100 Brilliant DIY Home Projects Under $100: Transform Your Space Without Breaking the Bank!
Did you think you needed a fortune to give your home a fresh new look? Not at all! Whether you’re seeking more practical solutions, aiming to beautify a corner, or simply desire a change of scenery, there are countless ways to refresh your home without overspending. Experts reveal their favorite tricks, all designed with your budget in mind!
So here you have it: a carefully curated list of “do-it-yourself” projects that won’t cost you more than $100. You’ll see that with a bit of ingenuity and effort, you can achieve spectacular results!
I. Refresh Your Interiors and Decor
A. Small Details That Make a Difference
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Add a Historic Touch to Your Breakfast Bar with Carved Corbels
Get started! Take a stroll through antique shops or salvage centers. Look for Victorian corbels with that unique patina that only time can bestow. They’ll be the perfect detail to make your breakfast area feel special!
Estimated Cost: A pair of Queen Anne style corbels (30×19 inches) will run you about $95.
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A Chandelier in the Laundry Room? Why Not!
Go for it! Hang a chandelier in the laundry room. It’s a touch of sophistication where you least expect it!
Estimated Cost: A pendant similar to the photo, around $80.
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Wallpaper a Door and Surprise Everyone
Here’s how! Do you have leftover wallpaper and paste from a larger project? Use them to dress up your door panels, letting the frames highlight the design. If you have plain doors, simply draw a shape, cut it out, and center it.
Estimated Cost: Nothing! If you use scraps.
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Display Your Flat Screen Like a Work of Art
How to achieve it: Simply rest your flat-screen TV on a tabletop easel with adjustable clamps.
Estimated Cost: An Academy Deluxe tabletop easel, about $80.
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Hang Natural Fiber Shades to Connect with Nature
The idea is: Use natural fiber shades to create a softer transition between your home and the outdoors, and incidentally, they help insulate your windows!
Estimated Cost: A similar bamboo Roman shade, about $32.
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A Doorbell That Says “Style Lives Here”!
The trick is: An illuminated button, like the “Visitors Button,” can be the detail that leaves your guests impressed.
Estimated Cost: Approximately $70.
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Enhance Your Entryway with a Characterful Doormat
To achieve this: Embellish your entryway with a doormat that is not only beautiful but also traps dirt and protects your wood floors.
Estimated Cost: Chilewich woven vinyl mats, about $50.
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Add a Vintage Touch with Antique Door Knobs
The transformation: Swap that boring dresser knob for a brilliant vintage glass one. Keep the hallway knob the same for a cohesive look!
Estimated Cost: A faceted crystal knob from the 1900s with a brass stem, about $38.
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Gracefully Decorate the Space Above a Door Frame
The key is: Add a shelf just above a door, paint it the same color as the molding, and use it to display your pottery collection.
Estimated Cost: A 40-inch red oak shelf (1×6) and two 7-inch classic oak supports, approximately $32.
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A Ladder as a Bathroom Towel Rack? Yes, Please!
Simple and chic: Lean it against the wall and hang your bath and hand towels on its rungs.
Estimated Cost: For a more authentic touch, a vintage five-rung wooden ladder, about $43.
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Bring a Boring Mirror Frame Back to Life
The secret is: Give that dull mirror frame a new finish with glossy paint. You’ll see how luxurious it looks!
Estimated Cost: A 13-ounce can of Mohawk color lacquer, about $6.
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Create a Coordinated Object Ensemble That Speaks for Itself
How it’s done: Group similar objects (vases, candlesticks, bowls) and display them together. A design trick is to group them in odd numbers for a more harmonious effect!
Estimated Cost: Nothing!
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Blur the Boundaries of Your Room to Make It Look Bigger
The visual trick: Use a folding screen in the corner of a small room. By breaking the line where the walls meet, the space will appear much larger!
Estimated Cost: An espresso Shinto screen, about $99.99.
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Accent a Wall with Wallpaper and Give It Personality
The key is: Create an accent wall in your living room by wallpapering the fireplace or sofa wall with grasscloth. Choose a shade that perfectly matches the paint color of the surrounding walls.
