(Image credit: Sinnen Rausch)
Here at Apartment Therapy, we’re huge fans of clever, space-saving furniture and accessories for small spaces. The problem with these things, though, is that often even if they’re small, they’re not cheap, and it’s very likely that your budget is one of the reasons you’re living in a small apartment in the first place. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 15 DIY projects that will help you get the most out of your small space — and your budget too.
(Image credit: The Felted Fox)
If you like basic, stripped-down furniture, without pomp or circumstance, then take a look at these five project ideas. These are the basic of basic – nothing fancy or high falutin’ — and usually made of just plywood or unfinished wood. Each project comes with instructions on how to make them yourself.
(Image credit: Lucy Feagins / The Design Files)
In college I had a ‘beginner’s toolbox’ with basics like a hammer, level, tape measure, and mini cordless drill. This little baby drill became the bane of my existence. It never held a charge, wasn’t powerful enough for even self-tapping screws, and made the highest pitched whine. As soon as I was able to, I invested in a cordless power drill and learned an important lesson. Get the good stuff.
(Image credit: Hajattamolla)
Hallways are awkward spots in our homes, both overlooked and undervalued —they’re weird in-between places that we pass through multiple times daily, but we don’t actually spend a lot of time there. What they don’t have to be is a waste of space. With a little time and effort they can be storage powerhouses.
(Image credit: Submitted by Ariana )
In an origin story worthy of Antiques Roadshow, Ariana spotted this lovely little number on the side of the road, amongst a group of other discarded chairs, and decided to snatch it up and see what was what. Turns out it had its original tags and she was able to verify that it was made in the ’20s. She decided to restore this beaut back to its former glory by spiffing up the bones and adding a new gorgeous fabric.
(Image credit: Design Love Fest)
We’re very much on board with the elementary yet sophisticated look of air-dry clay projects. There’s obviously a reason why this material remains to be popular among DIY enthusiasts, and we agree that this is definitely a materials you should keep on hand for your projects. Need a new planter? Grab some air-dry clay. Want some new serving dishes? More air-dry clay. Not sure what to buy your friend for their birthday? Why not make them something custom out of, you guessed it, air-dry clay? The options are endless, and they results are almost always simple, minimal, and oh so desirable. Take a look at some favorite projects we’re crushing on, and get crafting!
(Image credit: Lovely Indeed)
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had shampoo explode in your luggage. Or if you’ve ever had a really unnecessary spat with your spouse about loading dirty dishes into a clean dishwasher. See? These things are totally universal problems that we all face. And that means, yes, somebody’s already thought of the perfect solution.
Stephen and Amy bought their first home together in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood in 2013. Their home is adorable inside and out, with many of the elements crafted by the couple. There is one small element that I think has a big impact on their home’s curb appeal — and it’s an easy and affordable DIY!
(Image credit: Yellow Brick Home)
Shelf brackets’ primary purpose is well known and documented: prop up and secure boards to create wall storage. But did you know that there’s an entire outlaw gang of brackets that went rogue? They shrugged off society’s expectations about their usefulness and devised entirely new roles for themselves within households and workspaces everywhere.
(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)
You may have caught a look at Amina and Salvatore’s incredible house tour and if not, seriously, how could you miss it? It’s what all your rainbow and unicorn and glitter dreams are made of! What was so surprising, aside from the sheer amount of color packed into 650 square feet of rental space, was the amount of projects they created themselves. As avid DIYers and creative entrepreneurs, the label of “rental” didn’t stop them from creating the ultimate happy-place-heaven for the two of them and their adorable dogs.
Hold on to your faux flower crowns – you’re about to be blown away by all these eye-popping, jaw-dropping DIYs.
(Image credit: Neena Anne Thomas )
Want to make a more pleasant impression with your porch? You might find inspiration in this subtle but effective porch makeover, involving some bright paint and new pattern!
(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)
Framing a garment can seem like an intimidating process, but it’s actually quite easy to do yourself. The framing pros have a lot of specialized tools and tricks (like using a tagging gun instead of hand stitching, for instance), but for us weekend warriors, it’s all about using simple tools and getting the job done so we can enjoy our completed gallery wall that much sooner. So grab your grandpa’s letter sweater or your grannies floral girdle and get to framing!
(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)
Making your own terrarium is fun and surprisingly easy – and equally easy to maintain. Whatever the climate may be in your large, expansive home or your teeny tiny apartment, a terrarium—given a healthy dose of indirect light and an occasional spritz of water—will be happy as a clam.
(Image credit: François et Moi for homedit)
There’s nothing like seeing back to school supplies everywhere to make you realize, man, I miss having a reason to buy 64-count box of crayons. And, oh ya, it’s probably time to get my life in order. With new modern DIY message boards, that first step to organization gets a little more fun.
(Image credit: via Wit & Delight)
In case you missed it, school’s almost back in session, and I’m feeling all sorts of nostalgia. Whether your school days were spent learning writing and arithmetic, or typing inappropriate words into your Ti-84 graphic calculator (did anyone else do that?), the common denominator of scholastic memories was probably the school supplies involved – gel pens, Crayola crayons, and Lisa Frank binders, to name a few. But those things don’t necessarily translate into home decor unless you’re Lisa Frank herself, so I’m here to show you a few (older) options that will surely have you jumping on the “schoolhouse eclectic” bandwagon by first semester.
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