Studio 5 Contributor Liberti van Gass has Five fabulous projects from the home improvement store that will add some sparkle to your home without putting a large dent in your pocket book.
(1) Door Stop, Project or Picture Holder: This idea only requires one item -a Spring Door Stop. These are so fun and come in several different colors, you can use just one or you can group them together in three or five. Use them to hold your pictures or in a craft room to hold projects. Also, remember that they can be spray painted to the color of your choice.
(2) Wallpaper as a Backsplash: This is a fun alternative to the faux tin tile backsplash. It takes a roll of paintable wallpaper which you can find at either Lowes or Home Depot – they have different designs at each. And, also paint of your choice – I chose to go with a silver glaze to get the best look-alike results. They have glazes in many colors; you can also use several different colors of glaze together to create a more realistic look. Simply stick up your wallpaper in the desired area, then glaze over a couple of coats or until you achieve the look you want. Best of all, the whole project costs less than one tile and you’ll probably have left-over’s!
(3) Molding Shelf: With the left-over wood from my nail art, and free molding from the home improvement store comes this fun shelf. Just cut (or have your husband cut) the molding at a 45 degree angle to make sure the corners match up and affix to a board of your desired length and width using liquid nail, then paint. You can also add some inexpensive drawer knobs as hangers on your shelf. The molding comes in many different styles and sizes so be creative!
(4) Rain Gutter Book Shelf: This is adorable! It’s amazing what you can do with a simple rain gutter! Just cut to your desired length and screw to the wall. This is a very inexpensive project costing under $6.00 for the entire rain gutter which you could use whole or cut to make several shelves. You can also paint or embellish the rain gutter to match your décor.
(5) Nail Art Monogram: This project is great because it uses many basic things you might already have around, although be prepared, because depending on the size you choose to make it can take a little time. Get a square piece of wood at your desired size and paint it the color you choose. For this you can use either wall paint or craft paint. Round up several different size nails, I prefer the ones with the larger heads as they stand out better. Also you’ll need a monogram – I just printed my letter from my computer in the style that I liked, you can make it the exact size you need. I then traced it lightly onto my painted wood using a pencil. Then just start nailing. Start with the shortest nails first placing them sporadically over the wood then move onto the medium then tall nails. When you are finished the pencil line will easily wipe off with a wet rag.
Have fun with your inexpensive, unique home improvements!
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