I’ve wanted to do this post for a while, but considering its nature as a DIY post meant that I actually needed to do the DIY projects… which just took a little longer than I expected. But I did it! So here it is. Ampersand’s first DIY post. {I would say there would be more, but I’m not the most DIY savvy, despite my obsession with Pinterest. I guess we’ll see.}

 

I have a remote internship this summer, aka I work from my house three days a week. (The other days I’m baristaing, of course) Fortunately, I have a “desk room” off of my bedroom that houses my desk as well as my sister’s. Unfortunately, I hadn’t touched it since middle school, making it a less-than-conducive work space. So I decided to spruce it up a little bit (after throwing out all my awkward-year pictures and doodled-filled notebooks). Here are some of the small changes I made that drastically updated this space!

My editorial internship means that I live & die by deadlines (life of a writer). So, to keep on top of my deadline game, I decided to transform my cork board into a HUGE calendar (with Krista’s help). Everyone needs a little organization in their lives, so here’s how you can make your own.

What you’ll need: 

• cork board, any size
• thumbtacks (I used clear)
• Washi tape (in the pattern of your choice!)
• white paper
• a ruler
• a sharpie

Here’s how you do it: 

1. Measure the width of the cork board and figure out how wide each column will be. For my schedule, I don’t have a lot of work due on the weekends, so I combined Saturday and Sunday into one column (so I marked my cork board for 6 even columns.) {Pro-tip: Make sure you take into account the width of the washi tape when measuring!}

2. Run the washi tape vertically on your marks. Press as you go. (It should stick fairly well!)

3. Secure the ends of the washi tape with thumb tacks so it doesn’t curl up.

4. Now mark the rows, starting at the top. Most months don’t have more than 4 and 1/2 weeks, plus you need space at the top for day markers, so marking 6 rows is a safe bet!

5. Run the washi tape horizontally, pressing as you go again. Secure with thumbtacks.

6. Now it’s time for the day markers! Cut white paper the same width and height of your top row of squares. Then with your sharpie, create day markers (I chose to do abbreviations). Secure each day with thumbtacks.

7. Last thing to do is the numbers! Cut small paper squares for all the days and arrange them accordingly. You can use double stick tape to adhere them to the cork board, but to prevent my numbers getting ruined each month, I just tacked them up.

{Keeping track of deadlines in style}

My original desk came with these really boring white knobs. They’re totally functional and not bad by any means, but my desk needed a little pizazz. So I took a solo trip to the Home Depot (my dad would be so proud), wandered around a bit and found the hardware section. There are TONS of options for knobs so pick something that goes with your style! I opted for small crystal ones, for a classy, vintage look.

Before…

After!

It’s not a huge DIY project, but sometimes the small details make a big difference! {Pro-tip: if your knobs are loose or not fitting correctly, use a small washer in between the inside of the desk drawer and the screw. It’ll help the knob fit better!}

My roommates and I collected empty wine bottles all year. (We had quite the collection by May!) You’ve all seen the glitter bottles done before (mostly on Pinterest) and there’s a million different ways to do it, so here’s another suggestion on how to make an ombre glitter wine bottle.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• an empty wine bottle (get drinking!)
• newspaper
• Elmer’s spray glue (yes it does exist)
• loose glitter (best in an easy to pour container)

{Some pro-tips before you get started: do it outside. Otherwise you’ll have glitter everywhere. Also, consider wearing gloves because the excess from the glue spray will get on your hands and it’s REALLY hard to get off. If you can, use a bottle with a screw top vs. a cork so you can close it and turn it upside down to get the glitter everywhere.}

Also sorry there are no pictures for each step. It’s kind of a hard process to start and stop!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Clean your wine bottle and make sure it’s dry. To get off the label, use goo-gone. Seriously, it’s miraculous.

2. Outside, hold the glue spray 1-2 inches away from the mouth of the bottle. Spray. You should see a liquid residue building up on the bottom/sides.

3. Shake some glitter into the bottle. The  glue doesn’t dry immediately and its liquidly consistence allows you to “swirl” your glitter around and distribute it evenly.

4. Do steps 2 & 3 until you’re satisfied with the amount of glitter.

5. Allow your bottle to air dry for at least an hour before putting anything in it.

Sometimes you need a little bit of *sparkle*

What would an office be without a glittery Villanova V? Sad. That’s what. So I made a girly reminder of the Nova Nation.

What you’ll need:

• glitter paper (in navy blue, light blue and white)
• card stock (or thicker paper)
• a glue gun
• scissors
• tape
• three print outs of the Villanova V, all the same size

Here’s what you do: 

1. Attach your stencils (aka your print outs of the V) to the back of your glitter paper. You’re going to be cutting them out, so make sure they don’t shift but don’t tape them so much that you can’t get them off.

2. Cut each section out, depending on the color. So for the white, cut around the outside of the V. For the navy blue, cut within the white border. For the light blue, cut the two small lines.
3. Use the glue gun and glue each piece piece down to the card stock.

{Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat}

Nothing gives a room a whole new look than some nice framed prints. I found these gold-foiled prints from Paper Source and bought some cheap black frames from Michaels.
{Pro-tip: Use the level on your iPhone–it’s under the compass–to make sure you’re hanging things straight!}

And that concludes my quick-fixes and easy-DIY office projects to spruce up my little desk area. Here’s the final product:

No matter if you want to update your room at home or add some personal touches to your cubical at work, sometimes a few small changes can transform your entire space!

Happy crafting! &.