Nobody will believe you designed this book shelf from fruit crates

I asked people what home meant to them, and here is what they said:

• “Being awoken by the sound of the tiny ghanti my grandmother rings when she prays in the morning followed by a whiff of jasmine-scented agarbatti.”
• “My dogs’ fur on my jeans, bed spread, towel, study table, and basically everywhere.”
• “My mattress. No other mattress has ever felt as comfortable. I have no idea why.”
• “Aloo ka paratha with a dollop of homemade makkhan.”
• “The resounding call of the vegetable vendor early in the morning – ‘aloo lelo.’“
• “My nook by the window. I sit there, read a book, watch the rain, sip on coffee.”
• “My kitchen garden, and the excitement that comes with discovering a new sapling.”

In the last year and a half, home has come to mean more to all of us. The walls have been witness to numerous breakdowns. The stain on the table tells the tale of your first-ever virtual birthday party. The shoe rack reminds you that the stilettos you couldn’t live without aren’t important after all.

Suddenly, your home decor board on Pinterest is more populated than ever, and shopping for home decor pieces has become your newest guilty pleasure.

Susan Clayton, an environmental psychologist at the College of Wooster, explains how many people believe that their homes, in some way, play a role in defining who they are. Home decor then doesn’t just become an indulgence, but a tool of self-expression.

But most times, self-expression comes at a cost, one that threatens to throw your budget out of whack. Or so we are made to believe by the ads that sneak up on us right when our self-control begins to dwindle.

Instead of giving in, and clicking your way into a black hole of beautiful home decor, why not take the crafty route?

DIY home decor pieces are not just a fraction of the cost when compared to their retail counterparts, but can also double up as your artistic expression.

To usher you into the exciting world of DIY home decor, here are some creative ways to give your home a #SpaceLift without burning a hole in your pocket.

7 super simple DIY home decor ideas

Side table from a candle stand and weight discs by ThatYellowTrunk by Anjari

Pull out the weights you bought as inspiration to work out. Yes, the ones that are now gathering dust in the depths of your store room. Dust the cobwebs off, and use them for this home decor DIY.

Material required:

• Tall candle stand
• Ceramic platter
• 2 weight discs
• Glue
• Primer
• Chalk paint
• Chalk paint wax

Directions:

1. Apply primer on the candle stand, ceramic platter, and weight discs and let them dry.
2. A candle stand is usually too light to balance the weight of the ceramic platter that will be used as a table top. To keep it from toppling over, take two identical weight discs and glue the bases together. Then glue the cylinder made with the discs to the base of the candle stand.
3. Paint the ceramic platter and the stand using chalk paint. Use the same shade for both. Let it dry.
4. Finish it off with chalk paint wax, and allow it to dry.

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DIY ottoman using a tyre by Singlegirlsdiy.com

This DIY home decor idea will put all makeover reality shows to shame.

Material required:

• Tyre
• Rope
• Glue gun
• 2 pieces of circular plywood (same diameter as your tyre)
• Clear wood sealer (optional)

Directions:

1. If you’re using a used tyre, scrub it with soap and water to clean it. Make sure it is thoroughly dry before continuing.
2. Glue one piece of the circular plywood to the top  of the tyre, and one to the bottom. You can even screw the plywood onto the tyre if you’re comfortable using tools.
3. Begin to coil the rope around the centre of the plywood, applying glue on each round and pressing down hard to make sure it’s secure. Make sure the tyre is not visible, and that there are no gaps.
4. Continue wrapping the rope around the tyre until it’s fully covered.
5. Once you get to the bottom, cut the rope with scissors. Or flip it over to continue coiling to cover the bottom plywood. This step is optional as the wood will not be visible when it is facing down.
6. Cover the rope on the ottoman with a coat of sealer.

Dinner napkin rosettes by Rohina

Lockdown helped you go from a hopeless chef to a kitchen ninja, who can whip up delicious dishes effortlessly. But the only thing between you and a Michelin star is sloppy presentation.

Make your dining table look as good as the food tastes by paying attention to detail, and adding fun elements like these dinner napkin rosettes.

Material required:

• A square-shaped dinner napkin

Directions:

1. Take the dinner napkin, and fold it in half to form a triangle. Thin fabrics work best for this home decor DIY.
2. Roll the triangle into a narrow cigar, starting from the base, and towards the tip.
3. Don’t roll it all the way. Stop a little before the tip, leaving a small triangle.
4. Now, from the edge of the cigar, begin curling the napkin to form a pinwheel. Tuck the loose bit left at the end into the pinwheel.
5. Take the triangular tail at the bottom, and separate the triangles, and gently pull them upwards to form leaves.

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DIY suitcase table by Designsponge.com

Ask your dadi for the vintage suitcase that accompanied her on her travels across the world, or pay a visit to thrift stores, and kabadi walas till you find the perfect vintage suitcase.

