friends
32. Clean out your makeup drawer – did you know that most products have a pretty short shelf life?
33. Break out the old Saved By The Bell DVDs and have a marathon.
34. Make a collage box.  It’s easy, all you have to do is grab an old shoe box and cover it with magazine clippings.  If you come up with something really great, use it as a gift box.
35. Paint your room.  A simple pop of color on one wall will really add dimension and the illusion of size.  Pick a color like yellow if you need an instant mood lift.
36. Organize a cook-off with your closest friends.  Assign one dish to each person and then have a dinner party with the results (it may be a good idea to set aside pizza money….you know, just in case.)
37. Speaking of pizza, vow to try a new exotic topping on your day off.  Truffle oil and artichokes taste fab.
38. Make a YouTube video showing the world how you create those perfect spiral curls.
39. Set up a LinkedIn profile.  It’s never too early to make connections.
40. Start a blog.
41. Challenge your friends to a FIFA tournament.
42. (If you’re lucky enough to go to school in a warm place) Have a picnic! (If not, have an indoor picnic.) Spread a blanket out on the quad and indulge in goodies like pasta salad and miniature sandwiches.  Make sure you bring enough for the all the new friends that you’re sure to make.
43. Brainstorm ideas for a new club or student org.
44. Day drink!  Ordinarily we don’t condone alcoholism, but since you’re just starting a new semester, we’ll let it slide.  Get your friends together for a day of cocktail making and see how many fun drinking games you can come up with.
45. Write fan fiction for your favorite TV show.  It’s not only for twelve-year-old girls and creepy old men.
46. Try the new mutli-colored nail trend.  That way, you have a day to decide whether or not you’re a fan before you debut the look in public.
47. Make a scrapbook!
48. Re-vamp your wardrobe.  Cut up old t-shirts, add brooches to blazers, just be creative!
49. Go online shopping and compile a wish list. Then you’ll have a reason to start saving that money.
50. Donate old clothes and shoes, especially if you have old winter coats lying around.  They could really benefit those who are less fortunate.
51. Try out a dance workout DVD.  You may look like an idiot, but you’ll have fun and hopefully sweat off the calories from last night’s cookie break.
52. Have a Disney movie marathon.
53. Make a DIY Blair Waldorf style headband with craft supplies.
54. Cut out inspirational quotes and tape them all over your room.
55. Write a Facebook note with your own list of things you’d like to do on your next day off.  Tag your friends and challenge each of them to contribute new ideas.
56. Buy a piñata, fill it up with candy, and invite your friends over to take swings.
57. Call your high school BFF for a catch up session.
58. Stock up on fresh fruit and make a delish smoothie.  Circulate your concoction through your hallway and challenge floormates to come up with a better combo.
59. Nail your favorite necklaces to your wall – not only is this a great way to store jewelry, it also makes a super cute decoration.

Whew! That should keep you busy. And if it doesn’t, I’m sure there will be a Kardashian marathon you can enjoy….

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap in which our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know - there is a spot for her in heaven.]

I’m an unabashed Xtina lover. She snagged me with “Reflections” (yes, I took it all the way back to Mulan), and I’ve stuck with her through her various musical and aesthetic reinventions, from the dirty to the vintage to the futuristic.

What I’ve always admired about Christina, besides her stellar voice and her ability to redefine catty and alienate her peers is her personal style. She is not one of those celebs we’re likely to catch bumming around in slouchy sweats and stained shirts (I still love you, Britney!). Even when she’s strolling around L.A., she’ll elevate a casual tank top + leggings look with interesting accessories and sky-high heels.

T-shirt, Jeggings, Sunglasses, Hat, Heels

What I love most about this look is that its perfectly casual for your daily activities, but – thanks to the funky fedora and oversize sunglasses – still totally chic. (Plus, the fedora provides ample coverage for that “I woke up late and didn’t have time to wash my greasy hair” issue we often encounter.) The outfit is perfectly balanced with the loose-fitting tee over a pair of ultra-skinny jeans, and the fire red heels add an extra touch of rock star. Of course, if sporting heels to 6 hours of class isn’t your idea of fun, you can replace the heels with a more comfortable patent leather flat and still maintain a look that is fresh, fun and the antithesis of college sloppy. The best part of this look? Layering on a loose cardigan for those frigid campus buildings only makes it better.

[Got a Dude itch you just can’t scratch? Sick of getting the pity-eyes as you sift through the Self-Help section at your campus bookstore? Over wondering what those boys are thinking?  We got your back, girlfriend. Send your question (Is our relationship an obligation to him?) over to askthedude@collegecandy.com. The Dude won’t sugarcoat it, beat around the bush, or any other weird cliche that means lie to you. Like a nice, juicy hot dog, he’ll be 100% real beef, 100% of the time.  So bring it on, ladies.]

