Cheap & Easy DIY Projects

TGIF! I hope you all have some fun and exciting things going on this weekend.  I plan on working on another DIY project for my apartment.  Below are some more easy and creative ways to spruce up your apartment on a budget – and to add a little touch of Cleveland to the place!

I have a neutral color couch so that it will be able to match any decor if I choose to move out in the future.  One easy way to brighten the dull color is to add decorative throw pillows like the ones shown below.  The fabric is from JoAnn Fabrics and it was on sale! Always check the weekend ads for JoAnns since they always have coupons available.  This fabric ended up being about $3/ yd.  My mom made the piping since there was no piping that matched the color of the pillows – thanks Mom!  You can buy a pillow form to give the pillow a more defined and less lumpy look, or just buy some pillow stuffing! This is a super easy project that takes next to no time.

Another fun project that I completed this week was a new set of coasters.  I saw some really cute Cleveland coasters on Etsy and at the CLE Clothing store, however they were very pricey!  I bought some ceramic tiles at Lowes, some scrapbook paper from Pat Catan’s, threw some Mod Podge over it, and I was good to go! To ensure that the coasters are waterproof, you can purchase waterproof sealant (I bought mine at Pat Catan’s).  The total amount for a set of 4 coasters was $4.25. That’s a bargain – and you can customize them any way that you want! Here is what mine look like:

Does anyone else have any cheap and easy DIY projects for the home?

Any inexpensive plans or date ideas for the weekend? 

Support Local Biz!

Hello friends and followers!  It has been a while as Steve and I were both busy with work, but the Indians win last night inspired us to pick back up where we left off!

Much has been going on, and many deals have been found! Steve and I ran a race the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day in order to support St. Malachi’s church in Ohio City.  The St. Malachi race (one of the Hermes Cleveland Roadracing events) was $20 with proceeds going to St. Malachi and all of their charity work, including providing food and clothing to the poor.  You can see all that they do for the community at www.stmalachi.org.We both did pretty well in the race and it was nice to support such a good cause. I know St. Patty’s Day was a few weeks back, but did anyone find any great food or drink deals?

As the West Side Market continues to pick back up after the disastrous fire that shut the place down, we are trying to go and support the vendors as much as possible.  I have been going there to buy my produce as you cannot beat the prices and it is great to help out local biz.  You can find apples for 99 cents a pound, avocados for 99 cents, containers of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, you name it – all for 99 cents.  Now that is what I call a great deal, since fresh produce always makes my grocery bill skyrocket.  Get to know a specific vendor and give them your repeat business and I am sure they will offer you deals.  Also, go closer to the end of the day and many of the vendors will give you food for a fraction of the normal price. 

Want to support the West Side Market but don’t have the time to make it there?  Purchase one of the recent T-shirts designed by CLE Clothing Co. as 20% of the proceeds benefit the West Side Market. http://www.cleclothingco.com/product/support-the-westside-market-mens-womens-crew

 

In other news, Karen’s new place in Lakewood is shaping up thanks to the various DIY projects that have given the place a little glam for very few dollars.  Shown above is an old dining room chair with the seat recovered in the same fabric used to make my living room curtains (thanks Mom!).  The total cost of replacing this was about $10, as I chose a more expensive fabric (about $15/yd. at JoAnn Fabrics).  Find a cheaper fabric or use an old table cloth lying around the house with a great pattern, whip out the stapler (or staple gun if you have one) and voila – a cute and cheap new decorative chair!

Another great addition to both Steve’s and my respective apartments are pieces of artwork from a local artist named Barry Gott.  He creates charming artwork of various buildings, neighborhoods, and landmarks around Cleveland.  His work is sold at the CLE Clothing Shop, however you can also purchase his work directly from him on his Etsy sight for much less!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/smalltower  This is another great way to support local biz without breaking the bank – and those bare walls will be glad you made the purchase!

Cleveland News:  Make sure you check out this article about Cleveland that has been floating around – makes me proud to be a Clevelander!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/why-you-should-be-hot-for-cleveland/article10629211/

Stop by later this week for some more household DIY projects that we have been working on as well as some of our favorite local eateries with some deals you won’t want to miss.  Happy Hump Day, y’all!