I can’t tell you how easy this project is. Seriously, my bloodhound could do it. This is also one of those things you can do to make yourself happy as a renter, but that won’t piss your landlord off. After removing it, just keep the old light and put it back up before you move out.

Invest in a simple mat cutter and the world of framing is at your fingertips. Cutting mats is easy, inexpensive, and takes your artwork to a new level. It looks custom, even if you buy a readymade frame from a store.What You Need:Materials:Mat boardArtwork Tools:Sharp straight blade, such a X-Acto knife or box cutterMat cutter, like this Logan 4000 Pull-Style CutterStraight edge rulerPencilProtective cutting surfaceStore bought frame Instructions:1. Make sure your cutting surface is clean.

Michele’s son had outgrown his room’s decor, and everyone was sick of the orange, purple and red color scheme. It took a couple of weeks to re-do it completely, using a lot of what they already owned, plus adding a few new things to the mix. The goal was to keep it affordable and simple.This room might win the award for the most handmade things in one space.

When Jane and her husband bought their new house, they were less than thrilled with the outdated and sad bedroom that would be their son’s nursery. The wallpaper was old, the walls were in bad shape and, to cap it off, there was a very, very skeevy bed that lived in there. Eight months pregnant, Jane got to the tedious work of stripping the wallpaper, repairing walls and then building the room back up from scratch.Today, the nursery is a far cry from its humble beginnings.

Cybele and her husband transformed their very old, gross garden shed into a playhouse that their daughter uses every day. The inside is about 8′ x 10′, and the exterior wrap-around porch adds even more room for tea parties during warmer months. I mean, how many kids have their own wrap-around porch? The answer is not many.The adults did the fix-up work while their daughter napped.

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.Jolene cut some holes for legs and her husband secured the rope before hanging it from a tree in their front yard.

When expecting her first child, Susannah did what many folks do in preparation: convert the extra guest room to a nursery. She clearly enjoyed the process, gathering everything she’d need for her first born from sources from Target to Etsy to Craigslist. You want to see how it turned out? You know what to do…Susannah did a great job mixing fun and colorful patterns. The spot above the changing table is ready and waiting for a photo of her soon-to-be-born baby boy.

For her twin girls, Abbie created a nursery that had — wait for it — not a lick of pink, and an amazing focal point. Take a look at how how she anchored the room, after the jump! See lots of other photos of the finished room, along with all her projects, on Abby’s blog, Five Days Five Ways Thanks for sharing Abbie!

I’m more than slightly obsessed with this renovation; it’s ignited all my fantasies about: a) owning a small home somewhere in the country; and b) having an even smaller guest house somewhere on the property. And don’t get me started about my mad love for New Zealand. Ugh. I need to stop now. Gemma and her husband took this old railroad cabin and created a Kiwi meets Scandinavian bedroom. It’s simple, well-styled and — in my mind — perfect.

Katja gives full instructions, along with photos of the process, over at her blog, Shift Ctrl ART Thanks so much Katja — both projects look great!

I see a lot of interior transformations, but I’m a little obsessed with this one cottage renovation going on in Finland. So far it’s comprised a series of teaser photos over the past couple of months, and I am just waiting for the final reveal. And waiting. And waiting. But now I can’t stand it anymore, so I’m going to let you in on my exquisite pain. Suki and her family are currently restoring a little cottage, transforming it into a simple and stylish retreat.

When Emma’s local Goodwill held a competition for upcycling, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to make her two-year-old son the bookshelf he’d been needing. I found the broken down old dresser for fifteen dollars, and the legs came from another end table that I got for only two. After a ton of sanding (through a coat of white, yellow, and even blue!! paint), I began to see what pretty wood there was underneath!

House & HomeMandy used the Ace Hotel in New York as inspiration, and chose vintage-style fixtures and finishes, with warm brass accents and black trim. The result is classic and dramatic and befitting the home’s history.Traditional sconces, and the weathered wood vanity, add to the old-school vibe.See more photos, and the rest of the step-by-step house renovation over at Canadian House & Home.

Here’s a quick and easy project for parties of all types; whether for kids or adults, casual or formal. These tiered stands are inexpensive to make, and a great way to use old dishes destined for donation. They also look just fancy enough and add great height to a dessert table — all good things.

Have you ever been intimidated by refinishing metal furniture? Joanna shows it’s entirely possible, and gets great results with a little time and elbow grease. She found this little cabinet in a parking lot and instantly saw its potential. Want to see the result of her work? Read on… The cabinet is now totally bright, cheerful and ready for its new life in Joanna’s house.

