We’ve got 50 new ideas to get your imagination in gear and they range from beginner to expert. The one thing they’ve all got in common is an uncommon approach to design or refurbishing techniques.
So whether you’re ready to take on a big project or a small craft, there’s bound to be something in here to get your creative juices flowing.
1. Shibori-style tie dye
Shibori is an ancient Japanese dying technique in which you fold and bind fabric, then dunk it in dye to create one-of-a-kind patterns. There’s a great tutorial here if you want to learn more.
You can use this technique to create placemats, curtains, tablecloths, blankets, or just about anything else your heart desires.
2. Pages as props
Book-lovers can use these old pages to make amazing ornaments in a variety of styles by simply rolling and pasting pages into new shapes. This photo shows just a few of the options, but you can find even more here.
3. Wood lacing
More instructions are here, but this is an easy one, despite multiple steps.
4. Hammer flowers
You can use fabric or paper for this project which simply requires you to smash the flower with a hammer until the pigment is extracted and absorbed.
Easy and stress-relieving. See some instructions here.
5. Duct tape stencils
Simply cut the tape in the design you want and paint over the whole area. Lift the tape before it’s completely dry and you’ll have custom-stenciled items to decorate your home.
See more details on this project here.
6. Gilded furniture
While you can use gold paint for an all-over gild, adding gold leaf will give it a more vintage look.
There are tutorials here and here to show you how to attach gold leaf to textured surfaces and burnish it a bit for an aged accent piece.
7. Woodburning for beginners
By printing your design (backward, of course) on a laser printer and then heating it up against the wood to transfer the ink, you’ll have an easy design to trace over later.
Check out the instructions here.
8. Foam vase
The complete tutorial is here, but you just need a styrofoam cup, boiling water, and some rubber bands. Simply place the rubber bands where you’d like to see indentations and boil the cup to watch it transform its shape!
9. Wet distressing wood
You can use light or heavy pressure depending on the effect you’re after.
See more here.
10. Created copper
Using copper, gold, and rust-colored spray paint, as well as some turquoise chalk paint for a weathered look, you can layer colors while using a sponge or balled up plastic bag to add texture.
11. Delightful decoupage
See the instructions here.
12. DIY dipped flowers
Check out the instructions here.
13. Faux stained glass
While there are lots of techniques, this one simply requires some glass, a few lead adhesive strips to place where you want, and glass paint to fill in your designs.
14. Bermuda blending
If you’re not sure how to blend and distress, it’s not too hard, but detailed instructions can be found here.
15. The Maltese Flower
It requires floral wire, embroidery floss, some wooden skewers, and some patience, but instructions are here for making this unique conversation piece bound to brighten up any room.
16. Chalk paint on textured surfaces
By going over your previous paint job with a brush barely dipped in a different color chalk paint, you can create an amazing antique look for your molding.
The instructions aren’t as straightforward as you might think, so you might want to read up before trying this at home here.
17. Distress with soap
Rub the soap over a frame and paint over it to get a rough texture that makes a frame look like it’s been around a lot longer.
Lightly sanding it afterward will give it even more vintage appeal. See the whole how-to here.
18. Stencil fabric with glue
Simply fill in the stencil with glue and dye your fabric. The glue can be peeled off later to reveal your design.
Check out the instructions here.
19. Paint your glass
But using this method, you can prime, sand, and seal paint onto glass jars to create your own shabby chic masterpiece.
20. Herringbone accent wall
Using painters tape to create the design, you can paint your wall a nice bright color and reveal some visual interest once you peel off the tape.
Here are the instructions for this cool project.
21. Embossed walls
This requires a bit more effort, but you can find instructions for this project here.
22. Shiny stone countertops
For those of you who want a unique new look on tables and countertops, you must check out the technique that can turn your laminte into a gemstone-colored glaze.
23. Paint your own wood grain
You just need to paint it and drag what’s called a wood graining tool across the wet paint to get this great effect. You can see it in action here.
