[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 »

I know what you’re thinking: Waxing my own bikini line? ARE YOU INSANE!?Well the answer is no, I’m not insane. Just very frugal and, to be honest, curious. I’ve been shaving my bikini line for years and recently tired of that. The hair would grow back so quickly, coarser than before and I was ready for a change. So I decided on waxing. And instead of paying at least $30 at a salon (the cheapest I was able to find in my town), I decided that I had enough knowledge and a high enough pain tolerance that I was willing to give the DIY bikini wax a shot.

From my experiences, it is not that bad. Sure, I would prefer many things to waxing my bikini line (like medieval torture), but it wasn’t the horrific experience some report it to be, even doing it myself. In some ways it’s even better – no strange woman lookin’ at your hooha.

So, I’ve compiled a little guide of tips and tricks for you adventurous girls who want to try an at home bikini wax! Take a deep breath and read on. Read More »

Don’t you ever get tired of not knowing how to do the crap that other people know how to do? Your computer cable breaks and you resign to just buy a new one because you don’t know how to fix it. You see girls wearing cute t-shirts that have been cut into elaborate halters, but you just buy the generic version of the shirt at the store because you have no idea how to turn so much fabric into something so little.

For all of you out there who have ever wanted to do all of that crap that other people know how to do, your prayers have just been answered:

Instructables is here to save your life.

This site is one of the coolest sites ever (second only to CollegeCandy…) and I can hardly begin to explain all of the reasons why. Ok, so I will try. Here goes: they walk you through the instructions of how to do just about everything.

Literally, everything! No more asking guys to help with “guy” things or calling up your sister to teach you how to get your hair doing that perfect balance between chic and messy.

The Instructables people break their projects down for you by category. Once you decide between Art, Craft, Food, Games, Green, Home, Kids, Life, Music, Offbeat, Outdoors, Pets, Ride, Science, Sports, and Tech, they send you on your way to DIY heaven.

Step by step. Project by project. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The next time you have a project in mind, but just don’t know how the eff to do it, I can guarantee you Instructables will. And they’ll show you, too.

We all have them – those four million t-shirts baring our university’s logo/our sorority letters/the 45 clubs we are a part of. You’ve collected them over the course of your degree, and now you have so many you can barely close your dresser drawers. You probably have a few you wear — the nice one you bought at the bookstore, or your favorite shirt you acquired at a school event (because every college student knows free sh*t is good sh*t) that you wear to the gym or sleep in. But the rest? They just sit there taking up precious dresser space because you can’t bring yourself to get rid of them.

“I did my first beer bong in that one,” you tell yourself. “I can’t throw away the memories!” Well, you don’t have to. Here are a few ways to reuse your old shirts.

Throw pillows — Pick the t-shirts with logos you love, but never wear. Follow these easy instructions, and you have new room decor. The main cost is pillow forms, or cotton batting, but it’s a lot cheaper than going out and buying them from a decor store. Variation: make an actual t-shirt pillow.

T-shirt shopping bag — Go green when lugging your groceries home with a snazzy new shopping bag. You can save the planet by not using plastic bags, and have extra change for happy hour by not spending a cent on the reusable ones from the grocery store. Plus, you can turn that pre-party t-shirt into something actually useful! Read More »

So the economy blows. Which is pretty perfect timing considering that one time of the year we’re expected to come to our loved ones bearing gifts is approaching. Great. So now we’re all expected to somehow make less money and still spend the same amount of money on Xmas gifts that we spent last year. How the eff do we make this work?

DIY crafts, kids.

If you need some inspiration, I highly suggest scoping out Etsy.com, but, regardless of Etsy, there are nifty gifts you can make yourself for friends and family. You can do it cheaply. You can do it easily. And lets face it, a handmade gift is always more appreciated than that bottle of body spray everyone knows you just got for free because you spent more than $50 at Bath & Body.

Heat it into a bracelet.

From vinyl records to spoons, heating every day objects to a point of flexibility for the purposes of making a bracelet is easy and always makes for a nice gift.

