Frame Pages From a Book

For wall art in a snap, frame pages from one of your favorite classical books. These are taken from Alice in Wonderland’s novel and were framed in luxurious gold and black frames. For maximum impact, arrange the frames in groups of four or six.

DIY Beach-y Seashell Vase

Smothering a plain vase in seashells is a smart way to use up your seashells from your last trip to the beach. All you need to do is slather your vase with a thick layer of grout using a spatula and stick on your sea shells. Let it dry for 24 hours and slather on another layer if you wish between the shells, wiping away with a damp cloth. Seal it with 2 parts PVA glue and 1 part water.

Use Pennies for a Backsplash

Out of ideas for your kitchen backsplash? Now your penny jar will finally come in handy! First make a template for your pennies using mesh backing for mosaic tiles. Use any kind of glue thats good enough to hold metal and start gluing your pennies onto the mesh. Stick on your completed mesh tiles and grout them in place with laticrete epoxy grout in chocolate truffle.

Make a Swing Bench from Palettes

Who knew you could make furniture from palettes? Instead of tossing them out, put them to good use! Check out this easy tutorial to make your own palette swing bench for your front porch or backyard.

Colorful Doily Tablecloth

Here’s a easy way to add a punch of color to your tablecloth – sew on crotchet doilies! It’s hard to come across a affordable table cloth that matches your existing decor, so making one at home is fun, cheap, and easy! Take a look at the tutorial here.

Frame Classical Sheet Music

This is a real easy DIY and it’s super fun to do it! Print out pages of sheet music and make a mixture of seeped mint tea and coffee. Take the tea bag and dab the pages to create a antique or aged look. Your guests will never guess you did it yourself!

Make Candles in a Tea Cup

What a fab way to re-use old, mismatching China! You can pour your own candles in porcelain china cups for a romantic accessory that you can re-use over and over again. These also make great home-made gifts that are easy and cheap to make. Click here for full instructions.

Turn Bottles into Vases

Instead of returning your used bottles to the liquor store for a few cents, turn them into vases! Paint wine bottles in exotic, punchy colors and then paint over an intricate, henna design in a contrasting color. I love the look of orange and turquoise, it gives a fresh, summery vibe to a dining table. Just pop in a few blooming flowers and you’re good to go!

Make a Drift Wood Table in Minutes

Take a trip to the beach and try to find a good, sturdy piece of drift wood. Level the top of the wood and place a sheet of glass or marble on the top for an instant table! Now how cool is that?

Recycling materials you already have is the smartest way to save money, get creative, and be eco friendly! Check out TDS SafeGaurd for more tips on recycling.

Bathrooms are intensely high traffic areas in the home and it does not take long for them to start showing the strain! You don’t need to take on a major bathroom reno to get it looking back in tip top shape. Here are some easy budget friendly tricks from the pros that you can do all by yourself:

1. Repaint, Clean and Spruce

Every few months go through the bathroom and take out everything that is not bolted down, give it a good scrub, bleach surfaces, and take a hard old toothbrush to clean your grouting! Bathrooms build up a layer of soap residue and the only way to get rid of it is by thoroughly scrubbing the surfaces. Finish by drying and polishing all the shiny surfaces, be it porcelain or silver chrome to make sure that there are no marks left as wet patches dry.

ARPA Designs

2. Install a New Mirror

Whether you opt for baroque curves, asymmetrical style or a modern sleek look is up to you; but one thing is guaranteed – a new mirror, properly fitted and carefully placed can make all the difference to a tired bathroom! The other day I saw some great value bathroom mirrors at My Bathrooms. With the right eye for detail, a great choice in a mirror can make your space look bigger, brighter, and instantly updated.

Tucker and Marks

3. Wall Stickers

No longer for the kid’s bedroom, stickers are big in the décor business, enabling patterns and pictures to be fixed to walls, bath panels and even the shower cubicle quickly and cheaply. These colorful and attractive decals instantly add a splash of color and brighten up dull areas.

Wall Pops

4. Update Your Shower Curtain

Buy a new shower curtain, choosing a lovely luxurious one to replace your current, rather dull one. A curtain in a bright, vibrant hue with a glamorous trim can instantly add elegance and grace to your bathroom!

Tobi Fairely

5. Update Fixtures

Changing your drawer handles, door knobs and your taps can give your bathroom a fresh new look at a fraction of the cost of replacing all the furniture. Even the toilet flush can be changed for a glitzy gold-painted number to add some sparkle to your bathroom!

Esther Herschcovich

6. Ceiling Light

Paint the ceiling of the bathroom lighter than walls to open the room out and give an airy impression of spaciousness, even in a small, poorly proportioned room. You may also paint different patterns on your bathroom ceiling.

Hendel Homes

7. Smellies!

Keep one small section of the bathroom for scented candles, flowers and potpourri to add a lovely natural fragrance to the room at all times. The light and subtle perfume will make the bathroom seem fresh and clean, even if you have a large, rather sloppy family!

Isler Homes

8. Floating Shelves

Minimize the furniture footprint in the bathroom but maximize storage space by using floating fixtures for storage shelves and even the vanity. You can buy some amazing floating shelves from IKEA.

Hart Wright Architects

9. Storage Solutions

Every bathroom needs a certain amount of storage space so do not skimp. Make sure that everyone has a place to keep their toiletries, and then demand that they keep those toiletries neat and tidy!

Diana Bier Interiors

10. Lighting

Bathroom lighting is vital – and not only for ladies to do their make-up! Poor lighting can make us feel cramped and uncomfortable, which can making bathing and washing up an awkward occasion. Invest in a good array of lights or chandeliers and make sure that the bulbs are not the dimmest you can find!

Peter Dorne Architects