24. Age shiny new metal
Or click here for a more natural method. While you’ll have to wait a few hours for the full effect, the results are lovely.
25. Get a matte finish
We’re loving the matte black look on this piece!
26. Foil joy
Check out more here.
27. Ice-dyed linen
This look is achieved by placing a bunch of ice in a sheet and pouring the dye over it! Definitely not something we would have come up with!
28. Marbled tins
See the how-to here.
29. Upcycled fireplace
Such a great idea for unused space!
30. Shower curtain art
Do you have a bare wall in your bathroom that needs some pizazz but are afraid to hang art there because of the humidity?
Have you ever seen a beautiful bathroom curtain?
Well, it turns out you can frame that curtain to make a perfect, humidity-proof piece of artwork to hang on your bathroom wall! Brilliant, right?
31. Glue stencil
The detailed instructions are here, but basically involve cutting a design, painting it over with glue, staining the area, and peeling the glue off later.
32. Waterproof your rug
That includes recovering a rug that wasn’t previously stain-proof!
Just follow these instructions and you’re all set. You can use any heavy fabric, but shower curtains often provide a lot of bang for your buck.
33. Chandelier birdfeeder
It might seem a little over-the-top, but imagine how elegant an unused piece of lighting decor will look if you paint it a vibrant color and have all of your beautiful backyard friends adorn it!
The instructions are here, but you can probably wing it.
34. Watercolor walls
The tutorial can be found here (as well as the finished product).
It basically requires you to add water to your paint and press a wet brush at the top of the wall to expunge the paint and water that then trickles down, waterfall-style.
35. Tomato cage plant stand
Ok, well, if you do happen to have some of those cages left over, it turns out you can still put them to good use by turning them into plant stands. A gold paint job will give it more posh feel.
36. Chalk painted furniture
Check out the instructions here.
37. Dress up wire shelves
You can cover up your wire shelves with some stenciled wood to give your pantry or laundry room a much more put-together look.
38. Hide it with a hinge
We love this hack because it also keeps things out of sight that are personal and makes it feel like you have your own secret vault.
39. PVC pipe lamp
You’ll need a lighting kit, but after that, it’s up to you if you want to decorate it or make the cut-outs that this handy Hometalk poster used. You could easily just stick with the lamp on the left!
40. Garden fountain fun
But you can customize your fountain any which way you want by using your own pots and buckets and a bit of paint (and sealant) and whatever stones and pebbles go the best with your garden for a soothing backyard retreat.
Instructions are here.
41. Bedframe bench
Just follow these instructions and the sky’s the limit when it comes to painting and choosing a cushion!
42. Foil tape labels
Whether you use it to cover letters (like in #26) or simply find a soft surface to write on so it picks up the indent of your handwriting, it makes a great label for things like spices and other kitchen containers.
Such a great way to customize your spices!
43. Armoire bar
These pieces can run into the thousands of dollars if you buy them already customized and they might not fit your glassware or your specific needs, so here’s some inspiration to make your own.
It’s also a great way to keep the booze away from prying eyes if you want to save the good scotch for special occasions.
44. Scrap wood window box
These instructions will give you some ideas about how to make it (along with homemade shutters, if you’re interested) and are bound to save you some serious cash.
45. Wire wall art
You’ll need 14 and 20 gauge black jewelry wire as well as pliers and some wire cutters, but you can turn just about any sketch into your own unique piece of artwork.
You can find instructions here.
46. Upcycled hula hoops
We’re loving this conversation piece made of hoops painted gold. There are some other ideas here, all fairly simple but totally unique!
47. Scrabble tile garden markers
This is sure to appeal to the word nerds in your life.
It would also make a great gift for a gardener who loves playing board games!
See more instructions here.
48. Vintage book art installation
Yes, you can put your books on shelves, but how amazing is this open book installation?! There are plenty of ways to tackle it to fit your decor, but you can see instructions for this more elaborate piece here.
49. String art decor
There are tons of ideas here, but we like this one best.
50. Tire wreath
The instructions for this project are here, but you get the point and can choose your own combination.
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