50 Clever Things Under $35 That Make Your Home Look Better With Almost No Effort

If your outdoor space is looking a little drab, plant these lamps along your walkway, yard, or patio to infuse a little magic outside your home. The intricate pattern throws off the most gorgeous light designs; and since they’re solar-powered, they require nothing other than sunlight to charge up, and they’ll turn on automatically at night and off in the morning. They’re waterproof, too, so you don’t need to stress about bringing them inside when it rains.

Even if you rent, you can still transform the walls in your home sans commitment — all you need is some stick-and-peel wallpaper. People are obsessed with this stuff because it’s just as easy to remove as it is to install — all that’s involved is a bit of cutting and measuring. A bold print, like this chic tropical one, looks especially cool in smaller spaces, like a bathroom or entryway; or, you can place it on a single wall for a slightly more understated feel.

• Available colors: 3

The right lighting can make all the difference in the world — and these stick-on puck lights (which can also be installed with screws) are perfect for amping up the warmth and wow factor in any room. A few ideas for where to place them: under your kitchen cabinets, beneath the shelves in your closet, on your stairs or along your staircase, or in a wine cellar. The battery-operated lights are sold in a set of three, and they just need to be tapped to be turned on or off.

Practical storage solutions don’t have to be boring — just look at these macrame storage baskets that double as decorative accents. You can store virtually anything in them and place them anywhere in your home, but they’d be especially perfect in a light and airy bathroom — just add a palm leaf plant and some fluffy white towels to complete the look. Other storage ideas, aside from tissues, towels, and TP? Use them to hold skin care products, plants, office supplies, snacks... the options are literally endless.

• Available colors: 3

Perfect for a side table or coffee table — just pop a candle or plant on top — these three city-themed books (New York, Paris, and Milan) are actually completely blank inside. They’re a fun, easy way to make your room look a little more chic and display your interests to guests. For the Anglophiles out there, there’s also a New York, London, and Paris option.

Oftentimes, it’s the simplest upgrades that can make the biggest difference. Case in point? This wall-mounted mail holder and key rack. Not only will it prevent you from misplacing your keys and from your mail winding up scattered around the house, but it also has a small shelf for a succulent or flowers.

• Available colors: 3

Apothecary jars have endless uses. Not only will they help you get more organized and cut back on clutter, but they tend to look great, too. You can use them in the bathroom for Q-tips, hair ties, and floss sticks; in the office for paper clips, rubber bands, and pencils; in the kitchen or pantry for candies, tea bags, and sugar... the list of ideas goes on and on. And with their modern bamboo tops, this set of four apothecary jars looks even more sleek and stylish than most.

A vase full of flowers is the easiest way to make your home look a lot better — but not everyone loves the maintenance that’s involved. As an alternative, try a bouquet of dried flowers, like this pampas grass bouquet, instead. Simultaneously cozy and modern, these flowers last forever, look great in any vase, and don’t require any watering. What’s not to love?

Love the warm and inviting ambience candles create, but hate stressing over whether you remembered to blow them out? (Or maybe you just have dogs, or kids, and don’t feel comfortable with a live flame.) Whatever the reason you prefer a flameless candle, this set of eight LED candles is guaranteed to impress even the most skeptical of traditionalists. Coming with four votives and four pillars, the flame flickers for an extra-realistic touch, and they’re even made of real wax. They come with a remote, too, so you can control them from the couch.

• Available colors: 35

Here’s another easy, effortless way to make your home look a lot more thoughtfully curated and cohesive. Simply switch out your mismatched hand and dish soap bottles for this matching set instead. The amber bottles have a rustic, farmhouse-chic look and come with stickers for labelling what’s inside. You can use them in the shower for shampoo and conditioner, too.

Add a touch of greenery to any space in your home with these pretty macrame hanging planters. They’re sold in a set of two and come in four colors to match any aesthetic, from a slightly rustic brown to the beachy ivory pictured. Made of 100% cotton, they can go indoors or out. You’ll be surprised by what a big difference these make.

Now here’s a genius organizing solution you didn’t know you needed (or maybe you did, but you didn’t realize a solution existed). This organizer is designed to hold all your food storage container lids, aka the bane of any cluttered kitchen. It’ll make your cabinet or drawer feel so much neater and more peaceful, and will prevent a jumbled mess from toppling over every time you go to a

Add both style and warmth to your space — inside or out — with this set of two cage lanterns. Inside each one is an LED bulb that gives off a soft, warm light, so no candles are required, and their aesthetic would fit in with both vintage and modern decor styles alike. One Amazon reviewer commented, “These are the perfect table accents! I bought them intending to use them outside on the patio but I actually love them inside! The dim yellow light, the bronze design, super lightweight and no plug! Love!”

