One of the easiest ways to live a green lifestyle is to simply buy only what you need. This is especially true when it comes to painting your spaces. Sure, it’s nice to have a small amount for touch-ups down the road, but that doesn’t mean you want rogue half gallons (or even whole!) sitting in your garage taking up space! Eliminate the waste and buy the correct amount to begin with. Here’s how:MaterialsToolsMeasuring TapeCalculator 1.

Hutches are weird things. They take up a great deal of space, and although they display your collectibles well, unless the vibe of the piece really fits your home, they feel monolithic and out of place. So when Brooke’s friend passed along a hutch from her Grandmother, she set out to make it her own and all we have to say is, “Wow!”Brooke over at The Crafting Chicks really did a bang up job on this transformation.

If there was a single dream that every child (adult?) in America, dare we say the world has, it’s to become a Muppet. You can have favorite characters, but when it comes right down to it, you’ve always wondered what you’d look like Muppet-ized. You no longer have to wait, in fact, you can order a Muppet that looks like each and every family member. Above, we’ve Muppet-ized the boss lady, Carrie and isn’t she soooo cute?!For $99.

When it comes to sprucing up the outdoors, it can be hard to rationalize spending big bucks on designer products. After all, things will get used and abused, walked on, sat on, and beat up by the elements. That’s why I love this transformation so much. It gives a big designer look for very little cash!This entryway has been spruced up with some simple black paint. It now coats the front door and has been stenciled onto an inexpensive indoor/outdoor rug from the local hardware store.

More often than not when we talk about going green renovations, we’re talking about the installation of eco-friendly items into new construction. Even when we’re talking about updating the old, the strides seem small — at least in comparison to this Ottawa residence and business. All we have to say is… wow!

There aren’t many items that I can’t think of some way to transform or repurpose, but when it comes to woven or wicker furniture like these barstools, I’m often at a loss…until now. This trio of trashed items received a makeover from Fabio de Minicis that I never would have thought of!Fabio does wonderful things with items that are otherwise considered discarded, junk or trash, and this barstool makeover is no exception.

Although it’s not terribly difficult to make your own frame for a canvas, it can be more work than required. Check out this thrift store painting — not many would consider hanging it in their homes as is — but with a Bambi makeover, I’m all over it!Over at Under The Table and Dreaming, Stephanie Lynn has been hard at work revamping this red barn into something a little more modern and fresh for her space.

I’m big on repurposing, but usually the items at hand are more obvious. (An old tea pot might become a pretty place for plants or old spaghetti jars could become your new grain storage system.) This transformation, however, is a total surprise! Who knew you could turn a dresser into a desk?What was once a rather heavy and solid dresser has been “hacked” into a truly amazing desk.

One of the best parts about making do with what you have is the opportunity to make awesome improvements! In the case of these stadium seats, although they were cute beforehand, they needed more personality. Ready to see what they look like now?By using foamcore and fabric, the people behind Maple & Magnolia gave the backs of these seats a bit more punch. With the additional help of some color and wax, the chairs are now ready to take center stage!

There are 1,000 different ways to hack furniture from IKEA — although this transformation is so extreme you won’t even recognize it. This ho-hum piece has gone Mid-Century!Inspired by Mid-Century pieces from Paul McCobb, this basic IKEA entertainment stand was given a makeover.With the addition of sliding front panels and retro-style feet stained to match, this piece is anything but basic anymore.

Feather cushioned sofas are oh so soft and comfy — for awhile anyway. Like anything else they can get a little squished and flat. Foam can easily be replaced, but feathers… well that’s a whole different story. So we’re turning to our favorite upholstery pro Shelly Leer.Do you have a feather sofa? Does it need a little love? The good news is there’s something you can do and then there’s what will work in the end.

A humble tuna can has more possibilities than filler for your recycling bin. Give it another life with a pinch and a pull. Want to see what it looks like now?We checked in with Camilla over at Family Chic and although this craft isn’t a lavish one (heck there isn’t even a hot glue gun involved) that doesn’t mean there isn’t beauty in its simplicity.

What happens when you take over your sister’s bedroom? You scramble to rid the space of everything pink and girly. Even after a great deal of elbow grease had already gone into this space to rid it of girl cooties, Max’s room still needed a little punch of hip and cool to better represent the grownup teenager he’s become. Want to see what it looks like now?

We’ve taken a look at many a tufted upholstery project in the past, but not many take the time to document every single step along the way. This transformation is fit for a king with its new purple hue. Want to see what it looks like now?Over at Little Green Notebook Jenny Komenda always has a great project happening. Back in November she took on this amazing headboard project and shared all sorts of tips and tricks along the way.

