Sleeping Beauty

Sleep is hands down my favorite pastime. Socializing, eating, going out, watching tv...they pale in comparison to the thing I love most. As college students, we know just how sumptuous sleep really is! Nothing could be more coveted than getting a full eight hours (can you imagine such luxury?!), and nothing could be more miserable than nodding off in chemistry class. So what could be more important than your bed?

For my bed, I like to stick with a few basic colors. I chose yellow, pool blue, and grey. In general, two "real" colors and a neutral work best. Mixing up your patterns makes your bedding much more engaging, and definitely ups the chic factor. I focused on one big pattern with a few smaller, subtler prints. In this case, I paired a floral bedspread with a heathered body pillow. (If you don't have a body pillow - get one! It will instantly transform your bed into a daybed, perfect for lounging, studying, or just vegging out.) I topped it all off with a pinstripe yellow pillowcase and a quilted blanket, and I love it! The more layers of texture you add, the more interesting your bed will be. But be warned, young grasshopper: if you have a bed this nice, people will take it as an invitation to sit.

So once I had my bedding in place, I took it to the next level with what I like to call "the fairy tale effect." How, you ask? Christmas lights, Christmas lights, Christmas lights! I have the bottom bunk, so I wrapped the lights around the reinforcement bar and then up and down the bed frame. The sheer white curtain on top makes everything instantly pretty! The lighting refracts through the curtain to create a soft, glowy look. 

Now the final step: the DIY canopy. It might look fancy, but it's actually just a twin XL sheet and duct tape. All you have to do is tape the sheet to the metal bed frame on top, and then drape it through the reinforcement bars. So simple! Your roommate's bedding will cover the tape, so everything will look completely polished. Good luck! I hope that you love your bed (almost) as much as I do.