Whether you have an overflowing wardrobe or a super-small closet, these space-saving hangers are here to save the day. They can be used to hang clothes both vertically and horizontally, and are especially great for pants and scarves. A must-have for any aspiring KonMari disciple.

• Available colors: 3

Make your kitchen or dining room table look 10 times more aesthetic with this set of six woven placemats. Perfect for beachy, modern, and traditional decor styles alike, they can be used the traditional way, as plate holders during meals, or as a decorative tray for flowers, salt and pepper, a candle, and other table essentials. Choose from water hyacinth or jute.

Keep your lazy-time essentials (your remote, a book or magazine, your glasses, a bag of candy or chips) within easy reach with this macrame organizer that’s designed to slip over the armrest of your sofa. (You can also slip it under your mattress and use it as a makeshift bedside table, too.) Pretty, functional, and under $20; what more could you want?

Impress guests, or members of your own household, with how organized your under-sink area is with this genius, expandable rack. Designed to allow you to bypass those annoying pipes that are always getting in the way, it expands from 15 to 25 inches and has space for all of your most-used kitchen and cleaning essentials. Over 10,000 Amazon shoppers have given it a perfect five-star rating, with dozens calling it a life-saver.

• Available colors: 3

A simple table runner — like this incredibly chic one — can transform any kitchen or dining room. Made of 100% linen (and priced very reasonably, considering), it has a rustic, French country-inspired look, and comes in lots of different colors and unique striped designs. If you wind up falling in love with the fabric and style, note that you can also buy matching napkins and placemats.

• Available colors/styles: 33

Nobody will know these eucalyptus stems aren’t real, but they’ll make such a big difference in any room you place them in. With each order, you’ll get 15 stems (or you can get 30 for about $18) that can be arranged or trimmed as you like, and they’ll last you literally forever. “Great bang for your buck with this bundle. Very stylish and easy to work with! [...] I liked that I could fold or cut the wire stems to make them all different sizes. No smell. Look very real,” commented one Amazon reviewer.

Okay, so you’ve learned about stick-and-peel wallpaper; now allow us to introduce you to peel-and-stick tiles. The concept is identical — easy to remove, easy to install, no commitment involved — except these would look gorgeous on a bathroom floor or against a kitchen backsplash. This particular pattern has a chic, Mediterranean feel, and comes in both black or blue colors. One Amazon shopper raved, “Very easy, fast and cheap fix to give our bathroom the face lift it desperately needed! My husband was able to knock this out in about 2 hours and it is night and day!”

• Available colors: 2

Keep the clutter off your bathroom counter with this clever and minimalistic hair tool organizer. With space on the top shelf for your most-used hair tools (blow dryer, flat iron, and curling iron), and space on the bottom for styling products, scrunchies, and more, it’s a game-changer for anyone with a currently chaotic vanity station.

• Available colors: 3

For another clever and fuss-free lighting upgrade, don’t sleep on these best-selling LED light bars. Perfect for dim closets, kitchen counters, bar areas, and more, they’ll make your home look a lot more impressive and will help it feel more functional, too.

This rotating makeup organizer will make your bathroom or vanity station look 10 times more impressive. It’s made up of seven layers of height-adjustable trays, so you can create a custom configuration that best suits your needs, and it’s just as easy to break down for cleaning as it is to assemble. One Amazon reviewer commented, “Bought this to keep my makeup mostly off the counter as it was previously taking up way too much room. Now it is so tidy in one corner with this more vertical organizer. It was so simple to assemble and there are lots of different configurations. It seems very sturdy and it rotates smoothly.”

Sure, you can use this sleek marble paper to give your countertops a face lift, but it also has plenty of other ingenious uses. A few ideas? Transform your desk, bathroom floors, shelves, or furniture, or use it for DIY projects on random bits and bobs (Amazon reviewers have used it to revamp everything from succulent planters to jewelry boxes). Over 25,000 Amazon shoppers have left it a perfect five-star rating.

How chic is this textured velvet footstool? Not only does it bring old-school glam to a room, it can function as a foot rest, a stool, or even a side table while also having room for storage inside. How it costs less than $40 on Amazon, one will never know. Choose from 20 equally luxurious colors.

Tidy up your kitchen, pantry, or tabletop with this simple but brilliant lazy Susan. Measuring about 10 inches in diameter, it’s made of durable bamboo and rotates 360 degrees, so you can quickly grab what you need from any angle. The two-tier feature will also free up a lot of cabinet space. No need to reserve this organizer for the kitchen, either — it’ll also come in handy for organizing your jewelry, makeup, skin care, or other small, random items lying around the house.

