Affordable Home Repairs and Projects You Can Do Yourself
DIY projects don’t have to cost a fortune or feel overwhelming! Why not give your home a little love and tackle those upgrades you’ve been meaning to get to? It’s a win-win: you’ll make your space look and feel amazing, and you can do it sustainably.
Plus, if you’re in the mood to get creative, you can upcycle items you already have lying around the house and turn them into something fabulous.
To get you started, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite budget-friendly DIY and home repair ideas. They’re easy on the wallet and big on charm!
1. Refinish old wood furniture:
Applying a fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest and most effective ways to breathe new life into old or second hand wooden furniture. Whether you opt for a bold pop of colour, a chic neutral, or a trendy two-tone effect, paint can completely transform the look of a piece to fit your style.
If you’re someone who loves the timeless beauty of natural wood, don’t worry – you don’t have to cover it up! Refinishing is a great alternative. By sanding down the surface and applying a fresh stain or clear varnish, you can enhance the natural grain and give the wood a polished, like-new appearance while preserving its character.
Both options are affordable, fun, and offer plenty of room for creativity, making it easy to customize your furniture to suit your home. You could even let your children or grandchildren join in to add a sentimental flare!
The process is simple and budget-friendly, but it’s important to remember that proper preparation is key to get the results you want. For a smooth result, you need to:
- Thoroughly clean the piece.
- Plug any holes using wood filler.
- Strip the old finish, following the directions of the paint stripper you use.
- Scrape away the paint stripper solution and the old finish.
- Lightly sand before applying the new stain.
- Once the new stain dries, apply a clear-coat finish to protect your handiwork.
2. Repair your wobbly chairs:
If one or more of your wooden chairs begins to wobble, it doesn’t mean it’s time to throw them away. Simply gather any offcuts of wood you may have from previous DIY projects and follow these steps:
- Place the chair on a flat surface.
- Slide the off-cuts under the problem chair leg until it stops wobbling.
- Draw around the chair leg.
- Saw off a circle with a fine-toothed saw. Glue and screw in place.
- You can minimise movement further by placing a sticky-backed glider on the bottom of each leg.
3. Repurpose old tiles to create a kitchen or bathroom splashback:
Another budget-friendly DIY project that will make an impact, is to use repurposed tiles to create an attractive focal point in your kitchen or bathroom.
Creating a tiled splashback is a sustainable craft idea that not only looks great, but also helps protect the wall behind your sink or oven.
This complete guide to tiling a splashback will help you tackle this eco-friendly DIY idea with confidence.
4. Make a country cottage sink curtain:
For a charming addition to a country-style kitchen, add a homemade curtain below sinks and on cupboards to showcase your home decor skills. Clear away clutter behind an affordable homemade curtain in vintage fabrics that you can make in just a few simple steps.
5. Reupholster chairs with unwanted fabric:
By reupholstering chairs and footstools, you can transform the look of a living space without a messy coat of paint in sight. Plus, it also means you can give secondhand furniture a new life while making use of surplus or recycled fabric.
According to this step-by-step guide, you should allow roughly 1-2 hours per chair. So it is an ideal project to spread over a weekend.
6. Repair broken ceramics to create something unique:
In a busy home, it’s only natural that ceramics will eventually break or gather a few chips. Especially if you have little ones running around! However, by following the Kintsugi method meaning golden (“kin”) and repair (“tsugi”), you can create objects that are entirely unique.
Rather than discarding broken ceramics and pottery, you can give them a whole new lease of life. Kintsugi shows that mending broken objects can be a much more affordable and creative option than simply buying a replacement.
7. Build a raised garden bed:
If you want to add a cost-effective and appealing garden feature that won’t cost the earth, building a raised garden bed is a fantastic option.
With a bit of planning it’s possible to build a garden bed in a weekend. And you can also keep your project sustainable by choosing one of a number of recycled or second hand materials, including:
- Pressure-treated timber
- Bricks
- Stone
- Scaffold boards
- Recycled plastic
Garden beds are a great spot for growing vegetables too, so you can also enjoy your own produce throughout the year.
Updating your home, a budget-friendly way
By finding ways to reuse and upcycle existing furniture, as well as carrying out any DIY repairs you can, your home can be a stylish and sustainable space. All without breaking the bank.
Looking for more interior design tips? Visit our Beyond the Grid hub – it’s packed with inspiration to help you transform your space!