47 Park Avenue Michael and Jonathan have SO MANY good rooms to share that it was hard to choose just one. You are highly encouraged to click on over to their website and see what else they are capable of, both at 47 Park AvenueShoot Factory Thanks so much you guys. Well worth the effort I say.

Thanks Derek! Your new space rocks.

You can see more angles over at Rebecca’s blog, Mid Century Modern Remodel Thanks for sharing your project with us, Rebecca!

Yesterday we saw the reveal of Wash U freshman Laken’s spruced up new digs. Today, Laken is showing us how she created the custom bed canopy shown above. If you like the look, you can make one for yourself! Materials Large 24″ diameter embroidery hoop Two curtain panels (we used one package of IKEA Vivan, for $9.

Krys saw potential in Ikea’s popular Expedit shelf, and not just as vertical storage. When flipped horizontally, the unit fit perfectly in an awkward space in Krys’ dining room. Now, if she could only make it look like it belonged there and had a purpose… By modifying other simple upholstery projects she’d seen online (including a headboard and seat cushion), Krys custom created a restaurant-style dining banquette that’s cute, cozy, and packs extra storage.

Ick. Even for the most intrepid DIY folks, this old metal cabinet is daunting. It is rusty, peeling, and no doubt has some sharp edges on it somewhere. Along came Graham who saw potential in the project, and set to work transforming it. Many thanks to Krista Winters for sharing Graham’s success! Re-edited from a post originally published 2.13.

It’s rare when the words IKEA and Dubai appear in one sentence. Dubai, with its reputation for luxury and modern excess, hardly calls to mind budget furniture. However, UAE resident Jacqui wanted to insert a least a hint of glamour into this old Blue Hemnes dresser, and bring a little glitz to her master bedroom. Here’s her hack… She started by painting the dresser a dramatic jet black, then added a nailhead trim around all the edges. Spray painted gold knobs complete the look.

Kaylei McGaw, Associate Editor at Lonny, inherited this ripped vinyl saucer chair from her Great Grandmother. Not wanting to get rid of it, she decided to hand it over to the talented folks at Chairloom. She picked fabric, they reupholstered it, and now the chair’s got another fifty years of life. See the transformation next…. Not only did baby get a new pair of shoes, she got a whole new wardrobe!

IKEA’s KURA bed is meant to be flexible — the structure is reversible and the mattress can either be put on the bottom or on top as a loft bed. But even IKEA couldn’t have anticipated the changes that Gisela made to it, in this really nice hack… Gisela built up the structure of the bed (which she calls “The Little Forest House) then wrapped it entirely in a sheath of wood veneered MDF, making it both sleek and sturdy.

Upholstery is one of the those projects you start with really good intentions, but they often peter out before the piece is totally done. Sibylle knew that recovering her newfound loveseat would be a pain in the ass, and decided to go a totally different route. Behold! A painted upholstered sofa! Yep, Sibylle went to town on both the wood AND the fabric parts. Using textile medium, and matte black paint, she transformed this vintage loveseat into a more modern piece of furniture.

Tiffany loves thrift shopping and regularly brings home furniture that’s seen better days. This $5 table looked a little worse for wear, but nothing that a couple of coats of white paint couldn’t fix. When disaster struck, the tabletop veneer got ruined, and Tiffany was forced to find a new solution…. Since the top wasn’t salvageable, Tiffany made an entirely new one!

Scandinavian magazine Allt I Hemmet recently featured this laundry room, submitted by one of their readers. Far from exciting, Anna-Lena’s space was devoid of color and personality, not to mention cramped. With Allt I Hemmet’s help, the laundry room got a good cleaning itself, and came out on the other side with a sparkling new personality.

Has it snowed yet where you live? No? Then here’s a quick and easy project to create your own Winter Wonderland, using glass etching cream and some tape. Faux snow globes are great for mantel decorations or the table. You get all the snowfall, without the boots or mittens! Here’s how to make one yourself… Materials Glass dome or cloche Etching cream Paintbrush Painters tape Hole punches (at least two sizes is ideal) Instructions: 1.

Shannon needed an easy way to update a dresser she found boring, and cycled through several ideas of what to do with it. She has tons of materials stored at home, so the solution came one day when she simply opened a drawer.

