The Best DIY Home Hacks, According To 16 Influencers

By
Mélanie Berliet
Mélanie Berliet, General Manager and Senior Vice President of The Spruce
Mélanie Berliet
Mélanie Berliet is SVP and Group General Manager of the Home & Design team at Dotdash Meredith, overseeing The Spruce (Home, Pets, and Crafts), Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Southern Living, MyDomaine, Martha Stewart Living, and DailyPaws.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 10/14/20
Emily Henderson sitting on bed

Emily Henderson​

DIY home hacks are incredibly rewarding. Not only do they solve real design problems like clutter and disorganization, but they tend to be budget-friendly solutions to such predicaments. Who doesn't love a DIY shortcut that saves you money and makes your home more beautiful simultaneously? The following tips to tricking out your living space without breaking the bank will make you smile, and help you transform your house from "meh" to "wow."

  • 01 of 16

    @em_henderson — Leveling Up

    Placing bowl on table on outdoor patio

    @em_hendersonhttps://www.instagram.com/em_henderson/ 

    "I like the idea of 'leveling up' when DIYing. What I mean is taking something and making it better as opposed to making something out of thin air. I love doing things like painting an old thrifted piece of furniture and adding new hardware or putting a fun trim on a simple, cheap curtain panel. It's super easy but has a big impact." — Emily Henderson

  • 02 of 16

    @thejoshuatreehouse — Eucalyptus

    Couple standing outside open doorway

    @thejoshuatreehousehttps://www.instagram.com/thejoshuatreehouse/

    "We love getting a bundle of eucalyptus at our weekend farmer’s market and hanging it from our shower head. The scent is incredible and elevates our shower both aesthetically and experientially." — Sara & Rich Combs

  • 03 of 16

    @graceatwood — Adhesive Shelves

    Grace Atwood holding a fluffy cat

    @graceatwood

    "Command ledges in the bathroom! I don't have a medicine cabinet and they've saved my life (evidence here)." — Grace Atwood

  • 04 of 16

    @bobbyberk — Repurposing Rooms

    Bobby Berk standing in front of a gray background

    @bobbyberk

    "Just because your dining room is technically called your dining room it doesn’t mean that you can’t swap it with your family room furniture and turn it into a hangout space. We recently moved into our new place and we played a little bit of musical chairs with our furniture until we found the right spots for everything. What once was an entry area became our living room lounge area and what was once used as a living room became a big open dining area. Don’t be afraid to move things around and use your home in the best way possible for you." — Bobby Berk

    Continue to 5 of 16 below.
  • 05 of 16

    @lovelyindeed — Clothespins

    Bathroom with a potted plant

    @lovelyindeed

    "We have the simplest but most effective coat closet hack! Hang one or two lengths of cotton cord across the inside of your coat closet door and line it with clothespins. Use the clothespins to pin up all your winter hats and gloves. You'll never have another glove go missing!" — Chelsea Foy

  • 06 of 16

    @apartment_34 — Ikea Hacks

    Room with round mirror above white painted brick fireplace

    @apartment_34

    "While I’m not one to do a lot of DIYs, I’m a huge fan of the IKEA hacks that are now on the market. Sites like Semihandmade let you customize Ikea pieces in ways that look custom." — Erin Hiemstra

  • 07 of 16

    @bradytolbert — Dimmers

    Brady Tolbert standing in kitchen

    Photo by Tessa Neustadt for Brady Tolbert 

    "The first thing I did as soon as I moved into my apartment was add dimmers to all of the light switches. I can’t tell you what a huge difference it makes in the way a room feels. Not to mention, it only costs a few bucks and it really isn't difficult to do it yourself." — Brady Tolbert

  • 08 of 16

    @thecraftedlife — DIY Artwork

    Pink-haired woman wearing floral patterned dress standing amid pink flowers

     Photo by Mary Costa for The Crafted Life

    "Make your own wall art! If you don't have the budget just yet for art, that doesn't mean you have to go without. You can make beautiful pieces with just a few simple tools. A matted frame will elevate your work and you can grab them at Ikea for under $10." — Rachel Mae Smith

    Continue to 9 of 16 below.
  • 09 of 16

    Lia Griffith — Paper Plants

    Paper plants in a large gray flower pot

    @liagriffith 

    "Making paper plants that look real or even sculptural. They always look fresh and green!" — Lia Griffith

  • 10 of 16

    @handmadecharlotte — Beeswax

    DIY melted crayon lanterns

    @handmadecharlotte 

    "I love using beeswax in our home, so I'll often end up buying a whole bunch of it in bulk and turning it into DIY candles. We burn them all around the house because of the natural cleaning power of beeswax—it's seriously amazing!" — Rachel Faucett

  • 11 of 16

    @organize_it — Smart Sheet Storage

    Organized bathroom shelves

     @organize_it

    "My favorite home hack would be placing your sheet sets into their matching pillowcases. The linen closet tends to be one of the most overlooked spaces in your home. This is a simple yet efficient solution." — Rivka Davidowitz

  • 12 of 16

    @clutterhealing — Spray Paint

    Four clear glass food storage jars with wood stoppers

     Photo by Juliana Slemenda for Clutter Healing

    "We've restored old hair pin leg planters, revived picture frames and made plastic Ikea shelf brackets look like expensive metal beauties all with the help of spray paint. Never underestimate the power of a little paint!" — Lili Pettit

    Continue to 13 of 16 below.
  • 13 of 16

    @heywanderer — Custom Shelves

    Breakfast nook with white bench seating and natural wood table

     @heywanderer

    "One of the easiest and most useful DIYs you can do is shelving. Buying shelves can be expensive, and sometimes you have a specific need or dimensions and you can’t find what you are looking for. So if you do-it-yourself, then you can get exactly what you need for a lot less money." — Casey Freeman + Savannah McNeill

  • 14 of 16

    @talirothdesigns — Bespoke Hardware

    Books, decorative items, and vase of dried flowers on table

    @talirothdesigns 

    "I am a little crazy for IKEA. My favorite hack is to hang the Besta wall units side by side along a wall and use unique or bespoke hardware to make it feel more lux. I also have been known to order store bought curtains and unpick the hems and straighten them with a hair straightener to get them to fit a space without having to go custom hahaha." — Tali Roth

  • 15 of 16

    @withinthegrove — Paint Storage

    Six black and white photos hung on a black accent wall

     @withinthegrove

    "We use paint in just about every home project which also means we have a lot of paint cans. At least we used to. My favorite hack is pouring the extra paint from a project in a small jar for quick and easy access for any future touch ups. This also frees up a lot of space since we aren’t storing the large paint cans anymore." — Elizabeth Rishel

  • 16 of 16

    @ohsolovely_blog — Open Shelving

    Kitchen with open shelving hung above sink area

    @withinthegrove 

    "You can build and hang open shelving very easily and inexpensively. We cut and stained our own wood shelves and hung them on the wall with spray painted brackets from a hardware store. We did four shelves in our kitchen for about $60, and always get a lot of compliments on them." — Audrey Kuether