Dear Dude,

My boyfriend and I have been together for a little over a year. Things between us are simply awesome. We are best friends and we want to spend the rest of our lives together.

Recently, my boyfriend moved into his own apartment. Since this happened, all we ever do is stay in and watch movies on the couch. That’s fine and all, but we haven’t had a “date night” in over two months. He says it’s because he’s trying to save money for bills, gas and groceries. I totally understand that, but he is a college grad with what I refer to as ”a grown up job” with the government and makes more than enough money for food, gas, bills and date night. I’ve offered to take him out to dinner and a movie, but he feels uncomfortable with me paying, since I am a broke college kid. I’m starting to believe he’s just cheap.

Any advice?
-Sick of that Damn Couch

Dear Sick of that Damn Couch,

I believe you believe correctly. Your boy’s stingy. Now why he’s stingy is pretty simple: He’s scared of not having enough money. He’s scared of being broke. He’s scared of not having enough to be his own person. He’s scared of not having security. He’s scared of not having control over his life and how he can live it in the way he wants to live it. That’s one chain of logic that I can come up with. There are other variations of it but that’s as good as another. Now we know the status quo. You’re real question is, what do you do next?

First, to get it out of the way, let’s deal with his dumbass pride of not letting you pay for date night. That’s all part in parcel with his issues. He wants to be a breadwinner and feels like it makes him weak if you take the lead. That’s stupid. Really stupid. Buttmonkey dumb. No question. It’s not a partnership if one person pays for everything. No relationship will ever be 50-50 but hopefully it’s an alternating 60-40. This is something you’ve got to try to talk through with him. Try not to yell or attack him at first, if you can. Tell him it makes you feel unappreciated. Tell him you understand if he’s trying to help you save what little you have but that you’re your own person who can look after herself. How you spend your money isn’t his business and it’s insulting when he tries to tell you how. You might have to have this talk several times before it sinks in (usually it takes reinforcement with the knuckleheads) but if he’s worth it then he’ll keep listening and will hear you. If he’s not, well, then you’ve got some bigger issues to deal with, like whether you want to be with someone who can’t accept his partner being her own person.

Onto the more practical stuff…Look, with an unstable economy pinching pennies is good policy. His intent is a great one. However, sometimes people are so obsessed over what could or could not happen that they forget to enjoy the moment they’re in. It’s a tough balance that plenty of people never are able to strike. That’s how you end up with some people spending everything before they’ve even received a check and others that hoard cash like mint condition baseball cards they’ll be buried with. The best thing you can do is work with his fears rather than simply contradict him.

One of the great practical skills of growing up is learning how to make and stick to a budget. This is something I suggest you do with him. You’re partners in love. Ask him about his finances, look at the costs, look at how much income he brings in a month and suggest that you both start setting aside so much money a month for date nights, movie nights, show nights, comics, or all other forms of personal pleasures you enjoy. This is a practical, responsible, and understanding way to work through this with him rather than fighting against him.

Fear can’t usually be overcome as easily with shoving someone into the light as it can by leading them into it. A lot of people let their impatience or their own fears overcome a sense of compassion in dealing with the other person’s issues. They can’t understand why their boyfriend doesn’t just “get it” that they’re wrong and need to change. So they write them off and give up on them before being willing to do the hard work. Relationships are hard work but it shouldn’t feel like obligation. That’s the ideal. That’s what we all hope we’re lucky enough to find. You’re going to have to do some hard work with him to work through this.

If you love him, as you say you do, and he loves you, as you say he does, then you’ll make it. Again, it’s all about having patience, making an effort, and working around his fears rather than coming off like you’re attacking him. It’s not about ego stroking, it’s about understanding.

Help each other find your balance. That’s what working at love is.

Bailing you out,
The Dude

My last major DIY project was all about home décor… and the decorating bug hasn’t left me yet!

I’ve finally moved into my new apartment in NYC which is now filled with issues of Elle Décor and House Beautiful. The furniture is moved in (…and up 5 flights of stairs) and my apartment is finally coming together. However, I could not help but feel depressed when I looked at my bare, lonely, and artless walls. I was envious as I flipped through the pages of decorating magazines to see how small living rooms and dorm rooms were so fabulously decorated with different pieces of art.

But my budget doesn’t exactly allow for me to splurge on fancy art or even framed posters. So instead, I found my own cheap and chic way to spice up my walls and décor. So if you’re looking to spruce up your room or update your walls on a budget, here is an easy and fun way to make your living space unique!

