Easy to Make DIY Glitter Heels

From Louboutins to Toms, sparkles have been making a big statement in footwear this season. Why spend money on a new pair of glitzy heels when you can transform a beat up pair in your closet? Here’s an easy DIY project to make your very own pair of sassy glitter heels.

Materials:

Newspaper

Glitter (use one color for a solid look or mix glitters for a multi-color effect)

Mod Podge 

Paper plate

Paintbrush

Heels (they don’t have to be new, use this DIY to give a scuffed or stained pair a makeover.  You can also use flats, boots or other types of shoes)

Directions:

1. Protect your workspace with a few sheets of newspaper.

4. Allow the paste to dry completely then fill in any holes or uneven patches with the glitter-paste.

5. Allow 24 hours to dry, then pair your sparkly shoes with a fun outfit and take them out for a night on the town!

I’d say the project was a success! When I started, I was going to cover the entire shoe, but after covering the platform I thought they looked super chic and classy, so I decided to leave the rest of the shoe black and glitterize the heels instead. I used faux suede shoes with plastic heels. Both materials worked well with the glitter paste.

Love glitter? Check out Tiana and Debra’s DIY glitzy party ideas!

Alexandra Esposito is an intern at College Lifestyles ™ and a senior studying journalism and film at the University of Kansas. She is a Copy Chief for the University Daily Kansan and the Secretary of Omega Phi Alpha at KU. In summer 2011, she interned with the editorial staff at Martha Stewart Weddings in New York City. 

CL’s DIY Food Gifts

Have a friend or family member who’s a foodie? Still need a gift for them? Then make your own food gift for them by choosing one of these simple DIY food gift ideas.

Ingredient gifts are the easiest to make – just grab a jar!

Try this cookie in a jar recipe from allrecipes.com.

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup crispy rice cereal

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup white sugar

 “In a 1 quart jar, layer the ingredients in the order listed. Pack down firmly after each addition.

“Attach a tag with the following instructions: Cookie in a Jar 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup margarine until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water. Add the entire contents of the jar, and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.”

Does your foodie love hot cocoa? Then try cocoa in a jar from Nestle® Meals!

6 cups NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Instant Nonfat Dry Milk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows, (optional)

“COMBINE dry milk, sugar, cocoa and marshmallows in large bowl. Pour into 2-quart jar or tall container. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.

“RECIPE TO ATTACH:
Measure 1/2 cup cocoa mix into mug. Stir in 1 cup hot water or milk. Makes 12 servings.

“VARIATION USING PINT JAR:
1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ CARNATION Nonfat Dry Milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Baking Cocoa
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows (optional)

“RECIPE TO ATTACH:
Measure 1/2 cup cocoa mix into mug. Stir in 1 cup hot water or milk. Makes 4 servings.”

Cookbook gifts add some knowledge to your food gift.

Buy your foodie a cookbook, preferably a baking one, and wrap it. Then, buy the ingredients for one of the recipes and turn them into an ingredient gift, or just buy  the most prevelent ingredient in the recipe, for example, flour, and put it into a festive bag. Or, make one of the recipes, put it in some tupperware and tie a bow on top!

Food baskets also make amazing gifts.

Instead of ordering a food basket online, create one of your own, specifically for the person you’re gifting. Try making a theme basket, full of the food they love. Do they love coffee? Try assorted coffee, hot cocoa and tea packets. Chocolate? Throw together a basket full of different flavors, percentages of cocoa and brands. Do they need food for their dorm room? Make a care package they can take back with them. Do they like watching movies? Make a movie-themed basket full of popcorn and assorted movie candies.

 

Want to really dress up your food gift? Then check out Tiana’s DIY Christmas gift wrapping tips.

 

Debra Schreiber is a returning CL intern from summer 2011. She is a senior at Duquesne University, studying Journalism and Spanish. When she’s not studying, you can usually find her at the gym, reading or catching up on her favorite shows.

3 DIY Ways To Wrap Your Christmas Gifts

Don’t let the commercials fool you–the holidays aren’t only about spending your hard-earned cash, it’s about being thoughtful. This Christmas, don’t just hand over presents with your average wrapping paper. Make the recipient feel special by using these next few crafty tips to wrap your gifts.

1.  With An Unexpected Fabric — Whether it’s a silk square for a box of jewelry that holds your mother’s gift, or leopard print fabric for your sassy sister’s gift, fabric heightens your senses (sight and touch) since it’s not a typical way to disguise a gift. It’s important that the fabric’s long enough so that one end can lie under the other. This way, you can tie a ribbon around the box to hide the remaining visible frayed edge!

