You are here: Home / Archives for DIY

Decorating and Organizing Your Closet

A wall closet in a residential house in the Un...

Image via Wikipedia

Most of the rooms in your house will benefit from a little paint, some curtains and maybe even a trinket or two strategically placed on a shelf. However, you cannot overlook the one place that you spend a lot of your time: the closet. Clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry are sometimes all stuffed into the same place so that you can look around and see everything that you own all in one spot. If this area is not eye catching or well organized, you may be missing out on some important pieces of your wardrobe.

The first step to making a change in your closet is clearing everything out. Place like items together. For example, there should be an area just for your shoes, an area for all of your purses, and if you have a favorite brand of clothing that you really like, keep all of the LRG Clothes together in one pile. While you are moving things, look for items that are too small, too big or just are not in style anymore. These do not go back into the closet.

Figure out what types of containers or organizers you will need. If you have narrowed down your shoe collection to only twenty pairs, you need to find a way to keep them all neatly in order. They cannot be thrown all over the place. The same goes for seasonal clothes.

Go through everything until it is back in place and organized. Then add the finishing touches. Consider a mirror with a beautiful design around the outside. Maybe even hang a picture of yourself in a favorite outfit!

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , , ,

Some Tips To Design Office Interiors With A Limited Budget

Process for creating generative design 

Image via Wikipedia

What options do you have if you are trying to reduce the cost of decorating your office? Interior decoration of the office is important because it is related to productivity and employee morale. However, trying to cut down costs will be difficult because you cannot compromise on the professional look and feel.

One option is to find individuals related to your employees in the business of designing interiors. They need not be the best in the world as far as quality of design is concerned. You can bring them on board so that there is a sense of unity and fraternity as far as the design process concern.

Make it very clear to the individual completing the task that he or she is expected to follow instructions and suggestions of employees till the last letter. You can avoid criticism of favoritism by making this a transparent process. Rather than treating it as a professional assignment, you can insist that the relative should treat the work as a personal project.

You can also point out the potential business options if the employees are impressed by the quality of work done. Another option is to choose your most creative employees and assign them to an interior design workshop so that they get the right ideas and tips. This will make them confident enough to design the interiors of the office on their own.

This is a much better option than having a professional designer from the outset. What is more, the employees will be more than eager to work for you because they would be working for their own office and workplace.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , ,

DIY Projects To Improve Office Interior Design At Low Cost

Inner Woodwork 

Image via Wikipedia

We all have heard about DIY projects and must have done many such projects when renovating or improving our homes. However, most of us are not comfortable with the idea of DIY projects in office. The sight of employees walking in to find the boss with a paint brush in hand may seem incongruous. The sight of customers walking in to find the employees and the boss trying their hand at interior design may be downright embarrassing.

How to overcome this problem? Well, you have no option but to respect the concept of dignity of labor. To be ashamed of painting your own office is to demean the work done by professionals all over the world.

Secondly, you can try combining the DIY project with some cash incentive. You will save money that otherwise would have gone towards labor payment. In such a scenario, offering to pay half the money saved as cash bonus and using the other half to provide better facilities to the employees can make the DIY project a worthwhile option. Further, you can buy the tools and equipments used in the project and use it for future DIY activities as well.

Thirdly, you can convert the exercise into one big picnic and request employees to bring something to eat and drink for a gala time. Getting employees to work together on non work related projects will help improve communication and teamwork.

On the whole, you just have to overcome your natural hesitation in suggesting DIY projects to your employees. Further, you must ensure that your employees have clear idea of what needs to be done and know how to proceed.

 

 

Filed Under: DIY

How to Decorate on a Limited Budget

Decorating a room is a challenge for everyone. It does not matter if you are a professional or just an average person. Making everything come together in just the right way can be tough. You have to balance the room and have colors that complement each other. You have to pay attention to the big things, like furniture. You have to have an eye for detail, like accent colors and accessories. It is enough to make your head spin! Add in a limited budget and you really have your work cut out for you.

Fortunately, it is possible for the average person to decorate a room on a budget. The secret is being clever and thinking outside of the box. For instance, instead of insisting on new accessories, like throw pillows in an accent color, you can make them. A little of your favorite fabric, some stuffing and a sewing machine goes a long way when you are working on a tight budget. Another way to be creative without spending a fortune is to shop in thrift shops. You would be surprised at how many great finds you will come across in a thrift shop.

