Check out these amazing home decor items that you can make yourself for less than $20. 

Home decor items can get pretty expensive.

It’s easy to just avoid buying home decor because just a couple items can definitely add up.

That’s pretty much what I do.

I have a soft spot for throw blankets and pillows – but anything else I usually fawn over, and then talk myself out of it because of the price.

However, one thing I am learning as I lean into this fun little DIY world is that you can DIY so many home decor items. 

Not only will this save money, but you get to be creative – which is an amazing and productive feeling (one of my first home decor projects was this three-piece world wall art which I still adore). 

If you’re looking for DIY home decor ideas or you are looking to save money while decorating, I’ve compiled such a fun collection of home decor that you can DIY.

These projects are amazing! After you see the creativity, you’ll definitely be inspired to create anything.

From gorgeous DIY laundry bins to side tables to bookends, each of the home decor projects cost less than $20 to make and shows you the full step-by-step tutorial on how to make it yourself.

And yes, I definitely should learn to make pillows covers and throws 🙂

Gorgeous Home Decor You Can DIY for less than $20

Looking to decorate your home and save money? Check out these gorgeous home decor creations that were all DIYed for less than $20. Most projects cost around $10 or less.

1

Rolling Laundry Bin Made From Fencing

Photo Credit: happilyeverafteretc.com

This beautiful, rustic rolling laundry bin was made from wire fencing and canvas! Betsy from Happily Ever After Etc shares all the details on she made this gorgeous laundry bin for less than $10.

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2

Simple Wood Lantern

Photo Credit: www.creativeramblingsblog.com

These beautiful wood lanterns were made from wooden plaques from the craft store! So creative, right?! Sarah from Creative Ramblings shares all of the details on how you can make these easy lanterns too for less than $10.

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3

Side Table with Antique Legs

Photo Credit: www.diybeautify.com

How gorgeous is this side table?! CIndy from DIY Beautify made this round side table with antique legs and then stenciled a beautiful quilt pattern on the tabletop - all for less than $20!

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4

Decorative Pillow Covers

Photo Credit: www.twofeetfirst.net

I am loving these DIY pillow covers from Megan over at Two Feet First. She shows you how to sew these covers. Pillow covers are such a great way to not end up with 100 pillows 🙂 Her instructions are so thorough - you can easily make these too!

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5

Multipurpose Side Table

Photo Credit: thediydreamer.com

This easy side table cost less than $20 to build, and you can use it in multiple ways - including as a laptop station pulled up to the couch! Christine from The DIY Dreamer shares all the steps - be sure to check them out!

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6

Easy Wooden Bookends

Photo Credit: www.justmeasuringup.com

These bunny bookends we made turned out so cute, and you can use any shape - it doesn't have to be a bunny! Yet, the bunny is super cute for kids rooms and nurseries. This was a no cost project for us because we used all scrap wood.

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7

Throw Blanket with Chunky Tassels

Photo Credit: www.savvyapron.com

This gorgeous DIY throw blanket is homemade, and Sherry from The Savvy Apron shows us exactly how! She found a great deal on fabric and created pretty throw for her son's room. Definitely check out her thrifty and creative tips.

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8

Easy DIY Painted Wood Sign

Photo Credit: thefrugalhomemaker.com

I am loving this wooden sign from Christina at The Frugal Homemaker. She made the sign with carbon paper and printed letters - no stencil or cutting machine! It turned out so pretty - be sure to check out all the details on this easy wooden sign.

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9

DIY Framed Leaf

Photo Credit: www.bitterrootdiy.com

How adorable is this beautiful leaf centerpiece?! Tylynn from Bitterroot DIY found this adorable ornament at the craft store and built a beautiful stand for it.

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10

Schoolhouse Wall Hooks

Photo Credit: www.tmoorehome.com

This gorgeous modern hook rack not only holds so much, but it's absolutely stunning. Teri from T. Moore Home created this with modern schoolhouse style in mind. Be sure to check out her post for all the details on how to make this and about this gorgeous style.

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How inspired are you right now?!

These DIY home decor projects were so creative – and employed the use of so many ingenious things – from the wood plaque lanterns to the laundry basket made with fencing. 

With the holidays around the corner, there are definitely some great gift ideas in there too! It’s hard to find gifts for less than $20, but making one these creative home decor DIYs not only would save money but it would be a special gift for someone. 

 

Learn how to build DIY wood bookends with this easy tutorial. These DIY bunny bookends are perfect for keeping kids’ books organized  – and it was a zero cost project!

Lately, I’ve been noticing just how much my kids adore creative time.

The first thing my preschooler said today was, “Daddy, can you go the store so that Mommy and I can do a fall craft?”

I laughed as I overheard it, but I absolutely love how much he values his craft time.

In addition to giving the kids plenty of time for crafts and creativity, my husband and I also have started creating things just for them.

They see us constantly building and creating things for the house. So it makes them feel so important when we make them something special.

