5 Best DIY Bathroom Decorating Projects (with Instructions)
November 29, 2018
Trouble-free DIY improvements can cost as little as a few cents per project, but can also go up to $100 or even more. But worry not, as we have prepared tons of easy DIY home improvement projects ranked by cost and with skill levels included.
Sprucing up your house doesn’t require a major change or a full remodel that calls for hiring a contractor. In fact, you'd be surprised to see just how many easy DIY home improvement projects you can tackle yourself. Still, if you're feeling confident in your skills, you can try your hand at more complicated ones too!
We will start with a few creative DIY decor changes that cost about a $1 each. Our list will then progress through three other categories, projects under $10, $50, and then projects costing around $100. You will also get to see their categories, how difficult they are, and a list of some of the materials you’ll need for each.
12 Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects under $1
Vintage Ladder Photo Display DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Upcycling, appearance and decoration
Location: Anywhere in your home
Time Estimate: 5 minutes/ 30 minutes (if painted)
Are you running out of ideas for displaying your family photos?
Reinterpret that long-forgotten ladder in your shed and place it against a wall to showcase them! To further personalize the project, you can add a few more dollars to your budget in order to paint the ladder in a bright or rustic tone.
List of Materials
| Old ladder |
| Paint/ spray paint (optional) |
Book Box DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Upcycling, appearance and decoration
Location: Closed - in your bookshelf; open - anywhere in your home
Time Estimate: 45 minutes
Turn any dusty old book into a
beautiful box to hold your jewelry, keys or other small items. All you have to do is glue the pages down on the thicker area and carve a deep rectangle in it.
Birdhouse DIY
"I can mow the lawn." (Intermediate)
Category: Outdoor, woodworking, garden DIY
Location: Anywhere outside the house
Time Estimate: 30-40 minutes per birdhouse
If you live in the suburbs or a rural area, there's a good chance birds visit your window sills all the time. Offer them a warm home by
creating a birdhouse out of cheap cedar picket. Cut two pieces each at 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" and 5 1/2" x 4 3/4" and one piece each at 1/2" x 8 1/2" and 5 1/2" x 5". Glue and nail them together and, for the finishing touch, drill an entrance hole.
LED Wine Bottle Lamp DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Upcycling, appearance and decoration
Location: Anywhere around the house
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Why throw a wine bottle away when you can
repurpose it and enjoy a fabulous new decoration for your home? Wash the empty bottle and fill it with your favorite string lights for a pretty, soft glow in your favorite room. You'll also be putting your post-wine energy to good use.
List of Materials
| Glass bottle |
| String lights |
Pencil Holder DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Upcycling, appearance and decoration
Location: Home office, children's bedroom
Time Estimate: 20-30 minutes
Mason jars are the craft enthusiast's ultimate canvas. You can create countless easy DIY home improvement projects out of them, including
cutely painted pencil holders. Simply coat a jar with a bright acrylic paint and draw your design on with a marker.
Hooks DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Space-saving organization
Location: Kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, workshop, home office
Time Estimate: 2-3 minutes per hook
Simple and cost-effective, the project here can require as little as a quarter per hook. Installing additional hooks around the kitchen or bathroom is an excellent way of keeping your belongings organized. You can quickly get clothing, towels, keys, and cups off countertops and out of the way.
Light Switch and Outlet Covers DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration, creative DIY decor
Location: Anywhere in your house
Time Estimate: 10 to 15 minutes
Decorative wall plates for switches and outlets can be costly. However, you can easily make your own personal covers. Use decorative paper, magazine cutouts, expressive fabrics or let your creativity run loose. The cover works as a convenient template too.
Hide Electrical Cords DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement
Location: Anywhere you have electric cords
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
We have yet another project that you can complete in less than five minutes and which can also be free. If you look around your house, you will likely find some fabrics or cloth that you can use to safely wrap the visible stretches of extension cords and improve their appearance.
