As Seen on the Today Show: DIY Projects That Can Save You Big Bucks
If you’re looking to cut down your costs, look no further than a bit of DIY. And don’t worry, just because you’re doing it yourself, doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. This morning I showed the folks at TODAY a few projects that you can put together in just minutes!
Many of these projects can be altered to fit any occasion, from throwing a last minute party to needing a quick and thoughtful gift for your best friend. Let us know what your go-to cost-saving DIY projects are in the comments below.
Behold the Faux-quet
If you’ve ever bought flowers before, you know how expensive they can be. Plus, they die in a matter of days! This is one category where DIY will save you massive bucks. These fake bouquets are still very pretty, cost hardly nothing, and will brighten up any room. The wooden bouquet was actually carried by each bridesmaid in my wedding — we saved hundreds of dollars by using fake flowers. The wooden flowers are cedar roses you can buy online or at many craft stores. I just glued them on stems and added dried caspia to create the arrangement.
2. Paper Ranunculus: These paper flowers are made out of wire and tissue paper. Just cut strips of tissue paper, scallop the edges, then roll till you make a flower bud. Keep rolling more strips around your bud until you get the size of flower that you desire.
3. Cake Stands + Platters: This next one is a fun idea for entertaining… or even a great mother’s day gift! It’s a cake platter made out of a plate and a cup — you can even use a bowl for the stand. Just adhere with a bit of glue. You can find cups and bowls in all different heights, and plates in all kinds of patterns (how cute would some vintage china be?) to make it your own.
4. 3 Ways to Hack a Scarf: There are hundreds of ways to reuse a scarf in ways other than tied around your neck. As you see, with a few quick knots, you can quickly turn it into a halter top, a small tote bag, or even a vest. To make the vest, just fold your scarf in half, then knot the closed end with the open end. Voila! Your vest is ready to wear.
Hardware Store Jewelry
If you’re looking for some new summer statement jewelry, look no further than the hardware store. As you can see here, it’s easy (and quite chic!) to create necklaces and bracelets out of objects like washers, hex nuts, rope, and metal tubing.
6. Frame Up Your Leftover Gift Wrap: If you want even more easy art ideas, look no further than your excess supply of wrapping paper. Find fun patterns and frame them up.
Pegboard Book Shelf
Little did you know, pegboards only cost about $15 and can be used in so many creative ways. This is one of my favorites from interior designer Kara Paslay: a bookshelf! Perfect for a kids room, all you have to do is saw colored pencils in half and then use string to create an enclosed shelf so your books don’t fall out.
8. Washi Wallpaper: This was made in minutes using washi tape. In case you aren’t familiar with it, washi tape is thin, decorative tape, that’s super easy to remove, making it perfect for all kinds of art. As you can see in the photo above, it’s also a fun accent on glass doors!
