100+ DIY Project Ideas & Activities for Memorial Day Weekend

Written by

Dabney Frake
Dabney Frake
Dabney is a Southern-born, New England-raised, current Midwesterner. Her dog Grim is part terrier, part basset hound, part dust mop.
published May 22, 2015
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

It’s a 3-day weekend, which means there’s both time to relax and get some stuff done around your home. Whether you’d like to do something artsy-craftsy, or knock off some household chores from your to-do list, here are tons of DIY projects, activities and decorating ideas to choose from. Dig deep and have a great holiday!

  1. Make Some Household Basics: How To Make Soap
  2. Amp Up Your Appliances: How To Paint a KitchenAid Mixer a New Color
  3. Cover What’s Ugly: 9 Ideas for Enhancing Your Builder-Grade Lights
  4. Stow Your Wheels: How to Build a Vertical Bike Rack Using Spare Parts
  5. Repurpose a Pot: How To Make a Pendant Light from an Old Lid
  6. Create Some Stylish Storage: A Dozen DIY Projects Featuring Wood Dowels
  7. Get a Good Night’s Rest: Not Sleeping? 3 Things You Haven’t Tried Yet
  8. Make Over A Play Favorite: 10 Ways to “Remodel” IKEA’s DUKTIG Kitchen
  9. Make Some Art for Spring: How To Make a Handmade Bird Mobile
  10. Show Your Books Some Love: Beautiful Bookcases You Can Make Yourself
  11. Change Up a Wall: How To Hang Fabric as Wallpaper
  12. Organize Your Entryway: How to Make a Small Wall Organizer
  13. Frame Some Art: How to Build a Custom DIY Floating Frame
  14. Lose the Wires: How To Make Any Lamp Cordless
  15. Swap Out Your Seats: How To Reupholster A Chair Pad
  16. Grow Something Green: How To Make a Terrarium
  17. Hack a Rug: How To Make an Easy Wall Tapestry
  18. Make Some New Hardware: How To Make DIY Drawer Pulls from Anything
  19. Add Some Oomph: How To Recover an Old Lampshade
  20. Tackle a Chilly Job: How To Clean & Organize a Refrigerator
  21. Boost Your Doorway: How to Customize a Plain Welcome Mat
  22. Customize Your Kitchen: How To Paint Laminate Countertops
  23. Make Something Rad: Retro Headphone Bookends
  24. Hang Some Art in 10 Minutes: How To Make a Magnetic DIY Frame
  25. Get Organized: 30 Ways Magnets Can Help You Around the House
  26. Elevate Your Space: 8 Colorful DIY Projects to Try
  27. Remove Some Pesky Paint: How To Strip Paint From Hardware
  28. Sew Up Some Storage: Easy 30-Minute DIY Felt Bin
  29. Add Some Color: Upcycle a Glass Bottle With Ombre
  30. “Build” Some Furniture: Create a Queen-Size Headboard for $45
  31. Help Yourself Remember: Make This 15-Minute DIY Floating Steel Notice Bar
  32. Make a Home for Jackets: How To Make A Coat Tree from Conduit Pipe
  33. Plant Some Succulents: DIY Modular Concrete Planters
  34. Create Something Really Cute: How To Make a Mini Bullet Planter
  35. Make Your Pet Happy: 7 Cats & the DIY Projects Humans Made For Them
  36. Light Things Up: How To Make Candles Using a Microwave
  37. Learn to Cut Your Own Mats: How To Cut a Mat for Framing Artwork
  38. Go Color Crazy: How To Dye Textiles In A Front Loading Washing Machine
  39. Trick Out Your Two Wheels: How To Make a DIY Bike Basket
  40. Make a Table: 10 Ultra Easy DIY Table Project Tutorials Anyone Can Tackle
  41. Dye Some Design: 14 DIY Colorful Textile Home Decor Items to Make
  42. Embellish Your Wall: Stunning DIY Wall Treatments That Look Really Rich
  43. De-Bug Your Lighting: How To Clean Ceiling Light Fixtures
  44. Explore Block Printing: Block Printed Textiles Inspiration & DIY Tips
  45. Paint a Headboard: Quite Possibly The Easiest DIY Decorating Idea Ever
  46. Make Your Home Smell Nice: How To Make a Room Diffuser
