Two Simple DIY Home Accessories

At Remodelista, we are always on the lookout for new ways to recreate a look for less. Here are two genius DIY ideas we’ve noted recently that only require an inexpensive accessory and coat of paint.

Above: We were inspired by the dipped-dyed look of these poufs from La Galerie Vegetale in Paris.

Above: To recreate your own, begin by sourcing an inexpensive rattan pouf, such as the plain, banana-fiber Alseda Stool from Ikea; $29.99. Lightly sand the area to be painted, especially if the pouf has a lacquer finish. Then pour your paint into a large tub and dip the pouf to the desired level. Alternatively, you may want to use painters masking tape to define the area to be be painted and use a brush to achieve the look.

Above: Another easy DIY paint project: Give a simple light fixture new life by adding your own colored coating. We like this genius idea from IKEA’s home inspiration blog Livet Hemma.

Above: To start, consider the inexpensive Foto Lamp from Ikea; $19.99. Choose a spray paint that adheres to a metal surface (a low-VOC option is the 100-percent acrylic Krylon H2O Latex). Wipe the lamp with a damp rag and let it dry. Cover the section of cord closest to the lamp with masking tape to protect it from the paint.

Above: The industrial-looking spun aluminum gets a wash of bright color.

For more DIY inspiration, check out Remodelista’s posts DIY: Dipped Side Table, Accessories: Dip-Dyed Fabrics & Linens and DIY: Studiomama Bookshelf.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Kathy P.

5:16PM PDT on May 23, 2012

thanks

send a green star

Debbie C.

5:39PM PST on Mar 7, 2012

I checked out the Dip-Dyed Fabrics & Linens and I like the Patchwork Ombre Throw. I have a light colored throw I would like to change and this may do the trick.

I also like the Bookcase. You can do it anyway you like with pieces of wood you have around the house. .

Anand Y.

9:12PM PST on Feb 16, 2012

We used these inexpensive rattan poufs some 50 years ago in our house. Each one cost us 1$ then!!

Ann B.

12:45PM PST on Feb 15, 2012

thanks for sharing - cool

E. J.

8:59AM PST on Feb 15, 2012

thanks.

Kristina C.

8:15AM PST on Feb 15, 2012

Thank you - I love DIY projects and are a well known customer at my local Goodwill.

Please sign the petition close to my heart:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/give-a-pitbull-a-chance/
NOW CLOSE TO THE GOAL # ! Thank you.

Sandi C.

8:13AM PST on Feb 15, 2012

LETS GO TO GOODWILL!

Chad A.

5:17PM PST on Feb 12, 2012

Instead of Ikea, lets go to the local thrift store or, better yet, repurpose things you already have...

Sonny H.

5:15AM PST on Feb 12, 2012

Great ideas!

Cindy B.

7:33PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

I certainly agree with Jeannette G, Krista R, Will R, Gloria M... I won't buy anything made in China if I can help it because of their HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE ABUSE of animals! You think they mistreat ducks by plucking them alive?! How about the sea turtles they're killing in droves, in the most hideous of manners! Or the cats and dogs they torture (yes, torture!), kill and eat? Or the magnificent endangered tigers they pay poor farmers in neighboring countries thousands of dollars to murder and deliver to the border? (they've already killed all their own). Or the poor bears they confine in wire coffins for years and years, sucking their bile? Or the poor endangered rhinos who are killed so the Chinese can partake of their powdered horns? (makes 'em strong and virile like a rhino, oooh yeah...) Ay-yi-yi, one could go on forever about the sins of the Chinese toward animals.

I buy all my stuff at Thriftstores and would never pay more than $5-$7 for a stool, a worklight, etc. If that much. Most thriftstore stuff is still American-made, and saving the stuff from destruction is pure bliss. Mighty entertaining to shop there, too; it's like a lovely little mystery movie about real peoples' lives. And everything is so unique!

Anyway, those lamps look much classier unpainted, that's for sure.