Home Projects

These six projects pack a lot of punch—and you can do each of them in an afternoon.

Spoiler: The word art decal doesn't make the cut.

Consider these drawbacks.

Spend less, and still absolutely love the result.

There's life in them yet.

Your salt shaker doesn’t have to stay strapped to the kitchen table. We’ve got 18 ways to put it to work all around your house.

The shakeup took the space from blah and bland to totally vibrant.

Murals are BACK, baby, and they're more stylish than ever.

Money-saving and seriously stylish? Sign us up.

Watch out! These are on the endangered species list.

Put these smart solutions to work next year to make life easier in 2020.

This renovation made the space way more usable year-round.

This was the year of statement-making tile, and these redos are the best of the best.

Add these easy tricks to your to-do list and reap the rewards.

This budget-friendly trick is timeless, and these stunning projects prove it.

These bedroom redos are snooze-worthy, in the best way possible.

Get this hero out of the pantry and into your tool kit.

It's time for your mirror to feel like the fairest of them all.

Here’s a fast and easy DIY on how to create fun, colorful friendship necklaces for you and your best friend(s). Give them as gifts for Galentine’s Day and tell your girls how much you love having them in your life! Sculpey Polymer Clay Small Eye Hooks Necklace or Ball Chain Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutter Small Rolling Pin or Wooden Dowel X-Acto Knife 1. Take off a section of clay and start rolling it with your wooden pin onto a clean, dry surface.

Depending on your personality, peeling a label off could be the best or worst possible way to spend a half hour. If it’s your worst nightmare, we’ve got a great tip for you that will have your vessel sticker-free in just a few short minutes! Turn your hairdryer to high heat and hold it over the sticker for about 45 seconds. After 45 seconds of direct heat, test a corner of the sticker and see if it peels away easily.

Project by: Stella and family Location: Quebec, Canada Do you ever dream of a simpler life? Living with your family somewhere quiet, close to nature, maybe next to a pond, with a farmers market close by to visit on the weekend? Here’s the story of one family who made that dream a reality, one DIY challenge at a time.

Renovation by: Kristyn Location: Pittsburgh There was nothing WRONG with the kitchen when I purchased my first home except that it wasn’t me. It didn’t fit the 1920s Tudor Revival style of the house or my preferred bright, colorful, organic modern look. Although I don’t love bead board, there was no reason to replace the clean and sturdy cabinets. So I embraced it, adding more to the side and back of the island that separates kitchen from dining room.

Renovation by: Patti Location: Phoenix, AZ We moved into our fixer-upper exactly one year ago and finally finished the last room – the kitchen. I think the previous owner must have fantasied about being a princess because every single room was painted pink (including ceilings and doors!) and had wall to wall purple carpeting.

Renovation by: Laura Location: Oak Park, Illinois My husband Michael and I just purchased this 1892 gothic Victorian home in outlying Chicago’s historic Oak Park. (land of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace.) I own a jewelry boutique called Gem Jewelry Boutique and Michael is a general contractor. The home is perfect with its nearly 10 foot high ceilings and elegant moulding, original marble fireplace and gothic windows.

Renovation by: Katie Location: Canada For Christmas this year, I decided to update my grandfather’s living room as my present to him. My grandmother passed away last February, and he needed a change – something that he could see everyday that would make him happy to remember his life with her. They had kept their 1960s furniture in near perfect condition, so I knew I would just need to update the styling of the room with fabrics and some interesting wall art.

Renovation by: Heather and Mike Location: Phoenix, Arizona We are Phoenix, Arizona natives that have never left our little neighborhood of Arcadia. Born and raised in such a gorgeous and historical area of the city, we decided to buy the perfect ranch-style home (in serious need of some TLC!) in our citrus-filled area of town 8 years ago. We’ve had some serious adventures in renovations, and the master suite was the last piece of the puzzle!

