DIY Home Decor and Project Ideas

Did you know the average cost of an interior decorator is $100-$200 per hour? We’ll say it for you. “Meep!” And you know they’re not going to get it all done in one short hour. 

Why put all that money into someone else’s pocket when you can invest it in fun tchotchkes from the local consignment shop or materials for your DIY home decor? It gives everything so much more meaning when it comes from a labor of love. 

Below, we’re going to outline some of our favorite DIY projects that will fill you with joy as they fill up your walls.  

Reframing

The world often tells us to reframe our thoughts if we’re going in a negative direction. How about reframing some vintage artwork?

Have you ever strolled through an antique or consignment shop and thought, “Lovely photo, but ghastly frame.” How about a piece of embroidery? You might have had similar sentiments. 

You may have a diamond in the rough when you consider you can always reframe a tacky gold monstrosity with a sleek, modern frame. Before you know it, that $3.50 purchase from the consignment shop has just been upcycled to match your modern DIY home decor. 

String Art

People always seem so tidy when they go so far as to label their rooms. Don’t you love it when you walk into someone’s laundry area and they have little signs that say, “Laundry” or “Wash?” 

You don’t have to spend a dime to achieve the same look if you have colored yarn (for a white wall) or white yarn (for a painted wall). 

All you have to do is cut the word “Laundry” or “Wash” with some construction paper. Then, mark the nail holes with a pencil, using the letters as a guide. Finally, you can hammer nails into the pencil holes and wrap the nails with your assorted colors of yarn. 

Clipboard Gallery Wall

Have you ever been house sitting for a friend or family member and wondered how they erected such a pristine gallery wall? How much planning did they put into that? 

Recently, we saw an inventive take on the gallery wall using clipboards! This is one of our favorite ideas with paper. You can use clipboards of different sizes and select photos of different sizes. 

Then, all you have to do is string them up with some of your yarn and arrange them as you go. Best of all, it’s a pinch to change out your art with the seasons or passage of time. 

Basket Wall Art

Have you inherited 10 of Nana’s old wicker baskets? After you fill one or two with napkins on the kitchen table, it can be hard to consider what’s next for them. 

They can actually turn into some pretty unique wall art. You can arrange them on the wall to create a sunburst effect, a spray from the ocean, or a simple vertical row of eclectic baskets.

Beside your clipboard gallery wall, we can guarantee you’re in for numerous compliments in the ingenuity category.

Laundry Ladder

Do you have a trusty, old wooden ladder lying around? We’ve seen ladders reinvented in many fascinating ways and it makes us want to find even more decorating ideas on a budget. 

First, you can suspend it horizontally in the air above your washer/dryer to create a drying rack. Then, all you have to do is hang your garments to dry. (We love this because it opens up the floor space that standing racks gobble up.) 

Alternatively, you can stand a ladder up in the living room and drape one or two of your favorite blankets over it. It becomes a focal point, especially if you’ve knitted or crocheted a creation you’re proud of. 

Suitcase Table

Do you have an old suitcase lying around that you don’t use anymore? Or how about a vintage leather case? It’s a very simple process to turn one of these beauties into a night table in the bedroom or end table in the living room. 

All you have to do is insert a piece of particleboard to level out the surface, purchase a few top plates and screws, and drill the pieces together! As with each of these easy home decoration ideas, you’re sure to stack up the compliments in no time at all. 

Brass Tack Accents

We’ve all seen those fabulous headboards and love seats with iron or gold tacks as accented trim. This method isn’t just for upholstery. 

Do you have a bland end table that could do with a little bedazzling? Consider trimming the edges with brass or gold thumbtacks to create a different look. You can use alternating sizes or keep it simple with same-sized tacks evenly spaced around the trim. 

Accent Wall

The decoration of a room can be as simple as a splash of paint or a span of wallpaper. With that extra can of paint that’s just been sitting in the garage, why not consider creating an accent wall? 

In an otherwise white or beige living room, why not splash things up a notch with a coat of red, blue, or yellow paint? Imagine your clipboard gallery atop a fresh coat of sunflower yellow or midnight blue paint. It would be eye-catching. 

Alternatively, there are countless companies out there that make wallpaper that’s applied like a sticker! It’s an easy-peel process that makes the application (and the future swapping out) easy as pie. 

DIY Home Decor for You

And there you have it! Allow these DIY home decor projects to take center stage on the next rainy day or quiet weekend at home.

It doesn’t take much to get creative with each of these projects. But, we can assure you your friends and family will think you’re overflowing with ingenuity.

For more on the homebuying process, or more on how to make a house a home, keep coming back to visit our blog. It’s continually being updated, with your success in mind.