We just made this sand and water table for their birthdays, which was such a hit! So funny how much kids love sensory tables.

Today, we are sharing how we made these simple bookends for our daughter’s nursery.

Nursery Bookends

Our daughter’s nursery needed a little love.

We previously painted a heart accent wall, but other than that she got a lot of leftover things from her brother’s nursery.

I was recently in Hobby Lobby and saw these cute star and moon bookends. I decided to make own using bunnies.

My daughter adores all animals but especially bunnies.

I also knew bookends would be a simple project that I could handle making.

My husband has tons of wood leftover from all our projects. I knew he wouldn’t miss it.

Plus, he loves when I work in the garage because I always leave it neater than it was before – he’s a mess!

At Home DIY

With our At Home DIY challenge being home decor this month, I figured it was a great time to make something special for my daughter’s room.

For the At Home DIY challenge, we’ve collaborated with several talented DIY bloggers and we all create a project with the same thing each month. This month’s theme is to make any home decor for less than $20. Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to check out all the projects.

How to Build Wood Bookends

This DIY bunny bookends project was super simple, and it was a no-cost project. I love creating something out of things we have.

Choosing and Cutting Wood for the Bookends

I first found scrap ¾” thick boards I found that would be perfect for the DIY bookends:

To create the book ends, I needed to cut out four pieces – 2 pieces of 4.5”x4.5” and 2 pieces of 4.5”x5.25”.

I figured this size would on the smaller side (less clunky) and perfect for small kids books.

The two different sizes of boards would be attached perpendicular to each other.

I brought the scrap wood pieces over to the table saw to cut them to size.

Attaching the Wood for the DIY Bookends

With the pieces cut, I applied some construction adhesive and finishing nails to make a book end.

A bar clamp also came in handy to hold the wood in place while I drove some nails in.

Sketch Your Shape

At this point, I took the bookends up to my craft room to figure out the bunny.

I traced the “L” bookend shape on a piece of scrap paper.

I freehand drew a sketch of a bunny and kept refining it until I was happy with the outline and the size (compared to the “L” of the bookend).

After you’re finished and happy with your sketch, cut it out and hold it up to the bookend to make sure you’re happy with it.

Drawing Tips

If you are stuck on how to draw your shape, google the shape you’re making and the word “outline” i.e. dog outline.

Then, you can focus on just the perimeter and not get caught up in the details. Or, if you’re using a bunny, feel free to grab the outline out of our resource library.

Making the Bunny Wood Cut-Out

Making the wood bunny was pretty simple, but it did take a little time.

Trace the Cut-Out

Once back in the garage, I traced the outline of the bunny onto the wood twice – one for each bookend.

Using the Scroll Saw for the Wood Cut-Outs

I opted for the scroll saw to cut out the wood bunnies. I wanted to preserve all the details of the bunny outline, and a scroll saw was perfect to get accurate cuts.

Here are the cut out bunnies resting in the book ends:

Finish and Paint for the Bunny Bookends

Because I’m so indecisive it took me a while to figure out what I was doing with the bunny and the bookends paint-wise.

I debated about painting the bookends white and the bunny light brown.

I started to paint the bunny light brown; however, I just wasn’t happy with it.

Then I decided to leave the bookends wooden and paint the bunny white.

Tung Oil for the Bookends

Happy with the painted white bunny decision, I used pure Tung oil on the wooden bookends.

Here are the bookends halfway through the Tung oil process (oil applied to the left bookend, and nothing yet applied to the second one on the right):

Painting the Bunny

I used Decoart white acrylic paint to paint the bunny.

Then, I painted the inside of the ears with a pink shade I made from red, and I drew on the face with a sharpie. I also did a little pink heart shape on the bunnies nose with the acrylic paint.

Attaching the Bunnies to the bookends

With the bookends stained with Tung oil and the bunnies painted, it was time to attach the two.

I considered using just construction adhesive to secure the bunnies, but this sounded two permanent.

I was toying with the idea of swapping out the bunnies with other designs throughout the year (Santa bookends anyone?)

But, I ended up just using two screws underneath the bookends to attach the bunnies.

I made sure to pre-drill two holes centered on the base of the bookends. Then held the bunnies in place while I inserted two screws.

Time and Cost for the DIY Bunny Bookends

Making these bunny bookends took about 3 hours, and it was a no-cost project. We used scrap wood and paints we already had! Can’t beat that 🙂

My daughter absolutely loves the DIY bunny bookends. They look adorable in her nursery. Of course, my son adores them too and asked if we could make him skunk bookends. 🙂

If you’re up for a simple woodworking project, definitely try your hand at making DIY bookends. If you’re not up for the woodworking aspect, make something else for your kids or with your kids. I’m sure they’ll adore the creative time.

And if you are wondering if my son and I ended up doing our fall craft – we did. We made a 3D fall tree that he adores. We’re still gluing on the leaves and flowers, but if it turns out nice, I’ll share that too.

See more $20 DIY Decor Projects

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