Holiday season is by far my favorite time of the year. It’s a season of excessive desserts, eggnog, sample sales, boots and of course, lots and lots of gifts.

What’s not to love?!

No matter which holiday you celebrate, gift giving is a staple of the holiday season. But there is some major pressure when picking out a gift for that special someone. And in this not-so-fabulous economy, a lot of people don’t have the resources to buy the perfect gift anymore.

Well, like I always say, if you can’t buy it make it. (Okay, so I don’t usually say that on day-to-day basis, but you get my point.)

Homemade gifts can be some of the most cherished and beloved gifts. There’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up as they unwrap and enjoy a gift you made especially for them. But not all homemade gifts are created equal. Frankly, some just plain blow. Hard. Re-gifted presents and macaroni necklaces won’t cut it anymore, so I’ve rounded up a list of the best homemade gifts that don’t suck. Read More »

When it comes to interior decorating, I am all about making the living space feel as comfortable and homey as possible. Despite my love for modern furniture and glam decorating, I still want warm colors, photos of family and friends, and seasonal smelly candles (pumpkin spice…mmmmm) around to remind me of home.

After all, moving to the big city (NYC!!) from Georgia was definitely a change. I went from sweet southern porches to a 5th floor walk up above a dingy pizza shop…and I absolutely love it.

But despite my utter obsession with this city, my new mostly black wardrobe, and my sudden fondness for cosmopolitans and the closest Duane Reade, I can’t forget my Georgia roots. Home is where the heart is after all. So in an ode to my hometown (and my thinning wallet), I crafted an easy and inexpensive art piece to spruce up my current home and remind me of my former home.

It’s fun, it’s personal and it’s cute. And if you don’t need wall art of your own, this makes the perfect gift for homecomings, housewarmings, and holidays (it is almost Christmas… YIPPEEE!). Read More »

I’m officially a college graduate and am joining the masses of recent grads sobbing audibly as they scroll through their Facebook photos from the past 4 years moving to a new city and a new life. As I pack up my boxes once again, I’ve realized that my college dorm décor may not exactly suit for the real world.

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. Read More »

The other day, while aimlessly roaming through the overpriced yet drool-worthy home goods at Urban Outfitters, I came across some adorable vinyl record bookends. They looked so cute hugging a stack of blogs-turned-books on the table and I just needed to have them. I have this problem where my books always tip over on my bookshelf and then it gets all messy and then my studying gets interrupted because I’m OCD…

Anyway, after looking at the price tag I realized that I didn’t need to fork over my hard earned money for some organization and sanity – I could make these myself! And so can you.

You don’t even need a good taste in music. In fact, it’s probably better if you don’t like the record you’re melting… All you need is a little time and some H2O and you’re on your way to adorable dorm decor.

Materials:
2 vinyl records – you can get these super cheap at flea markets, old-school record stores or from that collection that’s been gathering dust in your parents’ basement.
1 pot of boiling water
1 heat resistant bowl (or another large pot)
1 flat piece of wood Read More »

If there’s one thing all college girls have it’s an abundance of drunk selfies t-shirts. Sure, you need a few to sleep in or work out in, but the rest? They’re just taking up coveted space in that teeny dorm closet.

So why not use them for something cute? We’ve already showed you how to make a t-shirt pillow, a t-shirt bag and a fabulous t-shirt scarf, and we’ve got one more trick up our sleeve (pun totes intended): the t-shirt bracelet.

Everyone knows that accessories really make the outfit, and this homemade accessory is no exception. With two very cute varieties, the t-shirt bracelet is free, super easy to make, and even easier to customize. Plus, with the 1,000 shirts you’ve got lying around, you can make a bunch of these to mix and match and add some serious pizazz to an everyday outfit.

Choose your favorite design, and use your favorite colored soft cotton tees to make these comfy bracelets that are perfect for summer. Read More »

It doesn’t matter if you go to an Ivy League school or a community college, there’s one thing that all colleges have in common and that’s FREE STUFF. Namely, free t-shirts. My dresser is currently overflowing with them (of varying sizes) and there’s no need for all of that cotton getting in the way of the cashmere and the silk.

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. Read More »

If you’ve read any of my DIY columns, then you probably know I’m completely in love with hair flair! I love a good headband, head-wrap, and now I’m really into adding some bling to spice up a normal hair day.

