5 DIY Design Projects that Save You Time and Money

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5 DIY Design Projects that Save You Time and Money

Staff Writer · Nov 2, 2009

DIY design projects make decorating the living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or any other area of an apartment an affordable undertaking. You don’t even need to be particularly crafty to redecorate your apartment quickly and easily.

1. Cleaning Up

The most important step before decorating the living room or any other room in an apartment is priming the space by cleaning up. Move everything out of the room and sort your items into four categories:

  • keep in the room (items frequently used)
  • store (items of value not often used)
  • donate/sell (items in good condition you don’t need) 
  • throw away (items in poor condition)

Small space decorating means making the most of the space you have–and that means no unnecessary clutter.

Use homemade, inexpensive cleaning solutions to clean your space. Distilled white vinegar can be used on wooden or linoleum floors and hard surfaces (but not on stone or marble) to kill bacteria and wipe away dirt. Baking soda sprinkled over carpet, upholstery, drapes and rugs, worked in with a scrub brush, and then vacuumed away hours later can deodorize and clean fibers.

2. Wall Decorations

In an apartment you may not allowed to paint the walls, but a bland, boring wall can make a room unappealing. Make your own fast and cheap wall decorations by purchasing inexpensive frames and vibrant swatches of fabric. Frame the fabric swatches and hang them up for one of the best DIY design projects to save you time and money.

3. Decorating the Furniture

Buying all new furniture is too expensive; instead, redesign what you have so that it all coordinates. Purchase attractive, inexpensive fabric–even plain, bold colors will do–and use it to cover upholstery, design pillows for your chairs and sofa, and line tables under a glass top.

DIY design projects like this one may require some skill with sewing, but even draping a sheet of fabric like a blanket over the back of a chair or sofa and using a staple gun to line a table with fabric can afford attractive results.

4. Decorating Home Accents

You can coordinate the decorations in your apartment without spending a lot of money by purchasing ceramic or porcelain home accents–pots, vases, picture frames, lamp stands, etc.–and painting them yourself with glaze so that they coordinate with the wall and furniture decorations you designed. Apply 3-4 coats of glaze and allow to dry. Then place the accents throughout the room.

5. Coordinated Organization

The most money you should spend on your DIY design projects is on organization. Buy shelving units or make your own shelves out of wood. Tall, thin floor-to-ceiling shelving units work best with small space decorating. Line your shelves with fabric or plastic storage bins that you coordinate with the rest of the rooms’ theme. Paint the storage boxes or cover them with the same fabric you’ve used on the walls and furniture.

DIY design projects that are quick and simple allow you to redecorate your apartment without spending a lot of cash. If you’re thinking of decorating the living room, or any other part of your apartment, keep these inexpensive, small space decorating tips in mind.

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