To many of us, it’s so important to create a home that not only caters to our needs but that also reflects our personal style. But doing so doesn’t always feel like the most affordable thing in the world. So what if we told you that you don’t need a huge budget and thousands of hours to transform your home? Take a look at these easy and cheap design hacks that will instantly spruce up your space!
Use Carpet Padding To Make Rugs Feel More Luxurious
We all know that rugs can be pretty expensive, especially the ones that are on the fancier side. So if you don't necessarily want to spend a ton of money on a new rug, you can upgrade your existing one by using some carpet padding.
Just add a layer of carpet padding underneath the rug, and in a second, your rug will look thicker and more luxurious. No one will ever know!
Decorate Items With Marble Contact Paper
Marble contact paper is a useful item for several things, and the great thing about it is that literally, anyone can use it fairly easily. Of course you can use it for the walls in your house, but if you feel like changing the surface of a specific item you can also grab a piece of the item and put it wherever you feel like.
This works well with a shelf or a small side table but can work with many other things around the house.
Add Some Privacy To Your Windows While Allowing Light To Come In
The dilemma of wanting your privacy while still wanting to get some light in the room is far too common. So, instead of using a curtain or blinds, just use a water and cornstarch paste! Put a bit of cornstarch into a container, mix it well with water until it makes a paste.
Then, paste it over plain white paper or a thin piece of lace. Whenever you want to remove it, you can just use hot water and you're good to go.
Make A Room Bigger And Brighter With A Mirror Behind Your Lamp
By now you have probably realized that there are several tricks out there you can use to make any room look brighter and bigger. Mirrors are probably some of the best items to do so.
For example, you place one behind a lamp either in your bedroom or living room first, as those are probably the places where the effect would be more dramatic.
Hide The Cords Hanging Behind Your TV With A Shower Curtain Rod
To so many of us, those cords hanging from the wall-mounted TV are such an eyesore. And we never seem to find a reasonable solution for them, so we end up procrastinating until we eventually just get used to it.
But there's a very easy and inexpensive solution for this common problem. Just buy a simple, inexpensive shower curtain rod, place all the cords running through it all the way down, and you're literally done!
Hang Two Mirrors To Your Closet To Dress It Up
If you feel like your closets are just bland and you could really use a mirror anyway, then check out this neat little trick. It involves buying two cheap full-length mirrors that you can place on your double closet doors.
In an instant, you'll feel that the closet has gained a whole new feeling, your room will look bigger, and getting dressed in the morning will be so much easier!
Hide Your Router In A Book
If you're an avid book reader and you've collected hundreds or even thousands of books over the years, then chances are that you have one or two that you could repurpose.
So, if you don't particularly like the way your router looks alongside your home's decoration, consider grabbing a book, emptying the inside, and hiding your router in there.
Create A Dramatic Look To Your Bathroom By Doubling Up On Your Shower Curtains
Here goes another curtain hack that you might want to try. You can do this with the shower curtain that you already have at home, so don't worry about buying an entirely new pair. Unless you only have one curtain, then you might want to consider buying another one that looks exactly the same.
Then, simply hang them together on both sides of the rod for an elegant look. You can also hang them high up and close to the ceiling for an even more dramatic effect.
Use A Drum Lampshade To Cover Ugly Ceiling Lights
Sometimes we move into a house, and it already comes complete with different pieces of furniture and electronics that we don't necessarily love. But we don't always have to spend a ton of money with brand new stuff. Instead, we can buy ourselves some time, and instead, use a trick like this one.
For example, if you have an ugly ceiling light that you cannot stand, just buy a drum lampshade to cover it and spruce the room out with zero effort.
Paint The Sides Of Your Drawers For Some Extra Color
Here's another cool trick you can do with paint if you're feeling like changing things up a little bit at home. It's very easy and you don't even need that much to pull it off.
In addition to painting the sides of your doors, you can also paint the sides of your drawers with your favorite colors and you'll get a colorful surprise every time you open them.
Use Templates Before You Hang Your Art
If you're planning to create a gallery on one of the walls of your home, then make sure to have a template created before you start hanging the art. In fact, if you're hanging more than one item, in general, it may be a good idea to try this trick.
This way, you can see what the wall will look like before making any holes and alterations. Your wall will look perfect with zero regrets.
Use Nail Head Trims To Decorate The House
Here's a strategy that you can use with a ton of furniture pieces and items in your home. You can do it with chairs, coffee tables, sofas, cabinets, and even headboards.
All you have to do is add some nailhead trim to the different edges, and you'll instantly be able to make an accent piece completely stand out, or you'll straight-up highlight its shape.
