Sick of your current bedroom layout? Does hanging out in your room not excite you? Not acceptable. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary – your escape from the world. It should be a place that you want to be. Not a place that bores you to tears.
You don’t need thousands of dollars or to be featured on one of HDTV’s home makeover shows to give your bedroom a whole new look. If you take your room apart in your mind, piece by piece, there are so many possibilities for cheap (or free) updates. Here are some of my best ideas for cheap, DIY upgrades to transform your space. Just add your personal style and taste and run wild!
Bedeck Your Bed
- Sew Your Own Duvet Cover: bored with your comforter? Instead of investing in a new one, why not cover it with your very own homemade duvet cover? Just pick a fabric you adore. This tutorial shows you what to do.
- Update Your Throw Pillows: find a fabric you love (or utilize something you already have like an old sheet or t-shirt) and sew up your own throw pillow covers. Use these to put your tired old pillows into.
- Upholster Your Own Headboard: use your favorite fabric to create a great new headboard that brings life to your room.
- Make a Unique Headboard: your headboard doesn’t even have to be a headboard! Use fabric, lighting, curtains, clothing, placemats, or anything else you can think of to create an interesting and creative piece for the space above your bed.
Update (or Add) Window Treatments
- Use Scarves or Shawls: you don’t need to purchase actual curtains to get the effect of curtains. And by using scarves or shawls, you’ll negate the need to sew anything yourself!
- Drop Cloth Curtains: want to add some drama to your bedroom? Use drop cloth (that can be purchased for $10-$20 at your local hardware store), add some trim, and you’ve got instant drapes in less than an hour.
- DIY Curtain Rods: don’t have your own curtain rods? That’s alright. Try using unexpected pieces you may already have lying around.
- No-Sew Curtain Ideas: make impressive curtains with easy embellishments like ribbon, buttons and fabric paint.
- Make Curtains Out of Old Sheets: use those sheets that are too small (or big) for your bed now and fashion some curtains for you bedroom.
Give Your Furniture a Makeover
- Update a Tired Old Dresser: scour garage sales, thrift stores, etc, to find an old dresser that’s in serious need of a makeover. Then all you really need is a day to sand, paint and wallpaper and you’ve got a great new piece of furniture for you bedroom.
- Think Creatively When it Comes to Your Nightstand: a nightstand doesn’t have to be a boring old table that’s purely functional. Think out of the box and try something unexpected. Even a great old ladder could end up being the perfect exciting new item your bedroom needs.
DIY Decor Ideas
- DIY Wall Art: here are some DIY wall art ideas that even the least artisically inclinded person (like me!) could pull off.
- Find Quality Art on the Cheap: not feeling very artistically inclined at all? Or maybe looking for something a little more refined for your walls. Try these 5 ways to find affordable and quality art.
- Frame Unexpected Things: for example, take your favorite gift wrap, cut it to fit a frame and hang it. Instant art for pennies!
- Throw Some Color on the Walls: ok, so we can’t ignore the most obvious, cheap way to update your bedroom. Paint those walls! And don’t hesitate to try something bold. Why not try painting one accent wall? You can always paint over it (or continue painting the other walls) if you hate it.
- Turn Everyday Items into Lighting Fixtures: this video from Studio 5 shows you how to create your own lighting fixtures out of unexpected items. They also show you how the wiring works if you’re nervous about doing it yourself:
- Make Your Own Accent Rug: create your own area or accent rug out of rags, carpet scraps, t-shirts, sweaters, and so on. The sky’s the limit.
- Change Up the Knobs: change up your outlet covers, doorknobs, cabinetry knobs, etc. This is a quick (and super cheap) way to change the look of your entire room.
- Need More Inspiration?: this video talks about updating a guest room. But you can use the same ideas for your bedroom makeover:
What are some of your best ideas for updating a bedroom on the cheap? Do you have a project that you’d like to brag about a bit? Please do so in the comments section below! Thanks for being a Tip Hero!
Photo credit: satoy