DIYs make dorm rooms more homey

By KELLIN GIBSON
DIY aka “Do It Yourself” projects are not just for Pinterest users, but they are also for UMW dorm room decorators. When students are a long way from home, DIY crafts and creations are a way to subside the symptom of homesickness.

When asked to describe her favorite style, senior and English major Jordan Schultz shares her creative perspective.

“I decorate my room in a way that feels like home to me,” Schultz said. One way Schultz feels at home is by framing the walls with a combination Japanese lanterns and Christmas lights.

“I like to study in a warm light,” Schultz said. Along with a photo collage of friends and family, extensive maps of Europe cover the once bare walls. A hand-painted canvas with Christian scripture and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” on the dresser gives a hopeful message.

“My room tells the story of why I’m here and what I hope to pursue at Mary Wash,” Schultz said. The maps and Eiffel Tower magnets on the mini fridge proudly displays Schutz’s travel bucket- list.

Schultz currently resides in Jefferson Hall, along with the many other residents whose unique dorm rooms do not go unnoticed.

English major and Linguistics minor Maddie Van Dyke is a fan of floral. Her DIY dad presented her with a hand-painted bookshelf for her freshman year. She also shows off her sentimental souvenirs from past events. From tarot cards to buttons to Drag Queen glasses, senior Dyke houses a serious collection.

“Everything has a place,” Dyke said. Her room is also decorated in a shade of turquoise blue, along with a painting of an elephant holding onto a red balloon given to her from her sibling’s artistic hand.

“It was something I saw in a dream and my sister wanted to paint for me,” Dyke said. “The floral pattern also makes me feel comfortable and relaxed.” Dyke is both a resident and an RA at Alvey Hall.

Also an RA, biology and anthropology major Saurabi Lamichhane’s dorm room in Russell Hall continues the floral and turquoise theme. With a motto of “The Room Where it Happens,” an extract from the play “Hamilton,” a fantastic display of washable duct-tape frames flaunt fun photographs of spring flowers and uplifting quotes.

“I was born in March and spring is my favorite season. Everything grows and is a new beginning,” Lamichhane said. “I look at my motivational wall and remind myself that it’s time to make things happen.”

Sophomore Lamichhane also expresses her colorful personality with a pair of hand-painted gold and blue pails for her pencil and toothbrush storage, along with a hand-painted jewelry box in a jungle of red, blue and green that sits proudly on the nearby dresser. DIY is a fun way to express one’s creative self, and where UMW dorm rooms are concerned, the popular trend continues to flourish.