As a college student, probably on a budget, it is helpful to
find unique ways to decorate your room without breaking the bank. Utilizing
free and cheaper materials to create personalized wall décor is a great way to
spruce up your walls. Paint chips and samples provide an excellent medium to
express your creativity and personality. You can find paint chips in either
ombre tones (fading from dark to light) or full color samples. Hopefully
the ideas below spark some great ideas for your room.
A simple, yet really interesting idea is to create a clock
using paint swatches. Pick a color that matches your rooms color scheme and find
paint chips with the ombre tones on one swatch. You will need multiple samples
that you can cut into equal rectangles. Once you have your
strips of paint samples, arrange them in a clock like fashion on a solid
surface. This surface can be square, rectangular, circular, or any other shape
you would like. After that, you can choose to decorate the center with a design,
quote, or picture. Once you are satisfied with the center, add the clock
mechanism which can be found on line or in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, or
a craft store. If you didn’t want to make it from scratch, you can always find
a plain clock and spice it up with the paint chips in the same fashion.
Another way to use paint samples effectively is to create a
dry erase calendar. Again, the ombre samples make this a bit easier, because it
clearly shows the difference between the days and weeks. You can choose to make
each day a different color or pick one color to use throughout. If you do want to use
different colors, you will need 7 (one for each day of the week). Once
you pick your colors, find a picture frame to use for your calendar. The glass
allows you to use dry erase markers, so it can change from month to month and
you can add notes and reminders. Use the
backing cardboard to secure your samples.When creating the calendar, you need a table of 7 columns by 6 rows.
The top row will be for the day titles, so this row can be a bit narrower than
the others. Leave space at the top for the month heading. Once everything is secure, fasten the cardboard backing to the
frame and add the appropriate dates for the month.
Paint chips make it very easy to create all sorts of designs
and mosaics to display in your room. Here, the possibilities are endless. Use
colors that compliment your color scheme or add pizzazz to walls. You can
adhere them directly to the wall (be sure to check your hall’s policy regarding
this), on canvas, or frame it. Just go to a local home improvement store,
Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Sherwin Williams, etc. and find a bunch
of paint chips and let your creativity flow.
One last way to utilize paint chips is to make notebooks.
Although this is not a décor idea, they can be helpful for various classes to
take notes. Use the long strip-like sample. Fold so one side is longer than the
other. Next, fold the extra length to cover the shorter side to create a
matchbook style notebook. Then cut about 20 pieces of paper to fit inside the
book. Staple the paper to bottom flap and fold the top into the flap. Finally,
decorate the cover however you want!
Paint chips are an excellent way to add color and personality
to your room. Keep checking back each week for more tips and suggestions to help you create your home away from home.
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