Estimated Cost: A double roll of Oriental Grasscloth Knot Textiles, approximately $70.
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Add a Vintage Touch with a Shiny Hanging Mirror
The style is in: Hang an oval mirror like a pendant from a decorative chain. It will look super elegant in a bathroom, bedroom, or entryway!
Estimated Cost: A frameless oval mirror, about $84.
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Create an Instant Art Collection, Your Way!
The magic is: Group small prints, photos, and vintage plates. Hang them together to achieve the effect of a large, expensive piece of art.
Estimated Cost: Nothing! (If you use what you already have at home).
B. Give Your Spaces a New Skin with Paint and Finishes
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Transform Your Upper Cabinets into Instant Open Shelving
It’s very easy! Remove the doors from a row of upper cabinets and paint the interior. Voilà, open shelving in the blink of an eye!
Estimated Cost: A gallon of 100% Zero VOC acrylic paint with a washable semi-gloss finish, about $35.
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Paint Your Front Door and Welcome Color
The visual impact: Apply a vibrant color, like a deep red, for an inviting entrance.
Estimated Cost: A gallon of RedSeal Eggshell House & Trim exterior latex paint, about $25.
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Revitalize Your Tile Backsplash with Paint!
How to revive it: Brighten up that dark and outdated tile backsplash with cheerful paint. Sand the surface, apply two coats of bonding primer, let dry, then two coats of oil-based semi-gloss paint.
Estimated Cost: A gallon of bonding primer and a gallon of ProClassic alkyd interior enamel, about $96.
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Illuminate the Inside of Your Cabinets and Add a Pop of Surprise
The secret is: Highlight the interior of a glass-front cabinet by applying a striking color. It will bring joy every time you open it!
Estimated Cost: Aquarium Blue latex paint, $16 per quart.
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Fake Your Floor with Paint, No One Will Notice the Difference!
The eye-catching trick: Paint that worn vinyl floor to look like stone tiles. Use two similar colors for the “stones” and white paint to create the faux grout lines. Then, seal the surface with three coats of polyurethane.
Estimated Cost: Two quarts of Valspar porch and floor latex paint and one quart of Cabot water-based polyurethane, about $54. A 4-ounce tube of Pearl acrylic artist’s paint for the “grout,” about $3.
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Paint a Welcome Mat on Your Entrance, Personalized!
Create your design: Design this diamond-patterned rug on your porch. Use painter’s tape to mark the design and a roller to apply the colors.
Estimated Cost: Two quarts of Valspar porch and floor latex paint, about $24.
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Paint Mismatched Bedroom Furniture and Create Harmony
The ideal solution: Unify those mismatched bedroom furniture pieces by painting them all the same shade. You’ll see what cohesion!
Estimated Cost: A gallon of Inside Palette eco-friendly acrylic paint, about $45.
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Create a Shiny Two-Tone Effect on a Wall, Dare to!
The play of textures: Paint stripes or stencils with a glossy enamel pattern over a wall that already has a solid matte finish.
Estimated Cost: A quart of Studio Finishes latex enamel, about $9.
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Limewash Exposed Interior Brick and Give It a Rustic Chic Touch
How to achieve it: Apply a tinted latex stain, wipe off a bit, and repeat until you get that desired distressed look.
Estimated Cost: A gallon of Studio Finishes latex enamel, about $23.
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Paint the Porch Ceiling Sky Blue and Feel the Openness!
The optical illusion: Paint your porch ceiling sky blue to create a sense of a larger, more open space.
Estimated Cost: A gallon of Behr Premium Plus Ultra exterior paint in Niagara Falls (similar), about $36.
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Update a Refrigerator with a Faux Stainless Steel Finish, It’ll Look New!
The transformation: Modernize that old refrigerator with a painted finish that mimics stainless steel. No one will notice!
Estimated Cost: A quart of Thomas stainless steel liquid base, about $56.
C. Rugs and Textiles: Stylish Footfalls
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Craft a Mudroom Rug with Carpet Tiles – Easy and Practical!
How to assemble it: Use self-adhesive carpet tiles. You’ll need six for a runner or nine for a square shape. Mix and match colors for a totally personalized pattern!