What You’ll Need

Frames: Frames are expensive, especially larger frames for big walls of empty space! But the best place to look for frames on a budget is often art supply stores (like Dick Blick or even Walmart). Opt for poster frames that use plexiglass instead of glass, as they are cheaper and won’t break (aka: they can survive the college lifestyle and multiple moves). Depending on the frame size you choose, these can range from $10 to about $20. For my DIY, I got 3 16×20 size plexi-glass poster frames.

Tip: Keep in mind how you envision the frames’ position on the wall. Mix and match with different frames and frame sizes, or keep it simple with a symmetrical design of two large frames on a wall.

Wrapping paper or paper sheets: Yes, you will be framing wrapper paper. Sounds silly, but you can create a sophisticated look with something as simple as wrapping paper. Who knew?! Pick a pattern or color that suits the rest of your décor. Or pick multiple patterns/colors for different frames. Wrapping paper in larger patterns work better as they tend to look more like painted canvas or pop art. Choose anything that fits your style! Or you can go to any art store or paper store and they sell single sheets of specialty paper in cool designs for cheap.Try The Container Store, Paper Source, or even your local drug stores like CVS.

Scissors: Snip, snip!

What You’ll Do:

1. Realize first that this may be the easiest and fabulous DIY you’ve ever attempted.

2. Now that you’ve realized step 1, carefully cut your wrapping paper to the size of your frame or frames. As wrapping paper is meant to rip easily, be careful!

Tip: Use the frame paper insert (usually it’s a picture of a happy couple or animal…) to cut your wrapping paper to the exact size.

3. Now stick your wrapping paper in the frame. Pretty simple, eh?

4. Hang your frame(s) on the wall, admire your handiwork, and when friends ask where you bought your chic art tell them who the artist really is. (YOU… duh!)

I want to update my room style from posters of David Beckham and Edward Cullen (I love you, RPatz – if you’re out there….call me. Seriously….) to shabby chic art, furniture, and frames. I want my room to scream “I’m a fabulous adult” and not “I frequent college poster sales,” and I don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it.

Instead of bringing along a DIY corkboard (perfect for any college dorm), I decided it was time to display my favorite college mementos, pictures, and reminders in a more sophisticated way. So I scoured the internet and the few flea markets that exist in my neighborhood to get design ideas until finally I came across an old miniature dress form.

Dress forms have been a symbol of chic fashionistas since sewing was invented. To me they scream modern yet vintage décor, and can be used for more things than just designing clothes. Instead of traditional frames or tape to mount my favorite pictures and mementos on a wall, I transformed the dress form into its own display board, frame, and jewelry case.

So here is an easy, creative, and inexpensive way to step up your style and display tidbits of your life.

What You’ll Need:
1. Dress form (mini or large): You can find these online (Craigslist, ebay, All Dress Forms) or take the time to search flea markets and consignment stores in your area. A covered dress form will work best because you can easily pin stuff on, but if you find a foam or plastic form, you can always cover it with fabric first.

2. Ribbon, buttons, and decorative flair: These will personalize your dress form even more and add extra room to place pictures and mementos, like ticket stubs.

3. Sewing pins/fabric glue: To keep it all together. Used to pin your photos up. Find these at any art store or drug store.

4. Mementos: Your favorite pictures, cards, reminder notes, and necklaces!

What You’ll Do:

1. If your dress form is old/dirty/boring and needs covering, there are tons of ways to fix it up!

Some ideas: Use papier-mâché and strips of newspaper or old book pages to cover the dress form for a vintage/city look. Cut up old college t-shirts and pin them on in an interesting pattern. Or use your favorite fabric to cover the dress form to match your bed linens or the color palette of your room. Secure with fabric glue for a custom fit to your dress form or keep it just the way it is if you like the basic look of the form.

2. Cut pieces of ribbon (or use colored shoelaces!) and wrap your dress form in different places. To secure the ribbon tightly, glue to your dress form (back side) with fabric glue. For an even easier route, just pin the ends of the ribbon or shoelaces to the backside of your form (the side you will not see when displayed).

3. Decorate with your favorite things! Tuck in photos and ticket stubs behind pieces of the ribbon or shoelaces. Hang earrings and necklaces with pins. Get creative and put your newest chic display décor anywhere in your home.

4. Look at you. You’re now a grown up with chic and easy sense of style.

But I don’t want to throw them away! That’s wasteful and with Earth Day coming up, I don’t think I could do it. So I’ve started looking for fun ways to reuse my t-shirts. There’s the obvious pillows, bags and blankets, but now I’ve discovered a super chic new project: t-shirt scarves! Scarves are the easiest way to add some oomph to an outfit, and now you can do so for free.

Below are two different types of t-shirt scarves – pick the one you like best, or make ‘em both. Lord knows you’ve got plenty of material to work with.

