DIY Home Decor Projects To Give Any Room a Makeover

Any student house is notorious for being a bit of a dive, put lightly.

By some weird logic, when it comes to renting to students, landlords consider it completely reasonable to charge upwards of £400 a month for a standard of living that can only be described as sub-par.

Its highly likely that the house you shared with your uni friends wasn’t the most tastefully decorated, so a little bit of DIY never goes a miss in terms of giving your student digs a much-needed makeover. 

Here’s a few simple DIY home decor projects that are perfect for when procrastinating.

If this ignites a DIY addiction in you, Pinterest is a treasure trove of ideas for when you’re avoiding that essay…

… because there’s nothing a little paint can’t fix.

It’s always after you’ve signed the lease closer inspection of your bedroom furniture reveals some – um, questionable – stains that can’t always be covered up with a throw. Luckily, a tester pot of paint goes a long way in terms of hiding those marks, and a scan of spray paint is always handy to have. DIY makes for the perfect artistic outlet that improves your quality of life in the meantime.

After getting the go-ahead from your landlord, an easy and effective DIY home decor project you could do with your new flatmates is updating your furniture. After a run to Homebase to arm yourself with paint and some paintbrushes (and maybe some funky drawer handles if you’re feeling bougie) why not go full on Bob Ross on that tired beige 3-piece bedroom set.

For extra functionality, search charity shops or car boots for odd hooks and handles to screw to the side of your wardrobe or drawers to make the most of (scant) storage space.

Looking for a way to avoid putting the recycling out?

Over the course of your degree, it’s likely that between you and your flatmates, you’ll go through a good few bottles of alcohol. If you’re the sort of flat that loves a party but hates the tidy-up the next day, why not try your hand at repurposing all those empties?

After alcohol, dried food is probably the next thing you consume the most during your student years. When you can’t afford to spend your money on lovely bits of home decor, why not put your pasta on display? You’ll probably be reaching for it on the daily so it may as well be kept on the counter. 

This easy DIY home decor idea works with any kind of bottle – miniature spirits bottles make great salt and pepper shakers. If lentils aren’t your thing, you could always fill them with Tesco’s Everyday Value rice snaps? When you’re buying it anyway, you may as well make the most of the empty bottle. Wine and craft night? Yes, please!

A desk you’d actually like to study at.

There’s nothing more uninspiring than a cluttered desk space. Having a well-organised study area is so important – and you’ll certainly be thankful for it when deadline season rolls around.

Whilst you might be tempted to blow your first maintenance loan on everything on sale at Paperchase, hold fire! There’s lots of simple DIY home decor ideas you can try yourself for fraction of the price, if not for free. 

It’s not just wine bottles that offer creative potential. Empty cereal boxes can be taped together and covered with wrapping paper or painted to make a handy filing container or letter tray. When attached to the inside of a cupboard or bottom of a shelf, a magazine file is great for storing Tupperware lids – making it a lot less easy to lose them!

But of all the cupboard staples, the humble tin of baked beans is the one that offers the most promise for a DIY home decor session. Once you’ve rinsed them out, wrap some marble contact paper around the outside for a funky make-up brush holder, or pen pot.

Do you have any easy DIY home decor projects you want to try?

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