2. With Sorority Letters — Iron on your Greek sister’s letters to a fabric of your choice. Choosing iron-on’s is a savvy, simple, and classy way to spice up a gift for your sorority sister. Check out Elitegreeks.com for iron-on letters galore and price listings.

3. With A Poster —  Is one of your girl friends obsessed with Drake or Tim Tebow? If the gift is large enough, wrap it in a giant picture of someone’s celebrity crush and you’re sure to get a thankful reaction–now they have a gift and a new poster! Whomever the celebrity shall be, there’s bound to be a poster available for them. Or, especially if the item is on the smaller side, make a collage of a selection of photos to wrap the item in.

CL tip: If you’re using tape to bind your DIY gift wraps, consider buying this convenient Scotch tape dispenser that can be slipped onto one of your hands to keep them both free!

Tiana Blue is an intern for College Lifestyles™ and is a print journalism major at Penn State. This sophomore is an avid blogger that loves to write, draw, roam the streets of Manhattan, and channel her inner chef by watching Food Network re-runs.

On The Fifth Day Of Christmas CL’s Giving You… 5 DIY Decor Tips!

DIY is appropriate for any time of the year, especially if you’re looking to save some cash around the holidays. Need a few decor tips? No problem! For all of you last minute decorators, CL’s created a list of affordable and savvy DIY projects to jazz up your humble abode this Christmas.

Fuzzy Snowflakes —  This is a fresh spin on classic paper snowflakes. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need:

• Felt fabric
• Scissors

What You’ll Need:

• Gingerbread Man cutouts
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Assorted art supplies (glitter glue, ribbon, craft puff balls…)

Gift-wrap Your Home – Everything’s a present waiting to be opened with this tip.

What You’ll Need:

• Ribbon (different lengths and thickness)
• Scissors

How self-explanatory is this DIY? All you have to do is take your ribbon and have fun wrapping it around different items in your house! From lamp shades to door knobs, legs on a chair to the handles on your fridge, wrap and snip your ribbon around whatever you’d like. Add some charm to your ribbon decorations by tying a bow.

“Kissball” Ornament — Push your mistletoe to the side for this clever ornament drawn up by Goodhousekeeping.com.

What You’ll Need:

• Styrofoam balls (suggested: 4-inches)
• Fabric
• Rubber bands
• Ribbon
• Scissors

Can’t get enough of my DIY tips? Wait until you check out Debra’s article–she shows you how to create a themed party filled with hot chocolate drinks and candy cane party favors. Happy holidays, CL readers!

DIY Sorority Gifts for anyone, anytime

With so many sisters, it seems like a savvy sorority girl always needs to come up with a good, inexpensive gift.  Whether it is for initiation, Big/Little week, graduation or the upcoming holidays, there are many DIY gifts to use.  So gather your markers, glitter, brushes and paint and get ready to create.

Jewelry box:  Go to a craft store and buy a wooden jewelry box.  Some even have frames that you can put pictures of you and your sisters into.  A jewelry box is perfect for a chic co-ed because it holds all of your dearest treasures, including your sorority pins and lavalieres.

 

Wine glasses: Personalized wine glasses are fun and classy.  Write your sister’s name on it and decorate it with her favorite colors using fabric paint.  Add a few gems to glam it up.

Picture frames:  With the amount of pictures taken within the sorority, frames are always practical.  On the frames you can include your sorority’s name, motto, “big and little,” sisters or your favorite sisterhood quote.  Show your sister what she means to you.

Bracelets:  Bracelet making can be a lot more sophisticated than it was at camp.  Find beads that fit your sister’s personality and string them on thin wire instead of string.  Make it your sorority colors to keep it symbolic of your sisterhood.

Mirror:  When your sister looks in the mirror, encourage her to do so with a smile.  Painting her a mirror and personalizing it with her favorite things and the sorority reminds her of her support system.  Encourage Beauty by Confidence.

Ornament:  Ornaments comply with the holiday season, but they can also be kept up all year.  Find a cut out of your sorority’s mascot at a craft store and decorate it.  Or purchase a clear ornament.  With a brush, apply a coat of glue.  Apply cut up tissue paper carefully to the wet ornament.  Place another coat of clear glue and let dry.  It creates a unique, creative ornament!

Painted canvas:  Purchase a small canvas and paint a sisterhood quote, your sorority’s letters or your sorority’s mascot.  It is a thoughtful room decoration for your sister.

