When you’re finally ready to move into your new place, you might get the urge to redecorate. After all, starting fresh means starting from a clean slate, right? But with the cost of moving and necessary time off work, your budget might not be amenable to splurging on completely new decor.
Use these 16 DIY apartment decorating hacks to make your apartment look like you hired an interior designer — without actually spending a ton of cash.
- Organize with a rope basket. With just a dollar store basket and some rope, you can create a stylish storage basket in your favorite colors.
- Get wild with bookends. Pick up a couple of plastic kids’ toys, glue them on some wood blocks, and spray them with a bold paint color for a set of funky bookends.
- Update a picture frame. You can pick up picture frames fairly inexpensively at clearance stores, yard sales, or flea markets. Give them new life with a simple paint job.
- Add a pop of color to your counter. Mason jars are a quick, inexpensive way to organize bits and bobs in your kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom. This project lets you customize your containers in your favorite color.
- Use a duvet for curtains. It’s a step up from newspaper in the window, and it doesn’t require any fancy sewing skills.
- Paint the sides of your doors. If you’re looking to add an unexpected pop of color to your home, without the commitment of transforming a full wall, painting the sides of your doors can be a good compromise.
- Make your own wallpaper. Using just a large piece of fabric, some water, and some cornstarch, you can create your own custom, textured wallpaper.
- Paint the floors. Old vinyl or laminate flooring can make a space look cheap or dirty, but with a bit of know-how, some elbow grease, and some paint, you can have a gorgeous new floor in just an afternoon.
- Make your own doormat. Take your boring old rubber door mat, cover it with a pretty fabric and a polyurethane coating, and you’ve got an instantly stylish entryway that can withstand lots of wear and tear.
- Up your vase game. Repurpose an old teapot or other vessel as a vase for fresh cut flowers. Save even more money by investing in some quality faux blooms for a pop of color year ‘round.
- Swap your sofa legs. Update your couch with a gorgeous new pair of legs. This simple DIY project is great for making over sofas, furniture, beds, or even tables quickly and easily.
- Organize your cords. With so many electronic devices in our lives, living space can easily become overwhelmed by power cords. By strategically hiding and storing them, you can make your place look instantly flawless.
- Paint your backsplash. Add an eye-catching design in the color of your choice by painting the backsplash in your kitchen or bathroom.
- Fake the marble look. Using marble patterned wallpaper or contact paper gives you the pricey look of a marble tabletop, without the hefty price tag.
- Paint half a wall. Make your space look larger by simply painting the lower half of the wall. The top will seamlessly blend into the ceiling, giving the illusion of added space.
- Use tape for picture frames. Available in a multitude of colors, sizes, and textures, washi tape is available at most craft stores, making it possible to quickly and easily frame family photos, children’s artwork, or that gorgeous magazine clipping without adding holes in the wall.
Who says fabulous design can’t be cheap? Just because you’re not a homeowner with the money to install amazing oak shaker style cabinets, doesn’t mean you can’t still have great style. With these cheap, yet chic, DIY apartment decorating hacks, you can create a space so impressive that your guests will ask for the name of your interior designer. Before you run out and grab a can of paint, however, check with your property manager to learn what kinds of modifications are acceptable.
