So if you're like me, you have either pinned or bookmarked tons of different websites that have simple DIY ideas/projects that you never end up doing! Personally, I believe this is because you have 3 different sites telling you 3 different ways to do it, then you get overwhelmed and give up. So I decided to create a list (with pictures) of my top favorite 25 do-it-yourself projects so it is all in one place! Many of these I have done myself and they turned out great. I might even put in a couple of my failed projects in here because maybe you are cooler than me and can do it better :). I have also added multiple ways to do some of them and you can choose the one you like best. NOW LET ME TELL YOU, if you are NOT like me and the thought of DIY'ing something sounds worse than taking a bullet, keep reading because some of these things are soooo easy to do and you probably just haven't thought of it yet! Embarrassed to admit this, but less than two years ago I didn't even know what DIY stood for and I had never attempted to do anything myself.
But my first spray painting project turned out so well and it was so easy that I started doing more. Now half of my house I DIY'ed myself and I kid you not, I have spent less than a total of $250 on everything!I bought a black iron console table from Garden Ridge for $45 (seriously, you can't beat that) that I spray painted gold. The shiny metallic instantly turned it into something beautiful that looks way more than $45. You can also do this with any old table that is similar that you already have. The steps to this were incredibly simple: ** TIP ON GOLD SPRAY PAINT ** I have seriously tried about 5 different kinds and brands of gold spray paint. I have tested samples, shown them to other people, etc. and the one that looks the closest to real gold is Rustoleum's Bright Coat, Metallic Finish Gold spray paint. This was posted on Jennifer's blog, Home DIY Project. Using frames like this, it is really quick and easy to change out pictures as often as you want! I have done this and it was really simple:
This was posted on Centsational Girl Blog. I have created different versions of this using laminated scrapbook paper or something similar and they turned out great. Adding pattern to the bottom of a tray, whether with fabric or paint, is the simplest way to transform a solid color tray into a statement accessory: Wainscoting was originally found in England sometime around the 16th century, with the intention of covering the lower part of the walls to resist water damage. Today it is more commonly found in everyday homes as a way to provide an elegant look to a simple room. The cost of pre-made panels it is not easily affordable. Using picture frames to resemble wainscoting, can be done with a smaller budget I have not done this one before but I am dying to try when I move! I have this painting hanging in my house and it looks amazing! So I cheated on this one and just bought the artwork (from the Cozamia website) and had it framed, but you could easily create one of your own using the steps below:
This was posted on Janell Beals' blog, House of Fifty. Covering a lampshade or two with fabric is an incredibly easy, fast and inexpensive way to bring a little style into a room This tutorial uses an old lampshade that has a top and bottom band that the author wanted to still be shown. If you want to cover the whole shade, there is another tutorial here. The steps below are for the picture to the right. So, I love how easy and fun this was to create. You do NOT have to be an artist at all to do this. You can paint it on a big canvas or a small canvas, but either way I think the result is amazing. I ended up creating two smaller ones and hanging them on top of each other. This was posted on The Clever Bunny blog. This is definitely very clever. This was posted on Erin Loechner's Design for Mankind blog. This is such a simple tutorial and a great way to spice up a folding chair and showcase them! This was posted on the Shanty2Chic blog. I created these for my house and they turned out exactly like the picture!
And I have been using them for about a year now and they are like new. The steps are below: I really like how these trunks turned out. Compared to the before, the white paint and gold greek key really transformed them into something else! These were really cheap trunks that I got a couple of years ago at an estate sale. These mason jars make great gifts at the end of the event or save them for your own personal decoration. Mason jars will never go out of style! I have a couple of these around my house with flowers in them and they were so so easy to do: This was posted on Meredith's blog, Not So Newlywed McGees. I have been wanting to try this for a while but do not have an old coffee table to try it with! But I know people who have done it and they say it wastn' too challenging: This was posted on Bethany's blog, Dwellings by Devore. I have this same high chair from IKEA and I did not do this but it would be so easy! I love the look of the IKEA antilop highchair. It has simple clean lines that doesn't scream baby.
It will fit in with most decor as much as a highchair can fit in and at $25 the price is perfect. I love the combination of wood and white together...side tables, coffee tables, chairs, nightstands, etc. I think they all look great. I had this old side table from World Market that I bought about 4 years ago and I was sick of it. So I decided to spray paint the bottom half white and it was one of the EASIEST redos I have ever done: This was posted on Melissa's blog, A Place To Nest, but you can see the whole tutorial/posting here. I plan on doing this when I move on my back patio! Take liberties with inexpensive basics to create beautiful and functional furniture. Here, an upside-down galvanized bucket combined with a glass tabletop makes a funky coffee table. This was posted on Bobi's blog, Bobi Law Designs. To me, this is just plain genious. I wish I would have thought of this earlier. It is so simple to do and it is perfect for small rooms that do not have room for a sofa table behind your couch.
This was posted on Chelsea's blog, Two Twenty One. This is such a cute idea for a girls room or any room in your house with the right fabric/color theme. And it is really easy to do: Take your coffee table for a drive by bolting vintage wheels to the legs. There are different versions of the table as you can see in the pictures below, and a couple of them include pallet coffee tables. For a tutorial on creating a pallet coffee table click here. For steps on simply adding wheels to your existing coffee table read below: This was posted on Shannon's blog, Madigan Made. I have seen other "cookie sheet tray" DIY's out there but this is my favorite one so far. I have not done this yet because I don't have ANY more room for another tray in my house but I will do this next time I need a tray somewhere: Turquoise paint can lighten the look of an old scratched and scuffed sideboard, while glass pulls can give it a vintage-meets-modern look. A herringbone pattern, drawn with a white paint pen on the doors, solidifies the sideboard's chic status.
This was posted on Brittany's blog, Brittany Makes. Every magazine I read these days is covered with tons of gorgeous poufs. The only problem is, my budget doesn't quite afford me the opportunity to purchase one. I have not done this yet becuase I am in the process of learning to sew (pathetic, I know). But this is first on my list! Decorate your walls for spring with this easy to make spray paint silhouette botanical art DIY. I have done this for a friend's living room with gold and white paint (white in the background with gold leaves) and they turned out great and looked perfect in her space. The last DIY on my list is the easiest of them all. Taking your kids toys, animals, old figurines and spray painting them is a great way to modernize your home! I have done this with Rustoleum's Bright Coat, Metallic Finish Gold spray paint and Valspar turquoise spray paint to a couple of old animals and trinkets lying around my house and it was so easy. Read #1 on a short how-to on spray painting.