The Super Simple DIY Project That'll Give Your Home An Instant Upgrade

Boho decor doesn't seem to be going out of style anytime soon, but investing in pieces that fit the trend can run up a pretty high price tag. Luckily, the look is achievable at home with just a few supplies: a woven placemat, an embroidery hoop, yarn, scissors, and hot glue.

"These DIY yarn wall hangings are a great way to add a natural element to a living room, dining room, or bedroom," says lifestyle blogger MaCenna Lee (aka XO, MaCenna). "These are also customizable as you can select a yarn type and color that complements your home — keep it neutral or add a pop of color. I love that these wall hangings can hang alone or several can be nestled together to fill out a statement wall."

You can watch her step-by-step tutorial of how to create them on her YouTube channel.

While woodworking is incredibly intimidating, there are ways to customize your furniture without having to invest in a table saw. Taking an old bookshelf and refurbishing it is super easy and just a few simple steps. All you have to do is take the piece apart, sand down the old finishings, repaint it with your choice of colors, reassemble it, and you're ready to go.

Some pro tips: If it's a bigger item, an electric sander (specifically one with a built-in vacuum) will help the process go by faster, and only get small sample sizes of the paint from Home Depot because you won't need as much as you think you will. Here's a short video that will make it easier to visualize.

Tired of your old bedroom furniture? According to Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson, dressers are actually pretty easy to update with some paint or peel-and-stick wallpaper and new knobs. If you want to paint the entire thing a different color, you can follow the same instructions as the bookcase project above, or pick out a paint that doesn't require sanding or priming.

For the wallpaper update, take off the knobs so the surface is completely flat. Find your wallpaper of choice and simply smooth it onto the surface of each drawer. (Yes, it really is that easy!) Use a spatula to get rid of any bumps and air bubbles, poke holes in the paper where the knob holes are, and find new knobs to update the dresser. Johnson recommends checking out Purdy Goods Shoppe on Etsy for some unique options.

Take a peek at this video from Etsy's YouTube channel for an easy step-by-step of the wallpaper makeover.

You might not have had the bandwidth to take on a peel-and-stick wallpaper situation before, but now that you're stuck at home for the foreseeable future, it's definitely worth looking into.

Freelance editor and writer Caroline Mullen completed the above project in her NYC dining room and offered a few words of wisdom. "I ordered [this one] on Amazon, but I will say the material was relatively cheap and stretchy, which made it difficult to line the pieces up next to each other," she explains. "Next time, I would splurge for the quality stuff from Chasing Paper. My best tip: Don't get hung up on the little bubbles that form, [because] they can all be popped with a pin afterwards and smoothed right out."

And if you're not up for an entire wallpaper project, try out some vinyl decals like these ones from Etsy instead. These stickers make it easy to create faux terrazzo stone, tropical leaves, and other themes to fit your space.

I'm not going to lie: Coasters are often unattractive decorations, collected from touristy gift shops or stolen from bars over the years and never replaced. But Lee has a little DIY macrame project that makes coasters way more attractive for when you finally get to host a happy hour at your place again.

"Macrame coasters add such a fun, textured, bohemian vibe to any coffee table or conversation nook," she says. "I find macrame projects to be calming and meditative through the repetitive knot patterns — I can let my mind wander while creating something special. Once you get the hang of macrame you're going to want to macrame everything."

To complete the project, you'll need 4-millimeter macrame cord, scissors, measuring tape, and a fine-toothed comb. Take a look at the step-by-step video on Lee's YouTube channel so you can create a few of these at home.

Gallery walls are nothing new when it comes to decor, but how you go about achieving your ideal aesthetic can be easily personalized if you get a little creative. It can be hard — not to mention expensive — to find all of the pieces you need to fill an entire wall full of photos, paintings, or other art that really match the vibe of your room, but if you're handy with a paintbrush, you can just create your own.

The biggest trick for achieving a beautiful gallery wall is making sure everything looks cohesive, but not too cohesive. For example, in the wall above, I kept the color palette consistent throughout (warm neutral and pink tones with pops of orange, yellow, and green), as well as the general themes, like natural elements, abstract shapes, and simple line work. There's enough variance in how each of the pieces look, but you can look at all of them together and see the familial connection.

Geometric throw pillows have been on the rise recently, and while you could easily drop upwards of $40 at a home furnishings store for one, you can create a few of your own at home for way cheaper. Mullen recommends this project because it's super easy, even for beginner DIY-ers, and only requires a few materials.

Buy a plain pillowcase and insert from any store to get started. Remove the pillow insert and put a piece of cardboard in the middle to protect the pillowcase. Use painters tape to block out the shapes you want and spray paint the exposed parts with your preferred color. Lift up the tape, and voila! You have a fun, one-of-a-kind pillow that you can add to any room.

Check out Mullen's short TikTok video to see the step-by-step process in action.