30 DIY Home Decor Ideas for an Easy and Budget-Friendly Home Refresh

Decorating your home from top to bottom is extremely expensive, especially when you factor in the cost of furniture, paint, minor renovations, and decorative accents. While it may be easier to turn to Amazon or other e-retailers to add personality to your space, go the custom (not to mention, cheap) route with these DIY home decor ideas. The next time you have some downtime, bust out your toolkit (when needed), craft supplies, and get to work on these easy home projects. Some of them, like faux concrete walls and hand-painted wall decor, will completely transform the room in mind, while others will simply add a handmade, Pinterest-worthy touch without breaking the bank.

Whatever case, these easy-to-make decor ideas will give your bedroom, living room, kitchen, entryway, or any other room in your house new life — no serious handyman or crafting skills required. A lot of the DIYs on this list even tap into today's top home design trends, everything from antique art to vintage accents. Plus, just think about how great it'll feel when guests ask where your [insert DIY creation here] are from. (They're from you, thank you very much.)

Bring different textures into your space by painting a concrete-inspired wall. Once you gather your grey paint, dry paintbrush, and lint-free cloth, follow a forgiving buffing technique until you nail your desired look.

RELATED: How to Paint a Room

Go halfsies on paint in a variety of coordinating paint colors to turn garage-sale art into a bold colorblock display.

RELATED: Easy Trash-to-Treasure Crafts

Trade out a standard wooden bannister for jute or Pro-Manila rope to match your home's nautical aesthetic. After anchoring brackets to the wall or individual posts, secure the rope from the top to the bottom of the stairs. Then unravel both ends to create a more relaxed look.

Paint a wooden pedestal in any solid color of your choice, and then use it to play up different heights in your space with stacked books and fresh greens.

Keep your entryway clutter-free by covering shoe cubbies with a fabric table skirt. Dress the top of the table with flowers, trinkets, and other decorative accents.

This stunning star mirror looks intricate, but it's surprisingly easy to DIY if you follow the step-by-step guide. An added bonus: It costs less than $25 to make.

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Jute rope turns a cheap vase into a statement piece. It's as easy as it looks: Simply, hot-glue jute rope around a vessel for a beach-ready look.

With paint and a pair of drawer pulls, a salvaged cabinet door becomes a makeshift cheese board or TV dinner tray. To make, fill holes in the board with wood filler and let dry. Sand and paint the surface, pre-drill holes, and screw in handles.

Because your living room isn't complete unless it has at least three fuzzy throws. Before putting this wooden ladder on display, dress up a plain blanket by creating extra-large tassels and pom-poms from thick yarn and knotting them onto the end.

SHOP BLANKET LADDERS

Here, your kid's habit of writing on the wall isn't a bad thing. This easel can be attached to any blank wall, doubling it as a place to put your kid's art on display or your grocery list in plain sight.

Get the tutorial at Arin Solange at Home »

Spruce up a chest of drawers with new hardware, paint, and wallpaper. Even a medley of wallpaper samples can get the job, if you're looking for a thrifty solution.

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Put your dusty encyclopedias to good use with this side table. To assemble, cut trim to form a box frame that fits snugly around one book, nail it to the tabletop’s underside, and paint the top. Drill a hole the size of dowel through each book’s center and glue the dowel to the center of the table's underside. Stack encyclopedias, lining up holes, and twisting (as shown). Skewer the dowel through the holes to secure them to the tabletop

Give vintage luggage a new purpose with this three-step DIY. Use it as a nightstand or end table, and fill it with blankets, or books, or anything else you'd like to stash away.

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A bulletin board goes off the wall and around a lamp base in this easy-to-follow craft. Trim a length of cork to the height and circumference of an old lamp. Notch a small hole in the back for the
cord to poke through, if needed. Peel off the backing of cork and attach it to the lamp, smoothing it down with your hands. Cut out a circle for the base’s top and attach with hot glue.

SHOP SELF-ADHESIVE CORK

Existing curtains, throw pillows, or lampshades get a fun makeover with pom-pom or fringe trim. Pick a trim color that pops against the other shades in your space for maximum impact.

Create a stylish tissue box cover that'll last beyond cold season: To make, coat a wooden tissue box cover with polyurethane three times. Cut 4 2" wide strips of veneer, one to fit each side of the box. Glue on strips and coat both sides of each strip with glue, as well as the entire box and let dry.

SHOP WOODEN TISSUE BOX COVER

Instead of settling for kid-friendly placements that don't align with your decor, craft your own with the fabric of your choice. Cut fabric into 12" x 17" rectangles and iron. For each mat, cut two rectangles of the same size from a sheet of vinyl. Iron a piece of vinyl on each side of the place mat and trim the edges with pinking shears.

Want to teach your kids that every penny counts? Make a coin bank out of an empty disinfectant wipes container. Clear the outside of the container and attach your own "Fun Money" label.

Some call it a remote, others call it a clicker. No matter what you call it, store it in this no-sew pillow pocket. Start by cutting a pocket from an old pair of jeans. Then sandwich fusible fleece between the jean pocket and pillow cover, and iron the two layers together. Put the cover back on the pillow and cozy up for game day.

See? You can fill your home with Anthropologie-inspired decor at a fraction of the price. All you need is a hot glue gun, old lamp, and linen fabric.
Get the tutorial at The Pinto Pony »

This simple craft turns your tattered cardigans and shrunken pullovers into coasters that you can use time and time again. Wash 100% wool in hot water, then dry with an agitator like jeans. After three rounds, sweaters should feel taut and felt-like. Use a pencil and a large-mouthed glass to trace circles onto the fabric and then snip out a set.

Skip painting and embrace a weathered finish when making this side table, made out of old farmhouse shutters.

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Proof that you can make a statement wall in your bedroom without a ton of effort: This blogger used plywood and mounting tape to create this envy-inducing decor moment.

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Dress up bare walls with one of the photos on your camera roll. Get a favorite shot digitally enlarged and then add strips of wood along the top and bottom as a quick frame.

A set of nesting bowls can accessorize your shelf or illuminate the dinner table, all thanks to this bright idea. Bonus: You can make it in under an hour.

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Just think how accomplished you'll feel sitting on a bench you made with your own hands. Attach hairpin legs to a piece of laminated shelf pine for a simple shoe-tying spot.

Bring bursts of color to your dining table by sticking plates and utensils on colorful ombre linens — napkins, place mats, table runners, and more.

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The upholstery tack isn't just for sofas. Push or tap brass tacks along the lines of a table, bench, or chair for added sparkle and shine.

The dinner table shines brighter with a few clever "lamps." Just pop a LED tea light in a wine glass and top it with a paper shade.

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This patterned laundry bag, made with fabric, ribbon, and an embroidery hoop, will keep your delicates in one spot. To make, clamp the pillowcase into the hoop, tie on a loop of ribbon to the hoop's clamp, and hang near your hamper.