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Spruce Up the House With 50 Clever DIY Ideas

How to make a modern chandelier, glam dresser, chalkboard table and more

Lily Gahagan April 6, 2011

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Call it the end of cabin fever, the calm after the spring cleaning storm, or just a result of seeing nature renew itself as it does every year with freshly budding plants and little baby animals all over the place. Whatever it is about spring, we here at Houzz find it to be the time of year where we start to look at everything around us with fresh eyes — not least of all our homes. We’re ready to tackle that paint project, get our backyard into shape, and are coming up with a long list of ideas for sprucing up both inside and out of the house. With that in mind, we decided to compile fifty of our favorite DIY projects from around the Houzz community. Take a look, and maybe get ready to prepare your own list of projects to get your home in shape for the new season.

Casa Greer

Those pretty chevron curtains were actually put together without a sewing machine by Houzz user Casa Greer. Find details on the project at the Casa Greer blog.

The Brick House

Morgan over at the Brick House made that awesome modern chandelier using instructions from lighting designer Lindsey Adelman.

Eclectic Living Room Eclectic Living Room

Houzz user iheartorganizing shared some photos of the amazing built-in she and her husband created in their living room. Find full details on the project at her eponymous blog.

Katya Popova

Poufs! They're a big deal right now. Rather than spend $300+ on one for your home, why not follow Houzz user katypopo's lead and make your own? She used instructions found here.

Sindahl

Artist and blogger Tina Sindahl used an IKEA cabinet and upholstery nails to recreate the look of a high-end credenza she loved. You can find out how she did it on her blog, Signed by Tina. (The instructions are in Swedish, but there's a drop-down menu on the sidebar for translation.)

Sindahl

Tina also made several pieces of art around the house, including this fishscale-looking project. You can follow her instructions to make your own, too.

Like Tina's style? You can see more of her amazing home in our Houzz Tour.

Our friends at DIYLife shared this project for updating butcher block countertops to their former glory. All it takes is a little elbow grease, some mineral oil and a sander.

It's a Wannabe Decorator's Life

Houzz user kaileybo from It's a Wannabe Decorator's Life made her own pot rack by repurposing a surprising item...

It's a Wannabe Decorator's Life

... She used a little ladder found at her local antique mall. What a clever idea!

decordemon

Unite a set of mismatched chairs and dining table with a coat of paint and tailored tablecloth.

DIY Project: Sit Pretty with Mismatched Chairs

decordemon

Skip expensive wallpaper rolls for this low-cost alternative. Brian Patrick Flynn shows you how to cover a space in pages cut from old books.

Jennifer - Rambling Renovators

Jennifer Flores from Rambling Renovators used the family's collection of handmade doilies to create the installation you see hanging above the bed. Get full instructions on the project here.

You can see more of the Rambling Renovators home in their Houzz Tour!

decordemon

Take a generic hollow-core door and turn it into something stylish. Here's how.

Mandi Smith T Interiors

A collection of pretty plates can become a focal point for your walls with ease by following these these step-by-step instructions.

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors

Lauren and Kyle Zerbey made a leaf-like sculpture in their bathroom out of recycled toilet paper rolls. You can do the same with this tutorial from Growing Up Creative.

See more of the Zerbey's home in their Houzz Tour.

decordemon

Give an old table an upgrade — and make breakfast far more fun — with this tutorial for creating a chalkboard tabletop.

decordemon

An assortment of knickknacks takes a far more chic tone when redone with a few sprays of crisp white.

DIY Project: Knickknack Makeover

Abbe Fenimore Studio Ten 25

Knobs and handles are an easy and instant way to change the look of a piece of furniture. Here, designer Abbe Fenimore added handles to an IKEA dresser and a mirror cut to fit the top to come up with a look that's less "big box chain" and more one-of-a-kind.

See more of this home designed by Fenimore in the Houzz Tour.

decordemon

Every four-legged friend deserves a spot all their own in a home. This project reconfigures an old suitcase into a chic bed for your stylish pet.

DIY Project: Vintage Suitcase Dog Bed

Lauren Liess Interiors

Designer Lauren Liess decided to turn her older refrigerator into a work of art with a few coats of chalkboard paint. Now her kids have a space for drawing, and she has a handy spot for the grocery list.

Here are instructions for covering your fridge with chalkboard paint from green living expert (and blogger) Danny Seo.

Lauren Liess Interiors

Lauren also made the canopy in her youngest son's room out of a dropcloth and leftover paint from the walls. You can get more details of the project at her blog, Pure Style Home.

See more of Lauren's lovely home in her Houzz Tour.

Janna Makaeva/Cutting Edge Stencils

Make an impact on your walls with an all-over stencil in a bright and cheerful shade. See How to Use an All-Over Wall Stencil.

Janna Makaeva/Cutting Edge Stencils

For a more detailed look, try a more delicate stencil in one room or wall in your home. Stencil designer Janna Makaeva of Cutting Edge Designs shows how it's done.