Heat your oven to 200 degrees for the vinyl record bracelet. Set the whole record on a cookie sheet and keep it in the oven until the record begins to bubble. Remove it from the oven and cut the record into strips while still hot. Place the strips back into the oven for a few minutes and then remove. When you remove the strips, wrap them around something that symbolizes your wrist, but is not your wrist. Think jars, paper towel tubes, anything other than your own flesh. Read More »

Today’s the day, people! It’s Halloween, and there are only a few more precious hours left to get a costume together before nightfall. If you’re still scrambling to assemble the perfect outfit, don’t fret: we at College Candy have a few ideas for quick, easy Halloween get-ups that you can throw together in between classes today. You shouldn’t need anything more than an old t-shirt or sweatshirt, some Sharpies, and a little intuition.

1. Superhero

Take an old t-shirt or sweatshirt (preferrably solid-colored) and draw the logo of your favorite superhero on the chest with Sharpie. If you want to go the extra mile and you have a little time, pick up some felt and thread from a nearby craft store or Target to sew the logo on. I actually did this myself one year and it took about 30 minutes. Throw a belt around your hips and pull on some leggings to complete the look.

2. Gangsta

This may take some rummaging through a guy’s closet, but it should be easy to pull off. Just find an oversize white shirt, baggy jeans, some boxers, and a pair of sneakers. Put in one diamond (or cubic zirconia) stud earring. For neck bling, if you don’t have any oversize necklaces yourself, grab some tin foil and roll it into a loop big enough to fit over your head (you can also use tin foil to make some makeshift grills- just fold it over your teeth). Use some black eyeliner to draw a sun reflecting patch under just one eye (like football players wear). If you wanna take it a step further and be a “wanksta,” use some eyeshadow to make it look like you’ve got a black eye.

3. God’s Gift to Men

This one is really simple. Dress yourself however you like, but make sure you look fine. Then just take some ribbon and tie a bow around yourself (around your hips, over the shoulder, etc.) and affix a large tag using construction paper that says: “To: Men, From: God.” Simple, sexy, and clever as hell.

Read More »

I’ve simply never been the best with saving money. While I do always pay my bills on time and never go hungry, I am still fundamentally pretty hedonistic and tend to ‘blow’ any extra money I’ve got on anything shiny, fun, or alcoholic.

Nonetheless, I’ve learned to actually save money in recent years. I’ve learned that there are things I do WANT (that cater to my hedonism) that require saved money. So, I’ve cut back on some things that used to completely drain my wallet and saved more than you can imagine. Here are 5 tips if you’d like to do the same:

REPLACE YOUR ENERGY DRINKS WITH COFFEE. FROM HOME.

I have a serious caffeine addiction. It’s not cute; it’s tormenting. The worst part is that I truly do prefer a sugar free Red Bull to a cup of coffee. But I’ve learned to cut back. At $2-$3 a can, my energy drinks can be shelved for the most *crucial* of days…which is not, contrary to my previous beliefs, every single day of the week. Now I brew my own iced coffee every morning and use a box of splenda to get over my sugar fears. It absolutely does the trick and I’ve saved at least $45 a month doing this. Read More »

Jewelry can get expensive…especially really funky and unique jewelry. But screw that. Why not go through your old crap and make some awesome new stuff? It’s an awesome way to recycle things you no longer use, save money on your bling…and look cool doing it.

Just get your butt over to a craft store and pick up some basic items: earring hooks, hemp, chains, fasteners for necklaces and bracelets, and some glue.

Here are some tips I’ve got for you after having spent my entire childhood….and now, adulthood…in afternoon craft time.

You can make recycled jewelry out of items you may not have suspected:

-Loose items. Loose items alone can look really great on an earring hook or necklace chain. Consider some of these items: spare keys, mini locks, bolts, safety pins, and any other metal scraps.

-Flexible materials. Some items can simply easily be molded into bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Vinyl records, when heated, can be molded, for example. Eating utensils, plastic from bottles and containers, etc. Read More »

I’m a huge fro-yo fan, and my dream job may be taste-testing at the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Vermont, but sometimes it’s good to keep your calories in check when you’re craving something chilly for the summer. You know…with bathing suits and super tight dresses, and all.

And so, I bring you a ridiculously easy Yogurt Mousse to curb that sweet tooth without giving up on the flava.

What you will need:

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

½ cup light Cool Whip

1 capful flavored extract of your choice (Vanilla or almond are great, lemon and orange aren’t bad if you’re craving fruit)

Sprinkle of Sweet and Low to taste

How to do it:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add Sweet and Low as desired (if desired at all). Yeah, it’s that easy. Read More »