Midterms. Sigh. I’m tired of studying. At this point, when I comes time for me to sit down and do school work, I’m looking for any excuse I can find to blow it off. And what better excuse than some fun, cute DIY projects? I just stumbled upon the blog I Spy DIY, and they’ve got some great stuff. Check out this gallery for just a few of their best projects.

[Lead image via Mostovyi Sergii Igorevich/Shutterstock]

It’s a new year and that means it’s a new you! There’s no better way to kick off the year than to update your jewelry collection and add the super cool and unique piece pictured above to your jewelry box. Getting excited? Well, get ready to fall off your chair in excitement because not only is WickedMinky super cool, it’s also super free for one lucky giveaway winner.

What is WickedMinky? Well here’s a message from the creator:

My name is Corissa and I am the one girl show that is WickedMinky. I have been painting, drawing, and doing many other things artsy since I can remember. My mother and father are artists as well so I got much of my inspiration from them starting at a young age. I love vintage americana art and it has inspired me to create tattoo style, “removable” jewelry for those who love tattoos and unique jewelry. Check out the store right here!

Want to win? Just tweet the following this week and check our Twitter this Friday to see if you won!

I want @collegecandy to pick me to win the @WickedMinky jewelry #giveaway #rt2win

You can’t pass a magazine rack, turn on the TV or browse online without hearing about Lauren Conrad. She’s made a name for herself as an actress, fashion designer and New York Times bestselling author. In 2009, Lauren launched her LC Lauren Conrad collection exclusively at Kohl’s. Her collection includes casual, bohemian-chic apparel, shoes and accessories. Each piece illustrates her own take on fashion and personal style. Check out the entire jewelry collection here.

Want to add one to your collection? Check out the rules below!

1. Tell us the ugliest piece of jewelry you’ve ever received as a gift. That’s it. You’re automatically entered to win this amazing prize.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on September 25th 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

4. Keep in mind that you might not win the style pictured above.

One of the hottest jewelry trends right now is rose gold, a pretty pink-tinted shade of gold. I love its feminine and romantic feel, and it looks amazing when paired with yellow gold and white gold, silver or gunmetal! What’s more, although white gold looks better on cool skin tones and yellow gold looks better on warmer skin tones, rose gold flatters every skin tone! And it pairs perfectly with fall’s clothing shades like brown, gray and dark blue, so now is the perfect time to add it to your wardrobe! Check out these amazing rose-gold-colored accessories which won’t break the bank at only $20 or less each!

initiating the gallery...

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where 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 (or faux-lebrities, like Kimmy K) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you an spend way less...and save the rest for Margarita Mondays.]

After the longest winter ever, it is finally March. Spring starts in three weeks (!!!), and I am beyond ready to put my winter clothes into hibernation. I love tights and scarves and boots as much as the next girl, but I’m too stoked for vibrant colors, sundresses, and open toes…

So when I saw an outfit Rachel Bilson went for a stroll in, I pretty much spontaneously combusted from glee/envy. We all know Rachel is one of Hollywood’s most consistently stunning fashionistas, and once again, she does not disappoint.

Dress, Jacket, Necklace, Booties.

Coral is one of the hottest colors of the season, and this blazer is amazing. Bright, bold, fun, and full of energy, it is the perfect staple for this season. (Well, once you cut off that horrible flower…) Rachel pairs hers with a cream drop-waist dress, creating a casually sophisticated, slightly boho look. An edgy black necklace adds an interesting element of contrast to this bright aesthetic. Open toed boots are one of those trends that never quite catch on, because really, it makes no sense. And yet, they’re an interesting alternative to sandals or pumps if you’re feeling adventurous.

This is a great sophisticated day look that combines the structured edginess of the best winter fashion we fall in love with every year, and the vivacious femininity that makes spring fashion so awesome to wear. Cheers to Rachel for making it happen.

Get more celebrity looks for less here.

Along with bold, bright bags and loose-fitting tops, tribal-themed accessories and clothing, particularly Aztec-inspired items, are going to be everywhere this spring. Personally, I’m a big fan of this trend in jewelry – the bright colors and interesting patterns and shapes create bold statement pieces that are as fun to wear as they are to look at.

These styles look particularly great with the bright hues and breezy shapes of summer clothing, but you might want to think about starting to incorporate some pieces now. Many stores are already carrying great tribal-themed jewelry, and it’s just the pick-me-up our wardrobes need as we suffer through another 6 weeks of the dull grays and blacks of winter-wear. Even more, you can get a lot of it for less than $20, like all the pieces shown here!

[Click any image to view the gallery.]

ModCloth is known for their vintage and retro-inspired clothing. I personally love their selection of unique dresses and shoes – they have perfect outfits for anything from parties to work (and everything in between).

Another great feature of ModCloth is the amazing selection of quirky and standout accessories. ModCloth offers lots of cute and unique accessories to add the perfect finishing touch to any outfit. And the best part? Lots of ModCloth’s accessories are less than $20 each – like all of these great choices!

Click on any accessory to get started!

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.

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.

What You’ll Do:

1. Apply a small dot of super glue to the bottom of your rhinestone. Using your tweezers, or a steady hand, apply your rhinestone to the top of the flat edge of the bobby pin (the non-edgy side). Let dry.

2. Repeat step 1 until you have rhinestones covering your bobby pin. Alternate rhinestone colors or use the same color rhinestone throughout. Let dry!

3. Work it, girl! These aren’t your normal bobby pins anymore and aren’t just for keeping those tricky hairs in place. These bobby pins are fashion and function! Pull your hair back into a messy bun and add the bobby pins for extra glam…or you could always use them to create that perfect jersey shore bump!