Michelle Hinckley

Michelle Hinckley transformed an old mirror into the bulletin board shown here. Get the how-to on her blog, Three Men and a Lady.

Michelle Hinckley

Another great idea from Michelle: turn a simple wood dresser into a glam nightstand. Find detailed instructions on the project here.

See more of Michelle's DIY skills in her Houzz Tour.

Michelle Hinckley

Love those popular starburst mirrors? Follow Michelle's lead and make your own with a smaller mirror and some — wait for it — bamboo skewers!

Get the tutorial at her blog, Three Men and a Lady.

Ikea Fabric Stool

You don't have to be an upholstery pro to update simple furnishings like this stool. Houzz user mariannefromfrance gives the play-by-play on how to tackle this easy update on her blog, Noces de Coton.

Houzz user carrieannrich fell in love with a bench from Ballard Designs, but wasn't quite so crazy about the price tag. She decided to make one herself, and thankfully provided instructions on her blog for how you can too!

Atypical Type A

Next time you see a dilapidated Scrabble box at the thrift store, pick it up! Those old letters could be new magnets for your fridge, thanks to this project from Alicia at Atypical Type A.

You can see more of Alicia's projects and fun home in her Houzz Tour.

Amanda from Red Jet Whistle had the ingenious idea to hang a thrifted ball light from an iron plant hanger to make this cool bedside lamp.

It may be a tad hard to see on the right side of this photo, but a little bunting dresses up a wall of Amanda's sweet bathroom. She shares how to make your own flag bunting in this tutorial.

Eclectic Family Room Midcentury Family Room

And how could I leave out this awesome Flor tile customization? Amanda gives a full play-by-play on how the rug was made right here.

Contemporary Revamping shoe cabinets from basic to unique.

Houzz member serim took two basic IKEA shoe cabinets and transformed them using a bit of paint and some 3D wall covers. Find out how she did it on her blog, Eclectic Touch.

Monica Ewing

Wine corks hold a wealth of possibilities after the bottle is long gone. Houzz user Monica Ewing repurposed hers into a crafty bath mat, and you can too by following her helpful tutorial.

Monica Ewing

Monica's filled with good ideas! Here she took an old window and turned it into a frame for a selection of botanical prints. Get the how-to on her blog, Crafty Nest.

Monica Ewing

Another idea from Monica: Salvaged drawers can become a colorful modular bookcase.

Old maps become a new wall covering in this room shared by Houzz member philigry. Get a detailed look at the project on her blog.

decordemon

Ready to move your entertaining outside? Brian shows how to turn a carport into a chic outside dining room.

DIY: Turn Your Carport Into an Outdoor Dining Room

Leah

That's not a bouquet of flowers on the dresser, it's a little lamp that Leah from The Way We Are painted white and hot-glued with fake flowers from the dollar store. So sweet for a little girl's room!

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors

Why spend $$ on a wall decal when you can get the same look with felt and twine? Follow the Zerbey's lead and make your own instead. See how.

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors

For the more savvy handyperson, Lauren and Kyle's teak plywood-wrapped vanity could be a project to try.

Read more about The Zerbey's home renovation on their blog, Chezerby.

decordemon

Get mobile with your gardening with a tutorial for making a movable plant container from our own Decor Demon.

DIY Project: Mobile Container Garden

Splendid Willow

Monika of Splendid Willow shows how a coat of Benjamin Moore's "Old Navy" oil-based high-gloss paint and new pulls give an old chest a new lease on life.

Atypical Type A

If you've got a tangle of jewelry that needs taming, this DIY is right up your alley. Alicia of Atypical Type A used picture wire and screw hooks to make this simple rack. Now her earrings and necklaces are organized and easy to see.

abcddesign.com

Amy of ABC Design mimicked the look of her loft windows on a blank wall with a heap of square mirrors, a laser level and plenty of mirror mastic.

Sindahl

Here's a super-easy trick: Bling up a towel bar with a little glue and some rhinestones, as Tina Sindahl did.

We like this spic-and-span garage organization project on DIYLife. You might even end up with an extra parking spot when all is said and done!

Scheer & Co. Interior Design

Contributor Killy Scheer and her husband made this fantastic headboard for the bedroom in their old Harlem apartment. The nightstand, on the other hand, is the easiest "DIY" of all: It's simply a suitcase perched on top of a small stool!

Get full instructions for making the headboard at Killy's blog, the Studiolo.

Scheer & Co. Interior Design

The pair also turned a niche in their living room into a full-blown office for two with built-in desk and curtains to hide work away when the "room" isn't in use.

Read more about the office and, of course, the rest of the house in their Houzz Tour.

The Locker

Here's an easy and inexpensive way to add interest to a wall via The Locker: Use a few embroidery hoops to hold scraps of fabric, and voila! Instant art display.

Got a home project you're working on now? Let us know in the comments below.

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