Keep it at Eye Level DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Every room with pictures in the home
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Paintings and photos often hang higher than the eye level. Interior design professionals insist that the appearance of a room is enhanced by lowering (or raising) pictures to place them at the eye level. The project can essentially cost you nothing, but have impressive results and bring a welcome change to your rooms.
Fresh Flowers DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Any room in the home
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Adding some fresh flowers to a room is an instant pick-me-up. You can simply purchase an inexpensive bouquet from your local florist. Alternatively, try your hand at growing a few of your own varieties in the garden and then place them around the house. You could even make a
mini interior garden or set up a
DIY planter box centerpiece.
Shift Your Furniture Around DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement and a new look
Location: Living room, dining room, about any room
Time Estimate: 30 minutes to a couple of hours
If you own a set of furniture sliders, you should find it easy to shift your furniture around by yourself. If not, you may need to ask for help from some willing friends to change your home’s appearance by moving things around.
Reorganize a Bookshelf DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement and a change of order
Location: Any bookshelf in any room
Time Estimate: 30 minutes to a couple of hours
You might be surprised to see how little effort it takes to come up with awesome DIY home projects. Just shifting a few books and knick-knacks around on your bookshelves can spruce up an otherwise dull or unattractive design.
List of Materials
| A little patience |
An eye for design |
20 Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects under $10
Freshen up Your Woodwork DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance
Location: Window and door trim
Time Estimate: 30 minutes to a couple of hours
If you have painted trim around your home, you’d be amazed at how much dirt you don’t see. Even natural wood door jams, baseboards, and window frames can perk up with a good wipe down, and you can do this by simply using some
wood polish or conditioner.
Attention! Never clean your wood surfaces using abrasive cleansers.
List of Materials
| Wood enhancer/ nonabrasive cleanser |
A few soft rags |
Put a Shine on Lustruous Items DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement and cleanup
Location: Anywhere that needs a shiny cleanup
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Many people think products advertised as chrome cleaners are exclusively for cars. A little Blue Magic on a rag, followed by a thorough buffing, can shine up brass, chrome, copper, or aluminum fixtures in your home. It is an effortless DIY job that adds luster to your home.
Decorative Tray DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance
Location: Coffee tables or end tables
Time Estimate: 30 minutes to a couple of hours
To complete the cute and easy project, you should consider browsing through the house or around some thrift shops for an inexpensive mirror or serving tray. Then, you won’t need a lot of time to add a personalized touch and have a useful tray to spruce up any table in your home.
New House/ Mailbox Numbers DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement
Location: Front of the house or mailbox
Time Estimate: 15 minutes
The tools you need depend on what type of numbers you purchase.
Stick-on numbers take minutes to apply. There are also
eloquent brass numbers, which require only a couple of small screws to attach. New
numbers on your mailbox can spruce up the curb-appeal of your home and are an easy weekend DIY project.
Changing up your window covers is another of the simplest DIY home improvement projects that can cost you less than $10. Basic window shades will not only improve your home’s appearance, but they can also help increase its energy efficiency thanks to the additional protective layer. It is a top 10 DIY idea for conquering two objectives with a single weekend DIY home project.
Once you finish applying a fresh coat of paint to your front door, you’ll appreciate how much of a change it can bring to the aspect of your house. Grab a brush, your favorite exterior paint, and you’re all ready to tackle the easy DIY project.
Front Door Decoration Hook DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement
Location: Front door, or any other entrance door
Time Estimate: 10 to 15 minutes
After you’ve added a nice coat of paint to your door, also consider installing a simple hook as well. You can use it to add any number of
door adornments, as having a door hook makes it easy to change front door decorations depending on your mood or for
beautiful holiday door accents. We believe it's one of the most awesome DIY home projects out there and everyone will get to see it!
List of Materials
| One single door hook |
Screwdriver |
| Decorative door hanger |
Wooden Blanket Ladder DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance improvement and accents
Location: Anywhere in the home
Time Estimate: 30 minutes
Keeping small blankets and covers around the home can be both decorative and useful. By making use of a section of an old or even new wooden ladder, be it a painted or refinished one, you can easily create a surface on which to drape beautiful and handy blankets.
