5 Affordable Decor DIY’s that Look Expensive

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


I used a product called Citristrip Spray and I was so pleasantly surprised by the results!
You can find the tutorial here if youāre interested!



DIY #2 – DIY Upholstered Headboard
The second look Iād like to share with you today is our DIY upholstered headboard in our master bedroom. Sadly, I donāt have a tutorial for this on my blog. The process was really so simple, though!Ā

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.

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

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.


Such a cheap project, but such a beautiful impact in our bedroom that looks like we really spent a lot when we didnāt at all!Ā

DIY #3 – Antique Inspired Signs
If youāve 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. Itās 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.

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.Ā

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.



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

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

DIY #4 – Faux Beams
The fourth look Iād like to share with you today are the wood beams we have in our kitchen and entryway.


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


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


Affordable Decor DIY #5 – Marble Cake Stand
This last look is a much smaller project, but I still think itās 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!Ā

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!

The glass dome on top was thrifted as well, just in case you were wondering
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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 youād like to see more in the future!

PIN IT FOR LATER

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.
Oh Rose thank YOU for stopping by and commenting!! You don’t know how happy it makes me when readers say hello š I’m so glad that the headboard project inspired you!! š
You have a lot of great ideas! Your projects always turn out very beautiful!
Thank you so so much Tara!! š
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
Love all of these ideas! How did you hang your headboard?
Hi Amanda, thank you! My husband attached 2×4’s to the back of it and screwed them into the frame of the bed. š I hope that helps! š
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.
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!
The headboard is beautiful! How did y’all attach it to the bedframe?
Hello! We attached it to the bedframe with 2×4’s.