Clipboard: Is your sister the president of your sorority?  Or is she just very busy with her schedule?  Buying a plain clipboard, or desk organizer, and painting it can make her bland everyday tool a cute accessory.

Pillow:  If you are crafty or you want to try your backstitch, make a monogrammed pillow.  Cut two 8″x8″ pieces of felt.  Cut a large letter shape from a different colored felt.  Center the letter on a piece of felt and backstitch in place using thread.  Backstitch around the 8″x8” felt with the letter, working ¼” in from the edge, using thread.  Using running stitch and thread, stitch the front and back together, placing your stitches close to the backstitch line. Add the fiberfill before closing.

Mug:  Help your sister start the day right with a personalized mug.  Most mugs can be decorated on with permanent markers or paint.  It can be sentimental, witty or cute!

When it comes to DIY gifts there are many options to choose from.  Pick a gift that you will have fun making because your sister will enjoy receiving it.  Remember to always add the personal CL lady touch!

A Classy Guide to a Green Halloween

 

Wanna be green this Halloween? I’m not just talking about ghouls and goblins. There’s tons creative ways to make great costumes and decor with accessories in your closet—and recycle bin. Here’s three tips for a fun and eco-friendly Halloween!

1.Take a hard look at your wardrobe. Look through all your drawers, closets and hampers for plain colored shirts, hats or any other accessory that might lend itself to a  costume. The comfiest costumes are made from items you probably already own. For example, this simple pirate costume is nothing more than a striped blouse, white skirt, and snazzy belt. Any black hat and pair of boots would complete this pirate look!

2.Go Second-Hand Shopping. If there’s a thrift shop nearby, you’re in luck! For those of you who aren’t sure what I mean, I’m talking about a store that sells used items. If you’re someone who’s been reluctant to buy second-hand clothes, just know a lot of timesthrift stores have some great quality pieces- you just have to know what you’re looking for! It’s a great excuse to go shopping and hang out with the girls—and you’ll be surprised how much money you’ll have left in your pocketbook. No thrift shop nearby? Organize a costume swap with you and your friends. Maybe you’ll get a hold of that sassy maid costume you’ve been looking for!

3. Never under estimate the power of a paper bag. Or plastic bottle for that matter. Don’t be afraid to get creative with plastic, paper, or any other recyclable. Check out these eco-friendly costumes. My personal favorite is the bat made from recycled umbrellas. Need décor ideas for a party? These adorable decorations from Green Your Décor are to-die-for. What can you do with a paper bag? The possibilities are endless!

 

Halloween is a fun time to dress up and have fun with friends. Be safe, have fun—and most of all– be green!

 

Martha-Raye Adjei is an environmental studies major with a concentration in Sustainable Apparel at the University of Delaware. She hopes to become a journalist and sustainable apparel designer. In her spare time she likes to read, swim and watch TV

A CL Guide to Dealing with an Undesirable Space

Living in a cramped area with a faulty A/C or a leaky faucet that keeps you tossing and turning would stress out the most poised of co-eds. But don’t fret! Many college students have mastered the art of making tough situations work, and dealing with a less than perfect dorm or apartment is no exception. If you cringe at the thought of going home after classes, continue reading for some classy tips.

Shun Bare Walls

Opening your front door to a room full of vibrant photos, glossy posters, and colorful decals will keep your spirits lifted in the midst of a stressful day and hide cold, drab walls. Even switching out your curtains can make all the difference. “Since typical dorm curtains scream 1976, try replacing them with inexpensive curtains from home,” said suite101.com. Curtains can also turn into a great DIY project, perfect for a roommate bonding session. Try buying inexpensive curtains in a light, solid color and paint them or sew on some buttons or patches. How you decorate is a reflection of your personality, so don’t let old paint get the best of you.

Be Your Roomie’s BFF

If your living arrangements aren’t what you had in mind, don’t deal with it alone–become close with your roommate(s) since you’re all in this together! No one will understand the contempt you have for the communal bathroom or a tiny bedroom quite like a roommate will. If you’re rooming with students that you don’t know, grab lunch, kick back and watch a movie, or go out together at night to get to know them better. If you’re rooming with good friends, then you’re all set–your support system is already right by your side!

Get To Know Your Neighbors

It’s best to feel comfortable with who you’re sharing your space with and to become familiar with who’s living in the surrounding dorms and apartments. This will ensure that you won’t spend every waking moment in a place that you don’t care for. Happily introduce yourself (saying that you’re one of their neighbors), and start up a conversation about something simple, like how they feel about their dorm or apartment. Also, keep your dorm room door open as much as possible–it’ll make your room appear inviting and students will feel inclined to stop by! And if you’re living in an apartment, let your neighbors know that they are always welcome inside whenever you’re home.

