If your walls could talk, would they tell you they’re sick of being beige? Feeling neglected without artwork? Ready to see you get down to tackling some clever DIY projects? We couldn’t agree more. While we hope you’re not really hearing voices (yes, quarantine is making us all question our sanity a little,) now’s the time to start thinking of your home almost like a member of your family—something to be loved, cared for, and spruced up when it starts feeling run-down.
Being home the majority of our days is our new norm—and all the more reason to get creative and design a place that inspires you to work hard, stay healthy, and have fun. Whether you’re looking for quick ideas for boosting your curb appeal, or making the most of those leftover paint cans, these DIY ideas will help you use what you have to create something new. Pick your favorite project and tackle it easily in a weekend, then share your hard work with family and friends on your next Zoom call or Instagram feed. Even if they can’t come inside, your genius deserves to be seen.
Paint a splashy wall mural
Super-graphic wall murals are all the rage with design bloggers and master DIYers. Look to Instagram accounts like Instagram accounts like @banyanbridges and @mondaymondaycreative for inspiration, then dream up a design of your own. Use bold colors and big, geometric patterns for an energetic backdrop for photos, or try something more neutral and subtle for a wallpaper-like effect. Expert tip: use painter’s tape to outline your shapes, but before painting in your color, paint over the edges of tape with your overall wall color to seal any gaps between the tape and the wall. This’ll give you a clean edge on your mural once the tape is removed.
Learn how to shibori dye
Japanese design trends like Wabi-Sabi and Kintsugi have popularized design that embraces imperfection as beauty. Now, Shibori—an ancient indigo dyeing technique that involves folding and binding cloth to create arful patterns—is seeing a rise in popularity. Rit Dye, a leading manufacturer of fabric dyes in the United States—has a comprehensive shibori tutorial that breaks down a few techniques and shows you how to achieve different patterns. Try on table linens, pillows, and bedsheets for a sophisticated take on tie-dye.
Stencil your floor
Transform a dingy wood or tile floor with a stencil and a simple coat of paint. We love this DIY technique for updating a tired kitchen, mudroom, or laundry room to bring color and pattern into utilitarian spaces. Draw and cut out your own stencil, or shop for pre-existing ones at sources like Stencil Revolution or Cutting Edge Stencils (they also have an online tutorial breaking down the how-to for this project.)
Paint your front door
If you’re looking for a project you can easily show off to neighbors, consider giving your front door a fresh coat of color. Make sure to take the door off its hinges and remove any hardware before you prime and paint, for a professional finish. (Check out BH&G’s how-to video for complete instructions.) Our favorite trending door colors: robin’s egg blue, chartreuse, navy, and yellow.
Recover dining chair seats
Give old furniture a new look by reupholstering in a modern fabric. Recovering dining chair seats requires no sewing and is a great reupholstery project for beginners—simply remove the seat, re-pad as necessary, cut new fabric and staple to the seat, then reattach the seat to the chair base to complete. (Look to this online tutorial for a breakdown on each step.)