Although most of us have big plans for our bathrooms (someday!) sometimes big long expansive vanities with oversize mirrors can seem like a hindrance and leave you with less of a personal feeling. Want to see a neat trick to not only add storage but a bit of a custom built-in look as well?Over at Home Talk, there’s a great example of what a little trim can do for your bathroom. It’s a simple way to get a customized look on the cheap.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new ottoman for a while now, but like many things in life, the money has been needed elsewhere. I’ve obviously survived, but there might be a new DIY creation in my future! Check out what this old tire looks like now!Nikki over at That Was A What? has turned this trusty old tire into her new ottoman. She had been coveting rope covered versions online, but even inexpensive ones were pushing $500 or more.

It’s 2012 and we’ve been around long enough to witness several stumps turned side tables, but you know what? We’re still not over it. This tutorial will leave you feeling confident in making your own stump side table while keeping the bark on, the shine high and the wood fully sealed.In many previous stump to side table tutorials I’ve seen, I’ve always been wondering about the presence of bugs, or bark falling off.

We often update our homes to make ourselves more comfortable or happy. We switch up paint, change out hardware and maybe even tear down a wall or two. But, when it comes to resale value, not all of those things are worth it. So, before you retile the bathroom or paint your kitchen cabinets, there’s one thing that you should consider doing first. It’s one of the only projects that will actually pay you more than what you put in. Each year Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs.

Hi, my name is Sarah Smith and I am a ridiculously devoted Menards shopper. Now, please understand: this doesn’t just mean that I like the store and shop there often. At this point, I may as well have my own cot in the lumber yard so I can just spend the night and be there when it opens again in the morning. Why you ask? Oh child, you just don’t even know, but let me enlighten you. Then maybe you can get a cot too —or wait — bunk beds!

Painter’s tape is a modern miracle isn’t it? I mean, sure, the Great Pyramids are cooler, but when it comes right down to it, there isn’t much the blue tape can’t do. We’ve used it to spruce up furniture, for child safety, and to pull off quick and easy design projects. But there’s another genius use for the stuff, and we wish we’d known about it sooner. There are a few things in life that make me cringe.

Steel wool isn’t exactly a jack-of-all-trades item. It’s bristle-y, scratchy, and abrasive, and that’s what most of its uses involve: sanding wood and cleaning your pots and pans chief among them. But there are more uses that you should have on your radar for easy life hacks that will help you out around the house. 1.

Growing up I lived with two very different kinds of parents. My father was the “right tool for the job” type man and my mother was the kind that would use a brass animal figurine to hammer in a nail, instead of taking the time to find a an actual hammer. Because of this combination, I’m always thinking of different ways to use regular household items. Take a tube of caulk for instance, which is handy for bunch of things around the house.

Maxing out every inch of living room space isn’t a new idea, but these days that can mean working to turn a rarely used space into a cool new Airbnb to rent out for extra income. Redditor monkeegod recently shared his recent basement conversion, which included turning a small laundry area into a fully functioning kitchen. He turned a space that’s smaller than most sofas into a rental rockstar. The laundry area was a perfect spot for this transformation.

Is there anything more gratifying than a reset button? When your cell phone is acting finicky, you reset it and suddenly the world returns to normal, right? Turns out there are a bunch of household items that have one, and knowing a problem can be fixed by pushing a button — instead of shouting and swearing, or worse, calling customer service or a repair service —might just save your sanity. Some of these will be quite familiar, but there are a few that you might not know about.

Some things are just plain old hard to remember, especially when it comes to ongoing home maintenance. I’m not talking about doing the dishes or laundry regularly, but the stuff that only needs doing every once in awhile, like cleaning your ceiling fan blades or washing windows. Which is why I love the idea of an air filter that tells you exactly when it’s time to swap it out. My air filter gets a workout.

When it comes to your home, you get what you pay for. It’s why, when you want your countertops to last for decades, you choose a material like quartz. That said, you don’t always need a $1,000 chop saw to reframe a picture. Which is when stores like Harbor Freight — the discount hardware store known for its affordable prices —come in handy. Here are a few of our favorite picks and best buys when it’s perfectly fine to go the cheap route.

Popular Mechanics first launched on January 11th in 1902. Over the past century they’ve written about just about everything that involves home projects: tools, how-tos, and advice. They recently took a look back at some of their household handyman tips, and let’s just say that there were a few rather unorthodox ideas. When it comes to the world of DIY and home repair, people try a lot of stuff out: some stick and become useful and some are just plain clunky and weird.

In my adult life, I’ve moved almost twenty times. No seriously, I have. It’s not a badge of honor by any means, but, because of this, I’m now awesome at packing everything I own in quick order, and knowing exactly how many and what size boxes I’ll need. It’s a super power. So color me surprised when I saw this tip about a new (to me) method of box packing that makes unpacking even easier.

Waiting for clothes to dry is akin to waiting for a watched pot of water to boil. Anyone who’s ever done laundry knows all too well the frustration with dryers that take absolutely forever to actually do their job: they’re the worst. Like, worse than black licorice worse and that’s saying something. If you have access to a dryer at home, here’s a genius way to save time, energy, and money. And bonus, it works for both renters and homeowners alike.