As the semester is winding down, things may be getting more stressful. If you are looking for a way to relax, here are a few quick and easy crafts you can do. 

Make a pillow cover out of a T-shirt

If you have an old T-shirt that you like but dont think you’ll wear, make it into a pillow case with these simple instructions. 

Supplies 

You will need: a T-shirt, in good condition, a pillow that fits inside the T-shirt (make sure there are a few inches left over on the sides, a needle and thread or a sewing machine and scissors.  

Directions

First, wash the shirt and then cut it. Make it about a ½ inch longer on each side than the end of the pillow. If there is a design on the shirt, for this first part, turn the design face down.  It is recommended to leave about a ¼ inch seam allowance. 

Lastly, turn the pillow cover right side up again. Then, put the pillow into the cover and sew it shut. And you’re done. 

Plant “pot” made from a book 

Supplies 

For this you will need a book (a hardcover one you won’t read again), an X-Acto knife, a hot glue gun, tacky glue, a two millimeter heavy plastic drop cloth, a succulent and some fish gravel (what you put at the bottom of a fish tank).

Directions

Put a coating of tacky glue onto the outside pages of the book on the front and the back. Be sure not to get glue on the outside cover. Wait until it dries overnight to continue. 

With the X-Acto knife cut a rectangle out of the center of the book. Leave an inch around the book. Then, continue cutting deeper into the book. This will be the area you will put in your soil and the plant. Continue cutting into the pages until you get to the back cover. 

Cut the drop cloths to fit inside the rectangle shape you’ve made with a few inches excess around the edge. 

Close the book then cut it to fit the same rectangle shape you made in the pages. Once you’re done with that, put in the plastic and secure it with hot glue. Trim the edges to fit. 

Lastly, wait until the glue dries then place soil and your plant inside. Add some of the fish gravel on top of the soil.

These crafts are fun to display around your house and will help take your mind off the stressors in your life for a little while. 

Sasha Anand is a third year Literature and Writing major and Spanish minor. She aspires to pursue a writing  or teaching career in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family and friends. This is her third year working with The Cougar Chronicle.