Add Light Dimmers DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Lighting improvement and lighting accents
Location: Any light switch in your home
Time Estimate: 30 minutes to one
Although slightly more complex, adding light dimmers to your home is still a very affordable DIY project. For the price of a dimmer switch, you can quickly create mood lighting in any room without having to change special light bulbs or lamps.
Spruce up Glass Cabinets DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Any open cabinets or glass door cabinets
Time Estimate: 2 minute to half an hour
Consider adding some decorative eloquence to open cabinets or shelves and to cabinets that have glass doors. You can add conversation starter elements or other types of cute and creative DIY decor on them.
Hang a Cup DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Under kitchen cabinets or counters
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Adding cup hooks under kitchen cabinets or shelves is one of the easiest and most rewarding DIY projects. You can hang decorative cups or your everyday coffee mugs and teacups to help clear cabinet space and make the cute change useful too.
Wall Displays DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Any wall in any room of your house
Time Estimate: 5 minutes to half an hour
Plate decorating is a very creative project to which you can add a personal touch. You can install plate holders, and then assemble colorful plates on a wall to add a beautiful decorative accent. Or you can use hooks and create wall hangings, or go wild with
wall stickers.
Welcome Home Mat DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and decoration
Location: Any door in your home
Time Estimate: 5 Minutes to half an hour
Creative doormats help add a warm
touch to your home's entrance, and you can have a lot of fun with them. You can change welcome mats as frequently as any other door adornments, for seasonal or aesthetic reasons. Also, you can take a simple mat and make it your own, as this is a
very simple DIY project too. Streaming Accent Lights DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance, accent lighting, and decoration
Location: Any room in your home
Time Estimate: 15 Minutes
LED Strip Lights DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance, accent lighting, and decoration
Location: Inside or outside your home
Time Estimate: 15 minutes
Adding some LED strips to
your home's entrance or
inside the house can add beautiful accent lighting. Such lights are uncomplicated to install, and most do not even require tools to do so. Cheap and fun, LED strips are simple and guarantees a lot of fun and gorgeous results.
List of Materials
| LED Strip Lights |
Screwdriver |
Mirrored Tiles DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance, light reflection, and decoration
Location: Walls in any room inside your home
Time Estimate: 5 minutes
Mirrored tiles are another way to add unique accents to particularly dull spots in your home. Stick-on mirrored tiles are quick to apply, and you can create amazing reflective surfaces of different sizes in the bathroom, kitchen, or in
any room really.Refrigerator Magnets DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and personalization
Location: Refrigerator, or any metal surface
Time Estimate: 5 minutes to half an hour
Magnets are yet another one of the easy DIY home improvement projects that can spruce up your kitchen. Actually, you can use decorative magnets on any metal cabinet in your home. It takes minutes to add some color and conversation topics to an otherwise bland surface. The fact that they are
simple and inexpensive to make also means that you can change your magnets as often as you want.
Custom Shelf Edges DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and room accents
Location: Any shelf edge in your home
Time Estimate: 15 minutes to half an hour
As an inexpensive DIY project, you only have to use fabric ribbon to add a
lacy,
colorful, or full of patterns trim to the front edge of bookshelves. It not only adds an accent to the room but also helps break up the shelves and distinguish them for faster, more efficient use.
Personalize a Flower Pot DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and room accents
Location: Any flat surface in your house
Time Estimate: 15 minutes to 1 hour
List of Materials
| Terra Cotta flower pots |
Enamel paint |
| An artist's paintbrush |
Make a Display Stand DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Appearance and organization
Location: Any flat surface in your house
Time Estimate: 15 minutes to one hour
Many of the top 10 projects on this list will have you using your creativity and this is just one such idea. You can make little stands for vitamins, spices, or most anything for that matter. Or
add some color and make any regular stand your own.
