100 smart DIY projects for your home

December 03, 2014

One HUNDRED smart and beautiful DIY projects for your home!

Kathy had a dark kitchen set and she didn't just paint it -- she added beautiful and unexpected details that I love:
"dipped" painted kitchen set
I especially love the feet!

You know my love for a beautiful wall treatment...so you know how much I love Laura's new music room: 
dining room turned music room with white wall trim

They converted their dining room into a music room...I just love it! It's SO elegant for only $150 in materials! Wow!

This china cabinet transformation is one of the best furniture makeovers with paint I've ever seen:

Super smooth black paint finish on furniture

LOVE that smooth finish and the unique fabric on the back!

I’m sharing Tamara’s room because it’s super cute and because she shares how to make your own plantation shutters!:
DIY plantation shutters
WHAT. Yes, she made them. I’m totally impressed, it looks so good! 

My friend Jenny is the master of painting furniture and cabinets and this has to be one of my favorites. I LOVE wood tones but she makes me want to paint everything:
gray dresser with brass hardware

The gray with the brass is perfection. And the top is stained a beautiful dark brown -- go check out this beauty! 

If you have a countertop that is in good shape, you can update your counters without spending a ton using this tutorial:
Update kitchen counters without replacing

What a brilliant way to get the marble look!

I believe a coat of white can update just about anything and Tyler’s fireplace and built ins are a great example of that:
painted brick fireplace and built ins
That mirror is fantastic too!

Of course I can’t leave out a good DIY – Angela shared how to get that popcorn texture off your ceilings:
removing popcorn texture
AND she shares how they finished it off after they were done. Again, not an expensive job, but it takes some patience. 

This DIY coffered ceiling is SO good and I have no doubt it was a lot of work -- but it wasn't as difficult as I thought something like this would be:
DIY coffered ceiling with beadboard


Morgan's husband knocked this out of the park! They covered a popcorn ceiling so this would be a great option if you have them.

Jennifer's DIY picture ledges are even easier than mine -- hers just use two pieces of wood and mine use three:
DIY picture ledges in hallway

I especial love how they are tucked into the end of the hallway -- what a great use of this space.

Tasha shares how she made her own art for cheap and got that canvas texture on it as well:
getting a canvas texture on art
I’ve been putting off a similar project because I was trying to figure out how to get the canvas look when I was done. AWESOME. 

I love how Breann took an empty space under the stairs and created a built in dog crate

Brilliant! I love making use of little spaces like this! 

Jaime knocked it out of the part yet again with this stunning chair upholstery makeover

So beautiful! You have to see how they started out to truly appreciate this transformation. 


Liz's attic renovation really struck me -- the beams are amazing. And that exposed brick! I just love spaces like this:

I have to laugh because I found this photo last night -- and then had a dream where we had an attic that I had just discovered (love how that happens in my dreams) and it was AMAZING with tons of exposed brick. Problem was there were about 15 people living up there that we didn't know about and we couldn't get them to leave. 😂 So weird!! Why do good decor dreams have to be ruined by stress? ;) 

Liz's stained and painted dresser stopped me in my tracks:
gray and wood dresser

I love gray with anything, and especially with wood tones. Beautiful!

I was wowed by Monica's pretty fireplace makeover:
bright white fireplace with marble

That tile is so pretty! 

If you are considering a kitchen makeover but the cost of new countertops is too much, you need to check out Jennifer's post on how to build your own laminate counters:
DIY laminate countertops tutorial

Laminate has come such a long way! Doesn't that look like soap stone? She shares a great tutorial on how to do this project -- it's a fraction of the cost of buying them ready-made. 

Kristine repurposed an old sewing machine table to make this beautiful nightstand:
repurposing old sewing table

I LOVE that she repurposed it -- it looks so good! And that is a beautiful bedroom too.

Stephanie made over a play room to a more grown up space for her family. I loved every bit of it:
industrial wood wall with table

That wall! Oh my. The room is clean and streamlined but a super functional space that looks like a cozy spot to hang out.

