Top 10 Simple DIY’s
Over the years my husband and I have tackled all levels of projects. Different homes have called for different diy’s, from replacing all the hardwood floors to fireplace makeovers. We’ve had a lot of practice and we’ve figured out a good system between the two of us balancing out our strengths and learning together along the way. With our current house, it was brand new when we moved in, so we knew we wouldn’t be tearing down walls or replacing any flooring. But after a few months of settling in, it didn’t take us long to start up some diy’s and add some custom touches. Below you’ll find my top ten favourite diy’s that we completed over the last few months. They’re all super simple inexpensive projects that fill a need for functionality, practicality or just some decorative pieces to style with over the seasons. Here is a quick recap of our TOP 10 Simple DIY’s:
1. Bathroom Shelving
As with most new homes shelving and customized storage aren’t usually part of the house. Here’s an opportunity to add some function and display space with just a couple of shelves. We have added a set of floating shelves to two of our bathrooms. We went with white oak to match our flooring and I just love the clean look of them.
2. Framed Chalkboard
I’ve always the loved the look of a chalkboard wall at restaurants and cafes so I decided with all the time I spend making meals that I wanted to add one to our kitchen too. It’s been one of my absolute favourite projects to date. It’s been a great way to display our menu, track the grocery list which all helps with weekly meal planning. I also love that I can just use it as a sign for birthdays and holidays since it’s in a spot where we spend the most time in. I even used it over the holidays for an easy advent calendar countdown. This DIY Framed Chalkboard is on the blog.
3. Window Boxes
With Spring upon us, I can’t wait to get planting and setting up the garden. We live in the city so our garden is tiny but with some creative solutions it has come a long way in just one summer. Along with a baker’s rack I use for herbs, I wanted to have some flowers along the fence. Since we still have to tackle staining or painting the fence we didn’t want to invest in fully developing the garden just yet. So in the meantime I decided window boxes would work and we can take them down once we tackle the fence project. After searching high and low for the perfect size window boxes, I decided we could make them instead and I could paint them any colour I wanted. These are super easy to make!
4. Laundry Hampers
Recently we started to tackle our laundry room. It’s mainly a cosmetic project but we did put in a sleek new faucet for the sink and we plan on adding a countertop along with a few other fun changes. One thing that had to be fixed immediately was our hamper situation. Our laundry room is narrow and we have our washer and dryer side by side which doesn’t leave much room for the dirty laundry piles. After much planning I came up with the idea to just frame out a stand that could hold laundry bags and they wouldn’t get in the way of the washer and dryer doors. I wanted laundry bags so I could throw them in the wash or carry them from different rooms if need be. This super simple diy has been a game changer and once again being able to customize the size solved the issue.
5. Photo Ledge
The master bathroom is one of my favourite places in our home, but it needed a few small changes to complete the area around the tub. First we replaced the towel bar with a set of hooks which made a big difference in keeping with the clean lines. Then I wanted to add a picture ledge to hold some prints I had, along with a spot for some plants and candles. This is actually more of a picture shelf as I didn’t want a ledge in order to maintain a minimal look and it left room for the decor pieces. The prints I framed are a bit of a DIY as well, as I simply cut out some black and white photos from a Paris calendar. All in all, a few changes have truly turned this little spot into the perfect retreat.
6. Candle and Flower Holder
This was one of my most popular DIY’s to date. Candles add the perfect touch of warmth and ambiance to any room. Over the holidays I wanted to display a series of candles but with a minimal scandi look. I designed this candle holder which my husband made and it turned into a beautiful centrepiece which can be used over and over again. I decided to take it a step further with Spring and Summer on the way and so I turned the candle holder into a flower display by using test tubes in lieu of candles. Now I have a centrepiece that can transition from season to season by simply changing up different candles, flowers or greenery. I’ve even started using it as a propagation station, we’ll see how that goes! This DIY is on the blog under DIY Candle Holder.
7. Triptych Art
For the recent Home & Garden Show project I did, I had to come up with decor pieces that were inexpensive and both quick and easy to do. I had leftover paint and wood so I came up with a triptych art piece which is simply a work of art divided onto three panels. I went with a very minimal modern design to tie in with the workspace area I was designing and in a matter of minutes I was able to create some art on the cheap and on a large scale. After I completed this piece, I realized it also works upside down for a different look and you could always reuse the back of the wood to make a completely different art piece!
8. Tassel Blanket
It’s interesting to see all the different decor trends come and go and this past year it seemed to be the year of the pom pom. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the pom pom look so it’s a trend I can get behind. I had seen some beautiful boho blankets but they were all so pricy and I had a plain white throw from Ikea that needed a little sprucing up, so I decided to make my own tassel blanket. I already had white yarn so this project cost pennies and just a few minutes to complete. All the details can be found on the blog under DIY Tassel Blanket. After the success of this throw I ended up putting pom pom’s everywhere! You can easily add them to pillows, shower curtains, garlands, and even plant holders for a fun touch of boho!
9. Wood Clipboard
Another project I completed for the Home & Garden Workspace Series was a full wall of art displayed on wooden clipboards. After seeing the cost of a single wooden clipboard, a complete wall of them would blow my budget and they still wouldn’t achieve the look I was after. All the info for these clipboards is on the blog but basically it was done using leftover wood, stain and some bulldog clips. I think this is such a great idea to display kids art on a wall or for all kinds of use in an office. To complete the look I added some beautiful gold light sconces to the top of the art display.
10. Wood Plant Holder
Last but not least are these diy wood plant hangers. Macrame is so very popular and I like the mix of wood and macrame together to really layer in different textures. We made these super easy wooden plant hangers and I have it displayed here in my daughter’s bedroom to complete the boho vibes. These would look great anywhere in the home especially grouped together in a set. Of course, these would be great for outdoor plant display as well.
That wraps up all 10 super simple DIY’s. Leave a comment below and let me know which is your favourite project or which you would be willing to give a try!