List of Materials
| Flat blocks |
Enamel paint |
| The inside dividers from packages |
An artist's paintbrush |
14 Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects under $50
You can get really inventive with this simple project. If you enjoy thrifty purchases, you might even squeeze this creative DIY wall decor into the under $10 category, though that might limit you. A
simple picture of any size will do or you can go for a
unique piece of your favorite fabric too.
List of Materials
| Decorative fabric (print) |
Picture frame |
Glass Cabinet Doors DIY
"Store reps ask ME for advice." (Expert)
Category: Appearance and kitchen upgrade
Location: Cabinet doors, especially in your kitchen
Time Estimate: ½ day
Changing out the panels on your cabinet doors isn't terribly expensive, but this is a project for which you need solid carpentry skills.
Removing the inside panels and replacing them with glass is an instant home improvement idea, especially for your kitchen, but you could also use it in the bathroom or other rooms too.
The simplest method is to use a precut
stainless steel backsplash. These only take about an hour to put in place. You will need a small amount of caulking to quickly add a nice touch to your kitchen, plus reduce cleanup time.
List of Materials
| Cleaner |
Stainless steel backsplash panel |
| Rag |
ceramic tiles |
This is another of those awesome DIY projects that can spice up the appearance of any kitchen. As many stoves have overhead hoods, you can add some colorful enhancements to your kitchen by sticking a row of small decorative tiles across this hood.
Kitchen DIY projects are a popular focus of home improvement as this is one of the most frequently used rooms in your house. Just like with your stove’s overhead hood, you can add some personality to the area behind and beside the stove top as well.
List of Materials
| Cleaner and rag |
Decorative Tiles |
Door Organizer DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Decorative appearance and organization
Location: Any doorways
Time Estimate: 15 minutes to two hours
List of Materials
| Pre-made small cabinet |
Shoe shelf |
| A seat |
Cabinet Rollouts DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Organization and space-saving
Location: Kitchen and bathroom cabinets
Time Estimate: Two hours
This job will require some knowledge on how to install sliding racks and
floating shelves. It's a task between intermediate home improvement abilities and one for individuals with advanced carpentry skills. The more complex, but still easy to do DIY floating shelves require a better understanding of general home improvement.
Adding similar types of sliding shelves, drawers, and
slide-out hangers inside your closets can also help organize your home, plus save space. This project has a wide array of possibilities as you can opt for small shelves that take minimal time and effort to install or take on a more complex project.
List of Materials
| Slider racks |
Power drill |
| Tape measure |
Screwdriver |
This is another of those awesome DIY home projects that are simple and very beneficial. You can
purchase door socks or use the materials listed to the right or any other spares you can find around the house to make your own unique door adornment. It'll help keep the heat or cold temperatures on the outside, plus do wonders for reducing dirt and debris that might have otherwise been blown in underneath the door. Get inventive and
create other animals or
models too!
List of Materials
| Foam filler |
Old socks |
| Pillow stuffing |
Pillowcases |
You can go the inexpensive path for this project by using peel-and-stick wallpaper.
Attention! Never DIY a wallpapered door until you test the adhesive. You can also find
wallpaper that is pre-pasted with a texture.
List of Materials
| Wallpaper |
Wallpaper adhesive |
| Supply of soft rags |
Transform a Closet into a Mini-Office DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Home improvement
Location: Any closet
Time Estimate: One day
This is among the more difficult DIY projects you can take on as you will be basically creating another mini-room in your home. As such, you need to understand how to remove a door, fill holes, and
install a few shelves. Add a fresh coat of paint, and you've turned an unused closet into a unique little workspace.
List of Materials
| Shelf board |
Screwdriver |
| Hammer |
Tape measure |
Mason Jars for More than Canning DIY
"What’s a hammer?" (Beginner)
Category: Decorative enhancements and organization
Location: Any room in the house
Time Estimate: Half an hour
Many of the projects in your Top 50 list involve using your creativity, and this is one where you can go full in. These cute Mason jar ideas can add some personalized character, plus help organize a disorderly kitchen.