We recently moved into a charming 1913 American Foursquare home in Joplin, Missouri. Our first major remodel was the upstairs bathroom. It was replete with plumbing issues (missing a sink), sporting stick on floor tile and press board wall “tile.” Our desire was to make things functional and restore it what it may have originally looked like, while adding our own sense of flair. From start to finish, the project took about a year and cost $2500.

Sometimes a little unexpected “trouble” can go a long way toward creating a beautiful room. You start out with the plan of simply changing up a few decorative elements and find yourself in the middle of a full-on makeover. It happened to Renato, and he not only lived to tell the tale, he’s got a great looking room to show for it. Take it away, Renato… Tired of living with a bathroom falling apart, one day I woke up with design school ended, no jobs and nothing to do.

Project by: Holly Location: Portland, Oregon Holly had the perfectly nice fireplace shown above in her new place, but she had a vision of how the room could be really something special and decided to make it a reality. It involved a bit of demo and the building of a bunch of built-ins but it was worth it – the “after” looks great.

Makeover by: Jennifer Location: San Diego Moving into a new place means lots of little unfinished spots that need solutions, which means spending both time and money. Jennifer dressed up this window corner quickly, stylishly and for less that you would think possible. Check it out… Jennifer added triangle vinyl decals to a plain rolling shade that she picked up at Home Depot.

Becky sent in before and after shots of her master bath makeover. She writes: Our house was beautifully renovated about 15 years ago, long before it was ours. All the important stuff was done perfectly, but a few aesthetics left something to be desired. Like our master bathroom. BOOOR-ING. Square tile on the walls, pinkish-peach square tiles on the floor, builder grade sink top and vanity. Cheap, boring fixtures. And GIANT wall-encompassing mirror.

Renovation by: Takbir Fatima from DesignAware Location: Hyderabad, India This kitchen had been through a lot of wear: the original construction was faulty, causing leakage in the floor, the original design allowed for almost no natural light to enter the kitchen, and previous tenants’ lack of maintenance had made an entire wall stubbornly greasy. Before moving in, I brought down the wall separating the kitchen and dining areas, opening up the space.

Renovation by: Carissa Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma My husband and I renovated our R.V. to make it more livable and cozy before taking it on a cross country trip to Yellowstone. We did the entire project in 6 days, which was crazy, but fun! We changed the dated woodwork by painting it a “modern greige” color then ripped out the old seating and replaced it with a couch from IKEA. We also replaced the dining room chairs with some more modern chairs from IKEA.

This DIY project is a great use for older box springs, and an affordable way to have a “brand new” bed. It only requires about four yards of upholstery fabric, and can be done in just a couple of hours… Katy from The Clever Bunny had a hand-me-down mattress which was relegated to her guest room. In lieu of a bed frame she chose to cover the box spring with fabric and add legs.

My favorite Before & Afters are when talented people buy tired old houses and breathe new life into them. This 100-year-old house in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle shows that a thoughtful approach to design can be modern and sustainable while still fitting in with the surrounding neighborhood.Todd Smith, of Syndicate Smith, along with his wife Julie bought their 1911 fixer-upper in 2004 and have recently completed an extensive exterior renovation.

When Andi, Dean and their building neighbors decided to re-paint the faded exterior of their Victorian home, it quickly became apparent that the process was not for amateurs. Located in the Alamo Square neighborhood of San Francisco, not far from the famous painted ladies, their building is over a century old.

Do you know what kind of looks you get when you go to the hardware store and tell the clerk you want to DIY a sliding door? When they point in the direction of “Doors & Windows,” you know it’s time to take matters into your own hands. I needed a door for a lofted space above our living room, and wanted the sliding effect. However, since it was a temporary solution, its construction needed to be simple and easy to do.

Hanging traditional wallpaper is daunting, but you can breathe a lot easier when you’ve got the removable and repositionable kind. The fear that you’ll screw up is minimal. Still, it’s helpful to know what you are getting yourself into before you get started. And tips and tricks are always handy! For this project, we used wallpaper tiles from Hygge & West designed by Laundry called Andalusia in Blush.

