I love a good DIY project. Over the years I’ve found my passion in doing DIY projects for my family and others! Because I’m always doing something to improve my home, I’ve come up with some DIY hacks that help me get the job done. Here are my top DIY hacks that are cheap and easy to do!
My Top DIY Hacks that are Cheap and Easy
DIY Hack #1- Large Images for Your Walls
When I re-did my kids’ loft playroom I knew I wanted to put up some images of the kids on one of the walls. The thing is, I wanted really big images. I love the impact that having a few, large images can have on a room’s aesthetic. And for this playroom, I knew I wanted to go big and bold on the walls. \
Now, big enlargements can be pricey. Since I knew I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on these enlargements, I looked into a few options. When I saw that Julia Marcum (@chrislovesjulia on Instagram) had used engineer prints in her basement reno a few years ago, I knew I had to try them! I love how they turned out. And really, you can’t beat the price- under $10! Check out more details on how I did them here.
DIY Hack #2- Improving the View with Greenery
Since we are already talking about my loft playroom renovation, let me share one more of my top DIY hacks that I used in that room! Because this is an upstairs space, the views out of the window aren’t my favorite. I really wanted to see something green out of the window, and I knew I couldn’t grow a tree in a matter of hours or days. The next best thing? Hanging plants!
But, these plants wouldn’t be hanging inside the room. Nope. I wanted them to be hanging outside the window. It may sound crazy, but trust me. It turned out so amazing. To see how I accomplished this trick, you’ll have to check out my blog post all about it here.
DIY Hack #3- The Magic of Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Do your kids love Harry Potter like mine do? My boys are obsessed with all of the magic and the characters in that book series. Because they love it so much, I thought it would be super fun to recreate the Hogwarts Great Hall in my dining room for Thanksgiving. Spoiler alert- it turned out amazing!
One thing that I did in this room that made a huge difference, was to use peel and stick stone wallpaper on all of the walls. It was the perfect temporary solution! The great thing about peel and stick wallpaper is that you can try out a pattern or look on your walls without having to fully commit to it. This also makes it perfect for anyone who is renting. Check out the full Hogwarts room reveal here.
DIY Hack #4- Making Faux Look Real
I love the look of succulents outside. They bring much-needed greenery and color to my cinder block fence. The only problem? I have a hard time keeping real plants alive! My solution to this is to use faux succulents. There are some really realistic faux plants available in big box stores and online. And they aren’t that expensive. The real trick to helping them look real is to ‘plant’ them in real dirt. See how I accomplished this top DIY hack here!
DIY Hack #5- Creating a Custom Desk for Cheap
You know those random areas in your home that don’t quite fit a piece of furniture? Those areas that instead seem to attract piles of junk that has no home? We’ve all got those spots in our homes. For me, one of these areas was a small nook in my bedroom. Instead of looking at the pile of pillows and blankets that always seemed to migrate there, I turned that nook into a custom desk area for me! Floating desks are some of the easiest things to DIY, especially in a small nook like I was working with. For a full rundown on how I created my custom desk area, check out my blog post and Instagram story highlight!
DIY Hack #6- DIY Updated Windows
I love the look of black framed windows. It’s a simple thing that makes a big impact on a room. Unfortunately, replacing all of my white framed windows with black framed windows is super expensive. Luckily, I’ve figured out a way to DIY this look on my current windows. This is one of my top DIY hacks I’ve ever done.
Over the years I’ve done a few different methods to update my window frames to make them black and to add the black grids to the windows themselves. In some rooms I’ve used thin pvc trim grids from a company called New Panes. I love how quick and easy those are to install.
For other rooms, I’ve used black spray paint and black electrical tape! I’m amazed at how well this has held up even with the hot Nevada summer sun hitting the windows. For a full breakdown on both of these methods, you need to see my tutorial here.
My Top DIY Hacks that Are Cheap and Easy
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of my top DIY hacks! There are no limits to what you can create when you do it yourself. One of the things I love most about doing DIY projects is being able to create what I see in my mind and not having to settle for what is available at the store. To see what I’m up to in real time, be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok @angelarosehome. Remember, stop pinning and start doing!