And although I love a bold hair flair statement, I also like elegant and simple hair accessories, too, like sequined and rhinestone bobby pins.

Because hair accessories are all the rage right now, they can also be really expensive! And we all know that us college kids don’t have the moolah to spend $10 on a bobby pin. So here is a money savvy way to add that extra elegant glam to a normal hair day without adding the extra cash.

What You’ll Need:
Large or Extra Large Bobby Pins: Get bobby pins in your hair color to keep it simple, or use brighter color bobby pins for a bolder statement! Find these at any local drug store, Target, or grocery store!
Small Rhinestones (or sequins): These will be later glued onto your bobby pins, so make sure they are small enough to fit nicely onto the pin! Use multiple colors for some fun, or keep it classy with black and silver rhinestones that will create a more sophisticated look. Find these at your local craft store: Joann Fabrics and Michael’s  have a huge variety.
Superglue: You can pick this up at any drug store, hardware store, or Target. Don’t use the brush-on-superglue – instead use the normal super glue with the small tip (which will make for easy application!).
Tweezers: This is optional but they’ll make the process a lot easier…and prevent you from getting your fingers stuck together. Read More »

As a DIY enthusiast, I am huge lover of all things fashion. One of the (many) reasons I love fashion is because it’s inherently a never ending Do-It-Yourself project. And one of the reasons I love DIY is because I can take all the expensive things I see on the runways and make ‘em myself on the cheap.

It’s a little circle of love up in here.

Fashion, at it’s core, is all about constant recreation and re-invention. It’s a continuously evolving way to recreate wearable arts & crafts. Yes, many trends are timeless and never go out of style (I see you, Little Black Dress), but most trends are just re-thought styles of the past.

And right now everyone is re-thinking and re-styling 80s trends and glam rock. Neon is everywhere; you can’t go anywhere without seeing leather leggings; embellished boots have made a kick-ass comeback; and my ultimate favorite, embellished Michael Jackson inspired t-shirts, can make any girl feel like a smooth criminal (OK, so not actually a criminal, but they will make you feel pretty bad ass).

And you can make those bad ass shirts all by yourself! Here’s an easy and money-savvy way to rock the MJ inspired look without breaking the bank! Read More »

So cute. So easy. So the perfect way to personalize that 10X10 cell.

I’m obsessed with taking pictures, absolutely obsessed. I have approximately 44 albums on Facebook and that’s after I consolidated and cut down about 300 pictures. I can’t help it.

The digital camera changed my life. I love taking pictures of everything and anything, and capturing every drunken moment of friends passed out over toilets or park benches, of every group pic in the sorority pose, and every picture of birthdays and holidays.

My room has always been covered with the pictures I’ve taken, a visual documentary of my life displayed around my room on a cork board and on the walls. But instead of tacking photos to the wall or searching for the perfect picture frames (which happen to be really pricey), here’s a creative, easy, and cheap way to make a hanging frame of your own.

Whether your room decor is classy or flashy, this custom DIY picture frame will be the perfect wall decor to decorate your life, display your photos, and showcase your memories with some style! It is also the perfect gift to give a friend for the holidays if you’re low on cash but got lots of love. Read More »

I do a lot of online procrastinating. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t? In class I stalk people from high school I haven’t spoken to in years. When I should be studying, I scour iTunes for my next artist obsession. And when I’m writing an essay I am always simultaneously shopping my favorite stores.

In my travels across cyberspace I come upon a lot of new sites. From fashion blogs, to a new collection of funny videos, to online magazines with entertaining stories about college life.

But my most recent discovery has quickly developed into a must visit. It’s psimadethis.com and it’s amazing.

It’s a do-it-yourself website, giving readers ideas for DIY projects and inspiration boards for coming up with your own ideas. It even has links to the best places to get materials for specific projects!

This doesn’t seem at first to be anything ground breaking; there are a million DIY websites. So why am I obsessed with it?

1. Erica, the girl behind this site, is just awesome. She’s creative, trendy, and cool. Ok, so I don’t know if she’s cool, but the stuff she’s making is cool and I want to be her BFF.

2. These projects are super easy. You don’t have to be a fashion design student or even really crafty to pull them off. And the instructions are specific and accompanied by pictures, so it’s like having an art teacher right there guiding you so you don’t mess up and end up with another paper weight (yeah, I’m scarred from 4th grade art class…). Read More »