Decorate for the future

Relieve summer boredom by creating unique art to furnish your future dorm

Sometimes students need a break from the endless amount of studying that comes with a Mercer education.
Crafts are a great way to relieve stress, and creating something decorative and special is also great for spicing up your white-walled dorm room.
Now, with summer almost here, crafts are also a great way to relieve boredom while you plan the interior design of your future living space.
One fun and easy craft to make is a chevron-patterned painting.
First, buy a canvas from your local Michaels or Hobby Lobby. You will also need paint in your preferred colors and paint brushes.
To get started on your painting, draw a series of vertical lines onto the blank canvas with a pencil. You can space them out depending on how thick or thin you want your pattern to be.
After you’ve drawn vertical lines, draw a series of horizontal lines so that you create a set of squares on your canvas. Make sure to draw the lines as lightly as possible.
Once the squares are set, you can start drawing the chevron pattern. To do this, simply draw a diagonal line, corner to corner, across the middle of your first square. Working vertically, draw diagonal lines in the same direction for every square beneath the one you just worked on.
Draw a line in the opposite direction in the square next to the first one. The tip of the diagonal line should touch the tip of the line in the first square. Repeat in the same manner until all the squares are filled.
After the chevron pattern has been drawn out, place painters tape onto the chevron lines.
Once the tape is set, start painting.
When painting, you can choose to alternate between colors or stick to the same color.
Once the paint dries, peel off the tape, and your chevron painting will be complete.
Another decorative craft idea is to paint a canvas that features your favorite quote or song lyrics. Go to Pinterest or Craft Gawker to get ideas on how to create a cool background and stencil a quote onto your canvas.
Usually, writing quotes is the hardest part because your hand might shake or smear the paint.
In order to avoid ruining your canvas, type the quote on your computer and then print it out. Place the printed letters onto the canvas and, using a ballpoint pen, lightly trace the letters. When you lift the paper, there should be a light outline of the letters. After that, just paint the outline and you will have a perfect set of letters, smear free.