15 Ideas That'll Make You Say "I Don't DIY But Now I'm Like Hmm..."

You're about to save yourself a crapload of money.

1. Staple elastic to the bottoms of your floating shelves to create more space and a cool illusion.

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How wonderful is this bookshelf? First of all, you're saving a ton of shelf real estate; second of all, you don't need to buy or make room for bookends; third, it's just plain magic!

If you don't already have floating shelves, NBD. Just stain or paint a wood plank and let it dry. Then, take a long piece of elastic and staple the end a few inches from the edge, leaving a bit of room for the brackets. Take a book and measure the elastic around the book and staple on the other side. Do this until you've covered most of the plank. Attach two l-brackets to the shelf, drill anchor screws into the wall, and then hang your shelf.

2. Create your own stencil to add a funky pattern to your walls, if you can't find decals that suit your taste.

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If I'm being totally honest, I tend to think most decals are kinda ugly. Or maybe they're just not my style! Either way, it's super disappointing because the concept is really cute. This stenciling idea makes for an easy and personalized replacement.

First things first, print an image that's super simple and 2-D like these eyes. Lay the printer paper on the wall and trace your pencil over the design. Then paint!

3. Hang your potted plants to give them access to a little more sunlight.

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The best part about this plant hanger is that you only need some rope (about 26 ft) and a c-hook. Cut the rope into eight equally sized pieces and knot all of them together six inches from the ends. Knot pairs of rope together a few inches down — these knots will hold the base of the pot. Then, split the two ropes in each knot and join them with those alongside, so you can make another row. Do this about three more times, then make another large knot around a metal ring. Cut off any extra rope and hang.

4. Nail a board to the wall, and then nail another one to that to make a floating shelf that beats the pants off one from West Elm.

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This is as easy as drilling two extra-long screws into the length of one board and then drilling another board into the side. Paint or stain as needed, and make sure to use a level so you don't have wonky shelves.

5. Staple a blanket over some foam and a wood board to make your own bench — no handiwork experience necessary!

dreamgreendiy.com

I honestly might make this bench just to say I "built" a piece of furniture... Just trace and cut a piece of foam to the size of a wood board and tightly wrap it in a cool blanket or tapestry. Staple the fabric to the bottom of the board, prop it all up on a set of hairpin legs, and take a seat.

6. Build a decorative ladder out of a few wooden dowels so you aren't paying an arm and a leg for more storage space.

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Decorative ladders are so pretty and so versatile: you can hang towels, blankets, jewelry, magazines, plants...the options are endless. All you've gotta do is drill holes in two thick dowels and slide in thinner dowels. That's it!

7. Knot a few strands of yarn to a stick and hang it up to cover something ugly on your wall with something beautiful.

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It's honestly so bizarre that wall hangings like this are so pricey, because making them is so cheap and easy. All you need to do is fold a piece of yarn in half, lay it over the dowel (or tree branch like this one), and pull the strands through the loop. Do that a bunch of times —maybe with a few different colors of yarn — and knot a strand on both sides to hang it up.

8. Glue a few rounds of rope together to make a hamper that you won't wanna hide in the closet.

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I've actually made a smaller-scale version of this basket, so I can vouch for how easy it is! Glue a piece of felt around a plastic basket so the excess falls in. Carefully wrap the rope around, gluing the ropes together as you go. Once it's dry, cut the lip of the basket off and lay the felt inside to create a liner that conceals the plastic. To add an ombre design, paint the rope, building up the amount of paint you use as you work toward the base.

9. Hang a tray from the ceiling if you're room's a bit too cramped for a nightstand — or if you just don't want to buy one.

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Or maybe neither of these scenarios apply to you and you just want your nightstand to float!! Either way, this is even easier than it looks. Cut two 14-ft lengths of rope, fold them in half, and make a knot. Pull each length of rope into four drilled holes in the tray and knot the rope. Install a c-hook in the ceiling and hang the tray. If the tray isn't level, re-tie the knot. So. Cool.

10. Paint a piece of plywood and stand it up on 2x4s for an actually adorable headboard.

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Using plywood as a headboard is such a smart idea because you can personalize it any which way you want. Just paint the plywood and bolt it to the 2x4s so it's high enough to be seen over the bed.

11. Spray-paint a frame and attach a gold chain to hang your photos in gold.

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If you've ever longingly perused the Anthropologie website, you've probably come across these magical hanging frames. It's no surprise they're one of the brand's highest-selling items because they're so damn pretty. But, alas, a lot of us do not have the cash for such luxuries.

On the bright side, you can make hanging frames that are just as cute. Just spray-paint a picture frame from Walmart (here's a set of six for $13) and attach the chain of that necklace that broke a month ago.

12. Get some vertical storage for your kitchen with a few cheap goodies from Ikea.

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Bed slats from Ikea are $9.99! What other reason do you need to try this storage hack out?! Not a good enough reason? Okay, well you'll be saving a ton of cabinet space and it's cuter than pegboard. Satisfied?

All you need to do is attach it to the wall with some wood screws and use a few s-hooks ($3.99 for five, also from Ikea) or over-the-door baskets to hang your stuff. Genius.

13. Paint plain pillow covers and sun-bleach them with cool leaves in place to create a patterned throw pillow.

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As you may know, throw pillows are stupid expensive for something so small, but what couch is complete without them??

Wet the fabric and brush diluted fabric paint onto the pillow cases. Lay the foliage on the fabric and leave in the sun until the fabric is dry. Iron them for two or three minutes to set the color. Honestly, wow.

14. Spray-paint wire grids to get a neat-o display for your photos or cute office supplies without paying an exorbitant price.

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You've probably seen an adorable version of this on Urban Outfitters, but the DIY version is pretty simple if you've got access to a Home Depot and an outdoor space to spray-paint. Remesh sheet is usually used as a template for laying ceramic tiles, but it totally passes as a "wire wall grid." This one comes in black so you can totally leave it the way it is. The only thing left to do is hang it.

15. And flatten botanicals between the pages of a heavy book to keep them forever.

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Free. Absolutely free. And absolutely precious. Surround the flowers with tissue paper before you shut the book to protect the pages.