I LOVED these pretty rustic frames that Jenna made:
DIY wood planked frames

Aren't they beautiful? They look like something you'd find in the store, but better. :) She gives a great tutorial on how to make them yourself. 

I couldn't believe it when Katie said this subway tile backsplash was not really tile at all: 
Peel and stick subway tile

Seriously! You won't believe that this is really peel and stick! What a fun project.

IKEA has a small nightstand/dresser called the Rast and it has been made over into hundreds if not thousands of different projects over the years -- if you search Rast hack you'll find tons of links. I loved Bre's take on it -- she transformed her dresser into a bar cart:
bar cart rast hack
I love the wine storage at the bottom, the handle-turned-towel-holder and that she added wheels so it easily be moved around. Brilliant!

Leslie's built-in spice rack idea is so smart: 
DIY spice rack on cabinet
She's a girl after my own heart -- she couldn't just add the racks, she went all out with new trim and added details. Love her whole kitchen!

And Amy's ship silhouette dresser is another one that made my mouth drop: 
nautical dresser DIY
Wow, right?? Love all of the details -- it is truly a piece of art!

I absolutely love Heather's stair makeover:
painting wood stairs

The wood was in bad shape and wasn't staining well, so they went with this painted look instead. Beautiful right? 

Sage's stairwell makeover is so stunning, I love the blue! 

stair way makeover and update

You have to see the before to really appreciate how far this space has come!

AND she made it look easy. Mine would look like a tree on steroids or something. 

We all know the easiest update for a dresser is new hardware. But take a look at the cute flower bloom behind the drawer knob the ladies at Little Nannygoat added:
This is what I love -- finding something you probably already have, changing it up and making a HUGE statement -- for next to nothing! 

Gail blew me away with this one – she took an old desk she had in the basement for years and turned it into a beautiful chest of drawers:

 desk turned chest of drawers 

Can you even believe that? I love how her brain comes up with stuff like this. :)

Christina came up with a way to hang her plates and it is brilliant!:

plate hangar from paperclip

Wish I would have thought of that!

I loved Alicia’s art project and what she used to make it!:  

I planned on using those exact napkins from Cost Market for a project and then they sold out! I LOVE them.

I love how Kelly transformed dollar store plates into something pretty and special:

Lori’s huge Pottery Barn knock off mirror is spectacular!:

diy eagan mirror

And so is the price -- check out her great step-by-step instructions!

I was excited to see this Ballard Designs drying rack knock off:

ballard designs drying rack

The instructions are detailed and I’m thinking I’m going to have to try this one out. :)

I had to share Ashleigh’s sweet painted vases in soft, pretty colors:

painted vases

Aren’t they beautiful? 

I’ll always love a good DIY orb light fixture and Kristi’s turned out beautifully:

DIY orb light fixture

Saving a couple hundred bucks is always a good thing!

I was shocked when I read that this floor in Jessica’s bathroom wasn’t tile:

hexagon vinyl floor

It fooled me!

I loved this simple rope update Mary made to regular lamp shades:

pottery barn inspired lamp shade

She was inspired by Pottery Barn and I like her version even better. ;)

I LOVED Meredith’s coffee table turned ottoman:

coffee table to ottoman

Just gorgeous! 

Erin turned these little terracotta pots from Goodwill:

Goodwill terracotta pots

Into these painted and numbered pots:white numbered terracotta pots

They look like you'd find them in a Pottery Barn catalog!

Shannon used old fence wood to create a decorative ledge in her home:

fence post countertop

I love that aqua color! What a cool idea.

Gail had some major vision – she turned a tall candlestick and a pot lid from Goodwill into a pretty birdbath!: 

candlestick birdbath

Amy shares a super easy, fast, no sew roman shade

new sew roman shade

Sew easy! (I can never resist it, I apologize.)

Debbie thought outside of the box and made a pillow from a kitchen item:

towel pillow

Any guesses? ;) So pretty!