Not only does this table make for a quirky, functional, and aesthetic piece of furniture, but is also the perfect disguised storage spot, you’ve been looking for.

Material required:

• 4 table mounting plates
• 4 4″ tapered table legs
• Vintage suitcase
• Spray paint or stain for the legs
• Power drill
• Measuring tape

Directions:

• Turn the suitcase upside down, measure and mark out the four areas to place the mounting plates for the legs.
• Use the power drill and screw in the mounting plates.
• Screw in the legs, and paint them in a colour of your choice.

Bookshelf made from wooden crates by Craftingreallyawesomefunthings.com

With mango season coming to an end, you’ve probably stocked up on tonnes of wooden crates – testaments of your complete lack of control.

Put these crates to good use with possibly the easiest home decor DIY you will ever come across.

Material required:

• 5 large wooden crates
• Stain or paint of your choice
• Paintbrush
• Cloth to stain or paint the crates
• Screws and a drill (optional)

Directions:

1. Stain or paint the crates, and let them dry.
2. Stack them the way you’d like. You can leave them like this, and keep changing the placement as and when you want.
3. If you have kids, pets, or are just super clumsy, you can drill them together, and even to the wall to avoid any mishaps.

DIY rustic frames by Ankita Sitanshu Rai

Photographs of loved ones, and art that speaks to you is what turns a house into a home. It’s the perfect way to help your home become an extension of your personality.

And what makes displaying pictures and art even better is when you are loading up on some good karma by introducing a best from waste angle into the mix. This home decor DIY uses twigs you find lying around in the garden to give your home a rustic #SpaceLift.

Material required:

• Postcard or photograph you want to frame
• 6 twigs (thin but not limp)
• Twine
• Glue gun
• Scissors

Direction:

1. Cut the twigs so they are a little longer than the edges of the photograph or postcard (two twigs for each side). Get rid of any protruding branches. Don’t make them exactly the same length, as the uniformity takes away from the rustic look.
2. Wrap the twine around the twigs. And space the loops out so that the twigs are visible. Glue the loose ends of the twine to the twigs using a glue gun.
3. Attach the twig bundles to the edges of the photograph or postcard using the glue gun, and trim the edges of the twigs. Don’t trim them all the way, just to make sure there aren’t any jagged edges.
4. Make a loop using the twine, and stick it to the back of the top edge. Make sure it’s in the centre since it will be used to hang the frame.

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Statement mirror made with twine by Goodhousekeeping.com

Have lots of mirrors is rule number one of making a small living space look bigger. It gives the illusion of space, and also reflects light to make the space look brighter.

But getting your hands on a good looking statement mirror in keeping with your aesthetic, and sticking to your budget, don’t really go hand in hand.

Well, that was true until now. This home decor DIY is going to make your space look not just bigger, but also a whole lot more stylish.

Material required:

• 1 spool of jute twine
• 14 inch round mirror
• Painter’s tape
• Nails

Directions:

1. Trace the circumference of the mirror in pencil on the wall where you want it to hang, then mark the centre. Divide the circle into 16 equal sections, marking a point where each line meets the circle. Mark off each point with numbered pieces of painter’s tape (numbered one to 16), starting with one at the top centre and continuing in numerical order, moving in a clockwise direction.
2. At point one, measure a 16-inch vertical line outward, using a yardstick for guidance, and mark the end with a point. Move to point two, measure a 12-inch line, and mark the end. Continue for each circle point, alternating between 16 and 12 inches. Mark outer points with numbered pieces of painter’s tape (numbered 17-32), with 17 at the top centre, and then continuing in numerical order, moving in a clockwise direction. Hammer nails into all points.
3. Using the following guide, wrap the twine around the nails, beginning with a knot at the starting nail and ending with a knot and cutting the twine at the last nail. Start at nail 25, wrap around nails 11, 29, 15, 17, 3, 21, and 7, ending at 25. Start at nail 26, wrap the twine around nails 12, 30, 16, 18, 4, 22, and 8, ending at 26. Start at nail 27, wrap the twine around nails 13, 31, 1, 19, 5, 23, and 9, ending at 27. Start at nail 28, wrap the twine around nails 14, 32, 2, 20, 6, 24, 10, ending at 28.
4. Next, start at nail 25 and wrap the twine around nails 9, 26, 10, 27, and 11. Continue this pattern, alternating between the inner and outer nails in a clockwise direction, until you make it back to 25. Without cutting the twine, skip nail 9 and wrap it around nails 10, 26, 11, and 27, continuing the same alternating pattern until you make it back to nail 10. Finally, moving clockwise, wrap the twine around each inner nail in a clockwise direction until the circle is complete at nail 9.
5. Apply two large picture hanging strips on the back of the mirror and adhere the mirror to the wall.