Make Vases Out Of Cute Teapots
Teapots are literally some of the cutest home items out there. Sadly though, you might not always use them, so you end up leaving them stored in some cabinet in the kitchen. So instead, think about grabbing them and repurposing them into chubby vases for your house plants.
If you don't want to use them as a vase, you could even just use them as is, and place them empty somewhere in your home as a decorative item.
Use An Old Necklace As Curtain Tiebacks
There are actually several things that you already own that you could use as curtain tiebacks. But if you're looking to add a little bit of sparkle and maybe some color to your curtains, then grab a necklace that you no longer use and turn it into a tieback for your curtain.
It's an extremely easy trick that can instantly add a glamorous look to your home. It'll also save you money and will keep your curtains clean.
Use Adhesive Cord To Cover Cords Behind Tricky Furniture Pieces
While a shower curtain rod may not necessarily work for those cords behind tricky pieces of furniture, an adhesive cord will do the job, quick and easy! All you have to do is use some scissors to break the adhesive cord into smaller pieces.
Once that's done, you can hide away the cords that are visible but too hard to conceal completely because of furniture placement. Adhesive covers can be found easily online or in any local hardware store, so it shouldn't be pricey at all to complete this hack.
Decorate Your Headboard With A Scarf Or A Blanket
If your headboard is starting to look pretty plain and boring, you don't have to go big and change it all up. Just grab a scarf, a blanket, or any piece of fabric you like and put it on top of the board.
You don't have to cover the entire thing, in fact, it might look cooler if you just place the item in the middle or on one part of the headboard. If you're feeling more adventurous than that, you can also paint the headboard with washi tape.
Hang Your Foil And Plastic Wrap Boxes
Foil and plastic wrap are two items that most of us use on a regular basis, so why not make using them even simpler? Just punch the sides of each box to make sure the rolls stay in place.
Then, you could hang them inside your kitchen cabinets or above your counter using removable adhesive hooks. How easy is that?
Use A Box To Hide Those Annoying Cords
Another possibility for hiding cords and extensions that just annoy you is by using a cute storage box. Chances are that you already have empty boxes at home or in storage somewhere, so just grab one of them, make a little hole and hide the cords from plain sight.
The little trick will also help you keep them untangled and clean, which we're sure you won't mind!
Paint The Sides Of Your Doors
How cool is it that with one simple trick you can literally make an item of your home look almost brand new? Using paint is probably one of the easiest ways to spice up any home item, especially if you're not afraid of adding some color to things.
Painting the sides of your doors is a great idea if you feel like adding that subtle touch of color to your home. You don't have to do it with every door if you don't want to exaggerate, but you should definitely try to do it with at least one.
Hang A Mirror With Rope
Still on that nautical vibe, here's another trick you can use to make your home feel a little bit more laid back and inviting. You can just use some of that same rope we mentioned before to hang a mirror on your wall.
The idea is great for a bathroom, but you can actually use it wherever you feel like. You'll notice that instantly, the space will become a little more chic without you having to spend almost any money.
Make A Headboard With An Old Window
While beds are not usually placed in front of a window, that doesn't mean you can't try this little trick. If you have a plain wall behind your bed and you don't own a headboard, you can simply use an old window frame to create a headboard.
That will not only add a different look to the room but will also provide you with this rustic feel every time you look at it.
Refurbish Your Dresser With This Simple Switch
If you've had your dresser or side table for years and you're ready for a new look, there is absolutely no need to buy an entirely different one. You can completely change the way the dresser looks just by changing the knobs.
If they're white for example, think about switching for a few wooden knobs and you'll see that the item will look completely different right away. So much money saved!
Try This Sneaky Vase Filler Trick
You can use much less vase filler if you use this simple trick, if you like that look. You don't need to go overboard with your wine cork collection — all you need is a few corks and a bottle of wine.
Placing the bottle, either empty or full, inside the vase will mean you won't need as many corks to fill the rest of the space up. No one will ever know the difference, and if you keep it full, you'll have a secret wine stash ready for a time of need.
Make Your Own Dish Soap Refilling System
You don't need much for this one, and you'll see that once you're done, your life will be so much easier. Just find a long plastic tube at the local home improvement store, and attach it to your kitchen's built-in soap pump.
Then, run it into an oversized bottle of dish soap and you will have months before you have to refill it again. In fact, you might only have to refill it once or twice a year, how incredible is that?
Make A Table With An Ironing Board
While it may sound strange at first to turn any ironing board into a table, just take a look at this picture and you'll probably get some inspiration to try it yourself. The thing is, all of us probably have an ironing board at home, and oftentimes we have an older one stored somewhere collecting dust.
