5 Affordable Decor DIY’s that Look Expensive

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5 Affordable DIY's that look expensive!

Today I want to share 5 affordable decor DIY’s that seem expensive, but actually cost me very little! 

I’m sharing 5 affordable decor DIY’s today, some shared here on the blog in the past, and some brand new!

This “Look for Less” post is hosted by Jaime over at Bored or Bananas, and it is in collaboration with eight other YouTube friends who are sharing their ideas as well, so be sure you watch my video linked above and check out the playlist for lots of DIY inspiration!

This post contains affiliate links. For my full disclosure, click here.

Affordable Decor DIY #1 – Restoration Hardware Finish

The first affordable DIY I’d like to share with you is the wood side table sitting next to one of my white chairs in our living room. It has the most beautiful, weathered wood finish and in my opinion, it looks like something I would have purchased at Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn. 

My Mom actually gave this table to me, and while I loved the shape and size of it, the finish was much too dark for my home. Here are a few before shot of the table before I tackled it!

Come see how I transformed the finish on this table!
How I used Citristrip to create a weathered, Restoration Hardware style finish!

I used a product called Citristrip Spray and I was so pleasantly surprised by the results!

You can find the tutorial here if you’re interested!

Vintage art is perfect when decorating for spring
How I used Citristrip to create a weathered wood finish!
How to create a weathered wood finish using Citristrip Spray!

DIY #2 – DIY Upholstered Headboard

The second look I’d like to share with you today is our DIY upholstered headboard in our master bedroom. Sadly, I don’t have a tutorial for this on my blog. The process was really so simple, though! 

Thrifty Cottage Bedroom

I drew the shape that I wanted for our headboard on a piece of paper, and my husband recreated it on a sheet of plywood.

How make your own upholstered headboard for cheap! - Affordable Decor DIY's

He cut out the shape with his jigsaw and we pieced together some foam to glue to the wood. 

DIY affordable headboard!

Once the foam was attached, we wrapped some quilt batting around the headboard, then stapled it in the back. After that we used a canvas drop cloth for the upholstery fabric.

How to make a drop cloth headboard! Affordable Decor DIY's
DIY Cheap Upholstered Headboard using canvas drop cloth! Affordable Decor DIY's

Such a cheap project, but such a beautiful impact in our bedroom that looks like we really spent a lot when we didn’t at all! 

Our linen duvet pairs perfectly with the soft stripes of this accent pillow - DIY Headboard - Affordable Decor DIY's

DIY #3 – Antique Inspired Signs

If you’ve been shopping at antique stores lately, authentic vintage signage can be pricey! I have a few signs in my home that look like antiques, but I actually made them myself. The best part? They were free!

The trick to making a DIY sign look old is the piece of wood you start with. It’s so important to use wood that has aged and has a lot of character. 

I made the sign above my couch in our living room with an old piece of plywood that had been left outside. After I stenciled on all my letters, I lightly sanded some of my paint so that the sign looked as though it had aged and worn naturally. 

This simple, antique inspired sign above our couch was an easy DIY!

I followed the same method for the sign above my kitchen sink. I used an old board that was pretty beat up and had layers of paint on it, that way when I sanded my stenciled letters, the sign truly looked as though it had naturally aged over time. 

How to make a vintage looking sign - Affordable Decor DIY's

I taped off the edges of my sign to create a border, then I just used some acrylic paint I had on hand for my background and stenciled letters.

How to create an antique inspired sign for cheap! Affordable Decor DIY's
DIY Vintage Inspired Sign Tutorial - Affordable Decor DIY's
How to create DIY antique looking signs - Affordable Decor DIY's

After a light sanding with some fine grit sand paper, the sign looks so authentic!

How to make a DIY sign look old! Affordable Decor DIY's

I love the way this DIY turned out, and I love that it was absolutely free!

Vintage Inspired DIY signs - affordable home decor diy's that look expensive!

DIY #4 – Faux Beams

The fourth look I’d like to share with you today are the wood beams we have in our kitchen and entryway.

White and black cottage style kitchen with pine accents - Affordable Decor DIY's
Light jackets and straw hats instantly create a feeling of spring - Affordable Decor DIY's

Truly authentic beams can get very pricey very quickly, but for this project we decided to use 2×6’s! We dug through the lumber yard for boards that looked a bit beat up, and we even added some distressing ourselves for more character!

These diy faux wood beams were so simple and affordable!
Simple and affordable DIY faux beams!

If you’re interested, you can find the whole tutorial here! For less than $50 we added so much character to our kitchen and entry.

Thrift store basket decorating ideas! Affordable Decor DIY's
Rustic beams add so much warmth to our entry - Affordable Decor DIY's

Affordable Decor DIY #5 – Marble Cake Stand

This last look is a much smaller project, but I still think it’s worth sharing! I love incorporating marble elements into my kitchen, but sometimes they can be expensive. This large, marble cake stand in my dining room was actually a DIY! 

DIY Cake Stand using thrifted items! Affordable Decor DIY's

The base of the stand was a large candlestick that I thrifted, and I found the round marble piece at a thrift store as well! I glued both of them together, and ta-dah! DIY cake stand!

DIY Marble Cake Stand - look for less!

The glass dome on top was thrifted as well, just in case you were wondering

😉 

Our cutting board display is one of my favorite DIY projects in our dining room.

So there you have it! 5 affordable decor DIY’s that look like they cost a lot more than what they did. I hope you enjoyed this Look for Less post, please let me know if you’d like to see more in the future!

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5 Affordable DIY's that look expensive!

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11 Comments

  1. Thank you very much for ideas. I just watched the video. All beautiful projects, but my favorite is undoubtedly the back of the master bedroom bed. I need a smaller size for a teenager’s room, but the idea is wonderful and easy to do. Thank you Andrea. Much love and many blessings.

    1. Oh Rose thank YOU for stopping by and commenting!! You don’t know how happy it makes me when readers say hello 🙂 I’m so glad that the headboard project inspired you!! 🙂

  2. Thank you very much for ideas. I just watched the video. All beautiful projects, but my favorite is undoubtedly the back of the master bedroom bed. I need a smaller size for a teenager’s room, but the idea is wonderful and easy to do. Thank you Andrea. God bless

    1. Hi Amanda, thank you! My husband attached 2×4’s to the back of it and screwed them into the frame of the bed. 🙂 I hope that helps! 🙂

  3. Hi Andrea! I’m so inspired by you and hope to have a home like yours one day! Which stencil did you use for the Francavilla & Sons sign? The stencil seems different from the Pine St. sign.

    1. Thank you so so much, they are just stencils from Walmart that I used. I believe I have it in my story highlights on IG too if that helps!

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