Decorating projects for beginners
‘It’s never a good idea to run before you can walk, especially with DIY! But these home decorating ideas will help you build up your skills.’
Bathroom tile ideas
Freshening up the tiles is a great way to revive your bathroom. Replacing the grout between old bathroom or kitchen tiles can instantly make them look good as new, and the tools and materials altogether will cost less than £20. Cut away the old grout then fill new grout in the joints, tidying it with your finger and cleaning off with a damp cloth. The grouting tools come with simple instructions.
Turn shelves into a chic cabinet
An easy way to improve your home interiors looks is to take shelves no longer needed for smaller children’s toys and picture books and turn these into a gorgeous feature in a lounge or bedroom. Sandpaper the wood and choose a roll of stylish wallpaper (leftover scraps from a wall you’ve decorated should be enough). Repaint or varnish the shelves then line the inside back of the shelves with the paper.
Kid-friendly home design: Children’s art gallery
For just the cost of a few rolls of coloured sticky tape (ideally gift tape that sticks but peels off well), you can mount pictures on the wall without glass frames, then create a beautiful gallery effect by adding an edge with decorative tape.
Re-use old bedding
When pillows, duvets or duvet covers need replacing, turn them into pretty draught excluders. Cut a pillow in two and sew the halves lengthways to create one long sausage shape, or cut a duvet into three or four lengths. Use pretty fabric scraps for the covers.
Create dado rail frames
Mount lengths of cheap wooden dado rail in large rectangular shapes on your walls and paint them white to look like vintage wall panels. Try one above your fireplace and mount a smaller mirror or painting in the middle.
Savvy tip – get the kids to personalise their furniture
DIY on a budget – for less than £10 at stores like IKEA you can buy simple square tables and paint them with acrylic paint. (You can toughen the surfaces up with two coats of yacht varnish to finish.) A wonderful way to encourage confident home creativity from an early age.
Pass it on – bargain home beauty
Check out more ideas for Home decorating ideas on a tight budget.