5 DIY Projects to Work on When You’re Stuck Indoors
Being stuck indoors for weeks on end can get a bit frustrating. After all, you can only cook and clean so much!
So maybe it’s time to try something new. If it’s your first time doing DIY here are great tips for DIY.
If you’ve been thinking about doing a little DIY around the house, now is the perfect time. And you don’t have to be an expert at it — you just have to have fun doing it!
Here are five DIY projects to work on when you’re stuck indoors.
1. Reupholster a Chair
Give your living room, bedroom, or office a brand new look by reupholstering an old chair.
As long as you have some extra fabric, a screwdriver, and a staple gun, you can make any old chair look new. And it’s super easy to do!
If you never reupholstered furniture before, we suggest starting with a metal or wooden chair that has a cushioned seat. This type of chair is the easiest to work with, as the only thing you’ll need to cover is the cushion itself.
(It gets a bit more complicated when you start reupholstering armchairs and accent chairs that are fully covered in fabric.)
To get started, unscrew the seat from the frame. Remove the old fabric from the seat. Make sure your fabric is big enough to cover the top, wrap around the sides, and cover at least the edges of the underside of the cushion.
Lay the fabric on the floor, put the seat cushion facedown, and pull the edges of the fabric up and onto the underside of the chair. Add a few staples along each side to hold the fabric in place, and you’ve got a brand new cushion! The last step is to simply reattach the cushion to the frame.
2. Create a Gallery Wall
One of the easiest ways to give a room a fresh new look is to create a gallery wall.
Start by gathering a variety of frames and any art prints or artwork that you like. Put your prints in different frames of different sizes, then arrange them on a wall in a staggered pattern (not in perfect rows).
Don’t want to drill dozens of holes into your wall for hooks? You don’t have to. As long as your frames aren’t too large or too heavy, all you need is a few Command Strips to get the job done.
3. Paint Something
Throw on some old clothes and express your creativity by painting something in your home.
If you’re up for a big project, now is the perfect time to repaint an entire room. Not feeling quite that ambitious? Grab a small can of your favorite color and paint one accent wall.
Painting is both a great creative outlet and a cathartic experience. Plus, you can update just about anything you own with a little bit of time and a little bit of color.
Want to express your artistic side now that you’ve got so much free time on your hands? Grab a canvas (or a canvas board) and make your own piece of art to hang over your fireplace or over your bed.
Sick of looking at that old dresser or side table in your bedroom? Give an old piece of furniture new life with a fresh coat of paint.
Anxious to get outside and enjoy the spring season? Paint some old flower pots or planters, fill them with fresh flowers or greenery, and bring a bit of the outdoors inside.
4. Build a Piece of Furniture
There are tons of things you can build with some wood, a drill, and a handful of screws. If you’re handy with basic tools, you can DIY a new piece of furniture.
With just a few pieces of wood, you can create a bench for your entryway, a side table for your living room, or a bar cart for your dining room.
There are dozens of DIY furniture plans online, including some that only require a few two-by-fours!
Don’t think you have the skill to build an entire piece of furniture? That’s okay, there are plenty of small projects you can do.
Take a few small slats of lumber and create a wooden crate for storage, a riser for your laptop, or a simple wall shelf.
If you have some old hooks on hand, you can even make a simple wall plaque and attach the hooks to create a rustic, DIY coat rack.
5. Start Sewing
Handy with a sewing machine or a needle and thread? You might want to create some new accessories for your living room, bedroom, or bathroom.
One of the easiest things to sew is a pillow cover. If you have some old throw pillows that you’re tired of looking at, gather some fabric and start sewing new covers.
Envelope pillow covers are super easy to sew; they require nothing more than one piece of fabric and two rows of stitches.
Have an old bed sheet that you don’t need? A flat sheet makes an excellent shower curtain.
To slip it directly over your shower rod, just fold the top edge over and sew a slim pocket across the top of the sheet so you can slide the rod through.
Prefer to hang your shower curtain from hooks? Sew a few buttonholes spaced evenly across the top edge so you have openings to pull your hooks through.
In Summary
DIY projects are a great way to occupy your time and express your creativity. But they can also save you lots of money on home décor.
So while you’re staying at home over the next few weeks, try your hand at something new.
Build something, paint something, or sew something. Give one room an entirely new look by painting the walls or creating a gallery wall filled with artwork. Reupholster or paint an old piece of furniture to give it fresh, new appeal.
A few simple DIY projects can give your home a one-of-a-kind look. And who knows? By the time it’s safe to go back outside, you might not even want to!
Author Bio:
Caitlin Sinclair is the Property Manager at The Charlie, a luxury apartment community in Orange County, CA.