Estimated Cost: Six 20×20-inch textured tiles, about $54.
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Unroll a Seagrass Runner and Bring the Beach Home!
The tropical feel: Lay out a seagrass runner. It will withstand heavy traffic and, what’s more, it will make your home smell like the beach!
Estimated Cost: A 2¼x7½ foot basket weave seagrass runner, about $60.
II. Functional Home Improvements: Beauty and Practicality
A. Kitchen and Bathroom: Small Changes, Big Utility
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Give Your Sink Double Duty – Always More Space!
The ingenious idea: Adapt a cutting board to an under-counter sink to gain extra prep space. Measure the length and width of the basin, adding half an inch to each side. Cut a piece of butcher block to size with a jigsaw. Then, create a lip around the bottom to rest it on the countertop.
Estimated Cost: An 18×12 inch maple block, about $86.
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Clear the Counter with a Built-in Soap Dispenser – Goodbye Clutter!
The elegant solution: Install a soap dispenser right next to the kitchen faucet so that Palmolive bottle is out of sight.
Estimated Cost: A Whitehaus’s Beluga soap/lotion dispenser in polished nickel, about $90.
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Waterproof a Child’s Bathroom – Worry-Free Play!
Safe fun: Adhere rubber tiles to the wall for a lively and waterproof backsplash in a child’s bathroom.
Estimated Cost: BR Profile studded tiles in 20 colors, approximately $4.25 per square foot.
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Install a Cross-Handle Faucet and Warm Up Your Bathroom
The cozy touch: Switch to a cross-handle faucet to warm up your bathroom’s ambiance. A compact, centered design (for sinks with 4-inch spaced holes) helps conserve counter space.
Estimated Cost: A Randolph Morris 4-inch centered bathroom faucet in chrome, about $84.
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Hide the Trash Can with a Skirted Sink – Total Discretion!
The smart solution: Drape a pedestal sink with a skirt and hide your trash can and toiletries underneath.
Estimated Cost: A 60×32-inch white ruffled cotton sink skirt, about $60.
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Clear the Sink with a Wall-Mounted Tumbler and Toothbrush Holder
Order in the bathroom! Hang a wall-mounted tumbler and toothbrush holder to free up sink counter space.
Estimated Cost: A Banner concave design porcelain tumbler and toothbrush holder in chrome, about $23.
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Tile Over Your Range Hood and Frame Elegance
The finishing touch: Trim your kitchen’s wooden range hood cover with a tile border.
Estimated Cost: Interceramic Antique Metals 6×6 inch hammered ceramic tiles in bronze, about $10 each.
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Add a Stainless Steel Backsplash Behind Your Cooktop
Stylish protection: Nail an easy-to-clean panel to the wall or directly over old tiles.
Estimated Cost: A 1½x4 foot Design 204 embossed panel, about $70.
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Store Small Appliances Out of Sight – Goodbye Clutter!
The magic solution: Eliminate countertop clutter by installing a pull-out appliance lift in a lower kitchen cabinet.
Estimated Cost: A heavy-duty mixer lift, about $99.99.
B. Office and Workspaces: Create Your Productive Nook
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Convert a Closet into a Home Office – Your Personal Space!
The transformation: Unhinge the door and swap hanging rods for shelves: one deep for the desk and two shallow ones above for storage.
Estimated Cost: A 20x24x¾-inch white melamine shelf and two 12x24x¾-inch shelves, metal standards, and shelf brackets, all from Elfa, about $95.
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Conceal Home Office Wiring – Visual Cleanliness!
The anti-cable trick: Route wiring behind a wood slat panel in the knee space at the back of your desk. Secure the panel with Velcro to blocks mounted on the desk’s back or side legs to allow for removal and access to the outlet when needed.
Estimated Cost: A 4×8 foot sheet of wood slats, about $20.
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Organize Your Workbench – Everything in Its Place!
The practical solution: Organize your workbench clutter on a simple pegboard shelf.
Estimated Cost: A 4×8 foot DPI white pegboard wall panel, about $16. A Crawford 43-piece pegboard organizer with hooks, bins, and jars, about $11.