  47. Hang Up Something New: How To Make a Pajaki Chandelier
  48. Spruce Up Your Sofa: How To Clean Velvet Upholstery
  49. Go Faux: How To Make a Painted Marble Table Top
  50. Perk Up Your Table: How To Tie Dye Napkins with Permanent Markers
  51. Give Fido Some Furniture: How To Make a Mid-Century Style Dog Bed
  52. Scrub Soot: How To Clean a Fireplace
  53. House Your Pretty Things: How to Make Lace Doily Bowls
  54. Give a Bouquet to Someone: How To Make Paper Spray Roses
  55. Camp Out in Your Living Room: How to Build an Indoor Fort
  56. Fiddle with Fabric: How To Make Cyanotype Textiles
  57. Clean the Things That Clean: How To Clean Your Dishwasher
  58. Shut Out the World in Style: How to Make No Sew Roman Shades
  59. Tackle Your Dirty Shower: How To Green Clean the Grout In Your Bathroom
  60. Indulge in Some Child’s Play: How To Make a Toy Grill for $20
  61. Banish Bacteria: How To Clean Makeup Brushes
  62. Style Some Shelves: 5 Simple Items to Use in Any Space
  63. See Things Clearly: How To Clean Your Windows Like a Pro
  64. Get Label Happy: Free Printables to Organize Your Home in Style
  65. Create an Urban Garden: Budget Friendly: DIY Cinderblock Planters
  66. Line Some Drawers: 3 Uses for Decorative Paper
  67. Wrangle Those Toys: Build a Letter Block Toy Box
  68. Save Money: 6 Tips for Planning a Spending-Free Weekend
  69. Fill ALL the Spaces: Beautiful Ways to Un-Boring a Big, Blank Wall
  70. Gaze At Your Own Reflection: 7 Modern Mirrors to Make
  71. Have Fun with Felt: 10 Things You Can Make From the Little Felt Ball
  72. Make Your Tables Gleam: How To Polish Wood Furniture
  73. Find a Focal Point: Design Details — Don’t Forget a Focal Point
  74. Go Au Naturel: 4 Easy Tricks for a Less Styled-Looking Home
  75. Update Your Dining: 7 Ways to Refresh the Look of an Existing Dining Table
  76. Play With Pattern: 6 Ways to Harness the Power
  77. Do a Quick Fix: 8 Everyday Items That Could Use a Mini Makeover
  78. Organize Your Memories: What To Do With Those Hundreds of Travel Photos
  79. Take a Break from Tech: An “I Forgot My Phone” Timeline
  80. Try Something Different: 11 Ways to Shake Up Your Living Room Look
  81. Start Listening: 5 Best Podcasts By (and For!) Creative People
  82. Update the Old: How to Modernize Your Favorite Vintage & Antique Finds
  83. Breathe Deeply and Cleanly: 5 Ways to Purify Home Air Naturally
  84. Fancify Your Furniture: 8 Ways to Make a Cheap Finds Look More Expensive
  85. Perks Things Up: Inexpensive Pick-Me-Ups for Every Room in Your Home
  86. Take Your Space to the Next Level: How To Layer for Added Comfort & Style
  87. Spend 60 Minutes: 10 Things to Do to Your Home That Only Take an Hour
  88. Binge Watch: HGTV Design & Real Estate Shows Now Streaming
  89. Put Yourself Out There: The Introvert’s Guide to Entertaining
  90. Play Games: 5 Fun & Free Party Games that You Can Play Anywhere, Anytime
  91. Preserve Some Pansies: Flower Pounding
  92. Get Gardening: Tips and Tricks for Kickstarting the Growing Season
  93. Amplify Your Art: DIY Ways to Make Your Artwork Look More Impressive
  94. Create Compost: How to Hack a Compost Bin from a Vintage Ice Bucket
  95. Disguise Something Ugly: How to Cover Up An AC Wall Unit
  96. Hack The Humble: Polished Projects to Make from Hollow Core Doors
  97. Go Beyond Budget Basic: Cheap Makeover Ideas for Basic Vinyl Roller Shades
  98. Rearrange a Room: 5 Reasons to Float The Furniture in Your Living Room
  99. Revisit the Bathroom: Ways to Customize Your Bathroom with Contact Paper
  100. Go Back To Bed: 13 Ways to Rethink the Foot of Your Bed