Finally, a chic way to store your toothbrush. This faux-marble organizer contains five compartments of varying sizes to keep all the bathroom essentials you need within easy reach — toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, razor, and the like. Thoughtfully designed, this organizer also has drainage holes at the bottom to prevent mold from forming, as well as an anti-slip bottom that keeps it firmly in place. You’ll find six different organizers in this listing, including some styles with different numbers of compartments, and one with a sleek black faux-marble design.

• Available styles: 6

Transform any outdoor space with these weather-proof string lights. The stylish Edison bulbs emit a warm white light for an extra-cozy ambience, and they’re on a dimmer, so you can adjust the brightness as you wish. “Absolutely beautiful,” raved one of the 35,000+ shoppers who gave these string lights a five-star rating. “Definitely helped pull our fire pit together and gave it a warm and cozy feeling.” Reviewers confirm they’re super easy to install, even for those who aren’t typically handy.

With a near-perfect 4.8-star rating out of over 30,000 overall, Amazon shoppers are obsessed with these clean and classic woven rope baskets. And for good reason: They’re an infinitely versatile way to store the odds and ends that otherwise pile up around your home, from dog toys to workout accessories to shoes — and they double as beachy-chic decor. Plus, the handles make these lightweight yet sturdy baskets easy to tote around your home, or to use as laundry baskets.

• Available colors: 9

Another brilliant tidying-up solution, this kitchen rack features adjustable dividers that can fit pans, lids, cutting boards, and baking sheets of all sizes to keep your countertops or cabinets free of distracting clutter. “I don't know how I could stand my baking sheet cabinet before owning this organizer!” wrote one of its thousands of fans. “The base is sturdy, and low profile, the dividers are super easy to put in place wherever you need them.” Even more clever? It doubles as a drying rack.

If you don’t already have a sink caddy, you’re missing out on one of the easiest and cheapest ways to make your kitchen look better. This one is a bit more clever than other, simpler sponge holders, since it has a dedicated cage for a dish brush, a hanging rack for your dish towel, and plenty more space for sponges and a bottle of soap. A removable drip tray keeps things hygienic (and is easy to clean itself), and the stainless steel construction is totally rust-proof, in addition to sleek-looking.

• Available colors: 3

It may seem highly specific, but this box organizer will low-key change your life. It’s equipped with three adjustable tiers intended to organize boxes of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and plastic bags that otherwise get lost in your kitchen cabinets or jam up your drawers. Obviously, though, you can also use it to organize odds and ends around your kitchen, bathroom, or elsewhere — and since it costs well under $20 and snaps together in an instant, no tools necessary, you might as well add a few to your cart.

• Available sizes: 4

With eight adjustable tiers and three different ways to assemble it, this kitchen supply organizer is infinitely versatile, incredibly sturdy (each individual rack can hold up to 10 pounds), and doesn’t require any tools to put together — in other words, it’s a no-brainer addition to your cache of kitchen organizers. “It's been a life saver at keeping my cabinets organized and wonderful not having the loud abrasive noises of shuffling through 20 pans and covers when cooking,” one Amazon reviewer wrote, and so many others report coming back for multiples.

We all know how impactful greenery can be in making your home feel warm and inviting — and for those who haven’t been blessed with a green thumb, there’s always good-quality fake plants, like this set of three. Adding to the chicness are the farmhouse-style planters they come in, as well as the frosty, matte gray finish for an overall realistic-looking effect. If you prefer a more vibrant finish, you can instead opt for the ‘Green’ style in this listing, which includes the same three plants but with brighter leaves.

• Available styles: 2

Keep magazines, newspapers, and even your Kindle off the floor or coffee table with this retro-chic magazine holder. It’s available in seven pretty finishes, like brass (pictured), rose gold, and graphite, all with a graceful cylindrical shape and dainty feet that look far more beautiful than you’d expect of such a humble organizer. It’s a thoughtful addition to your bathrooms (particularly guest bathrooms), but it can also come in handy for corralling stray papers in your home office.

• Available colors: 7

This set of organizer bins for your refrigerator or pantry comes with eight bins with handles, four each in two sizes, that can be stacked or arranged any way you wish. “I didn’t know I would like these so much. They work great for organizing the fridge, but it makes it so easy to get something from the back and to clean the fridge,” one Amazon shopper raved. Follow the advice of multiple customers and buy two sets of these clever contraptions — you’ll use them more than you think.

Clear up pantry space with this set of two floating shelves for spices (or other random things that are cluttering up your drawers and cabinets). The shelves are lightweight, minimalist enough to suit any aesthetic, and they’ll arrive with all the materials you need to mount them on your wall in mere minutes. At just $15, the value for money is pretty unbeatable.