C. Energy Efficiency and Comfort: Your Home, a Cozy Nest
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Install a Ceiling Fan and Enjoy the Ideal Climate!
The double benefit: Install a vintage-looking ceiling fan to recirculate warm air in winter. Reverse the blade spin to reduce cooling costs in summer!
Estimated Cost: A 52-inch Capri Energy Star with a “patinaed” oiled bronze finish, about $90.
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Insulate Windows with Natural Fiber Curtains – More Savings!
Natural comfort: Hang natural fiber blinds to help insulate your windows.
Estimated Cost: A similar bamboo Roman shade, about $32.
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Stylish Concealment for Your Air Conditioner – Don’t Break the Aesthetic!
Ingenious discretion: Hide a wall-mounted air conditioner inside a standard kitchen cabinet that you can close when the unit is not in use. Paint the cabinet the same color as your walls to make it “disappear,” or choose wood veneer doors to mimic an expensive built-in.
Estimated Cost: A 36×18-inch Akurum fan cabinet with oak veneer doors, about $88.
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Seal a Mailbox with Insulation – Extra Protection!
The perfect barrier: Switch to an insulated mailbox to keep the weather at bay and dampen noise.
Estimated Cost: A polished aluminum Draft Dodger insulated mailbox, about $45.
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Secure Windows with Vintage Latches – Goodbye Drafts!
Functional charm: Screw in vintage-looking window latches for a tight seal between double-hung windows to prevent drafts.
Estimated Cost: A bronze bamboo-patterned sash window latch, about $13.
D. Organization and Order: A Calm Home
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Hang Utensil Hooks – Everything Within Reach!
Kitchen practicality: Mount a row of hooks on the wall above the kitchen counter to keep dish towels and measuring cups handy.
Estimated Cost: Alno polished chrome utility hooks, about $8 each.
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Create Cubbies in a Bookshelf – Customize Your Storage!
The secret is: Cut vertical dividers to the depth of the unit minus ¾ inch and secure them with glue and finishing nails. Line the dividers with 1×1 trim flush with the shelf fronts.
Estimated Cost: A ¾-inch plywood sheet and three 1×1 strips, $26.
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Add a Floating Shelf for Floor Space – Free Up Room!
The solution for small spaces: Add wall-mounted floating shelves instead of a bookcase to free up valuable floor space.
Estimated Cost: A 3-foot-long chunky wood wall shelf, about $34 each.
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Cover a Damaged Kickboard – Renew Effortlessly!
The perfect camouflage: Conceal a damaged kitchen kickboard with self-adhesive laminate strips that look like stainless steel.
Estimated Cost: A 6-inch-high kickboard cover, about $12 per linear foot.
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Organize Bookshelf Shelves by Size and Type – An Impeccable Look!
The secret to order: Group hardcover and paperback books separately and arrange them by size for a tidier appearance.
Estimated Cost: Nothing! (Just use your own decorative items as bookends).
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Create a Space for Your Pet’s Bed – Their Special Nook!
The ideal kennel: Create a crawl space in an existing built-in unit. Remove lower cabinet doors or place your pet’s cushion under a window seat or on the bottom shelf of a bookcase.
Estimated Cost: Nothing!
III. Stylish Exteriors and Garden: Bring Your Facade to Life!
A. Entrances and Facades: First Impressions Count
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Plant an Evergreen Screen – Privacy and Beauty!
The natural wall: Plant an evergreen screen on the north side of your house to block winter winds. ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae can grow up to 3 feet in a year!
Estimated Cost: $92 for two.
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Install New House Numbers – No One Will Get Lost!
The functional detail: Add striking house numbers to ensure your address doesn’t go unnoticed.
Estimated Cost: 2¾x3¾-inch Arts and Crafts glazed ceramic tiles, $14 each.
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Mount a New Mailbox by Your Front Door – Style and Security!
The perfect welcome: A brightly colored, lockable model will make your entryway more attractive and protect your privacy.
Estimated Cost: Priority mailbox in red, about $58.
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Illuminate Your House Number – Always Visible!
