By Manasa Reddigari
You don’t have to break a sweat or break the bank to create fabulous and functional interiors. Take small steps toward style with 15 DIYs that do most of the hard work of smart design for you.
Cut a Rug
This fetching floor piece offers an artful reimagining of a Moroccan Kasbah rug at a fraction of the cost. Trace cardboard cutout shapes in Sharpie on a plain rug to create a knock-off rug that will knock your socks off.
Wine and Design
Give your empty walls and wine bottles a bubbly, new personality with a bulletin board comprising wine corks glued into a shadow box. Personalize the board with lists and reminders to put a cork in forgetfulness.
Draw the Eye
To enliven a one-note dresser with your multifaceted character, opt for buffet drawers with mix- and-match knobs. A combination of cast-iron drawer pulls and decorative brass knobs create an eclectic storage solution.
Pillowcase Closed
Skip the sewing machine and reach for the fabric glue to make these easy no-sew pillows. Stuff the cases with inserts for pillows that are fit to perfection—no tailoring required!
Dye Job
Dip-dying can upgrade a plain, ceramic garden pot into a cheerful home for your container garden. Dip pots halfway into a bowl of tie-dye and water before drying it and nurturing your indoor plant in style.
Magnetic Personality
You reap what you don’t sew—in the case of these no-sew blinds. These no-fuss window dressings are designed to let in natural light in no time. Fold the top edge of your favorite fabric and glue magnets into the fold to display these positively magnetic shades that can be installed and removed from a metal door, all without any hardware at all.
Blue Ribbon Idea
Ribbon trim can transform ordinary storage into an extraordinary focal point in a room. Weave or tack down colorful ribbons around the edges of bookcases, wire shelves, or pantry racks for design that succeeds with flying colors.
Clear Vision
If a limited budget and dimensions have closed the door on your interior design dreams, open up a new possibility with mirrored closet doors. Using mirror adhesive, adorn the faces of the doors with full-length mirrors that reflect elegance from top to bottom.
Living on the Edge
These no-sew pillowcases use stitch witchery, a hemming adhesive, and rickrack, a braided trimming, to add that certain something. Sandwich the rickrack into the stitch witchery and iron it onto the pillowcase for statement-making, scalloped-edge cushions.
Surge of Creativity
For a custom-look washer/dryer set to match a laundry room makeover, there’s nothing so easy and and affordable as electrical tape. Adhere the tape in stripes, squares, or a crisscross pattern to create an electric atmosphere.
Raise the Bar
These color-dipped stools will become your go-to bar buddy. To make your own, tape off bargain wooden stools in an attractive pattern and spray paint them to achieve a basic dip-dyed look, stripes, or gradients. Remove the tape and sit back to admire your work.