Not only does this wall-mounted pan hanger keep your most-used pots, pans, and other hang-able kitchen tools within easy reach, but it looks so stylish. Incredibly sturdy, this hanger is equipped with 15 S-hooks and can support up to 22 pounds of weight in total. The order also comes with all required mounting accessories and step-by-step instructions, so you’ll have a revamped, tidied-up kitchen in no time, and with very little effort.

The next time you have friends over for dinner or drinks, pull out this beautiful bamboo charcuterie board to organize hors d'oeuvres, cocktail fixings, condiments, or desserts for a show-stopping presentation. The board also conveniently includes two trays on either side of the platter for dips or smaller snacks, as well as handles for easy carrying.

Pantries seem to have a knack for falling into disarray, no matter how diligently you try to keep them organized. Enter: This set of transparent canisters, guaranteed to keep your snacks and dry goods exactly where you left them. The airtight seal maintains their freshness, too, so you’ll likely end up with less food waste. Choose from a set of three, four, six, seven, or 14 canisters. Every order comes with a sheet of black labels and a white marker, for extra organizational points.

Rather than measuring your drawers and trying to find an organizer that fits them precisely, just order this set of four adjustable drawer dividers. These bamboo dividers can be adjusted anywhere from 22.25 inches to 17 inches in length, and a non-slip rubber pad keeps them firmly in place, without scratching the edges of your drawers. Pop them in your kitchen, dresser, desk, or any other drawers that could use some tidying up.

Lest you believe all shoe racks are ugly wire contraptions, this one is made of modern, Scandi-chic bamboo with a minimalist design, so it’s anything but an eyesore in your entryway. It’s available in six sizes ranging between two and six tiers to suit any shoe collection. That said, you can use these multifunctional shelves for other things, too — put one next to your bath to hold your towels and soaps, for instance, or in the office or living room for your book collection.

• Available sizes: 6

The perfect blend of style and function, these architectural floating shelves can be used to hold a collection of smaller items, like a vase of flowers, a few books, or a box of tissues; and they can be arranged in various patterns, creating different visual effects, so you can let your inner interior designer out to play. Amazon reviewers confirm these are surprisingly sturdy and relatively easy to mount. Take your pick from five neutral finishes: ‘Espresso,’ ‘Grey,’ ‘Natural,’ ‘White,’ and ‘Walnut.’

• Available colors: 5

There’s something about Edison bulbs that make a room look so cozy and romantic. This set of four 60-watt light bulbs costs just $17, so swapping your fluorescents for these warm, ambience-enhancing lights is an inexpensive yet impactful way to revamp your space. (You can also purchase a set of six for less than $30.)

You probably never thought you could make toilet paper look elegant, but such is the wonder of Amazon’s home decor collection. This brushed gold toilet paper holder is equipped with a handy marble shelf where you can place your phone, an extra roll of toilet paper, or even a small potted plant to streamline your bathroom space. File this one under: “things you never thought you needed, but now you don’t know how you ever lived without.”

If you’re going to store things on your countertop, they may as well look chic. This set of three metal farmhouse-inspired canisters are conveniently labeled for coffee, tea, and sugar, but of course you can use these clever, versatile tins to store anything you need within easy reach (homemade cookies, perhaps?). The lids are airtight to keep whatever’s inside fresh. White looks particularly polished, but you can choose from seven shades in total, from cobalt blue to retro red.

• Available colors: 7

Proudly display your record collection (and protect the vinyl from bending or scratching) with this beautiful, sleek-yet-retro record holder, which is available in eight wood finishes. If you’re not a vinyl collector yourself, this would make a lovely housewarming gift for someone who is. “Assembly was simple and it doesn’t take up too much space!” wrote one of thousands of happy Amazon reviewers. “My vinyl collection has grown to a point where storing them against by bookshelf wasn’t cutting it anymore and this was the perfect little upgrade.”

• Available colors: 8

Don’t underestimate the power of a few candles to evoke a sense of polish and warmth in your home — even more so if they’re thoughtfully displayed on these minimalist candle holders. They’re available in a set of three in varying heights for aesthetic harmony, and the pedestal can fit candles up to 4 inches in diameter. They’ll look especially beautiful on a fireplace mantle, dining table, or window ledge — but anywhere you display them, they’ll make the space look so expensive (though they cost well under $20).

• Available styles: 3

You know you need a paper towel stand, so why not get the prettiest one you can find? Featuring a pleasantly heavy faux-marble base and a brushed brass rod, this one certainly fits that bill — and if you don’t love that particular aesthetic, you have a few more base-and-rod combinations to choose from, all equally stylish. It functions just as beautifully as it looks; as one Amazon shopper reported, “Great paper towel holder, and doesn’t fall over if you’re pulling off a paper towel one handed.”

• Available colors: 4