{"id":88891,"date":"2019-03-09T11:38:52","date_gmt":"2019-03-09T16:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=88891"},"modified":"2022-03-17T16:46:24","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T20:46:24","slug":"easy-diy-ideas-that-offer-serious-design-inspiration-without-the-big-commitment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/easy-diy-ideas-that-offer-serious-design-inspiration-without-the-big-commitment\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY with What You Have"},"content":{"rendered":"

Refreshing your home doesn\u2019t have to mean getting bogged down in major projects. These easy DIY\u00a0ideas offer\u00a0serious design inspiration without the big commitment.<\/p>\n

\"\"Paint a pattern.<\/h3>\n

A fresh coat of colorful paint will\u00a0revive a piece of furniture, but you can take it a step further by adding a pattern, too. Use paint pens to draw designs on drawer fronts, tabletops\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Embellish with watercolor.<\/h3>\n

To give a plain lampshade an artistic makeover, moisten a large paintbrush with water\u00a0and sweep a wavelike pattern around the bottom of the shade. Then, tap wet paint into the pattern with a soft, round watercolor brush. (Use watercolor paint for paper lampshades and fabric paint for fabric shades.) The paint will bleed to the edges of the moistened area. After the paint dries, dot the wave with more paint in alternating colors. For dots that blend, paint them with edges touching.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Stencil a wall.<\/h3>\n

Give one wall in a room a dose of pattern with a stencil. It\u2019s less time-consuming than stenciling a whole room, and you\u2019ll need less paint. For subtle contrast, use a color for the pattern that is just a few shades lighter than the background.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Redo a hutch.<\/h3>\n

Transform a tired hutch with paint and wallpaper. First, remove all hardware and lightly sand the hutch to get rid of\u00a0any flaking varnish and give the surface a texture that will help the paint adhere. Remove all drawers and doors, and tape off exposed glass. Paint the inside and outside of the hutch. Next, clean the hardware and give it a few coats of high-gloss spray paint. Let dry and reattach. For a finishing touch, trim wallpaper to fit the back of the cabinet. Mount according to wallpaper packaging or use spray adhesive. After wallpapering, reinstall the doors.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Go from mismatched to unified.<\/h3>\n

This simple project breathes new life into thrift-store frames. Paint the frames white and insert pretty paper. Choose coordinating patterns in different scales (small prints and large prints) to create a balanced look. Let the paper be the star, or top it with a wooden letter, a photo\u00a0or any object you love.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Get back to basics.<\/h3>\n

Look to everyday items for artistic inspiration. Take\u00a0photos\u00a0of a few interesting objects\u00a0and adjust the exposure, saturation\u00a0and color with a photo-editing program. Create large prints\u00a0and frame them on black mats in white frames. A black-and-white display like this looks sleek against a white wall, but would also look chic hanging on any wall painted a saturated hue.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Privacy, please.<\/h3>\n

To brighten a room without sacrificing privacy, apply patterned window film to glass-front doors (or windows) to allow in light from adjoining spaces.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Be artistic\u00a0with furniture.<\/h3>\n

Dress up a dresser by applying a large poster to it. Remove any hardware and prep the dresser front with a coat of primer and let dry. Measure the width and height of the chest, including the legs. Trim the artwork to size, making sure the design falls where you want it to. Cut out the pieces that will go on the legs (you\u2019ll apply them separately). Remove drawers\u00a0and adhere the artwork to the dresser front using spray adhesive. Press the artwork to the dresser, starting at one edge and working your way across the piece. Let dry. Trim the paper along the drawer openings. Spray the drawers with adhesive, and apply the artwork to the drawer fronts. Trim and place the leg pieces on the dresser. Use a nail to poke small\u00a0holes in the paper to install\u00a0decorative knobs.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Lend a little shimmer and shine.<\/h3>\n

Put a little zing in your powder room with wall decals. Easy to apply and affordable, these pockets of pattern give this bathroom just the right amount of shimmer.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Refresh your\u00a0roller shades.<\/h3>\n

Accent plain roller shades with fabric. First, have a retailer cut the shades to fit your windows. For each shade, remove the weight from the bottom pocket. Cut fusible web to fit the width of the shade, and iron it onto the back of your chosen fabric. Cut out the fabric and iron it into place on the shade. Spray-paint a caf\u00e9\u00a0curtain rod, and insert it into the bottom pocket.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Make a family tree.<\/h3>\n

Add unique flair to a basic arrangement of photos with a tree motif. Achieve the silhouette with a wall decal, a stencil\u00a0or freehand painting. Hang family pictures in the \u201cbranches\u201d for a whimsical look.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"