Do you have a little extra time to spend on yourself — or your house — now that the holidays are over? You can put your idle hands to work and chase away the winter blues at the same time, by taking on a do-it-yourself living room project. It will be fun, and functional, too. We’ve pulled together some great DIY project ideas to spiff up your living, family, or media room.
It’s amazing how little you need to do to transform your space. Give it a lift, freshen it up, warm it up, cozy it up, make it the place you really love to live. Then get ready to entertain – just yourself, the family, the whole gang. Friends will think you invested in a major makeover. (And they’ll wish they’d thought of your clever ideas first.)
1. Get that New TV into Position
This is the year you can finally host the neighborhood football bash at your place – thanks to that terrific new TV you received (or bought yourself) for Christmas. But only if you get that TV mounted on the wall, where everyone will be able to fully enjoy it. Worried about what to do with those pesky cords? No problem. They’ll seem to disappear when you use our easy-to-paint cable tunnels.
2. Add Some Art
Now create a gallery wall around your television.
3. Take a Shelfie
HGTV says “#shelfies are a thing.” No, really. This is all the rage when it comes to DIY project ideas. You create off-the-wall (pardon our pun) bookshelves and then post photos online. So take our gallery wall idea a step further and use bookshelves. Free up shelf space with slender, unobtrusive stands for your sound system speakers.
4. Slipcover Something
Re-do your sofa, or a chair. Slipcover your dog’s bed to match. Then turn your seen-better-days coffee table (or a thrift store find) into a cushiony storage ottoman.
5. Reface Your Fireplace
It's easy to change a dingy, out-of-date, or just plain boring fireplace. Use something au courant – perhaps the latest wood – or metal-look ceramic tiles. Or paint the fireplace brick a color.
6. Just One Can of Paint
That’s all you need to create an accent wall.
7. Go Big (and Then Stay Home)
In the market for a new home entertainment center? No reason to go out and buy some hulking piece of furniture that doesn’t quite fit. Build something tailor-made for your home. Make it as simple or as complex as you want. Make it a single unit to hold everything, or pull together a few non-traditional steamer trunks, wooden crates, and cabinets. You can repurpose them to create a one-of-a-kind home entertainment center. Try “shopping” your own attic or basement to find just the right pieces.
8. Reap the Rewards of Your DIY Project Ideas
Finally, head to the store to pick up a handful of tulips in a bright, festive color. Pop them into a vase and display them in your newly transformed living space. Then sit back, put your feet up on that plump new ottoman and prepare to watch your favorite old movie. That's an easy solution to the winter blues.
