Crafty home DIY projects for the weekend

If there’s one thing Aussies love almost as much as a public holiday, it’s taking pride in their homes and a job well done. So, if you find yourself at a loose end this long weekend why not roll up your sleeves and tackle a satisfying DIY home improvement project?

Build a bedhead

Get crafty and put together your own homemade bedhead. For a contemporary look opt for a padded headboard covered with your favourite eye-popping fabric. All you need is a staple gun, plywood cut to size, foam, lightweight batting, large picture hangers and hardy fabric. Add upholstery nails and/or buttons for a glam touch.

For a more rustic look see if you can pick up an old pallet, salvage some window shutters or give an old iron garden fence new life by refashioning it into a unique headboard.

Crafty cushions

Revive your couches or bed decor by picking up some white linen cushion covers at your local craft store, fabric paint, paintbrushes and stamps. Practice your desired design and pattern on a piece of paper or scrap fabric before doing the cushion cover. That way you can experiment with different colour combinations and painting techniques to get the best result.

Go for vibrant geometric oranges, blues and yellows or zig zags for a fresh Aztec vibe. Channel Jackson Pollack for an abstract more freestyle finish by dribbling and splashing layers of paint artistically onto the cushion cover. Use cute animal stamps for children’s bedrooms and quirky designs.

Chalk it up

A chalkboard paint feature wall is a great playful addition for a rumpus room, kitchen or kids room. The kids will love having a wall they’re actually allowed to sketch up a storm on and display their masterpieces. It can also serve a practical functionality in the kitchen where you can rule up a weekly planner or dedicate a spot for your shopping list.

We recommend applying a primer to your wall before painting. Then, apply two coats of chalkboard paint, the first rolling horizontally and the second with vertical strokes, for the best result. It’s also important to leave chalkboard paint to dry and cure for a minimum of three days before using it as a chalkboard.

For funky appeal pick up some coloured chalk and stencils to sketch out a repeating pattern of stars, squiggles, dots or triangles. Whenever you get tired of the pattern or simply want a new look you can use a damp cloth to dust it off and start fresh.

A lively picture display

Create artwork out of all the old polaroids, photo booth strips and photos you have lying around gathering dust in drawers and cupboards. Get some twine, wall pegs and timber pegs to create rows of mini clothesline photo displays of your favourite people, places and memories.

If you not only have a collection of old photos but also a bunch of picture frames, use mismatched frames to create an interesting wall cluster display of your favourite works of art and pictures. If you run out of photos to display use pretty wrapping paper to fill the frames or leave some blank to break up the display. To avoid a messy looking cluster, try to keep a consistent distance between each of the frames when hanging them.

Jazzy jewellery organisers

Do you have tangles of necklaces, mismatched earrings and a jumble of jewellery boxes taking up precious dressing table, drawer or closet space? Why not make a feature of your shimmering jewellery collection at the same time as getting organised by knocking together a hanging wall display for your necklaces and bracelets?

Make a display from a disused key wrack, wall mounted clothes hooks, a cork pinboard or a pegboard. Forget traditional jewellery boxes and pick up metallic dishes, mason jars, vases, glass cloches or pretty teacups to store and present all your treasured trinkets in a glamorous yet functional style.

Install a vertical garden

Make your own simple outdoor wall garden using a treated pine trellis, spirit level, measuring tape, wall plugs, screws, nails and plastic planter boxes. This way you can customise the size of your wall garden and plant placement to suit your outdoor area perfectly. When considering placement, keep in mind your plants will need to get enough sunlight and be close to a tap for watering.

If you’re not too confident on the tools there are pre-made vertical garden units and kits around, where it’s just a matter of selecting the plants, bringing in the soil and hanging them in terms of setting up.

String up a hammock

Can you think of anything better than lazing away your long weekend from a hammock watching the AFL and NRL Grand Finals, sipping a smoothie or reading a book? If you have a couple of sturdy trees or beams on your verandah secure a hammock between them with S hooks, chains, rope or tree straps.

If you don’t have suitable trees or posts for a hammock, pick up a stand at your local hardware store. They’re simple to construct and you don’t have to worry about any measuring or load issues, so you’ll be lounging in your hammock in next to no time!

We hope these seven home DIY decor ideas have inspired you to get creative over the weekend. For more DIY projects take a look at these six DIY decorating ideas for renters and five ways to update your bathroom (without renovating).

Happy house decorating!

From the Homely Team