We did a DIY experiment to see if you can add style to your living space, even with limited funds.
Spring is officially here! It’s time to wake up from our winter hibernation… People across the country are feeling like it’s time for a Spring Clean in their home. This may be down to us having more energy now the days are getting longer, although the practice is a long-standing tradition in many cultures, linked to ideas of renewal, optimism and sweeping away bad luck.
So what better time to show your home some love and add some interesting interior design to brighten up your surroundings. We wanted to find some fun DIY tricks that YOU can try to renovate your house without spending a fortune on fancy designer brands.
We’ve rated them in difficulty so it doesn’t matter if you’re a slightly hopeless handyman or a real DIY expert. Why not give some of our ideas a try and put yourself to the test?
1 Find the most inventive way to decorate a canvas
Difficulty Level: Total beginner
Anyone can start spring with a blank canvas!
Try www.hobbycraft.co.uk for small painting canvases from as little as £2.50.
One great way to use these to add colour to your home is using free paint tester pots to paint simple, eye-catching designs. You could even try putting a few canvases in a row, painting each canvas all one colour, for the ultimate in simplicity and style.
Alternatively, a large pack of standard gold drawing pins can cost less than a pound and you can stick these into your canvas in whatever pattern you like to create your own original art work.
However, our favourite idea is to buy a larger canvas and cover it with a bright and attractive shower curtain. There are loads of shower curtains for sale online that are works of art in themselves but can create an interior design feature in your home for a fraction of the price of conventional art. If you need a little extra money to buy supplies, you can look into borrowing cash from us!
We tried it with this Colorful Tree Printed Shower Curtain and it looked fantastic.
And the best part? It’s totally waterproof!
2 Make dull days a thing of the past
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Now that the dark days of winter are behind us, you can maximise the amount of light in your home by taking advantage of a resource we all get for free: sunshine.
Mirrors reflect sunlight around the room making your home a brighter and more pleasant place to be.
Our tip is to find an inexpensive mirror online and get creative with the frame. Simple wooden sticks fanning out from a plain circular mirror like the one shown here can create a striking sunshine sculpture.
Why not try a mosaic with broken pieces of tiles or sticking gems around the outside of the mirror to fracture the light as it hits the glass. Or even paint onto the mirror using stencils to create a unique design all around the outside. Why not try this, or one of other ideas, as a fun project with your children during the summer holidays!
And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to see the Sun shining out of their reflection?
3 Remember no garden is too small
Difficulty Level: Advanced
Finally, if you think you’re both green-fingered and a DIY pro, don’t forget to give the outside of your house a face-lift as well. We think this plant holder number plaque will make coming home a little more cheerful even before you’ve stepped through the door.
All you need are some old pieces of wood and some house numbers (the right ones for your house ideally!).
It makes sense to make the planter part of your plaque first and then you can fill it with nutritious soil and pot up whatever plants, or seeds, you would like to see growing there. If you go for a smaller planter then make sure the plants you choose aren’t going to grow too big.
However, the bigger the planter the more choice you have. Why not try adding colour and fragrance to your doorstep, or even start your own herb garden, which will save you even more money when you need to add extra flavour to your daily meals.
So there’s no time like the present! Whether you want to try one of the ideas we’ve suggested, or you’ve got even better ideas of your own, cashasap.co.uk is always here to help you fund any of your home-improvement projects if you need a little extra to tide you over until payday.
You can borrow from £200 to £750 for up to 35 days, or with our Multi Month loans you can split the repayment over your next three to six paydays. Please read the T&Cs carefully, and happy homemaking!
