Whether you’re aiming for efficiency, decoration, fun, or self-sufficiency, there’s a list of 30 awesome DIY projects just waiting for you.
30 DIY Projects Your Should Try
Pick a few that you might like to try out:
1. Bird Feeder Wreath
A circular mold, wide ribbon, some birdseed, and some melted suet are all you need to help feed our feathery friends over the winter months. Find out how to make it here!
2. Upside-Down Tomato Planter
Just save your plastic soda bottles, cut the bottoms off, ease in a tomato plant seedling, and pour in some earth. Then hang it up, water it regularly, and watch your tomatoes grow! This also works well for herbs and peppers.) Find out how to make it here!
3. Yogurt Cheese
Place a few layers of cheesecloth in a colander, pour in plain yogurt, and let it drain overnight: you’ll have creamy cheese when you wake up the next day. Find out how to make it here!
4. Yarn-Wrapped Painted Jars
Wrap some yarn or twine around a jar, paint it, and peel the yarn away once it’s dry: you’ll be left with a gorgeous luminary for tea lights or candles. Find out how to make it here!
5. Baked Salt Dough Tags
Perfect for Valentine’s gifts, baby/bridal showers, or any other occasion. Find out how to make it here!
6. Leafy Stepping-Stones
It’s easy to make beautiful stepping-stones for your garden with large leaves (like rhubarb), cement, and a trowel. Find out how to make it here!
7. Shoe Holder Planter
Use an old over-the-door shoe holder to grow all kinds of plants. This is great for growing herbs outside your kitchen, or on a balcony wall. Find out how to make it here!
8. Tea or Coffee Cup with a Message
Grab a teacup and a Sharpie marker, write a message on the inside bottom of a cup (or on the side of it), and bake for 30 min at 350 F to make the writing permanent. Great for bridal party gifts! Find out how to make it here!
9. Pebble Placemat
Use a hot glue gun to glue flat beach pebbles to circles of felt or wood. These placemats are perfect to use beneath teapots and warm serving bowls, and they look great at garden parties. Find out how to make it here!
10. Needle-Felted Toys
Use a barbed needle and some wool roving to make Waldorf-style toys for kids of all ages. Find out how to make it here!
11. Waterless Snow Globe
Grab an empty jar, a dollhouse miniature, some glue, and fake snow, and you’ll have a water-free snow globe decoration. Find out how to make it here!
12. Hanging Garden Basket
A wire basket, some moss, and some seedlings are all that’s needed to create a gorgeous hanging basket of edibles. Try a mix of lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, or even strawberries! Find out how to make it here!
13. Reusable “Swiffer” Pads
If you know the basics of knitting or crocheting, you can create your own reusable pad covers for your sweeper. Find out how to make it here!
14. Lip Balm
Make your own amazing lip balms with carnauba or bee’s wax, a carrier oil (olive, almond, etc.) and your favourite scent/flavour. Find out how to make it here!
15. Floor Stencils
Instead of throw rugs, consider dressing up old wooden or concrete floors with painted stencil designs. Find out how to make it here!
16. Laundry Detergent
Just in case you run out of laundry soap (or want to make a cost-effective detergent in the scent you like best), make your own with a few household ingredients. Find out how to make it here!
17. Cake Stands
Use industrial-strength adhesive to glue thrift shop glassware together to make cake stands and pedestal bowls. Find out how to make it here!
18. Nail Polish Key Identification
Use different colours of nail polish on your keys so you can easily tell them apart. Just remember which colour you used for each door! Find out how to make it here!
19. Cassette Tape Wallet
You might have never played a cassette tape, but chances are you’ve seen them lying around. Transform one into a wallet for a bit of retro fabulousness. Find out how to make it here!
20. Painted Garden Stones
Keep track of what you’ve planted where by painting large stones for your garden. Find out how to make it here!
21. Wood-Burning Camp Stove
All you need is a large tin can, a few metal tent pegs/stakes, and a drill to make this camp stove. Find out how to make it here!
22. “Fairy” Garden
Great for small spaces or as a project with your kids: grab an old bucket, drawer, or bowl, add some earth and small plants. Then tuck in some miniatures, and you have a tiny, perfect garden. Find out how to make it here!
23. String Lanterns
It’s amazing how easy it is to make these elegant string-globe lanterns! All you need is twine, corn starch, glue, balloons, and spray paint. Easy peasy. Find out how to make it here!
24. Suitcase Dog Bed
A vintage suitcase transforms into a dog bed with a little TLC and some fluffy pillows. Find out how to make it here!
25. Jar Garden Mini Terrarium
Fill empty jars with pebbles, soil, moss, and small plants for mini gardens you can place around your home. Feel free to add in some miniatures for extra impact! Find out how to make it here!
26. Wallpaper Dresser
Furniture gets an updated look with a fresh coat of paint and some strips of wallpaper in complementary hues. Find out how to make it here!
27. Clothes Hanger Jewelry Storage
Add a few eyelet screws to a wooden coat hanger and voila: instant jewelry organization. Find out how to make it here!
28. Bath Salts
Epsom salts or coarse sea salt is mixed with your favourite essential oils and a few drops of food colouring to make luxurious bath treats. Find out how to make it here!
29. Paint Swatch Wall Art
Can’t decide what colour to paint your wall? Why not choose “all of them”? This decor was created from free paint colour swatches (available at any home reno store), pinned to the wall with straight pins. Find out how to make it here!
30. Recycled Leather and Wood Shelves
We could all do with more storage space, and you can create some pretty fabulous shelves with some recycled wood, a couple of thrift shop belts, and a few nails. Find out how to make it here!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, some of these will inspire some creativity at your end, and if you find yourself in a hardcore DIY headspace, a great place to find more projects is on Pinterest: either do a search for your craft of choice or just type DIY into the search field to see what piques your interest. Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com
