Imagine feeling more relaxed. See yourself smiling, pleased with your efforts. All this can be yours - once you start enjoying a hobby.

A craft can be any hand made project that you take pleasure in doing - it could be painting, needle work, knitting, home decoration, wood work. Medical studies have shown that there are physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits from having an active interest in crafting.

One study of 30 female heart patients reported in American Journal Medical Association showed a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate while subjects completed a simple craft project.

Hobbies and crafts provide a distraction from pressures and stresses of everyday life. When you're engaged in your craft project your mind is concentrating on project, this stops you thinking about everyday problems.

There is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when you have completed a craft project. The final piece is all your own work. It is good to have something tangible, something that you can hold and admire.

The average college student will spend $3,184 per year to furnish their dorm room. That adds up to much more than a couple of posters from campus bookstore. Making transition from high school student to college co-ed does take planning. But costs can be controlled with creativity and communication.

A dorm room needs functionality first. With a plan in place before even first desk lamp is purchased, money can be saved by avoiding items that don’t fit budget, room size or theme.

A dorm room is a college student’s haven; it serves many purposes beyond sleep and study. The best way to assure that it will meet and exceed all functions is to establish a color group and theme.

Color is often most difficult decision. By choosing a color or finding inspiration from a pillow, painting, nature, etc. entire room can be designed and unified. Once this decision is narrowed down, visit a paint store for paper color card samples. Keep samples handy when shopping.

The theme is next choice. Any decorating magazine is a starting point to find a style that conveys mood. Shabby chic? The Simpsons? Architectural? Even in a tiny room these elements can make a big difference.

Armed with a color and theme preference, it is time to start shopping. The big three, walls, windows and floors are place to start.

Colleges often have lots of restrictions about treatment of dorm walls, including no nails and no tape. Creativity comes in to rescue. Colored chalk can be applied to many cement block walls and washed off at end of school year. Hanging Kraft paper with poster putty can be either a blank canvas to be added to through year, or painted with a mural, design or solid color. Fabric is inexpensive at mass merchandise stores. Applying fabric to walls with liquid starch is fast, looks great, and leaves only a wall to wash when removed. Canvas stretchers available at craft and artist supply stores come in all sizes. Stretched and stapled fabric on frame gives illusion of a colored, finished wall. Clothes line can hold panels of paper, photographs or posters suspended from ceiling to floor.