DIY Home Projects

It was a little over a year ago that this little file box came home with me and received its first makeover, going from a dull gray to a vibrant yellow. A lot of things have changed in my apartment over the past year, so it’s time for the file box to get another makeover…When I painted this file box last year, yellow was the perfect color. It suited the room where it lived, and I’ve always been partial to the color of the sun.

The challenge (and fun!) of small space living is finding the best use for every inch. Even though tiny apartments are usually short on closet space, a place to stash your suitcases is less useful if what you really need is an office. Melissa put her closet to work for her — for only $130!Melissa Massello is the Stealfinder in Chief of Shoestring Magazine, and with a title like that, you know she’s looking to save a buck.

As part of my ongoing quest to add some color to my grey living room, I picked up one of these inexpensive tv tray tables at Target and decided to give it the before and after treatment. Yes, there is spray paint involved. And lamp finials. And rope. Intrigued? Click on through to see my nautically-inspired end result.The goal was to transform this $9 table from ‘college girl watching sitcom reruns and eating popcorn’ to something a little more yacht chic.

Got an outdated white Apple MacBook? Here’s a surprising customization project utilizing RIT fabric dye to give the MacBook’s polycarbonate case a whole new colorful life. Considering how expensive professional custom paint jobs cost and the outdated state of these models, we’re pretty impressed with the project’s results… Get a pan (An inch or so deep, if possible.), and fill it with water (4 cups of water per packet, 8 cups.

As a kid who used to retreat to my closet floor to read in peace, I have a soft spot in my heart for reading nooks. Looking to carve out a little space, Ashley took the completely unused and unaccessible space under her stairs and transformed it into a delightful reading nook/playspace for her kids. Ashey’s “little monsters” are lucky; I confess, if this were my house, I would likely be claiming this space for my very own!

I’ve had this old quirky elephant lamp from Target for several years, and although I loved its silly charm, I felt like it was in need of an update. Using some fabric, and new shade, and some spray paint, I managed to change the look of my old friend.As for the shade, I used an old Urban Outfitters lampshade that I had from another lamp and covered it with sheets of brocade fabric. Read more about that process in this earlier post.

2011 was packed with wonderful before and after projects! Readers and editors both shared some amazing furniture re-do’s. From the old made modern to the broken turned fixed, here are just a few of the incredible before and after furniture posts of the year.

Even if your little Wonder Woman spins into her costume, she still needs somewhere to hang it every night. Jennifer saw the potential in this old tallboy dresser and transformed it into a darling kid-sized costume closet for her daughter Chloe.Jennifer was inspired by a similar project she saw on Pinterest and took this on as part of the Earth Day Canada Upcycling Challenge.

Thinking about the new year might be the time for home improvement resolutions, or at least some serious list-making. From a formerly dingy little caravan, to kitchens, gardens, dining rooms and a few entire homes, we have run the entire gamut of before and after projects this year. The following selections represent the most dramatic and inspiring of 2011 to help ring in any 2012 renovation plans.

Brooklyn to West‘s Ariele has done it again. In my opinion, she’s the junkyard, dumpster diving, demo-ed house DIY Queen. This gal finds discarded household materials throughout Brooklyn and transforms them into artistic, thoughtful, and beautiful everyday objects. Most recently, she’s taken floorboards and changed them into cheese boards. Genius? YES!Ariele never ceases to amaze me.

I’ve seen play kitchens made from everything under the sun and it’s become almost hard to impress me. But a play kitchen made from a chair? Okay, I’ll bite.After!This is one of the most clever handmade play kitchens I’ve seen and is an awesome display of ingenuity. Kata started with an IVAR chair from Ikea ($20), added a counter, a bowl sink, top of a walking cane for a faucet and hung a curtain for an oven.

Before and afters are some of our most popular posts. And for good reason! Who doesn’t love to see the evidence of a makeover, often performed on a tight budget? Gathered together for your weekend viewing pleasure, here are 20 of September’s best makeovers …• Before & After: Connie’s Ugly to Unbelievable Dresser• Before & After: An Eames Lounge Knockoff, Transformed• Before & After: Free Vanity Mirror Totally Transformed!