Whether Easter’s on its way or you’re just looking to decorate with eggs to add a touch of organic beauty around your home, blown eggs are a great way to utilize both the package, and the contents of the package with little to no waste at all. Raw eggs Thumbtack Toothpick or bamboo skewer Small bowl Straw (narrower the better) or syringe 1. Balance the egg vertically on the table and start by pressing a thumb tack into the very top point and bottom point of your egg.

A shoe rack is a great way to keep high traffic areas from getting cluttered with piles of shoes. To make one for the fancy footwear in your household, all you need is a free afternoon, power tools, and a can-DIY attitude! Personalize your rack by scaling up the length of the dowels for big shoes and boots, or scale down for those little pitter patters.

In Brittany & Jordan’s newly renovated camper, a lot of DIY went a long way. To take the living space from floral to fabulous, Brittany proudly designed and built this storage futon herself. When she couldn’t find the right futon/couch/storage solution for the camper, she used her knowledge from years of working in her dad’s shop to come up with the design, cut all the pieces, assemble, rework and reassemble the structure.

The first time I visited Thomas’ home, he told me not to focus on the light hanging in his dining room—he had plans to make a custom fixture. After it was completed, I came back to take a look and was so impressed by how he was able to implement his vision while waiting patiently for all the pieces to fall into place. I often have an idea of something I want, in my mind. An end table, a dresser, a piece of serving ware, etc.

Who says Valentines Day has to be all about flowers and perfume, and delicate things? Sure, those are nice, but if your snookums fancies craft projects and lovely artwork instead — well, this project is for them! 3′ wood dowel rods (I used 2 3/4″ diameter rods) String or twine Wood, styrofoam, or clay beads in all sizes Craft paint Power drill Saw Drill bits Scissors Sandpaper Small level (optional) Wood clamp (optional) Packing tape (optional) Craft needle (optional) 1.

Sheepskin and flokati rugs are everywhere these days — they add texture to a room, and instantly add comfort to a hard plastic or wood chair. But if you’re looking to make your sheepskin stand out from the run of the mill, or just need a little change, fabric dye is the ticket. Fabric dye 1 cup salt Rubber gloves or stir stick Soaking bucket or bathtub Water 1.

We’ve featured Amanda’s DIY projects before and she’s a bit of a DIY master. Skill Level: Moderate Time Required: 2-3 Hours Project Cost: Varies depending on mirror size Plate glass mirror Flat wooden boards, 1 inch thick by 3-4 inches wide Wooden boards, 1 inch thick by 1-2 inches wide Sheet of OSB or plywood, four inches wider and taller than the mirror size Tools Table saw Nail gun and nails Set OSB on a large flat surface, lay mirror on top, centering to fit.

When my wife was pregnant I started looking for inspiration for the nursery. I found some nice designs for a cradle, but really fell in love when I found images of a moon shaped cradle. This cradle was made by someone in France and also featured on Apartment Therapy. I decided to try and make this myself based on the images I could find online.

There’s definitely no shortage of holiday ornaments out there to buy, but there’s something so satisfying about making a few. It’s always nice to give/receive something handmade—and one-of-a-kind—and by making a few for yourself, you get to create a little memory that you can revisit every year when you pull them out to decorate the tree. These ornaments are fairly easy, adorable, and—bonus!—you’re recycling.

Stars are a major theme at Christmastime. Crafted after the Star of Bethlehem, the star-shaped, ornamental parol is said to encourage hope and goodwill during the season. Hope and goodwill? We can totally get behind that theme, so we decided to make ours in the most colorful papers and maybe even keep it up in the house throughout the new year.

