Pants hangers + drawer pulls = quick DIY picture frames
Do you have drawer pulls, pants hangers, and photos (or your children’s artwork) lying around? With a few supplies, you can hang them on the wall in minutes — and easily swap them out when the fancy strikes. The best part is drawer pulls look like antique picture hangers — for […]
DIY mini accordion books
My first guest nesters! Jessie and Dee Lorimer gave me the instructions to make these adorable accordion-style books. They’re a little more complicated than my bound books, but they don’t require any specialized tools or supplies. They’re well worth the effort. Besides, I made a video to show you how […]
DIY bound books
Book binding can seem intimidating because it usually requires specialized tools and costly supplies. This is an easy and inexpensive way to bind books — and it requires minimal specialized tools. Plus you can make these books any size you want. Many thanks to my friend Jessie for helping me refine […]
DIY painted mirror
Ever since I saw it hanging on Vanessa’s wall in a photo of her home, I adored Ikea’s plastic Ung Drill picture frame ($25), but the cost of replacing the glass with an oval mirror was prohibitively expensive. Then I found this carved […]
Plant stand = DIY tray table
I’ve seen many tray tables on the market recently. You know, the side tables with removable trays. They inspired me to make my own. My neighbor gave me this rusty old plant stand, and I knew it could make a perfect base for my round metal tray. All it took was […]
DIY bulletin board with shutters
I found these shutters at a salvage yard. I loved their shape, but couldn’t decide what to do with them. Then it occurred to me that shutters were the perfect way to cover a bulletin board (which can look messy). It hangs right inside my entry — a great place for […]
DIY fabric-covered lampshade & ball finial
I got this lamp for free from two sweet ladies on Craigslist. I love the base, but the shade had seen better days. I couldn’t find the perfect replacement, so I made my own. And I’ve been obsessed with round finials — which can be pricey. I […]
My great grandmother’s doilies in thrift-store frames
My great-grandmother lived to be 93. And she loved to tat. She made me and my siblings dozens of doilies, collars, and hankies over the years. Her tatted doilies are so beautiful that I hated to see them packed away in a box in my closet. But I wasn’t about to […]
DIY furniture-nail clock with strap
This is the easiest project I’ve attempted yet. It all started with an Ikea plant glide and furniture nails (which come in myriad colors and sizes). This clock is full of possibility. You could also glue on numbers or wood pieces, apply chalkboard paint,
File cabinets = DIY toolbox side tables
What do you do with an ever-expanding tool supply in a small apartment already packed to the gills? Answer: toolbox side tables. I found two of these locking file cabinets on Craigslist and loaded them up with all my tools and paint. For the smaller tools, I […]
DIY odds & ends rack
Everyone knows necessity is the mother of invention. But, I’m here to say that mistakes can also be the mother of invention. My first spice rack attempt did not go so well. I used an old sketch and didn’t double-check the measurements. Consequently, the rack was too small to hold […]
DIY spice rack
My old spice rack wasn’t cutting it. It only held 12 tins. I’m not a prolific cook, but even I quickly outgrew it. Still, I needed a compact storage solution because I share a small kitchen with my roommate, and countertop space is limited. I couldn’t find a spice rack to […]