Closet envy usually involves admiring another woman’s shoe collection, but I’ve never been into shoes. I am, however, into clever uses for small spaces and it’s been on my mind lately as I look to create a spot at home for my my bedroom-less, playroom-less son to call his own.

This DIY is so easy—and super high-impact.

If you live in a tiny apartment where a single space serves multiple purposes (your bedroom is your living room is your dining room, right?), the best thing you can do for your furniture is to make it mobile. Adding a fresh set of wheels to tables, bar carts and kitchen islands lets them slide from one side of the apartment to another, filling in wherever they’re needed most. Here’s how to turn those pinch-hitting pieces into veritable MVPs.

This budget bedroom has some super smart ideas.

The wallpaper will make you gasp.

Cubbies! Hooks! Baskets! This entryway's small, but it's got it all.

You won't recognize the after.

This black-and-white redo is totally DIYable.

This IKEA hack has the look of custom woodwork—but costs a lot less.

First up: Turning a blah brown doormat into a cheery welcome.

The hodgepodge craft space got a major glow up that made it way more functional, too.

All month long, we’ll be exploring ways to make over what you have at home. Think: little upgrades (like my door), as well as some bigger projects.

The before stunk—literally. But the after is a dream!

Paint gets another point in the "W" column.

Brb, bookmarking.

The faux daybed is VERY smart.

Make yourself a little happier with your home, without throwing money down the drain when you move out.

You won't see the after coming!

"It's a low-cost project that can change the look and vibe of a room completely," says the homeowner.

It's pretty convincing.

The "new" counters will wow you.

The "after" is bringing max coziness.

You'll never buy an off-the-shelf desk again.

It's a hybrid between Pinterest and Instagram mixed with short video sensations TikTok, Byte, and the now-defunct Vine.

The wallpaper will give you serious heart-eyes.

Sometimes your favorites from an old space just don't translate to the new one—furniture looks out of place, or colors have a different feel in the different lighting.

From architectural interest to custom shades, these projects have high-end style.

Pick just one to copy in your own laundry room, or try them all.

Wait until you see the ceiling.

You won't even recognize this space in the after.

This project has seriously impressive results.

These DIYs make every day feel like a celebration.

One of them is a removable wallpaper that will knock your socks off.

There’s a certain childish delight in the idea of literally climbing into bed every night and settling into your own private sleep cubby.

If you read the January Cure diaries, you probably saw my window seats, both bare and then with cushions. If you’re interested, here’s how I made the cushions in about an hour. FoamUpholstery fabricPlywood SheetsThin Batting (Optional) Measuring TapeScissorsHammer or Rubber MalletStaple Gun (with staples of course)Foam CutterKnife, electric or otherwise1. Measure your space and cut foam to the same dimensions.

Open, airy, with farmhouse flair? Count us in.

If Joanna Gaines is on board, it's probably the next big thing.

These easy projects will fill your home with a whole lot of love.

The after is SERIOUSLY dreamy.

Caution: Serious plant envy ahead.

The after has color and charm to spare.

This is one small budget, big impact transformation.

It can be done.

There's always hope!

The "after" is a whole lot brighter, but still exactly right for this 140-year-old house.

This mini mudroom is max-chic.

Better yet? It took just a weekend.

This budget makeover is full of smart tricks.

Yes, really.

No one could ever repeat what Frank Lloyd Wright has done for the design world—but these building kits might be the closest we’ll ever come to doing so.

The after is seriously chic, but still colorful and fun.

It's literally unrecognizable.

The after is curl-up cozy.

These simple changes have seriously big impact.

The whole bedroom's stunning, but just wait until you see the floors.

The "after" is like a breath of fresh air.

Proof that any project is possible.

Vintage furniture and DIY molding give this bedroom that certain "je ne sais quoi."

This one-time rental kitchen's total overhaul made it way more functional—and lots prettier, too.

See ya, crayon-patterned wallpaper border.