HAPPY MONDAY!

For my post this week, I really wanted to write about something that I feel passionate about, that doesn’t directly relate to school and the Shady Grove campus, but can be relatable to just about every college student. The question I’ve been asking myself since I entered college and started to live in an apartment was how can I have a homey and adorable home without having to break the bank with money that I do not have?

Over the years, I have accumulated ideas, and finally by senior year, I have compiled some great DIY (Do It Yourself) pieces and thrifty ideas to help create my place that I love! I’m going to share those ideas and pictures with you now!

 These canvases were one of my first art projects, and they make for the perfect kitchen decoration. All this project entailed was going to an art store, buying a few canvases and a bottle of Modge Podge. I then chose pictures that I love and find aesthetically pleasing, printed them, and transferred them onto the canvas with the Modge Podge. After thirty minutes, these four canvases were what I created!

These shelves are probably my favorite part of my living room, and mostly because of how stylish they look and the low price that they cost. The two vases you see on the bottom are both repurposed: the purple one was bought at Value Village in College Park, Maryland, and the one to the right used to be a candle and I now use the dark green jar for decoration. The vase on the top is just a wine glass we thought was pretty enough to hold candles! These white shelves can be found anywhere that sells home decor, whether it’s Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Wal Mart, etc.

This adorable coffee table was found by my roommate. It is a simple IKEA table, that was painted and had wooden panels put on and drilled in. The wood vibe adds warmth to our living room!

 So this last piece that holds our TV was not made by my roommates or I, but rather we were very thrifty and got it for FREE, and the best part is this isn’t even that uncommon! Often times in apartment buildings, when residents are moving out, they will put furniture that they do not want in the main trash room, and it is up for grabs! That is how we scored this clutch TV stand, and we sure are glad we did.

These are just a few of my pointers to help save money while still enjoying the benefits of getting to finally be in charge of creating your own personal space! I hope they were helpful and fun to look at 🙂

HAVE A GOOD WEEK!

Shana Frankel