Dorm Room Decorating

Written by Julie Hanahan


Continued from page 1

Windows may be furnished with curtains. Ifrepparttar curtains are passable, personalize them with trim added with safety pins or removable Velcro®. Scarves or fabric can create temporary swags and accents. If there are no curtains, make a rod from anythingrepparttar 115969 right length…a bamboo pole, baseball bat or lacrosse stick, or PVC pipe. Dress with ribbons in various lengths, ropes of artificial ivy, old neckties, sheets buttoned on torepparttar 115970 rod. Or purchase curtains or blinds, purchased to fitrepparttar 115971 window width and length.

Walls, windows and floors complete,repparttar 115972 beds arerepparttar 115973 largest objects inrepparttar 115974 room. Ifrepparttar 115975 cost of a new comforter is prohibitive, sheets make a bed in a bag with just straight seams sewn or glued, to refresh an old comforter. Whether buying new or creating new, consider a reversible comforter for two different looks and quick camouflage for spills. Many schools use extra-long twin beds, be certain that sheet sets will accommodaterepparttar 115976 extra length.

Storage is biggest hurdle in most dorm rooms. In addition to purchased closet organizer systems, do-it-yourself storage can make sense. Heavy duty cardboard boxes with lids (copier paper boxes or shipping boxes) can be covered with fabric or paper to make storage for sweaters or old class notes. Hat boxes from thrift shops are great even unadorned. Plastic hooks are readily available, butrepparttar 115977 only limit is imagination for alternate hooks and hangers. Old drawer pulls, catcher’s masks, even bent silverware makes unique holders.

Lighting is key for studies. Lamp kits can turn any heavy base into a functional lighting source. Keep withrepparttar 115978 theme ofrepparttar 115979 room and create an accent lamp from a childhood toy, garden statue or sports souvenir. A store bought lamp is transformed with a shade embellished with ticket stubs or photos. Holiday mini-lights can be festooned across a ceiling for accent lighting.

Accessories forrepparttar 115980 room are endless. Keep a list in mind of what is needed first, then add accents asrepparttar 115981 budget allows. The best and least expensive place to shop is at home. An existing lamp or bean bag chair may be just right forrepparttar 115982 dorm. Summer garage sales and thrift shops can uncover unique finds for lamps, storage and electronics. Internet shopping gives a fast and thorough overview of available items.

Without spendingrepparttar 115983 big bucks ofrepparttar 115984 average college student, a dorm room can be a place of refuge after a hectic day of classes that really feels like home.

Julie Hanahan, president of Living Arts Style, Inc. develops interior decoration solutions for her clients. Her philosophy is to use your existing furnishings and accessories first, before recommending a single purchase. . She is a member of I.R.I.S., the Redesign Guild, ODDA, and an Interior Design Society affliate. She is a regular contributor to WKYC-TV3 as their Interior Decorating Specialist.


The Theraputic Value of Scrapbooking

Written by Kathy Johnson


Continued from page 1

The physical benefits of scrapbooking became evident to me while working with a young brain injured individual in Rehab. This person usedrepparttar cropping tools to increase her fine motor skills, as well asrepparttar 115968 photos to help with memory recall of loved ones and others from her life. Cutting with scissors or a paper trimmer and handwriting journaling helps build good fine motor skills as does using shapes and stencils. Visual/perceptual skills are also utilized withrepparttar 115969 activity.

Following directions ofrepparttar 115970 therapist or using an idea book help with organizing thoughts and following verbal and written instruction. The organization skills needed to complete a scrapbook page can assist a head injured individual withrepparttar 115971 skills needed in many aspects of their life, from Activities of Daily Living to work skills for returning to employment. The step by step tasks of building a scrapbook page allowrepparttar 115972 individual to process information and putrepparttar 115973 steps together to form a completed task. Then putting allrepparttar 115974 pages together to form a completed scrapbook reinforcesrepparttar 115975 idea of task completion andrepparttar 115976 overall understanding of getting an end product from their labor of love.

Overallrepparttar 115977 craft of scrapbooking can be therapeutic to all of us in some way. The companies that create scrapbooking supplies and tools are often coming out with easier and less complex ways to create scrapbooks. Someone with limited hand motion or cognitive skills can learn to master this wonderful craft with minimal guidance. I highly recommend scrapbooking as a therapeutic tool for anyone and hope that if you know someone who would reap its benefits, you will pass your love of this art form on to them.

Kathy Johnson, COTA Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and Crop Camp Coordinator

Kathy is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and avid scrapbooker for the past 8 years. She lives in Kansas and works in a small hospital full time, and scrapbooks any time she gets the chance. See more about Kathy at www.cropcamp.com


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