So, how about creating your own vintage table with an ironing board that doesn't have a padded surface?
Repurpose Your Ladder And Make A Shoerack
Shoe racks are one of those things that are always useful. Chances are that you have a place to put your shoes in your home, but you end up having tons of them lying around the floor due to laziness or impracticality.
So if you have an old ladder just gathering dust on your storage, then repurpose it by making a shoe rack. You can do so by adding some nice wooden plates, and the shoe rack is literally done!
Paint The Inside Of An Old Lampshade
Here goes another painting solution that doesn't take much work, but that can make an existing item in your home look completely new. While there are several options, consider taking a lampshade that you're tired of and then paint the inside of it with a color that contrasts the exterior.
If you don't feel like painting, you can simply use some glitter in the interior part, and you'll also create a cool effect to it.
Transform Your Wheelbarrow Into A Cooler
If you're a Pinterest lover, then you've probably seen an image similar to this one before. This trick has been a favorite for anyone planning an outdoor party, and we can attest to the fact that it looks awesome!
You don't even have to do that much if you already have an old wheelbarrow at home. Just grab it, clean it, place some ice and drinks on it, and voila!
Create An Optical Illusion With Wide And High Curtains
You may not have that much space in your home, but there are so many wonderful tricks you can do to make spaces look bigger than they actually are. Take this easy and clever curtain trick for example.
You can easily create a neat optical illusion by hanging your curtains high above the window itself, to make them look high and wide. You'll see that by doing so, your windows will look much bigger than they actually are.
Only Partially Paint Your Walls
Painting your walls partially is not always the most obvious thing to do, but it can be a simple way of creating a different feel to a room. And it's super easy to do too! If the wall is white, choose a color that not only contrasts well with it but that also makes sense for the furniture in the room.
Use tape to mark exactly where you want the paint to stop, and make sure to leave the top portion blank (or the same color as the ceiling). That will make the room look much higher than it actually is.
Transform A Duvet Cover Into A Curtain
If you don't want to buy new curtains, since they can be pretty expensive, then think about using a duvet cover as a curtain instead. If all you want is some texture and color added to your room, then you really don't need to buy completely new curtains.
In fact, you don't even have to buy a new duvet cover, you can just repurpose one you already have, cut it in half and make curtains out of it.
Use Rope To Hang Your Curtains
Okay, so this one may not be for everyone, but it certainly looks very cool if you want to change things up a bit. Instead of hanging your curtains the classic way, get some rope and use it to hang them.
In an instant, your home will get this nautical feel to it, and you might even want to use that trick for every curtain in your house. It's simple, inexpensive, and literally anyone can pull it off.
Get An Entryway Cabinet To Hand Your Keys
It may be really exhausting to constantly lose your keys after you place them in different places every day. So why not just create one place where every person in the house puts their keys?
Just get yourself a small cabinet (or use one you already have at home) and create space to specifically store the keys. Our tip is to put it in the entryway, since walking all the way to another room might make you feel too lazy to use it.
Use Command Hooks To Hang Your Curtains
Another little trick that can instantly make your life easier. Just get some command hooks and you won't have to drill any hole in your wall. All you have to do is stick the hooks where you want your curtains to hang from, place the curtain rack and you're good to go.
This is especially useful if you're renting a place and you want to avoid drilling permanent holes in the walls and upset your landlord.
Use File Holders To Organize Your Cleaning Supplies
We all have that annoying drawer or cabinet with a bunch of cleaning supplies lying around. But you can easily organize them with just a pair of file holders while making them look instantly more organized and clean.
Attach the file holders inside the cabinet and consider using some adhesive tape to make them stay in place. Then, you can put whatever you need inside, like cleaning supplies, ziplock bags, foil, etc.
Use Every Bit Of Your Pantry By Repurposing Drawer Organizers
Drawer organizers are just one of those items that are useful for a ton of things, so if you ever have any leftover, don't throw them away. For example, you can easily repurpose them by making them into tiny shelves in your pantry, allowing you to use every single bit of space in the cabinet.
They can hold smaller products such as spices, and if you choose to put them in your bathroom, you could store nail polish, and other small products inside.
Flip The Switch On Your Fan To Keep Your House Warmer
When winter comes, you don’t always want to spend tons of money on heaters or the air conditioner. So if you have a fan in the house, consider keeping your house warmer by flipping the switch on the fan, so that the heat that usually rises to the ceiling changes direction downwards.
That will probably help you save some bucks during the winter, and in the summer, you can just flip it back down.