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

College is about more than just loving where you live. Your experience away from home is for learning about yourself, making memories, and getting an education, even if that means dealing with a few decades-old dorm room or an apartment with beaten up furniture. Try your best to look past your living space’s flaws, and focus more on how you can make the situation better!

Here at College Lifestyles, we’re all about lending a helping hand, so to help the ladies that are currently struggling with dorm and apartment decor, my question for all you classy readers is: how have you transformed your undesirable spaces?

Tiana Blue is an intern for College Lifestyles™ and is a print journalism major at Penn State. This sophomore is an avid blogger that loves to write, draw, roam the streets of Manhattan, and channel her inner chef by watching Food Network re-runs.

The IT Spring Handbags for Every CL Girl

One of my main fashion addictions is small accessories – handbags, rings, belts… and I’m assuming many of you have this addiction, as well. This accessory addiction could be a huge problem for your bank account, unless you understand the fine art of seeing it, liking it, and making it (aka, the fashion DIY). So, my CL ladies, let’s talk about the “It” bag looks for the upcoming season, and how to find or make a cheaper version!

A favorite look of mine for spring is the disco bag! It’s the small bag with a long,cross-body strap that is perfect for every activity, from sightseeing to a night on the town. And while this Marc Jacobs shoulder bag is adorably chic, this particular piece, costing $625, is out of many of our budgets. Instead, fall in love with this statement cross-body bag from Forever 21 – and for $25, you can be fashion-forward, and still afford your Starbucks fix!

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Another fun trend to try for spring is the boxier, vintage camera bag inspired tote. With more simple detailing, classic fastenings, you can pair it with other statement pieces for a standout look. Prada has a tailored, elegant, boxy bag, and it can be yours for the low price of $2,250! Or, try this fashion DIY for a more credit card friendly approach.

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For another statement piece, go for the faux fur clutch; however, instead of searching the sales rack at your nearest department store, try out this simple DIY. All you’ll need is a yard or so of faux fur, ribbon, a chain, a needle and thread – and voila! A chic and trendy faux fur clutch that will be sure to impress.

Remember, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to look classy and fabulous; it’s all about the way you carry yourself in your fashions! Have confidence, and present yourself with poise, and soon everyone will be dying to know where you got your Marc Jacobs lookalike!

XOXO

Lauren Zeinstra is a senior at Western State College of Colorado, majoring in Marketing and Management. Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Student Government Association, she loves coffee, fashion, learning, and dance parties!

Group Halloween Costumes for Those Classy Co-Ed’s on a Budget!

These days, I wake up to find my car covered in leaves, to feel the temperature is a couple degrees cooler than the day before, and I hear party and costume talk more and more with each day.  This can only mean one thing: Halloween is right around the corner!!  Halloween is my favorite time of year, and not for the parties or candy (though I do love the candy), but because it is a time where people of all ages can be creative, unique, and stand out with their costumes.  I used to spend lots of $$$ on costumes that I wear only once in my life!  Now, my friends and I have grown out of that phase in our lives, and have moved on to bigger and better (and more affordable) things.

If you are a classy, sorority lady like myself, you know how important group costumes can be.  There is three nights of Halloween at Binghamton University: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  In my sorority, tradition holds that one night we dress up all together as the same thing, one night as a smaller group, and one night is personal choice.  Whether it is a sorority rule or you just don’t want to dress up alone, here are some great group costume ideas I have thought of over the years.

1. Santa’s Little Helpers- a great costume for the whole sorority.  With Christmas coming just around the corner after Halloween, why not bring in the holiday joy a little early?  All you really need is a Santa hat (around $5 at any party store) and a red dress.

2. Devils and Angels- Another great one for large groups.  Just wear black and red for devil or white for an angel.  Then all you need to buy is Devil ears or an angel halo.  Party City has a 3 piece devil kit (ears, bow tie, and tail) for just $7.

3. Clue Board Game Characters- This is such a different idea and pretty easy to do.  Dress as a maid with white hair for Mrs. White.  Wear anything purple with a beard, a pipe, and glasses for Professor Plum.  Mrs. Peacock wears blue and is very wealthy so pearls or a big brooch would do the trick.  For Colonel Mustard, an adventurer’s costume or even military themed outfit would work, with a hat and magnifying glass (even an Indiana Jones hat would work, $10 at Party City).  And for Miss Scarlet, anything sexy and red will do!