Whether the room is big or small, decorating on a budget is possible. The best way to start is to make a master plan. Have a vision in mind of how you want the room to look. Then, start shopping for ways to create your vision, only shop in new places. Second-hand stores, discount stores and the internet are three places where you can easily find what you need for a low price. If you find something that costs too much money, try to find something similar and more affordable. Just as you can dress like the stars on a budget, you can decorate like them, too. It just takes a little ingenuity and a few bucks to pull off the look you want.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , , ,

Cover That Thing! An Easy Way to Get a Fresh Look

Every once in a while, it’s time to make a change in your home. Whether you like to change things up every couple of months or every couple of years, it can be expensive. If you’re one to not freshen up rooms in your home because of your budget, have no fear. There are many ways to make changes to every room in your home without spending a fortune. An easy way to get a fresh look in any room in your home is to cover things up!

Furniture Covers

One of the easiest ways to get a new couch or chair, without the high price tag of new furniture, is to cover them. Browse the internet and weekly sale flyers to find furniture covers on sale. Don’t forget to search online for coupon codes. Then look for the perfect furniture cover for your room. Couch and chair covers are very easy to use. Some types fit over the furniture like a big sheet. Tuck the fabric into the edges of the cushions for a streamlined look; tie the sides if your cover has them. There are also elastic ended covers that fit like a shower cap over your furniture. Many people feel these types stay in place better than the previously mentioned style of furniture covers.

Paint and Stain

Another inexpensive and easy way to enhance an existing piece of furniture and give it new life is to paint or stain it. This is especially great for wood tables, chairs, bookcases, and dressers. If painting your wood furniture is a bit too scary for you, you can sand them down and re-stain it, perhaps in a different color stain to make the piece look and feel like you just purchased a new item. Get really fancy, and mix and match paint colors, such as making the seat a different color than the rest of the chair.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , , ,

5 Tips on How to Decorate on a Budget

Everyone wants to have a nice home with comfortable furnishings, sleek accessories and our favorite colors and textures. Those on a budget often feel that they have to settle for less when looking to decorate, but this shouldn’t be the case. No matter what your taste and style is, or your budget, you can have a home with rooms that look like they came straight out of a magazine.

Create a Portfolio

Browse magazines and websites for inspirational ideas. Cut or print out your favorite rooms or individual items. Create a little scrapbook that you can have with you while shopping for referral.

You Too Can Be an Artist

Make your own wall art. Anyone can create a beautiful piece that is suitable to hang on the wall. Look online for samples of paintings and try to recreate them. If you prefer to skip the paint, take some pictures of nature. Blow up the pictures, frame them, and hang on the wall.

Consignment Shops

Consignment shops and second-hand stores are great places to find bargains, especially with the many high-end shops popping up with designer clothing and furniture. Prices are great, and for many this is the only way to own designer items. If a piece has potential, but looks a little old for the wear, simply add a coat of paint or stain. Also, check out yard sales and classified ads in your local newspaper and online at sites like Craig’s List.

Discount Stores

These shops are the perfect place to find accessories. Look for candles and candle holders, potpourri, curtains and decorative curtain rods, and even pretty plant pots and vases.

Add a Splash of Color

The easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to dramatically change the appearance of a room is to paint the walls a new color. Go ahead and pair the new wall color with new curtains for an even more noticeable change that is still budget friendly.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: ,

3 Crafty Ways to Reuse Glass Containers

If you are looking for fun ways to recycle items, reduce your waste, or even if you are just looking for some craft projects, glass bottles and containers are perfect. If you are just starting out recycling and reusing in your home, glass containers are a great item to start with because they are easy to clean and the reuses for glass bottles are only limited by your imagination.

Glass Terrarium

Glass containers can be used in many ways to decorate your home or office. Old fishbowls, large vases, or glass bowls can be used to make a terrarium. This can be done by putting some aquarium stones at the bottom of the glass container, then add some soil. Place your favorite plant in the middle and finish the terrarium with pine needles or more stones. To go a step further, use the glass out of a broken picture from to place on top of the bowl. Plants in this type of container are very easy to take care of.

Votive Holder

For smaller glass jars, especially ones with a wider mouth, can be made into tea light lanterns or votive holders. Wrap some wire around the neck of your jar and then use more wire to create a handle by arching a piece from one side of the neck to the other. Drop a scented tea light candle into the middle for a cute accessory. Or, make several and hang along the porch or patio.