Jacque turned wine crates into rolling storage as well: 

wine crate rolling storage

I loved how simple (and cheap!) Angie’s mirror project was!:

mirror from a plate charger

It’s one of those ideas that makes you wonder why in the heck you didn’t think of it??

You won’t even believe how this beautiful mirrored dresser of Laura’s started out!:

DIY mirrored nightstand

Seriously, you have to go see the before – amazing job!

I have seen a lot of paint swatch art but Fabrizia’s was the coolest so far:
paint chip art
She said it didn’t take long and it makes such an impact! Art is usually so expensive – this is just the opposite!

Elisha knocked off a World Market coffee table that I’ve been eyeing for while:

DIY Industrial Coffee Table

The girl even welds! I’m totally impressed, it looks so good. And I love her blog name. :)

Brooke restained her oak banisters and the difference is so dramatic:

staining oak banister

You’d be surprised to learn that there’s not a ton of sanding involved! She shares the whole how-to in the post.

Sometimes the simplest project make the biggest impact. Kammy took a regular rug painted stripes on it:

painting stripes on rug

What a difference! Stripes make many things better. :)

Haeley shared one of the easiest, cheapest tricks for large artwork:

DIY art with canvas and fabric

Her whole master bedroom turned out beautifully!

I love a good knock off and I love a lighting knock off even more – Tasha’s take on a West Elm light fixture was brilliant:

west elm bentwood knock off

Haeley’s simple DIY command center is pretty and was super inexpensive: 

command center on door

The back of your pantry door is such a perfect spot for something like this, or for more storage! 

OK, you will not BELIEVE Lauren’s nailhead dining chairs and how she made them into what they are today: 

knock off restoration hardware chair

She saved hundreds per chair doing this project on her own and they came out so well. 

Jennifer shared a super simple, no sew way to make your drapes pleated

easy pleating drapes

It’s kind of brilliant and now I want to do the same! I always use this fake pleat method I showed you years ago but hers give you true pleats. Love it!

Ronda hit it out of the park again – you won’t believe how this mirrored dresser started: 

DIY mirror front nightstand

Those aren’t mirrors by the way – you have to visit her site to see what she used. Brilliant!

I love love love the “runner” Suzanne painted on her steps

painted stair runnerIt looks so crisp and no carpet to clean! ;)

Joan DIY’d a solid wood countertop for her laundry room and it turned out so well: 

DIY wood countertopLove that stain in combination with the black cabinets!

Jennifer tried something I’ve never attempted – using dye to change the color of a lampshade

dying a lampshade

It came out so well, now my wheels are turning!

Nicki’s paper bag floors are so cool looking!: 

paper bag floors

She shares how they have held up in that post – worth checking out if you are interested in trying this flooring treatment.

Julie helped out her music teacher friend by making over her room and it is AWESOME: 

music room decor

As a wife of a musician/composer/band director this room makes me SMILE big. Absolutely love it. Think my husband would want big piano keys on his office walls? ;) 

I loved Jennifer’s post because I love seeing how products like this work. She painted her appliances with a special paint to make them look stainless: 

stainless steel paint

I have to say I’m really impressed!

OK, Julie’s bathroom is gorgeous as it is, but her DIY monogram roman shade took it to a whole new level: 

DIY greek key roman shade

I LOVE this because a custom roman shade like this would cost so much money! It looks fantastic!

I've wanted to DIY an industrial table – I just couldn't figure out the metal legs. Cristina figured it out for me!:

diy industrial table with wooden top

She used a wine crate as the table top too – brilliant! Love the look!

Jennifer shared a few of her recent garage sale finds and how she transformed them with small changes. I love how she’s using this tray now:

jewelry tray

If only I could get my butt out of bed early enough to garage sale. ;)

Gretchen’s DIY outdoor play kitchen for the kids is adorable and so inexpensive:

DIY play kitchen

Her son LOVES it – so sweet. My boy would have loved this outside when he was little.

Courtenay shared a do-it-yourself, natural weed killer that I am going to try out: 

DIY natural weed killer

Seriously…killing weeds may be one of the best before and afters ever, yes? Who knew this would be so easy?

So I’ve been using a picture hanging tip for a while and haven’t blogged about it yet, but Darnetha did for me: 

hanging pictures with wire

It’s for those pictures with a string or wire hanger in the back – which are usually the easiest to hang unless you want them in an exact spot. 

Oh Legos…how I love/hate thee. I’m always looking for fun solutions to corralling the little buggers, and I loved Cheryl’s pegboard Lego storage

hanging lego storage

My boy is sitting next to me as I type and has declared that he wants this. :)

Julie found this awesome trunk (found it!!) and took it home for a little union jack magic:

union jack bench

What a perfect coffee table! Tons of storage in that baby!

Cristina’s dresser looks like a fairly straightforward (and beautiful!) paint job at first:

white dresser

But check out her post to see how she changed it up! Brilliant!

I love when readers share smaller projects too, and this one was such a great idea. Joan repurposed some old shutters to make a huge (nearly three feet tall!) DIY lantern

DIY lantern

I especially love all the little details she added to it.

Pam's knocked another room out of the park, but my favorite part is this gray and brass dresser

dark gray washed dresser

Just gorgeous! You won't believe what it looked like before! 

April made over the small IKEA Rast dresser

IKEA rast white with brass

Katie's project was another small one that I thought was pretty brilliant. She took an old file cabinet and added all kinds of character

file cabinet makeover

This has me thinking twice about the old one we hide away in the basement. ;) 

Heather took some fun Target towels and framed them – brilliant right:

kitchen towels turned art

It’s SO stinking cute.

I LOVED Lauren’s redo on this IKEA fjell wardrobe

ikea wardrobe hack

Just beautiful!

Jess shared how she spray painted her bathroom countertops:

spray painting countertops

Yes, spray paint! I can’t even believe how good that looks!

Tasha shows how to paint linoleum floors (yes, I said paint):

painting linoleum floors

Isn’t that fun? I would never have thought that would work but they look awesome. Have you ever tried pulling up linoleum? I have. (Not fun.) So this a great option if you want a different look!

Jennifer found some GORGEOUS chairs at TJ Maxx and gave them a little redo to make them work better for her space:

round back dining chairsSeriously, why don’t I find things like this at TJ Maxx?? Those are stunning. And she went to another location to find two more – that never happens!

Anu took some lights from Target (I love that they are carrying these now!) and a simple bracket from Ikea to make an industrial wall sconce:

diy cage light sconce

This would be a great way to make just about any hanging light into a sconce on the wall.

Anita is another brave soul -- she spray painted her countertops as well: 

spray painting countertops

They turned out SO good! They look like a solid surface material now, so crazy.

Sarah shared another fantastic tutorial on how to paint over linoleum floors:

painting linoleum flooring

I especially love the stripes! What a huge difference!

Carmel at Our Fifth House added some pretty hardware to the back of her chairs for some bling:

hardware on back of chairs

I’ve always wanted to do the same – it’s a cool, unexpected touch.

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Comments

  1. Thanks SO MUCH for featuring my DIY art canvas--so glad you like my tutorial. It's so easy! And thanks for another fabulous party! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

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  2. Thank you for the feature, Sarah! I loved your kitchen Christmas decorating and the new placement of the doors. It looks amazing! I can't wait to see what you have planned for your kitchen!!:-)

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  3. Thank you SOOOO much for the feature! As a newbie blogger and a huge fan of yours it is a true honor :) Thanks for hosting!

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  4. I always get SO EXCITED when I see your party come up!! Thanks again for hosting! I love all your new changes you've made to your home btw! But, how did you perfect perfection? Have a great day! xo Kathy@The Daily Nest

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  5. Wow - thank you for featuring my dining room! What a fun surprise to see my home on your page!

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  6. Thank you for the party Sarah! Beautiful features, I waffle between light and dark constantly! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  7. That's a very beautiful dresser. You did a great job.

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  8. Sarah - Thank you SO much for featuring my stenciled inlaid bone dresser in this post! I'm so proud of that project, it's great to see other people enjoying it!

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