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? 

Frugal February: Wrapped up

Frugal February has officially ended and we have taken a few days to reflect on our performance!  There is always room for improvement, so we will continue to search for deals around the Cleveland area.  Overall it was a success, there is always room to be more frugal and save more money, but overall we are satisfied with the outcome.  Some of the tactics and tips that we picked up during the month of February will surely be continued throughout the rest of the year resulting in even more frugalness.  Not only were we able to get ahead during February, but we will be able to stay ahead throughout the rest of the year!

This weekend, we did some new DIY projects!  Steve made a brilliant new lamp out of an empty Pinot Grigio bottle (shown above) and Karen decided there was no need to buy a new nightstand, so she painted her old drab white one a fun blue/slate color (about $12 for Behr paint with primer included) to spruce up the bedroom.  We will be sure to post a picture when it is completed!  Below are directions for the DIY lamp – it is quick, easy and doesn’t break the bank!

You will need an old emptied out bottle.  I tried to use a whiskey jug originally but I broke it the first try!  So I settled for an empty wine bottle.  The most expensive part of this project is the diamond drill bit.  You will need a ½ inch to an inch drill bit to cut the hole in the back of the glass.  Start slow and make sure you get a good imprint on the glass so that the bit is not slipping around and marking up the glass.  Go slow and start at a 45 degree angle and you will get a nice smooth clean cut.  The next part is easy!  Grab a Westinghouse lamp kit (about 10 bucks, link is below) and run the wire through the hole you drilled and up through the neck.  You may need a little electrical tape to make the adapter bigger to make sure it stays in the neck of the bottle.  You can find cheap shades on Amazon or at the goodwill on a used lamp!

(http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100192701/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=westinghouse+make+a+lamp&storeId=10051#.UTTbjTCcc7o)

Karen also got a great deal on a TV at Target! There was a Smart TV on clearance, and she received an additional percentage off for taking the floor model.  This is always a good option to receive a deal as they will still allow you to return it if the product does not work.  You will not be given a box, but who needs to find somewhere to throw out that big old thing anyways!

Have you worked on any cheap and easy DIY projects lately?.  We are always looking for new ideas!

Stop back later this week for cheap weekend outings in Cleveland!

Frugal February: Cheap and Easy DIY Projects

Happy hump day yet again, friends and followers! Another week has sped past us and it is time for another post about a couple DIY projects that we have been working on in order to get ready for Karen’s big move-out day!  Both of the projects below are cheap and easy and can spruce up any apartment as well as any savings account.

Cork “K”
What you will need:
1. Cardboard (I used an old Amazon box”) as large as you would like your letter to be
2. Wine corks (I bought mine on Amazon prime – used about 250 corks)
3. Hot glue gun

Instructions:
1. Draw your letter on the cardboard (you may want to use a stencil or print out a large-fonted letter from the computer and trace)
2. Glue the corks wine side down to fill out the cardboard
3. Voilah! Your cork letter is complete!

Side Table
What you will need:
1. 1 2x8x10 board
2. 1 2x4x10 common board
3. Drywall screws
4. Nails

Instructions:
1. Cut the larger board into 3 pieces that will make up the main sections of your table and use the drywall screws to connect them so it looks like a traditional table (we made the legs 2’4” and the top 2’8”)
2. Lay the table on its side and lay one of the thinner common boards so that it is laying diagonally across the table from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner.
3. Trace the bottom of the common board so that you have distinct lines on where the board should be cut so that the angles match up with the sides of the legs.
4. With a mitre saw, cut the common board along the lines that you traced and nail to the legs and corner of the table.
5. We haven’t done this part yet but paint your table the desired color and sand certain areas after the paint has dried to give it a retro vintage look.

FYI: The West Side Market is back in business! Go help out the vendors and buy some cheap and delicious food to cook up this weekend!

Check back in later this week to hear about some of the cheap fish fry’s in the greater Cleveland area!  The weekend is almost here!