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It’s back-to-school season, and droves of students are heading to dorms around the world with books, school supplies, and living essentials to make their dorm rooms feel a little more like home. This month our How-to Tuesday posts will be all about how to use crafty projects to make over a dorm room – and all on a college student’s budget. 

Sleeping, studying, snacking… did we mention sleeping? Cozy, comfortable bed sheets are an important part of dorm life! Make your bed stand out with a little custom fabric stamping on your pillowcases and sheets. This is a great project to do as you pack up sheets for school, with your new roommate once you get there, or with other friends on the floor as you get to know each other.

By stamping just the border of the flat sheet and the pillowcases you get a lot of impact with very little paint. Plus, by painting only the edges, you won’t even feel the painted parts as you drift off to sleep. 

The bad news is that it’s Monday again. The good news is that we’ve rounded up some of the best bookish, geeky, and crafty links of the last week to help get you through your day. Whether you are looking for a new short story to read, or dreaming of a bookish vacation, there’s sure to be something here to make your Monday a little brighter.

Songs that reference literature are nothing new. Even if you’re not a fan (as I am) of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” or didn’t realize that David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs was intended to be a 1984 musical, you’ve probably heard some type of music that drew inspiration from books. (And yes, Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”—grudgingly—counts.)

But when musicians go one step further and reference these works in their music videos, that’s when things get really interesting. So here are ten videos that are among the most thought-provoking, spot-on, or just very wacky.

[Not included were music videos that reference the Bible (because hoo boy is that a whole other can of worms) or, despite our deep and abiding love for all things Harry Potter, any wizard wrock.]

He specializes in murders and executions—that is, mergers and acquisitions. His suits are as sharp as his knives and his business cards are better than yours. He dabbles in cocaine and prostitutes. He is Patrick Bateman, our favorite American Psycho. We know he has a soft spot for ‘80s pop, but let’s take a deeper dive into his playlist.

Medieval manuscripts are known for their beautiful illumination, aka the imaginative and colorful illustrations inside letters or in the margins. But have you ever taken a closer look at what these illustrations actually depict? There can be some bizarre-looking stuff happening in these pages. This ain't your typcial Renaissance Faire fare: 

This Sunday, August 30, is Frankenstein Day…and the birthday of the beloved monster's creator, Mary Shelley. What better way to celebrate than to create your own monster? Here's how Shelley did it…good luck!

Infographic created for Quirk Books by Michael Rogalski, eyewashweb.com.