Home DIY is a genre of TikTok that is both inspiring and utterly relaxing. What other content can you say is ASMR-adjacent and productive? Watching a piece of furniture being constructed in under three minutes is my faux productivity for the day.
As a lifelong renter, home decor trends often come and go without much participation on my end. But that’s starting to change. Over on TikTok, there is a community of cash-strapped, crafty folk who have to answer to landlords too.
Here we compile some of our favourite home decor DIYs that are actually doable. Most will set you back under £100 and will give you the satisfaction of saying, “That? I made it myself”.
Film photo lampshade
As the TikTok girlies will tell you, ambient lighting is the only acceptable form of lighting. User @alyssalee011 created a custom lampshade from undeveloped film slides. The magic truly happens once the lamp is on; the light will then shine through the slides, illuminating each and every photo.
Boucle swivel chair
One of 2022’s furniture pieces of the year is the boucle swivel chair; people just can’t get enough of the fuzzy, white material! While there are less expensive dupes out there, there are plenty of DIY options too.
After snagging a free swivel chair off Facebook Marketplace, user Miquelle Noelle bought a sherpa blanket and a staple gun — all for under £30 — and made her own.
Basketball disco hoop
A bedazzled basketball loop? I’m in. This one-of-a-kind upcycled hoop replaces the typical braided net with a sparkly diamanté chain sporting colourful gems. What you get is a disco ball effect; light bounces off the jewels and reflects onto its surrounds.
Geometric side tables
Whoever would’ve thought that a good table base would come from bowls? TikTokers like @meiralaryssa are buying large plastic bowls, supergluing them together and spray painting them to create geometric side tables. To finish them off, spray paint pizza pans to sit on top of the structure.
Lamp planet
Your old glow-in-the-dark star stickers are about to get a big upgrade. Melburnians Josh and Matt DIYed IKEA’s Fado table lamp using candle dye and candle wax.
“You can also use watered-down paint, old candles or even crayons to get the same effect,” the pair shares.
Then, you pour the wax inside of the lamp and wait for it to dry. Make sure you use LED lighting! The results are out of this world.
Wooden accent wall
If you’re a homeowner, this one’s for you. Add texture to your TV wall for under $50 by building in a wooden accent wall. User @_the_minimalist_mama_ picked up $50 worth of wooden planks and gave her living room a moodier touch. First, she painted the wall a dark slate colour, then attached the boards to the wall before painting them as well. The result is dramatic but understated.
Checkerboard vase
We love the checkerboard trend but we don’t always love the hefty price tag that sometimes comes with it. Before committing to the trend, why not have a go at it yourself? For a neat finish, cut out square stickers that act as paint barriers. It’ll save you time instead of having to painstakingly hand-draw each square.
Key holder
Try your hand at a DIY keyholder and mini shelf. The two-in-one decor piece needs a circular piece of wood and a rectangular piece of wood the length of the diameter of the circle. Paint to your heart’s desire before nailing in some hooks. Voilà, you’ve got yourself a neat organisational system.
Mirror wall
Large mirrors can be exxy purchases, and if you’ve not ready to commit, an alternative is to purchase a set of smaller, square mirrors and build your own wall feature. User @hammsmom decided to paint black borders on the mirrors and created a five-by-three rectangular design.
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