Beyond Cowboy Decor: Creative Home DIY Projects to Try

DIY projects can be exciting and therapeutic, allowing you to express yourself by transforming the home you live in.​ But if you are looking for a departure from the usual cowboy‑style decorations, here are some projects that are creative in style, but still simple enough to try yourself.​

Let your walls reflect you.​ By customizing your own wall art, you can transform an ordinary wall into a showcase for your enthusiasm and style.​ Paint your own wall mural, making an abstract design to fit any room’s decor.​ Or try stenciling or decoupage, using scraps of paper or fabric to bring your own unique style to the walls.​

Adding textures is a great way to create interest and character.​ Paint your walls as a background canvas and add 3-D decorations, like string art, wood artwork or wall panels.​ Mix and match colors and fonts to get the effect you’re going for.​ For an interesting twist, try using an arrays of paper sculptures, recalling works of vintage art.​

Furniture shouldn’t be an afterthought.​ Transform your living room or bedroom with some clever furniture revamps.​ Update a dresser or bedside table with a fresh coat of paint and stencils or mosaic tiles.​ Or make a headboard for your bed that expresses your personality – think fabric or bold colors.​ Or even hang it from the ceiling with a line of rope or chain.​

Bringing more organization and order to your space doesn’t have to mean giving into the mundane.​ Create your own series of shelves, with each one holding something unique from books to photos or candles.​ You can decorate the top of the shelves with plants, sculptures or anything that expresses you.​ To make it even more interesting, give each shelf a different design and coloring to distinguish them from each other.​

Anyone can create a one-of-a-kind decorative piece with a bit of imagination.​ Try making a macramé hanging to hang from the ceiling of a room.​ Macramé is made from knotted cords and a variety of shapes, sizes, finishes and materials can be used to create art that is(); all your own.​ Or craft a mobile or hanging sculpture that is unique to you and can think a bright pop of life and color to any room.​

For the DIY furniture maker, updating a piece doesn’t just stop at the surface.​ And as simple as it may seem,consider the effect of adding the texture that only wood can give.​ Re-veneering an old dresser or furniture can give it a new and attractive look or you could opt to strip and refinish it entirely for a complete transformation.​

Bring color to your walls without the commitment of painting them.​ Upcycle an old cabinet or an out-of-date piece of furniture with some long-lasting wallpaper that will hold its beauty for years to come.​ Adhesive wallpapers are a great solution if you’re looking to try something new, but don’t want to commit to long-term change.​

Upgrade small areas with personalized wall-punkings.​ That’s right, wall-punkings.​ Design some vibrant and intricate wall-punkings for an accent wall, or try alternating colors to create a fun, rainbow gradient effect.​ Add some personal phrases and diction that only you would understand, or even add some family photos for a unique and meaningful remembrance.​

Play with texture and contrast to create a statement.​ If your style leans towards masculine and dramatic, maybe try a combination of black and white to get the result you want.​ Install some tiles or wood panelling for a bold look, or make a flap door to spice up the decor.​ You can also create texture by adding some natural elements like a moss wall for a nature-inspired atmosphere.​

If you are looking for something truly unique for your home, why not DIY an illuminated wall shelf? Pick up some wood pieces from a craft store and assemble them into a display area that will showcase your favorite belongings.​ Then set up a small light, like a crystal ball or a candle holder to simulate a soft, cozy glow that reflects on the wall shelf.​

Create a multi-purpose wall unit to serve as a storage space and an artistic project.​ Use planks and rods to assemble a single, large shelf, and then paint it up in any color you like.​ Hang some collapsible baskets from the shelf to add more storage, or attach some lovely gold hooks to hang jewelry or design pieces.​

Light up your living room with some stylish, custom-made projectors.​ If you have some knowledge of simple electronics, you can make projectors from old cameras or mobile phones.​ Reutlitze the projectors to cast your favorite memories, random trinkets or images of your choice onto the wall.​

Turn an old TV stand into a personal vanity.​ Put together a collection of plant pots, a mirror, makeup brushes and a compact table to make a makeshift closet.​ For an unexpected design touch, use vintage lampshades for lighting.​ This vanity station can be used to put makeup on in the mornings or doulbe as an evening side table to give the room an exotic feel.​

Upcycle a mundane object into a planter.​ Recylcing plastic containers can be turned into holders for plants and other greenery.​ Just drill holes in them and spray paint them a few times, and then mount them onto the wall to create a vibrant wall garden.​

Transform a simple bookshelf into a multi-functional divider.​ Install a few custom shelves within a bookcase-style partition, so you can store books and magazines while separating two spaces.​ The bookshelf will also serve as an art display, with enough room to hang paintings and flame-colored images so that every time you turn back, you’ll be reminded of your creative side.​

Add some earthy touches to the room with stacked stone walls.​ Start by picking out some sizable stones and stacking them up against a wall.​ To finish, you can paint the wall, cover it with fabric, or apply a layer of scag to decorate.​ The natural look of stacked stone walls will give your décor a polished, rustic touch.​

Flavored up with some themed décor.​ Dress up your room with some decorative items that pay homage to your favorite hobby or interest.​ Lit up a man cave with neon signs or put up an interesting collection of vintage clocks.​ Or why not try making your own colorful dream catcher or feather wall hanging as a token of your free-spiritedness.​

Everyone wants to make a difference in their own home.​ Why not do it yourself? Start small and experiment with what you like.​ Stylish DIY home projects don’t have to break the bank, and they can bring out some awesome creativity that will make your home look like nobody else.​ Plus, creating things that are just for you will give you a sense of satisfaction that nothing else can give.​