Ready to up your paper snowflake game? We’re going to let you in on a little secret: it’s all in the fold. No more of that “fold any old piece of paper in half one time and cut” business. If you want a really intricate, graphic design just follow our easy step-by-step guide to get on the path to paper snowflake glory. Lightweight craft paper Sharp scissors Bone folder (optional) 1. To make your snowflake you’ll need to start with a perfectly square piece of paper.

Project by: Sabina Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania We moved into our house three years ago and it was love at first sight. We loved everything about it—except the fact that it was incredibly outdated. So, after putting up with our dated, depressing kitchen for three years, in June of 2015 we finally started our dream kitchen renovation. We had replaced a few of the appliances with our own when we moved in, so we didn’t opt to get all new appliances during this renovation.

After examining endless short, tall, lumpy, skinny, and funny-looking specimens, you finally picked out that perfect pumpkin and are now ready to take it home and carve it. But before you get started, take a look at our materials list and stop by the hardware store to pick up a few important tools that will help to get the job done safely and accurately. Compass saw Fleshing tool (an ice cream scoop or ladle will work too!

There are things contractors do that we all should take note of, and electrical cord storage is one of those things. It’s important to properly store your cord to elongate its lifespan- plus, it will save you the headache of having to unwind 100 feet of tangles and knots. The Over Under method is quite possibly the most popular way to store cords.

One of the best things about House Tours is ogling all the interesting decor the homeowners have collected together in their spaces. We often fall in love with a piece of art, or a pillow- and just gotta have it! Sometimes the pieces are new and easy to source, sometimes they are vintage or one-of-a-kind, and sometimes they are the best kind: homemade and easy to DIY. This adorable pennant pillow from Leila’s Vintage Cocoon made our “Gotta Have It” list.

Q: I promise this isn’t a relationship issue! I’m moving into my boyfriend’s massive Harlem apartment. It’s a big one bedroom with a spacious living room and lots of light. He has a ton of great art, furniture and… stuff. More stuff than he needs (he’s a music photographer and he has a tendency to just acquire stuff). I don’t want to force him to get rid of things (okay maybe some), but something about the place doesn’t feel home-y enough to me.

No matter how clean your space actually is, a tangled bundle of wires can instantly make the room appear messy and unorganized. Make your space clutter free and ready for its close-up with one of these helpful hints. Before you start: Turn off and unplug all your appliances and do a quick sweep to remove any dust bunnies that may have taken up residence in your wire pile.

The art of paper folding has been around since the 1700s, is a simple process involving a piece of paper and patience (no batteries required!) and is an enjoyable way to pass the time when you just need to step away from technology for a while. While learning this process won’t actually grant you the title of Boatbuilder, it’s a great party trick to have in your back pocket-especially at pool parties! 1. Start by laying an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper horizontally on a flat surface. 2.

Poor ceiling fans- they’re the household appliance everyone loves to hate. Their design, no matter how trendy or modern, just doesn’t cut the mustard in most homes. If we have one, it’s because we need it- and on hot summer days, staring at that ugly household appliance is a heck of a lot better than swimming in a pool of sweat. Here are a few creative options for making the most out of our current ceiling fan situations.

The ability to crochet is a skill set that comes in handy more than often than you might imagine. It’s an inexpensive hobby that helps pass the time, is great for handmade gifts, and the repetition can be quite relaxing. The foundation chain is one of the most important techniques to learn, as it serves as the base on which your projects are built. The chain will hold your stitches and all succeeding rows. Yarn Crochet hook 1.

Save some dough by taking care of loose or missing buttons yourself; there’s no need to pay the dry cleaner to put them back on for you. All you need is a sewing kit and five minutes of concentration to do it RIGHT, so they’ll stay put and work well. And if you think you already know how to do this, you might want to read up on it anyway, unless you already know about the toothpick trick, and the proper direction to stitch your buttons… ThreadButtonNeedleScissors 1.

