The winter months can be dreary for those of us living in northern climates, and it’s nice to come back to a comfortable, cozy house. These 14 cute, cozy DIY projects will make winter’s chill a little easier to live with.
1. Sweater pillows: Update your tired pillows with covers made from your old, unworn sweaters. All you really need to do is tuck the pillow inside the sweater, cut off the top and arms, and sew the two openings together. And if the thought of sewing makes you break out in hives you can use iron-on fabric tape, a bonding agent that sticks two pieces of fabric together with careful ironing.
2. Cabinet Door Tray: With a fresh coat of paint, some strategic wood-filler to fix any holes, and a set of handles attached to either side, a cabinet door becomes a tray table you can use to work from the comfort of your bed!
3. Simple hoop canopy: A canopy sounds like an expensive luxury but, with a little DIY know-how, you can make one from light fabric attached to an embroidery hoop or hula-hoop. A ceiling-mounted hook will let you hang it directly on your bed or cozy chair
4. Pom-Pom rug: Okay, this one is a little more time-consuming than most of the others, but it’s really inexpensive and fairly simple. You can make wrapped pom-poms using the method shown below, or you can buy Pom-poms at the store. Once you’ve got your pom-poms, all you need to do is sew them to a mat of your desired size until it’s all filled with pom-poms. Either way, it’s a cozy, adorable accent to a room.
5. Masking tape art: want to decorate your walls without the commitment or mess of paint? Tape is a great way to get a fun look with minimal time, money, or artistic talent. Just make sure that the tape peels off without taking the paint with it, first!
6. DIY wall organizer: It’s hard to feel cozy in a space that has stuff everywhere This one requires a little sewing (or fabric-taping), but it’s worth it for its adorable utility. Plus, it can be easily done in many styles and colours, from cute soft pink and white to an elegant canvas with a pop of colour.
7. String light curtains: Christmas is over, and you don’t have any use for the string lights until next year? Wrong! To get this soft, cozy look, you can drape string lights down from your curtain rods or (in a slightly more involved project) sew the lights to the curtains at several points. Extra cozy points if you can get the kind that slowly dims and then brightens!
8. Tack-y Chic: Upholstery tacks are a good way to add interest to a blah piece of furniture, and they can range from edgy and elegant depending on the piece you put them on!
9. Rope Shelving: For those of you who are a little wary of power tools, don’t worry: this project is relatively simple. All you need to do is drill two holes on either side of a wood plank, knot a piece of rope in each, and use hanging hooks to attach the shelf to the wall. Just make sure you don’t put anything too heavy (or delicate) on this simple shelf!
10. Wool Coasters: Old sweaters become new coasters in this adorable DIY project. Deliberately shrinking a 100% wool sweater in the wash (2-4 washes, for best effect) gives you a firm, felt-like fabric that can be cut out into whatever shape you want without hemming, perfect for coasters or placemats!
11. Floor Cushions: If you’re feeling extra-ambitious, supersized felt pillows for floor-sitting guests are a relatively easy way to add more sitting room to your living space. You just need industrial-sized sheets of felt (generally available at fabric stores) and a whole lot of cotton batting!
12. The Paint-Swatch Wall: This one’s so easy it’s barely a DIY at all. Tacking up colourful, free paint swatches on the wall brings the rainbow into your room at low cost and effort, perfect for cheering yourself up during the dismal winter months!
13. Pool Noodle Draft Stop: Though it may not be pool season now, don’t throw out your noodles. A pool noodle, cut in half and safety-pinned into a swatch of colourful fabric, helps you keep your house looking cool while staying warm.
14. Bath Mat Headboard: You can make a cute, elegant headboard by spray-painting and framing inexpensive bath mats. Tip: paint them gold for a hint of luxury.
