Do It Yourself: 9 More Things You Can Make Instead of Buy

We rounded up ten great home items and tasty food things you should save money on by making (instead of buying) in the post: Do It Yourself: 10 Things to Make Instead of Buy. We’re back with nine more suggestions of things around the house you could save money on in the long-run by DIYing.

1. Curtains
If you want incredibly heavy, huge and intricate curtains — well you might be better off finding a deal to buy if you’re not particularly DIY-inclined. But, consider a DIY set of curtains before you press “purchase,” as many options exist for making your own, oftentimes for much less than you could purchase them. Try these ideas: Making Your Own Curtains: Easy Instructions from Across the Web.

2. Patterned fabric
There are a ton of beautiful, colorful, patterned fabrics out there just waiting to be made into curtains, pillows, sheets and more. But you know what? Some of them can cost a pretty penny. If you’ve got the DIY inclinations, try making your own patterns for your DIY textile projects. You could make your own mudcloth, stencil on fabric or even stamp your sheets, for example.

3. Gifts
They not only cost less, but handmade gifts often mean more to both the gift giver and gift receiver. Some ideas here.

4. Toys
Since a kid’s tastes change pretty rapidly, you can save money by DIYing toys to keep their attention. Try these: 10 Darling DIY Toys that You Still Have Time to Make!

5. Granola
Granola can be made in bulk, just to your liking and easily at home. Why do I keep buying it? Try this great make-at-home recipe before buying your next batch of granola: How To Make the Best Granola.

6. Floating shelves/wall hooks
Need some stylish shelves and extra storage? Make your own, pretty easily! DIY Shelves: 5 Sleek DIY Shelf Storage Projects Under $50.

7. Frames for art
It doesn’t always make sense to DIY your own frames for art — you can often find deals on frames for smaller pieces of art with a little bit of searching — but oversize large pieces or oddly-sized and shaped pieces could cost you a lot of money to have professional framed. Consider the price of making your own, instead. How to Build a Custom DIY Floating Frame for Artwork, DIY Ideas for Framing Large Artwork and How To Make a Magnetic DIY Frame for Artwork…in 10 Minutes are great ideas.

8. Candles
Why buy a pricey candle when you can make a cute and fragrant one from a clementine? How To: Make a Clementine Candle.

9. Hummus
I always forget to make hummus, and then spend a lot of money buying it pre-made from the store (because I love and eat a lot of hummus). But you can make this tasty and healthy dish at home easily — and make a lot of it at a time to save and store for snacking later. This Kitchn recipe is a good place to start: How To Make Hummus from Scratch.

What else would you add to this list?

Re-edited from a post originally published 9.7.14-NT