Five Clever Crafts that Can Double as Home Decor

While some home crafts are purely aesthetic, others are able to serve as multi-functional pieces that are both useful and appealing to look at. One of the biggest advantages of making your own home decor is that it’s less expensive than off the shelf items. Crafting home accessories and decorative pieces also gives you the chance to adorn your home with one of a kind items that are ideally suited to your personal taste. If you’re looking for some creative inspiration, here are five crafts that can also be used as home decor.

1. Easy clay tray

You can pay a bundle at a home design store to get a clay tray for holding your jewelry, keys, and household items, or you can head to the craft store and pick up a few inexpensive items to make your own. If you want to make an easy bowl, mold the clay over the bottom of a bowl you own to achieve a similar profile. Bakeable clay comes in a variety of colors, as well as neutral tones that look great in any style room. To add textural interest to your custom clay trays, lightly etch designs into them with a knife or imprint patterns onto the sides using stencils.

Carefully follow the instructions on the clay package to ensure your trays turn out durable and sturdy, and you’ll have a piece of very useful decor in a matter of hours. The tray in this picture was made from a bright blue tinted clay and etched with a diamond pattern using a plastic sculpting tool — you can pick one up for a dollar or so at the craft store. The vibrant tray makes the perfect receptacle for keys, spare change, and jewelry by an entryway.

2. DIY tin can bins

Take a few washed tin cans or coffee canisters, acrylic paint or washi tape, and you’ll have a stylish way to hold items. These can be used on their own, or turn them into hanging bins by attaching an inexpensive S hook and put them up on a towel bar in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, or just about anywhere else you can imagine.

Make sure each can is thoroughly cleaned and dried, as you’ll have better luck getting any embellishments to stick with a clean surface. Add a hole in the back of the can for an S hook by carefully hammering a nail into it. Layer paint onto the surface of the cans, or take the quick route by spray painting your cans outside — this is an great option if you want your cans to have a metallic finish or you need to get the craft done in a hurry. Once the paint it dry to the touch, add the washi tape in the pattern of your choice. Laying it down in stripes or spirals is easy to do and looks attractive. Alternatively, you can decorate the cans with permanent markers or hot glue on cute buttons, stones, or other fun additions.

3. Frosted vases

Buying frosted vases from retail stores can get expensive, especially if you want to get more than one or you’re trying to make an arrangement of different sized vases. Fortunately you can make your own with a few affordable glass vases from your local dollar or discount store, a foam paintbrush, and glass etching cream from the craft store. Use stencils if you want to make an intricate design, or go free hand for a more eclectic piece. If you’re making several vases to display together, create contrast by mixing patterns or using the same pattern with varying scale.

Not only is this a craft that makes a beautiful home decor item, it’s also a nice gift to give. DIY frosted vases paired with gorgeous blooms definitely beats placing flowers into generic store-bought vases and will be a truly original present.

4. From sweaters to pillows

Instead of throwing out sweaters that no longer fit or have acquired holes or stains, turn them into these stylish pillows. You can definitely sew an easy cover with your old sweaters if you’re handy with a sewing machine or you’re an adept hand sewer. However, there’s a faster way to get the same look: tuck the sweater into place around your throw pillows and pin it with safety pins.

To accomplish the latter, using small or medium sized safety pins works best and will be more discreet than using larger ones. Securely position the sweater around your pillow and cut it to size if needed. Use the pins on the back to hold it in place. Unless someone is inspecting your couch decor or scrutinizing the back of each pillow, they’ll never know you didn’t sew them. What’s more, they probably won’t be able to tell you didn’t buy them from a store. The DIY sweater pillows here provide vibrant color and a dose of contemporary style to an otherwise plain sofa.

5. Drop cloth window treatments

Who knew that you could make your own custom window treatments for less than $10 per panel? The secret is using drop cloth, which can easily be obtained at most home improvement and big box stores. You can probably get away with using each panel as is without cutting it, but if you have a very small or oddly sized window, use a rotary cutter instead of scissors to achieve super straight lines.

Once your cloth is cut, lay out a vinyl table cover or large sheet of butcher paper onto the floor, table, or another flat surface. Place the drop cloth on it and start planning your design — mark it out in pencil first to avoid mistakes. The drop cloth curtains here have the verses of a favorite poem painted on them, but you can opt for a graphic design, monogram, a few stylish stripes, or even leave the cloth plain if you prefer a neutral look. When it’s time to hang up your custom window treatments, use clip on curtain rings instead of trying to sew in grommets or loops. Compared with the cost of having window treatments made just for your home, you truly can’t be the cost savings with this project and it’s one of the easiest crafts you can make.