Materials:
1) A cotton t-shirt, any size any color
2) Scissors

Fringe Scarf:
As seen above.

1)    Cut the t-shirt horizontally just below the sleeves so you’re left with the square-looking bottom half.
2)    Cut one of the sides so the shirt becomes a long rectangular piece of fabric.
3)    Lay the shirt upside down so the seamed bottom portion of the shirt is on top. (This will allow you to have a strong edge to keep the scarf intact.) If there is a design on the shirt that you want to see, keep it facing up.
4)    Make small vertical incisions about 1 inch apart, depending on how wide you want each strand.
5)    Once you’ve made all your cuts, pull each strands up so it tears further up the fabric and gives the fringe a more “curled” look.
6)    Add any adornments (pins, buttons, etc.) you choose to your fabulous, totally green, totally unique new scarf!

Ring Scarf:
For this scarf, you may want to grab a couple of shirts in different colors to make a fun combo piece. Also, the larger the shirt the bigger the loops, which means a longer scarf.

1. Just as before, cut the t-shirt horizontally just below the sleeves so you’re left with the square-looking bottom half.
2. Keep cutting the bottom half of the shirt horizontally so you end up with loops. Usually an inch per loop is wide enough, but the measurements don’t have to be perfect!
3. Take each loop and stretch it so the sides curl up a little. It should be almost double in length now, more than enough for you to wrap.
4. Hold all your loops together and take one hem piece (you can cut off part of a sleeve for this) and wrap it around all the loops and tie a knot so they’re bundled together.
5. Throw it on over a white t-shirt and jeans and work it, girl.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Zappos...), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like 1000 Awesome Things, CoolSpotters, and DailyLit). And more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Spring Break is just around the corner, and it has college students everywhere are dreaming of a week free from classes, preferably spent partying and relaxing on a beach somewhere warm.  However, that’s not always a reality on a college student’s budget, and many students resort to spending their week off from school at home–or worse, stuck in the abandoned dorms–while everyone else is having fun.

If you really want to go somewhere for Spring Break (or a post-school-year-celebration) but your budget is tight, there’s hope out there: Voyij.com.  Voyij searches the web for all travel deals from of a selected airport, giving you the cheapest prices available.  But it’s more than just flights: Voyij searches for the best hotel and package deals, too.

What makes the site different from other discount travel-related sites out there is both its variety of deals (since Voyij searches so many different sites, there are literally thousands of possible results) and the site’s flexibility.  Each search starts with the departure airport, but you can pick and choose how specific you want the search to be in all other categories.  The less specific the search, the more results you’ll get. For example, if you don’t care where you go (as long as it’s somewhere far from campus), you can simply plug in the dates you want to leave and come back and Voyij will give you a list of all deals on those dates to anywhere.  You can also narrow your search by price to find a trip that perfectly fits your budget. Once you find a deal you like, you simply click on it to go to the site the deal is listed on so you can book it.

So before you pout about not being able to go on a trip for Spring Break, get your friends together and check out Voyij.com.  With so many deals, you might just find that you actually can go on a trip (even on short notcie!!) without breaking the bank.

Though grossly under-rated, hair accessories might be one of the best ways to spice up an outfit and add a special flair. Cheaper than a hot pair of shoes and more practical than a bunch of bangles, headbands and hairpins do double duty: they accessorize and pull that hair out of your face.

Whether you’re looking for something rocker chic, vintage, boho or classic, there are adorable hair pieces out there at super cheap prices. So instead of spending $30 on a shirt you will really only wear once, why not spend $20 and load up on some hair accessories that will enhance the stuff you’ve already got hanging in that closet?

The pearls and feathers make this head piece look luxe enough to be seen on a red carpet and glam enough to make even that my-hair-is-so-so-greasy ponytail look chic.

I love how ethereal this metal leaf headband is. It’s so simple yet it could totally make an outfit.

An easy way to work the sequins, this headband definitely makes a statement. And that statement is: I know how to make a boring jeans-and-tee-outfit look damn good.

Another twist on the bow headband, this one is perfect for the preppie girl with a love of pearls.

This rhinestone rose clip can dress up your everyday look, or be the perfect dose of old school glam for that LBD you’re sporting on V-Day.

Animal print is huge right now, but if you’re worried it will make you a little too Snooki, adding it in small doses is the way to go. Unless you use these clips to hold up that giant pouf…

If you want to rock the embellished headbands but aren’t quite ready for the giant bow, these two headbands are the perfect medium. And, let me just say, they are the best accessory when you know you can’t wear your hair down (because you’re going to a sweaty frat party), but don’t want to look like you just came from the gym.