They can also be used in very many other ways, from
soap dispensers to
chandeliers,
cute organizers,
candles, and
more! You can buy Mason jars in quantities as well, so you can have them ready and at hand when the creative juices start flowing.
Hang Your Lights DIY
"Store reps ask ME for advice." (Expert)
Category: Decorative enhancements and organization
Location: Living room, bedrooms, and dens
Time Estimate: ½-day
This last home improvement project might fall under the next DIY category too, especially if you are not as familiar with the power of electricity. You can hang light fixtures around your room to improve the lighting, plus free up space on end tables and countertops by doing so.
10 Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects under $100
Install Ceiling Fans DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Appearance and energy efficiency
Location: Any room in your home
Time Estimate: Approximately three hours
Depending on how intricate you want things to get, this project may fall under the never DIY category or the difficult to do one. There are ceiling fan models with cords that drape across the ceiling and down to an outlet. Fans that are hardwired to your circuit breaker drift into the expert knowledge advised category, so take that into account too.
List of Materials
| Ceiling fan |
Electrical tape |
| Screwdrivers |
Wire cutters |
| Hole saw |
Make Your Windows Appear Bigger DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Room appearance
Location: Any windows in your home
Time Estimate: Couple of hours
Making your windows seem bigger is commonly referred to as upsizing your windows. One way of accomplishing this is by adding longer curtains. You should start the actual curtain rod a foot or two above the actual top of the window. While this isn't a super difficult home improvement project, you should at the very least have some intermediate knowledge before tackling this DIY.
List of Materials
| Long curtains |
Drill |
| Wide curtain rods |
Screwdriver |
| Hammer |
Leve |
Add a Weather Vane DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Home appearance and uniqueness
Location: Tip of your home’s roof
Time Estimate: Couple of hours
You’re going to need to be comfortable with climbing on your roof for this to be one of your DIY projects. If you’re unsure, leave this as a never DIY, and better let professionals handle it. By adding a unique weather vane on top of your roof, you will attach a sense of uniqueness to your home.
Decorate Your Stairway DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Home appearance
Location: Any staircase in your home
Time Estimate: A full day project
Many stairways have little more than a railing. You can add a lot to the appearance of these staircases by adding brackets. While you can add them as close together as you want, placing one every six-inches is the most common recommendation. You can also add
stickers, fabrics, or
any other decoration to your stairs.
List of Materials
| Stair brackets |
Screwdriver |
| Drill |
Circular saw |
| Tape measure |
Level |
| Hammer |
Install Corner Cornices DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Home appearance
Location: Ceiling corners in any room
Time Estimate: 2 hours
Corner climbers can be a pretty easy home improvement project that adds a classic aura to any room. They affix to the corners and are decorative triangles that add an accent where the ceiling meets the wall.
List of Materials
| Climbers |
Screwdriver |
| Drill |
Circular Saw |
| Tape measure |
Level |
| Hammer |
Improve Door Trim DIY
"I do everything myself." (Advanced)
Category: Home appearance
Location: Doorways to and from any room
Time Estimate: Weekend project
Sometimes the doorways of homes are trimmed with nothing but basic materials.
Adding a bulkier, more elaborate overhead trim, or attaching one on either side of the doorway can add a beautiful visual to your home.
List of Materials
| Decorative doorway trim |
Screwdriver |
| Elaborate molding |
Drill |
| Circular saw |
Tape measure |
| Level |
Hammer |
Put a Stained-Glass Window in a Bathroom DIY
"Store reps ask ME for advice." (Expert)
Category: Home appearance
Location: Bathroom
Time Estimate: Weekend project
List of Materials
| Stained-glass window |
Frame for window |
| Stained glass wallpaper |
Screwdriver |
| Drill |
Circular saw |
| Tape measure |
Level |
| Hammer |