Refrigerate Your Paint Brushes To Preserve Them Better
If you're one of those people who prefer to redecorate and paint their homes by themselves, then this trick is definitely for you! If you are painting something that needs a second or third coat, try to refrigerate your wet paintbrushes or rollers sealed in a plastic bag so that the paint won't dry out.
That way, you won't have to wash them every single night while you wait for the paint to dry on your walls. Think of the hassle this will save you!
Fix Toilet Problems Through The Water Valve
If you've noticed that your toilet flush constantly leaves something lingering, then you don't necessarily have to call a plumber to fix it. Before you pick up the phone, just try to turn the water valve's handle all the way to the left, and that will ensure that it's open all the way.
The water valve handle is the one located near the wall at the back of your toilet, so it should be pretty easy to access.
Create Roman Shades With Simple Blinds
You may reach that time in your life where you can no longer look at those old plastic blinds hanging on your window. Yet, you're not really at a point where you can just start investing in different decorative things in your home.
So in the meantime, make your blinds a little bit more stylish and chic by transforming them into Roman shades. That way, you'll reuse the top part and some plastic pieces, while using a piece of fabric you may already have at home.
Use Medallions To Decorate Your Doors
Doors are easy items to decorate in your home if you're feeling like adding something a little bit more exciting. In addition to painting them, you can also just update them by using some ceiling medallions.
Simply place them around the doorknobs, paint in the same color as the doors and you'll see that the elegant feel will come out as soon as you're done.
Make A Shoe Closet With Just A Shallow Nook
Many homes have a shallow alcove either behind doors or in hallways. While most of us tend to leave those spaces empty, they can actually be used for very useful things, such as this shoe rack.
All you have to do is find a suitable shoe rack, and create a whole new closet for your shoes. In order to make it look nice, make sure to hide the nook with a curtain or whatever you have available.
Replace The Legs Of Your Sofa
Another house furniture item that can get pretty pricey is a sofa. If you like those really high-quality ones, then chances are that they cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.
So, if you've already made that investment and you're just tired of the way your old couch looks, just change the couch's legs or paint the existing ones. In a second, the sofa will look really different and upgraded.
Use Old Pennies To Decorate Things
If you're feeling like starting a fun craft project, then grab some pennies and any item you feel like decorating — we recommend starting with a plain vase. Just grab some proper glue and start adding them one by one.
You can either do it symmetrically or randomly depending on what you like. If you feel like a vase is not as elaborate, you can also create your own penny counter.
Refill The Cushions Of Your Old Sofa
Refilling our cushions is one of those simple things that seem to be completely logical, but that we often forget to do. And the funny thing is that we see pillows becoming softer and mushier with the years, but we might more easily change them up for new ones than to change their filling.
So go ahead and change them all up, and you'll see that the couch will get a different feel right away.
Paint Your Bathroom Floor
It might sound weird to paint your bathroom floor at first, but once you do it and see the result, you might wonder how you've never done this little trick before. You can easily add a touch of color to a blade floor with paint, or with proper floor paper that you can just place yourself.
If you do decide to paint it though, make sure you read some tips and tricks online to make sure the process goes smoothly.
Use A Slim Bookcase To Fill Dead-space
We all probably have lots of dead space around the house, and we are too busy to think about easy ways to use it up. But this idea might inspire you a little. So choose either a hallway or a corner that you'd like to use up and fill it with a narrow and tall bookcase.
Another easy solution is to just place a lamp or a potted plant. Even more, if the space that's bothering you is on the wall, then just put some open shelves and you're done.
Use Bows To Tie Your Shower Curtains
Okay, we admit that this little trick might not sound that inviting at first, but once you try it on, you'll realize that it is totally worth the try. When it comes to shower curtains in specific, there isn't much you can do to customize them.
So if you want to just add a little fun to them without having to change the entire thing up, you can simply grab some colorful bows and hang the curtains for instant cuteness.
Make A DIY Pom-Pom Rug
Sometimes, you may just be looking for a nice DYI project to add a little bit of color to your home, so this pom-pom rug might be one of the easiest and cutest projects you may want to start with.
The rug can be used to decorate a bathroom, an entryway, or literally any other spot you want. Of course, if you feel like you have the patience and time for it, you can also make a larger pom-pom rug for the bedroom or living room.
Use A Tiny Fence To Hide Your Cords
By now, you have probably realized that there are tons of ways to hide your cords. In fact, the options are so numerous that you literally just have to choose the easiest one for you and start working!
An interesting way to do it is by using a tiny fence to hide the wires that run along the bottom of the walls in your home. You can get a cute little fence online, or you can even make it yourself with some wooden boards.