The nighttime guide: Make your house easy to find at night with solar-powered LED numbers.
Estimated Cost: Matterinc aluminum address plaques, about $19 each.
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Flank Your Front Door with Sconces – Lighting with Charm!
The modern rustic touch: Try barn-style caged lights to accentuate a traditional entryway, then screw in outdoor-rated CFLs to save on your energy bills.
Estimated Cost: Two vapor-proof cast aluminum lights, about $99.60.
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Help Your Guests Be Heard with a Door Knocker – Sonic Elegance!
The practical adornment: Dress up your front door with a beautiful knocker.
Estimated Cost: Colonial style bronze door knocker, about $50.
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Install Kick Plates on the Front Door – Protection and Tradition!
The scratch barrier: Attach a kick plate to your front door as a traditional and elegant way to protect the bottom from scratches.
Estimated Cost: A 30-inch solid brass kick plate, about $64.
B. Landscaping and Greenery: The Green That Charms
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Cover Your Lawn with Flowers – A Natural Tapestry!
The floral surprise: Plant a mass of bulbs with grass-like foliage in your lawn. Early spring flowers will be ready to cut when your lawn recovers.
Estimated Cost: 100 Scilla siberica bulbs, similar, less than $20.
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Fill Paver Cracks with Herbs – Goodbye Weeds!
The eco-friendly trick: Plant low-growing English thyme to prevent weeds from sprouting between pavers.
Estimated Cost: 400-seed packet, about $2.
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Build a Wooden Planter – Your Own Mini Garden!
The creative project: Build an outdoor planter with leftover deck boards and balusters. Frame the box with balusters, then line the sides and bottom with cut boards.
Estimated Cost: Square casing, about $15.
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Enhance Your Home with Flower Boxes – Burst of Color!
Instant charm: Mount flower boxes planted with colorful perennials on front windows to improve your home’s curb appeal.
Estimated Cost: An 18-inch cedar window box with liner, about $29. Flower tray, about $10.
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Cover an Exterior Window with Climbing Plants – A Living Frame!
The climbing beauty: Place a trellis over an exterior window for clematis to climb.
Estimated Cost: Two Victorian wood brackets, about $38. Deck board, fasteners, preservative, and paint, about $42.
C. Exterior Decorative Elements: Inspiring Touches
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Crown Your Roof with a Weathervane – History on High!
The rural classic: Place a classic rural windmill weathervane on top of your ridge.
Estimated Cost: A verdigris resin rooster, about $89.
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Wrought Iron Fireplace Screen – Rustic Elegance!
The touch of ingenuity: Adapt your fireplace for spring with a screen made from a salvaged section of an iron fence.
Estimated Cost: A 50-inch wide by 36-inch high iron section with a fleur-de-lis detail, about $75. Ace pot hangers, about $9 each.
IV. Small Updates with Big Impact: Captivating Details
A. Hardware and Architectural Details: The Beauty of the Small
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Tone Down Bright Brass Hardware – That Aged Look You Love!
The secret to patina: Remove the shine from new brass hinges and knobs with a simple rub of a darkening solution.
Estimated Cost: An 8-ounce bottle of brass antiquing solution, about $7.
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Adorn the Stair Newel Post – A Majestic Touch!
The crowning glory: Crown your stair newel post with a carved wooden finial for a more stately staircase.
Estimated Cost: An antique ivory newel post finial, about $86.
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Create a Luxurious Bathroom Shelf – Elegant Storage!
Simple sophistication: Support a 4-inch wide marble door threshold with decorative metal brackets.
Estimated Cost: A 36-inch long threshold, about $28. Two 3×4-inch Mini Pennsylvania Dutch Motif cast iron brackets, about $11.
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Crown Your Cabinets with Crown Molding – Luxurious Finishes!
The professional touch: Top off standard kitchen cabinets with crown molding for a custom cabinetry look.
Estimated Cost: Approximately $80 for 32 feet of molding.
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Use Drawer Pulls as Window Lifts – Avoid Fingerprints!
The ingenious solution: Screw classic drawer pulls into double-hung windows to keep frames free of fingerprints.