Homemade Flavored Oil and Vinegar

To start, decant some vinegar or oil into your clean glass bottles. Add your favorite herbal combinations, such as mint, cilantro, or basil. Top with a clean, but used wine cork. A label can be made with an old greeting card or recycled cardboard. This will last in the refrigerator until you are ready to use or give as a gift.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: ,

4 Ways to Decorate a Small Room on a Budget

Many people find that decorating a small room is a huge challenge. Having items in a small space, without making the space look too cluttered, is one of the biggest complaints from those that are redecorating. Couple the challenge of the size of the space with the challenge of a smaller budget, and many people decide it’s not worth it to decorate a small room. There is no reason to scrap the entire project! Here are some great ways to decorate a small room on a budget.

Remove the Clutter

The cheapest, easiest, and quickest way to improve a small space is to remove the clutter. Take everything out, even pillows and get a good look at the room. Then, bring items back in, one at a time. Stop when you are satisfied that there is enough decoration, but it’s not too much.

Use Several Large Scale Items

You may have heard otherwise, but using a couple larger or taller pieces in a small room will help the room feel bigger and will provide the eye with a smoother trip as it scans across the room. If you want to make the small room look larger, hanging a large painting or decorative run on a wall is better than placing several small pieces in the same area.

Use Rich, Warm Colors

Nothing is better than feeling cozy and comfortable in a small room. This can be done by adding pillows and throw blankets on the corner of a couch or chair. Try placing some muslin as a swag over a curtain? Drape the windows with soft and flowy fabric.

Use Double-Duty Items

This is where it’s vogue to be secretive. Use ottomans that open and can be used for storage. Use a futon for a sofa that can double as a guest bed. A chest is a great coffee table that can be used to store extra blankets, take-out menus, remote controls, and more.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , ,

New Uses for Old Products

Recycling is not a new concept. People have been recycling goods in one form or another since the beginning of time. Are you recycling everything that you can? Here are some creative uses for things that you may have never considered as recyclable:
*Used fabric softener sheets can be used to freshen up drawers or linen closets. You can also save up fabric sheets over time and use them to stuff small sewing projects. Fabric softener sheets make terrific dusting cloths because the dust clings to them as you wipe down a surface.
*Empty egg cartons can be used as paint trays, seedling planters or even packaging for small fragile holiday ornaments.
*Old boots can be remade into decorative outdoor planters. Throw a coat of paint on them for a unique look!
*Save used wrapping paper to make multi-colored paper mache projects.
*Denim clothing that has gone beyond repair can be used to make cute entry rugs. You can tie or braid strips of the material to make one of these durable and nostalgic rugs.
*Use a wrapping paper tube with a stray sock on the end to grab cobwebs in hard to reach spots. Take the sock off and stick the tube over your vacuum hose to create a longer attachment tool.
*Paper towel tubes work wonderfully to store rolled documents. Perfect for those papers that you don’t want to fold and stick in an envelope.
*Whipped cream containers, jelly jars, margarine tubs and other containers with lids can be used to store leftover food.
*An old toothbrush makes a terrific mani/pedi tool. Perfect for scrubbing under nails!
*Aluminum foil is disposable right? Why waste it when you can wash it and use it again. Heavy duty foil can be washed and reused many times before it’s too battered. Clean, used foil is also great to line the bottom of the oven so you can avoid sticky, charred messes from spillovers.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , ,

Repurposing Household Items

You recycle paper, plastic and glass so, why not recycle old, unstylish furnishings into fashionable just-like-new items. You can take everything from used furniture to old household decorations, add a new twist to them and have a whole new look in your home.
*Recover your furniture. Old sofas, loveseats and chairs do not have to go to the curb just because they are out of style. You can purchase upholstery fabric from nearly any fabric store. Recovering the furniture only takes time, material and a staple gun.
* Old tires can be recycled into chic new planters for your spring flowers. If you have children, put up an old fashioned tire swing for them. That is a memory they will not ever forget!
*You can turn blue jeans, khaki pants or other items made of thicker fabric into cute beach bags, purses and library bags.
*Wood furniture can be stripped and re-stained. Another option is to sand and then stain the wood. If you are going for a primitive or rustic look, feel free to take a hammer and a bit of sand paper to the piece; the more beat-up, the better in this case.
*A rusted out wash tub might not hold water anymore, but it can make a terrific decorative piece. A little bit of acrylic paint goes a long way to spice up the look.
*Old table cloths, placemats, towels and more can be ripped into strips and weaved into rag rugs. Not only are these rugs cute and back in style, they are also warm and functional.
*Drawers leftover from a junked dresser can be used for storage. Most are the perfect height to store underneath a bed. Use them as storage for bed linens, extra shower curtains, seasonal clothing or anything else that you want out of the main storage areas.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts