I was fortunate enough to work with The Home Depot for the Do-It-Herself workshops last month. Our main goal is to help women gain the skills and confidence to be a do-it-herselfer with FREE monthly workshops giving step-by-step instructions and hands on experience to learn basic repairs and easy home improvements.
And it got me thinking… what are some of my favorite Do-It-Herself projects I’ve done around my home recently?
Well one of my biggest Do-It-Herself makeovers to date (and also the least expensive) was a mini-kitchen makeover by simply painting my kitchen cabinets.
The bland builder grade oak cabinets were given a fresh start in bright white. Just a couple coats of primer and paint completely transformed my space for less than $100. We also added a backsplash and crown molding on the cabinets. Great mini-makeover ideas that make a big impact for a small price.
And when I needed a new space to work double duty for my computers and crafting, I built a 10 foot long desk in our spare bedroom made out of stock kitchen cabinets. I just topped the cabinets with plywood and covered them in laminate flooring for a great faux wood finish.
I even ripped up our old carpeting and installed Flor carpet tiles in my craft room. Yep, a big job for this girl but I’m so happy that I decided to tackle that project because it’s definitely eye-catching!
For my Master Bedroom makeover I installed white washed faux wood paneling as an accent wall behind the bed. This really softened up the room and gave a great focal point against the black furniture.
Another easy Do-It-Herself project that I completed on a budget this past year was our Laundry Room makeover. I simply added a bead board wall with hooks for hanging book bags and coats, stenciled our old washer and dryer, added two rows of wire shelving for storage and organization, plus gave the room a fresh coat of paint. Quite the transformation!
I’ve also done countless furniture makeovers, like this little accent table for my kitchen (one of my favorite transformations). Finding an old piece of furniture at Goodwill or on Craigslist is a great way to stay on budget for any room makeover.
Also a simple coat of paint is one of my favorite Do-It-Herself projects to upgrade any space on a budget. My dining room makeover was a huge transformation going from a bright shade of red to a calming greenish blue called Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams.
I’m still in love with the painted stenciled wall in my daughter’s bedroom. Yep, it amazes me what a simple coat of paint can do.
So, what’s one of your favorite budget-friendly home improvements that any Do-It-Herselfer can do?
Catherine Vargas says
Lovely, great concept 🙂
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Lisa says
I love all the colors you have used in your redo’s. They are so light and fresh…
Crystal says
Love your redos. My favorite redo is in my office. I stenciled a rabat allover stencil from Cutting Edge on one wall in my office. I did it in the colors yellow & turquoise. It looks absolutely beautiful and fun!! Love it!!
howtonestforless says
Ooh, I love the yellow and turquoise combo! Must be fun to stare at that beautiful accent wall everyday 🙂
whitney says
I love your kitchen mini-makeover. We have been thinking about painting our cabinets but are scared:) Have you found that they scratch easy? Also I have been wanting to makeover our laundry room- I think a fun stencil on the back wall behind the washer and dryer would be fun- but I have never used a stencil on a wall. Any tips? Thanks so much:) Love your ideas
howtonestforless says
No problems whatsoever with scratching! Over the past year I’ve only gotten one little ding, and that was because my husband knocked into it with piece of furniture when we were moving it into the garage. Other than that I’m 100% happy with the outcome. I’m actually going to start painting my mom’s kitchen cabinets in the coming weeks since I’m so pleased with how well the paint has held up.
And LOVE the idea of a stencil on your laundry room wall. I would make sure that you use a large stencil since it’s so much easier to work with. Try Cutting Edge Stencils or Royal Design Studio. Both have great selections. I have about 3 different stenciling tutorials on my blog. Check them out and let me know if you have any questions!
Jill says
I love you tranformations. I was wondering about painting the cabinets. Did you sand them? Did you put a clear coat over them? When you painted them did you lay them down flat or prop them up? When I painted my bathroom cabinets, I had a problem with the paint running if they were propped up, and pooling underneath and sticking to the plastic if they were laying down. I did everything I could not to put too much paint on them so this wouldn’t happen, but ended up having to resand several times. A quick paint job turned into a 6 month ordeal. Any suggestions?
howtonestforless says
EVERYTHING you need to know is right here!
How to paint your kitchen cabinets:
https://howtonestforless.com/2012/10/23/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets/
The best tips and tricking for painting cabinets:
https://howtonestforless.com/2013/07/23/tips-and-tricks-for-painting-kitchen-cabinets/
marie lopez says
This is amazing makeovers. Thank you for this post.