Are you looking to update your home decor without spending a lot of time or money? Here are 7 quick and easy DIY home decor projects to get your ideas flowing!
Note: Hi, friends! Just a quick reminder, I’m on maternity leave right now and will be re-posting a few projects and posts from the archives. This is an old post but a good one, and I hope you enjoy it!
Do you ever feel kind of stuck when it comes to what to do in your home? I know I do. Sometimes I want to give a room in my home a new look without spending a lot of money, and it can be hard to know where to even start.
Well, I’m here to help.
Over the years I’ve gotten a lot of practice at transforming spaces in my home on a shoestring budget (and without a lot of DIY skills or know-how). It’s intimidating to dive into decorating your home if you haven’t ever done it before, but with a little creativity, you’d be surprised at how much you can get done. Today I’m going to share 7 of my favorite super simple ways to transform your home without spending a lot of money or putting in a lot of effort. Plus, at the end there’s a bonus with even more ideas, so be sure to read all the way through!
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7 DIY Home Decor Ideas
- Give your lamps an upgrade. Did you know it’s incredibly easy (and cheap) to give your lamps a major makeover just by swapping out the shade? If you have an old lamp that you don’t love as much as you used to, just grab a new shade (here’s a really great plain drum shade if you’re is feeling outdated, and here’s a really fun and unique option), pop it on, and it looks like a brand new lamp!
- Reupholster an old chair. You guys, I know the word “reupholster” is pretty intimidating, but it does not have to be. You can check out this post to see how easy it is to give an entirely new life to an old chair – it’s super cheap, doesn’t take long, and is simple for even the most beginner DIYer.
- Have old carpet you hate? You might think you’re stuck with it, but you could actually replace it with a really affordable option – and you can do it by yourself! I promise! I have single-handedly replaced almost all of the flooring in our house with vinyl plank flooring, and it’s only about $1 per square foot. Seriously. It looks amazing, it’s so easy, and it’ll totally transform your home on a major budget.
- Swap out some pillows. I don’t know about you, but I get the itch to switch things up in my home on the regular. One of my favorite ways to make a major change without any work on my part (and without spending a lot of money) is to replace the throw pillows on my sofa and my bed. I typically purchase pretty cheap pillows (I love the pillow covers at IKEA, and Target always has great options!) which means I don’t feel guilty if I trade them out a few times a year. Sometimes all it takes is playing a quick shuffling game with pillows I already have (that pillow you’ve had on your bed for the last year might just look amazing in the living room), and sometimes I add one or two more to the collection. It’s easy, requires basically zero commitment, and will make a bigger impact than you’d expect.
- Try some DIY art. I always feel like I can’t do this, but when I really push myself to get creative I find that the art I make myself is often my very favorite! I’ve painted on canvas, made some wood art, made even more wood art, made a felt pennant, and made art from a book. The sky’s the limit with what you do here, and it’s usually really low cost so you don’t have to worry if you hate it – just toss it and try again later! This is a great way to make a big impact in a room with something that’s one of a kind, and it’s easier than you might expect.
- Upgrade your drawer pulls. One of my favorite cheap ways to make a room look new is to change out the drawer pulls on a dresser or other piece of furniture. It only takes about 5 minutes to do, is super cheap, and can make a plain ol’ piece look like something special. New knobs and pulls on your cabinetry in your kitchen or bathroom can also make a huge difference on a budget. There are tons of great options at your local hardware store, but we also like to shop at Hobby Lobby, and on occasion, we even make our own (like these DIY leather drawer pulls).
- Add a plant (or two). I used to consider myself a total plant killer, but over the last several months I’ve been really intentionally focusing on keeping my plants alive and it’s made such a difference in our home. I’m now a firm believer that every room in the house needs at least one or two plants in it – they don’t have to be real, but bonus points if they are! Just look for plants that have low water requirements and are easy to care for and you’ll be amazed at how much better your home feels. I really like IKEA’s faux plants if you really don’t want to try the real thing, and I’m dying to get this faux fiddle leaf fig!
If you want even more ideas for decorating your home on a budget when you’re feeling a little lost, I put together a little sheet with 10 more ideas (plus links to projects we’ve completed for each one!) – if you sign up for my email list using the form below, it’ll automatically be sent to you!
What are your favorite ways to give your home a quick refresh on a budget?
Diego Lopes says
Easy and on a budget, I love these ideas! Thanks for sharing.
sachin says
These are such good ideas….especially the cleaning the ceiling fans!
Tyler Meredith says
My house is starting to feel a little old and I want to keep it feeling fresh. I really like your recommendation to change small things to make larger things that you already have look better. This is something to keep in mind for my house because replacing pillows, vases, and even lamp shades could make my home feel much better without it feeling unlike home.
Amanda says
Glad you took some inspiration from it, Tyler!
Carol Stowell says
Great ideas! I’ve even found that rearranging main LR furniture gives your whole house a quick new update. Best yet, it costs nothing but a sore back and those cheap furniture movers(little round disk you put under the kegs) are super cheap and u can literally slide even big pieces like buffets China cabinets, etc with one hand. You use the free hand to keep the furniture from tipping! So easy yet a whole new room for zero, zip nada! That meets my budget requirements which is also nada. Looking forward to your email and newsletters. Thanks! 😊