Long ago, back-to-school season was a time of magic and wonder. Now, looking at my drab Walmart binder and blank pencil case, I see that time is over.
Gone are the days when DIY-ers on YouTube would teach us how to glow up for the first day of school, even though they were like, 23 and we were 12. Who will influence me to ruin my notebooks by painting the covers to look like bathroom tiles because my mom wouldn’t let me get marble-print adhesive paper? Who will show me wildly overstocked locker inspo with 18 containers, magnet pencil holders and shelves that my mom also wouldn’t let me get?
Well, the answer is right in front of us. When no one more qualified will do it for you, you do it yourself.
School supplies that aren't boring
Time to get out your notebooks, pencil cases and hot glue gun. If you don’t have any of those things because you take notes digitally and no one really has a hot glue gun sitting around anymore, fear not — this hack is universal. Take your notebook or your $1,000 laptop and cover it in dollar-store glitter. Glue is optional because the glitter will stick where it wants to — aka everywhere. It’s the perfect low-effort DIY that will withstand the first day of classes, midterms, finals, graduation and probably the explosion of the sun.
In-class snack hack
Have you ever been sitting in a lecture, craving an entire box of unsalted crackers? ...No? Okay, pretend for a second because they’re the only thing in my pantry. You can’t eat a whole box of crunchy crackers in class without having an awko-taco moment. Taking a page from one of the classics, this relatable issue has a solution. First, you’re going to acquire a glue stick. Now, scrape out the glue. Tip from my eight-year-old self: mix it with eraser shavings to make a slime-esque substance.
Next, take your crackers and smash them into crumbs. Shove the crumbs into the empty glue stick and cap that bad boy up. Now, when you’re in class and you want crackers, simply uncap your glue stick and pour some right down your gullet! Sure, everyone will think you’re eating glue — and depending on how well you cleaned out that stick, you might be. But remember to be yourself, glue girl, no matter what the haters say.
Make your cramped apartment cute AF
How can you have an aesthetic school year if you don’t have a home straight out of an early 2010s YouTube thumbnail? Make sure your light bulbs are bright and warm so everything looks oversaturated. If your dull thrift-store decor ruins this for you, don’t hesitate to bust out those Dollarama paints! Neon pink, neon blue and neon orange all work, but brat green is really in right now and it’ll look just as dated as those neons in a few years. The glitter from the first hack will also add a fun touch to your furniture, pillows, walls, water supply and more — talk about two for the price of one!
Go forth and listen to royalty-free pop music as the masters once did in their temples of millennial teal. Stick out your tongue and make peace signs as you show an imaginary camera your new-and-improved items. Let the nostalgia drag you by the infinity scarf into this semester.
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