Lately I have had a bunch of extra time on my hands and a new home to decorate. Moving across country means we had to leave a lot of our furniture behind for some very happy neighbors. Like many people these days money is tight. With a lot of the items we need and love costing more than can be rationalized right now I went to the internet for inspiration.

Instructables is heavenly and, as I discovered, is how my husband has seemed so effortlessly handy all these years. Having trouble finding that perfectly sized table that’s also a planter for succulents? They can tell you how to make your own for pennies! Okay, maybe a few dollars but c’mon! Need a cool bedframe but don’t have a few thousand dollars? You can find a number of different styles to do yourself on there. You also get to wander around the lumber section at Lowe’s breathing in the lovely pine and cedar stacked high to the roof. Another huge plus for sure.

If building from scratch isn’t your thing then you’re definitely a thrifter, AKA my kinda gal (I did say my husband was the handy one, right?). Sometimes, though, a girl just needs to put her own special flourish on the vintage items she’s found. There are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube to help you along. That Eames chair you found buried deep under magazines and kitty hair at the back of what is now your new favorite shop needs only some TLC. Upholster it with that killer mod fabric you found in the IKEA As-Is section and that chair is now, truly, yours. Somehow it’ll always be someone else’s lamp until it has a fun new lampshade. You can repaint mismatched furniture to create a funky bedroom set. You can sew your own bathroom curtains using an 80s wedding gown in a move I like to call ‘The Reverse Scarlett’

However, beauty is in the details. I came across this kitschy DIY design site last night through TAXI and fell in love. If you have the will to keep your idle hands busy while catching up on missed episodes of SMASH this is the place for you. Make coasters that pop or some adorable magnets to pretty up your fridge. It also has some more involved projects, like how to make your own wall art from wood scraps. (Pro-tip: At the very back of the lumber section of Lowe’s there is a bin of wood scraps for pretty close to free. If some need trimming the first 2 cuts by the helpful worker are free and $0.50 for each one after that.)

Most of the little DIY projects would make great “just because I love you ” gifts and that alone is a reason to get on it. I’m gonna do a kitty origami book mark to start then work my way to the paper bowl.