When you buy a house with a pink, mauve, salmon and coral bathroom, it might be time to renovate. Some people like that kind of thing, but Katie isn’t one of them. She and her husband tore out the carpet the day they moved in. Soon after that, they made a plan and got to work on the rest of the renovation. You might be surprised to learn that this beautiful bathroom update only cost $3,500. Katie and her husband did a lot of the work themselves, and made some smart choices.

This red pod chair had seen better days, and Cathy of Retro Evolution Design knew she could give it some new life. The upholstery was old, dirty, and damaged. Not to mention the base, which was a little too tall, too heavy, and maybe a little bit ugly? Cathy recovered the chair in a sturdy linen tweed blend fabric. Her son fabricated a new “cats cradle” style wire rod base with angles that complement the chair above. Now all that’s missing is a custom ottoman to match!

We’ve see the IKEA BEKVÄM stool in every room of the house, but Kylie shares a hack that I have never seen before. With a few modifications (and nice new coat of paint), see what Kylie now uses it for in her kitchen these days, and the problem it solves… As you can see, the stool got an extra story with just a few pieces of wood and some screws. Now her daughter Matilda can get in on all the action, without asking to be held.

Victoria’s bathroom needed storage— namely a perfectly sized table on which to keep frequently-used stuff handy, and off the sink counter. She got what she needed in the form of an antique medical table found in the basement of an estate sale, and priced at a whopping ten dollars. The original enamel paint was in bad shape and flaking off in big sections. Victoria took to it with a wire brush, then eventually a power grinder.

Mallory had her eye on this beaded chandelier at Lowe’s for quite awhile. However, since it wasn’t a perfect match for her home, she hesitated to pull the trigger. When she finally saw it marked down over half off to $69, she quickly bought it and vowed to give it a little makeover. It’s always amazing what a single can of spray paint can do! Mallory proves that it’s easy to customize store-bought stuff to get what you want.

This office credenza is all business. It’s gray, it’s functional, but pretty it is not. Owner Joanne took this cabinet to task, refinished it in about 4 hours in her driveway, then found a better place for it. Want to see? What was all business in the front, is now a party in the back. The formerly buttoned-up credenza fits nicely in her nook, and is now the perfect furniture host. It holds drinks, stores glasses and wine, and blends in nicely with the rest of the home.

If I had a dollar for every birdcage I’ve seen at yard sales, I’d be in Belize right now. I always note them, but never know what to do with them, which is why this project piqued my interest. See what Kathy and Karen did with a cage they found on the curbside on trash day…. After painting the cage, and removing one of the walls, they outfitted the whole thing with shelves and mounted it on a wooden base.

Sometimes, while thrifting and searching about you come across something amazing, and in perfect condition. This wasn’t one of those times. Kelly found this old Eames-style Plycraft chair whose leather was nasty, grime-covered, torn and faded.

Little powder rooms can pack a punch. Case in point: Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently redid a tiny bathroom in her house, and decided not to play it safe. The results are impressive: I think it’s safe to say that this oversized floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman is a show stopper and, when paired with the marble vanity and gold accents, makes for a glamorous and timeless room.

Kim found this lovely, albeit ‘beat-up’ secretary desk at a secondhand store, and got right to work fixing it up. Of course, she added a little twist…. Here’s what Kim did, in her own words: First I cleaned it up, then I lightly sanded and painted it sort of an antique cream. I sanded it again then went over the cream with a rubbed on coat of very dilute brown. When the final coat dried I applied a hand-rubbed wax finish.

A long weekend to Amanda and her husband usually involves some sort of DIY project. Recently, they had an empty wall in their living room that was in desperate need of some attention, and more storage. Their project is pretty remarkable… In need of a solution that took up minimal space, but added more functionality to our living room, Amanda and her husband figured out how to build a wall mounted shelf and combined desk. Shelves can be moved around as needed.

This chair was spotted in the free section on Craigslist, and listed as the “Attack Cat Chair.” Apparently, the owner couldn’t bear junking it, and Cat (yep, that’s her name too) was happy to take it on as a project. Cat used discounted remnants to reupholster the 1961 chair. It was more complicated to work on than she expected (especially when it came to the tufted back and buttons) but she made it through!

Once you’ve groaned at the title of this post (go ahead, I know you want to), click on over to see Gemma’s DIY fix for the back steps down to her basement. An IKEA rug just happened to be the exact width of Gemma’s stairs, which made it an irresistible choice for a quick DIY runner. Finished off with some nailhead trim, it’s now a chic little entrance. (Plus, Gemma hopes the dark rug helps hide tracked in dirt.