Knowing how to correctly thread your sewing machine opens up a world of creative possibilities. The process might seem intimidating, but once you get the general idea you can apply what you know (give or take a loop or twist or two) on any machine you come into contact with in the future. It’s a two-part process in which you’ll learn how to wind the bobbin and then thread the machine. So dust it off, plug it in, and start practicing! Most sewing machines basically look the same.

A pair of matching lamps can be a large investment, and it’s not always easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. A cheaper alternative is to roll up your sleeves, pull out the power drill, and make your own perfect pair by using twin vases and lamp kits. You may be surprised at how straightforward the process is – and, of course, this tutorial works for anyone who has a solo vase they’d love to upgrade, too!

Tutu skirts are a great stand-in when you don’t have a costume planned for a party or you need something fun to wear to a race. This fabulous, totally customizable tutu-orial is easy, inexpensive, and takes hardly any time at all, so grab your measurements, your toddler’s measurements, or your dog’s and have a blast with this goofy costume idea! You can purchase tulle off a bolt or from a spool, depending on how wide you want your strips to be.

Widowed pillowcases are just as common around our house as single socks. I have no idea what happens to them, but apparently the same monster that eats socks also has an appetite for pillowcases.

Are those chevron print seat cushions just not doing it for you anymore? Before purchasing a new set and forking over a large wad of cash (seriously, even cushions at the big box stores are pricey!), check out this handy DIY for drawstring seat covers. They’re easy to remove and wash, and can be changed out as many times as you like throughout the seasons. Now, there is a bit of sewing involved but it’s nothing fancy so don’t be intimidated.

Project by: Julie and Laura Location: New York State Without further ado, another inspiring camper transformation! Take it away, Julie and Laura: We are identical twin sisters, are both registered nurses, both married, and we are mothers to three little boys collectively. Ever since we were teenagers and we watched the cult classic The Long Long Trailer with Lucille Ball, we have dreamed of having a little camper turned glamper to call and make our own.

Project by: Meg Location: Colorado If this project doesn’t convince you that just about any sow’s ear can be turned into a silk purse than I don’t know what will. This funky old, water damaged, faux woodgrain and formica-filled caravan is now a super sweet spot to hang out in. To top it off, he transformation was quick and the budget was lowlowlow. The perfect makeover!

Beautiful wood tones in no time.

Coffee filter flowers are positively the simplest paper flower to make—and quite possibly the prettiest. Their thin, delicate texture allows light to pass through the “petals” similar to those of real flowers, making them all the more ethereal, and causing you to do a double take. We had a bunch of unbleached coffee filters hanging out in our pantry that I decided to use (although I have no idea how they got there!

Paper flowers are a creative and economic way to add color and cheer to your space. These particular flowers are a favorite because they don’t come across as overly “crafty” and you can make large quantities in hardly any time at all. As an added bonus, construction is simple and requires nothing more than scissors and quick-drying glue. Cardstock or construction paper Floral stem wire (or something similar) Glue gun + glue Scissors 1.

Making your own terrarium is fun and surprisingly easy – and equally easy to maintain. Whatever the climate may be in your large, expansive home or your teeny tiny apartment, a terrarium—given a healthy dose of indirect light and an occasional spritz of water—will be happy as a clam. You can usually find gorgeous, hand blown glass terrariums at any design store, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny for them!

It can be difficult to pull the trigger on a large scale wall art purchase. When you calculate the cost of the piece, transport, and hanging, the whole process can be pretty expensive -not to mention it’s a huge commitment. So in the mean time, there your wall stands, lonely, empty, bare… while you wait (and save up for) that perfect piece.

There are plenty of bicycle baskets on the market that are both affordable and attractive, but if you’re a “ride or DIY” type —this project is for you. It’s easy, super affordable, and the best part: your look will be one of a kind! I usually retreat to flea markets or thrift shops when shopping for baskets because they are really easy to find, but for this project I wanted to be able to provide my source just in case you wanted the same basket.