4. Gilligan’s Island Characters- Another good one for small groups.  Gilligan wears a red shirt, white pants and a navy hat.  Skipper wears a blue shirt and a captain’s hat.  Pigtails and a plaid shirt for Mary Ann.  A flashy, shiny dress for movie star Ginger and glasses and a button down shirt for the professor.

5. The Incredibles- Not only is it a great movie, but it is also a fun costume!  All you need is an Incredibles shirt (about $20 if you order it online) and a black skirt or shorts with high black boots.  Use a black sleeping mask and cut out holes for your eyes.  This is a great costume for large groups- someone can even be Syndrome! Just get a black shirt and paint or tape a big S on it and wear a towel or a sheet as a cape!

6. Charlie’s Angels-  There’s lots of ways to go with Charlie’s Angels, but the easiest is to wear all black and high black boots and stand around each other all night doing the signature Charlie’s Angels pose.

7. Powerpuff Girls- another threesome, but you can always have double the girls! This one has a lot to do with color.  Wear pink, green, or blue with pigtails or a pink bow in your hair.  Then do very colorful eyes to match what color you are wearing.  I will definitely be doing this one this Halloween!

8. Deal or No Deal Models- another great one for large groups.  Wear the same color dress and make a fake briefcase with cardboard and silver and black spray paint.

9. Football Players and Cheerleaders- not so original, but if you are hosting a party with a fraternity, like my sorority is, it is a great way to dress up together with the boys.

10. My favorite one of all, my masterpiece- the Seven Deadly Sins! I have 6 best friends and we will definitely be doing this one this Halloween.  It is a bit tricky, so we will have to put our creativity at full blast (especially for sloth- any ideas?!), but here is what we were thinking: For lust, wear something a little sexy and red with bright red eye and lip makeup.  For Gluttony, just a black dress with all different types of food taped on (and when you are out and hungry you’ll have something to snack on!).  For Greed, incorporate money into the outfit.  Wrath is also a red theme, similar to lust, but I could see a punk-rock outfit as well with very dark black eye makeup.  Envy is anything green and for Pride, trophies, medals, a Miss America sash, and a Tiara.  Here is some inspiration from the America’s Next Top Model photo shoot!

There you have it, my favorite group costume ideas!  What will you and your friends be dressing up as this Halloween!?

Looking for more DIY Halloween costumes? Check out CL Intern Samantha’s article A Classy Co-Ed’s DIY Guide to Fun, Easy & Affordable Halloween Costumes.

Erin Pitkow is a junior Cinema major at Binghamton University and a proud member of Alpha Epsilon Phi! She LOVES television and movies and is currently attempting to watch every movie listed in ’1001 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die’. 33 down, 968 to go!

DIY Designer Ribbon Headbands for the Stylish Co-ed

Glam headbands are the new way to stay chic and bring the heat.  By designing your own, you can personalize your ribbon headband to match your style or accessorize your favorite outfit.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• approx. 20” of ribbon (play with different textures and widths!)
• 2 elastic hair ties
• decorations  (anything will work—flowers, studs, feathers, jewels… it’s time to get creative!)
• hot glue gun with glue sticks (or a needle and thread for you crafty gals)

Supplies can be found at your local supermarket or craft store.  We like Hobby Lobby because of their wide selection of decorations!  Prices for decorations range from $1.50-$5.99 typically and ribbon costs less than $2.

Let’s get started!

1. Loop the 2 elastic hair ties together as shown.

2. Place the ribbon top-side down.  Now place one of the loops of your hair tie knot around the ribbon leaving about ½” of the outside edge of the ribbon extending past the elastic loop.  Fold the ribbon over the hair tie loop and glue (or sew) being careful to not attach the elastic, only ribbon to ribbon.  There should be a loop in which the elastic hair tie rests freely to allow for movement when you are finished with this step.

3. Test the length of the ribbon for your desired fit and place a mark on the inside of the ribbon where you want the other end of the elastic to attach.

4. Cut off the excess ribbon 1” longer than the place you have marked.

5. Attach the elastic hair tie to the other side of the ribbon using the same technique explained above.

6. Start designing!  Using your hot glue gun, you can now decorate your ribbon headband anyway you like!

Here are some styles of headbands we can’t get enough of!

Fashionable Flowers

Grecian Goddess

Precious and Perfect

Design your own glam headbands with these easy DIY steps!  Show off your creations around campus, share them with friends, and feel good knowing savvy little you is a designer-in-training! Watch out world…. the College Lifestyle gals are intelligent, inspired, and fabulously crafty.  So get designing ladies, and send us pics of your best creations!

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