Some DIYers have a real knack for spotting products at IKEA that were just meant to be something else. In the case of this Before & After, a standard shelving unit gets an entirely new purpose and becomes a beautiful light fixture. More

Angela over at Snag has a knack for thrifting that motivates the masses to keep searching for that diamond in the rough, even in the dingiest of thrift stores. She scored this Cosco bar cart for $3.99 — it was, in her words, "covered in rust, dust, and who knows what else." Lots of elbow grease and some steel wool prepped the cart for a mid-century modern finish that's sure to drop some jaws at Angela's next cocktail party. More

My baby niece has many adorable things, but the one I covet most is her mobile. (I felt a little sheepish about my affinity for dangling plush animals, until my sister pointed out that mobiles are really for adults anyway: all Madeleine can see from her crib is a lot of lion and tiger undersides, suspended tantalizingly just out of reach.) If you, too, are a little jealous of the babies in your life, here are some mobiles for all us grown-ups out there. More

Christina's Victorian home features a narrow second bedroom, but the space had to function as a work space and a and a guest room, too. Check out how this tiny room was refreshed for around $800...

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Jolene kept some old nail boxes in her garage for some time, waiting for a way to repurpose them into something useful. Can you guess what she made for her kids? Click to see what she and her husband did with one crate in an hour's time, with a few tools and additional supplies. I'll give you a hint: it involves eyebolts. More

Ama found this shelving system at a garage sale for $50. It took her a year to figure out where this wood-veneer credenza would fit in her home. See where it ended up after a beautiful budget transformation:

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Emily of Namely Original is a crafty college student who's never short on clever DIY's and always excited to share them. This time she's taken some boxes headed for the landfill and turned them into organizational bins cute enough to put on display.
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This little Ikea bed frame is cute and very economical, but it lacked a certain joie de vivre. With some MDF, batting, stylish fabric, and lots of clever planning, this little frame went from dull to delightful! More

Lots of people get inspired by the photos they spot on blogs and in magazines, but not everyone actually follows through. Take the story of this project as a push to get up and get it done. Creating this DIY chandelier from scratch took a little money and a whole lot of planning, lumbering and wiring, but the homeowners ended up with a piece that is completely original and insanely gorgeous. More

This relatively plain bathroom got a major face lift with something that looks as good as wallpaper, but is actually impeccably painted, DIYed stencil handiwork. While that has a huge impact on the space, there are a few other east improvements that A Pumpkin and a Princess implemented that helped transform the room — can you spot them? More