Estimated Cost: Approximately $82 for twenty pulls.
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Protect Your Corners with Wood Moldings – Beauty and Durability!
The protective detail: Place turned wood moldings on the exterior corners of hallway walls to protect paint and add architectural detail.
Estimated Cost: A 22-inch traditional cherry corner guard, about $15 each.
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Install a Chair Rail – Divide and Conquer with Style!
The versatile design: Install a chair rail in your bedroom and paint the wall below a serene accent color.
Estimated Cost: Enough colonial-style red oak molding to wrap the walls of an 8×10 foot room, about $75.
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Create a Passage Between Rooms – Open New Connections!
The hidden door: Connect two rooms with a passage carved into a non-load-bearing wall.
Estimated Cost: Lumber, a sheet of drywall, trim, and a 5-gallon bucket of joint compound, about $55.
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Add a Ceiling Medallion – A Classic Touch Above!
The celestial adornment: Highlight a pendant light with some decorative interest on the ceiling.
Estimated Cost: An 18-inch paintable polyurethane medallion with floral and leaf pattern (similar), about $57.
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Change the Switch Plate – Details That Speak!
The small big change: Swap the plastic switch cover in your dining room for an embossed metal one.
Estimated Cost: A single-gang, lead-free Lattice switch plate with pewter finish, about $65.
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Decorative Stair Trim – Don’t Let Them Go Unnoticed!
The finishing touch: Trim your staircase with decorative brackets attached to the outside of the stringer just below the treads.
Estimated Cost: Approximately $100.
B. Strategic Lighting: Brighten Every Corner
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Elevate Lighting with Pendant Lamps – Free Up Space!
The smart solution: Flank your sofa with matching pendant lamps to open up space on side tables.
Estimated Cost: Two Eden pendant lights with drum-style fabric shades, about $99.
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Dim the Lights – Ambiance Tailored to You!
Atmosphere control: Install a dimmer switch in your dining room to create ambiance and, incidentally, save energy!
Estimated Cost: A Lutron’s Diva C.L dimmer, starting from $31.
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Illuminate Your Work with Under-Cabinet Lights – Instant Clarity!
The perfect light: Instantly illuminate countertops with battery-operated LED puck lights under cabinets.
Estimated Cost: Four Bell & Howell Mini Power Pods with adhesive, about $20.
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Dazzling Strip Lights – A Magical Glow!
The ideal night light: Run rope lights along the toe-kick of the bathroom vanity for a soft ambient night light.
Estimated Cost: A 2-foot strip of SuperBright, about $8.
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Cover Lamps with Colored Shades – Change the Mood!
The power of color: Change the quality of light with a shade color different from off-white.
Estimated Cost: A medium-sized Mica drum shade, about $59.
C. Creative Solutions: Thinking Outside the Box
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Clean Paint-Covered Door Hardware – The Slow Cooker Trick!
The foolproof method: Buy a used slow cooker and fill it with water and 2 tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent. Submerge hinges, knobs, and escutcheons. Heat them on medium overnight. In the morning, the paint will fall right off the metal!
Estimated Cost: Approximately $5 for the pot.
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Increase Furniture Mobility – Move with Ease!
Flexibility in your kitchen: Put a table on casters for a dual-purpose dining and food prep surface in a small kitchen.
Estimated Cost: Four Waxman swivel casters with brakes, about $15.
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Make Candlesticks from Wood Spindles – Your Unique Centerpiece!
The art of recycling: Use a spade bit to drill a hollow in the top for the candle. Group spindles of different heights for a stunning table display.
Estimated Cost: Two 12-inch and two 7½-inch turned redwood spindles, about $9.
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Recess Electronic Wiring – Goodbye Tangled Cables!
The invisible solution: Eliminate flat-screen TV cables by using a recessed outlet and an open wall plate to route wires behind the wall.
Estimated Cost: A Vanco Rapid Link Power flat-screen TV power kit with recessed dual outlet, about $86.
With these accessible and practical projects, transforming your home into a more functional, beautiful, and welcoming space is easier than you imagine! So, roll up your sleeves, pick your favorite projects, and start creating the home of your dreams on a budget!
