tb-two* staff

As seniors head off to college, one of the most important things we worry about is dorm decor. The drab walls of a dorm desperately need some adornment. These school-spirited crafts are practical and can liven up any room. Try them out this summer:

Tricked-out tumblers

For graduating seniors who want to show pride in their college choice in creative ways, there are lots of cool Do It Yourself ideas to rep those school colors. Unfortunately, not everyone is artistically savvy enough to follow through with such plans.
I myself am about as crafty as a loaf of bread. So for the imaginatively impaired prospective freshman, there is the Tervis Tumbler, the most stylish drinking glass out there. Tervis features multiple designs of insulated tumblers for almost 300 colleges, and in different models — big tumblers, small tumblers, mugs, with lids, without lids, personalized fonts, even water bottles. The possibilities are endless (as long as you have a few bucks to spend), and the craze is catching.
But once you have your snazzy tumbler, why stop there? Use the minimal inspiration you have and come up with ways to trick out your Tervis Tumbler. Below are a few suggestions.
1. Spring for some ribbons and string etc. (in your school’s colors, of course) and attach them to your tumbler for added flair. Use tape, or if your tumbler has a handle, just tie them. Most of the tumblers are clear plastic except for the logo, so these extras will give yours some pizzazz. Warning – Tervis Tumblers are microwaveable, but your ribbons won’t be.
2. Go sticker wild. Stickers are your best friends if you aren’t good at drawing or tracing or anything actually artistic. Find stickers that illustrate your interests and hobbies and plaster your tumbler with them for a more personal touch. Or, if you don’t think your school’s logo is represented enough, get stickers with your college colors or mascot and make your tumbler even more spirited.
3. Drink beverages that reflect your school’s colors, if possible. The clear Tervis design will prove to your friends that you eat, sleep and drink (insert university here). I’m going to Indiana University, so to show my Hoosier pride, I filled my Tervis mug with milk (our colors are cream and crimson).
— Mina Asayesh-Brown, St. Petersburg High

Quote garland

This wall decor lets visitors know a lot about you in one quick glance, is easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of time. The key is to choose a short quote, just a quip that will keep you smiling and fit on wall space that’s sure to be a premium in the dorm.  This project will take about an hour to complete.
1. Get sheets of paper in your school’s colors and fold the long side one inch so that the page’s dimensions are now about 8.5” x 10”.
2. Sketch out your letters, letting them touch is fine. You should be able to fit at least two letters per page. Keep the fold at the top of the letter, because it’s what you will be hanging the letters by.
3. Cut out the letters. You may need to use an X-acto knife to slice out the center of some letters.
4. Drape your letters in order on the string. Use tape to secure the letters so that they won’t bunch up or blow away.
5. Hang up both sides of your garland. You may have to experiment with what kind of tape will hold up your garland, or you can use thumbtacks if your dorm allows them.
— Nicole Zakrzewski, Palm Harbor University

Make up for a lack of space

Saving space and organization is key to a small dorm room. Instead of scattering your makeup all over the countertop, this magnetic board allows you to clear up desk space and keeps your makeup all together! This DIY project took at most 20 minutes from start to finish, cost less than $15 total (not including makeup), and all the products were found at Michael’s. I’m the farthest person from crafty and I even found this project a breeze!
Cut pieces of magnetic tape to fit and place them on the back of your makeup products. Larger items may need more than one piece of tape, and hot gluing the magnetic strip to the makeup is extra insurance.  
To add a little decoration to the simple black magnetic board (mine was a chalk board as well), Michael’s has a plethora of dollar flowers and ribbon by the yard in a variety of colors.
Finally, all you have to do is place your make-up on the board. After searching up more DIY projects to tackle, I saw this same one with another added touch. Find a magnetic locker insert used to store pencils and use it to hold tubes of lipstick, mascara, brushes and eyeliners. I found it really difficult to get such shapes to stay connected to the board.
— Allie Davison, Wharton High

Spirited flower pot

Dorm rooms can feel stuffy, so a flower or plant can help bring some happiness and freshness into the room. Instead of settling for a boring and plain clay pot, why not decorate one with your school spirit?
First, make sure the pot is clean. If you have to wipe it down, make sure it is completely dry before you start to paint.
Next, get to painting! The base layer of paint may need more than one coat to avoid streaking and the clay color peeking through. Don’t slop the paint on too thickly at once; it will take forever to dry. After the base coat is dry, add some chichi to your pot; let your creative juices flow.
If you are as artistically challenged as I am, just add some polka dots — you can never go wrong with polka dots. Let the pot dry completely. I recommend letting it sit for about a day before you plant your plant. If you are garden savvy, fill your pot with soil and plant seeds of your own. If you lack a green thumb, grab a small blooming flower from a garden shop and transfer the flower to your personalized pot.  Now, if you can’t even keep your hamster alive, grab some fake flowers from the craft store. Use a Styrofoam base to hold the flowers in place and cover with moss. Voila! You now have the perfect dorm room accessory. Bye-bye gloomy dorm!
— Angela Skane, St. Petersburg High

Mascot brought to life

I’ve grown accustomed to really cool mascots. FSU has the Seminole with the flaming spear, UCF its Golden Knight that could probably kick my butt in a jousting match, and UF with the Gator that … chomps.
However, as fate decided, I ended up in New York at Stony Brook University. I didn’t even know what my mascot was until my visit to the school after I had been accepted. Apparently, we are the Seawolves. Yes, wolves from the sea.
The explanation given to me was that after Stony Brook had become a Division I team in 1996, it needed a new mascot, so school officials let students decide among a variety of options. I’m assuming the students who voted must all have been on the fad drug of the time … ecstasy? Anyway, I immediately imagined what this mythical creature looked like. A mermaid body with a wolf head? Or even worse, a wolf body with a fish head? I was wrong, it’s just a wolf with blue and red markings.
I wanted to immortalize my initial reaction by creating a real-life version of how I imagined a Seawolf would look. Though I won’t be bringing her to school, except to help me move in, of course, my little Seawolf (se photo, looking like she just stepped ashore from a stony brook) will be waiting patiently for me at home.
— Michael Newcomer, Tarpon Springs High