Now, when I say life-changing, I don’t mean these projects are going to win you the lottery or stop Carol in Accounting from stealing your lunch again.
A hot glue gun won’t solve those problems — well, I suppose Carol may be deterred if you pointed one at her — but these projects can provide a little self-care or update your home to make you feel more grounded and less stressed.
1. Bring a little peace into your life with a mini zen garden.
There’s something about absently drawing designs in the sand that is really soothing. With a succulent or two, a bowl, and some sand, you can make your own.
2. Make an eye mask you can heat up.
You can easily turn a standard sleep mask into one that will soothe you to sleep and soothe your headaches.
Just mix up some rice with dried lavender and essential oils, then put the mixture into the mask by cutting a small section of the stitching. Sew it back up and you’re done!
3. Survive the cold with these cute heart hand warmers.
Just cut some felt into heart shapes and sew them almost all the way together. Fill with rice and dried lavender before finishing the stitching.
Warm the hearts up before you leave the house and you’ll have toasty warm pockets.
4. Turn vintage tins into multitasking fridge magnets.
All you need to do is stick a small, powerful magnet inside an old tea or candy tin. Put them on your fridge or a metal message board and they’ll do double duty by holding documents up and storing things like pens.
5. Create a cute succulent display in a teacup.
You can find lots of stray teacups and saucers at flea markets or garage sales. Over the years, sets lose pieces, but that doesn’t mean that the leftovers can’t find a new life.
Glue the teacup to the saucer, fill the cup with soil, and add your favorite succulents.
6. Make a spice rack with small jars, a metal sheet, and magnets.
You can display this on a wall of your kitchen, or create it on the inside of a pantry door. Either way, your spices will look as good as they taste.
7. Grow fresh herbs with a mason jar planter.
Use heavy duty hose clamps to hold the jars in place and rest easy knowing that they won’t fall. Easy herbs to grow yourself include basil, thyme, and mint.
8. Add some fun with DIY neon lighting.
This project is way easier than it looks. Just draw out your phrase to use as a template and then bend some wire to match.
Glue neon light rope to the wire using binder clips to hold it until the glue dries. Done!
9. Make you own shimmery, tinted lip balms.
This recipe makes a pretty red mango lip balm, but once you’ve mastered it, you can mix and match flavors and colors. Each batch makes enough for a few containers, so they make great gifts too!
10. Spend a few minutes, and even fewer bucks, to organize those kitchen drawers and shelves.
The secret is tension rods! Use them in drawers to keep bottles or lids from going astray, or use them vertically in a cupboard to organize baking sheets.
11. Bungee cords are a great way to corral stuffed animals.
You can buy this kind of “zoo” storage at a premium, but you can also make your own for a lot less. The toys will be easily accessible, and also easy to put away.
12. Make a reusable soap dispenser with an old jar.
Just save the pump from your last disposable soap bottle. Carefully create a hole in the lid of the jar and glue the pump in place. Done!
13. Skip the coconut liners in favor of diapers!
Coconut planters and liners are popular because of how well they retain moisture, but replacing them every year is a pain. Instead, line your planters with the lining of cheap diapers.
They’ll do the same job for cheaper — and the birds won’t steal them for nest building!
14. Add a pop of color to a boring table with washi tape.
Just add a few stripes or go all out with a rainbow of colors. When you’re bored with it, the tape will peel right off without any damage. Or make it permanent with a layer of varnish over top.
15. Take care of your skin with a DIY clay face mask.
You don’t need to shell out for the fancy brands. Using just a little clay powder and water, you can make your own mask for glowing skin on the cheap.
16. Make a mini fire pit on the cheap.
For this project , you’ll need a metal, ceramic, or terracotta planter, the glass from dollar store frames, glue, rocks, and chicken wire.
Glue the glass together and then to the planter. Place a gel fuel can below a layer of chicken wire and decorate with rocks. Done!
17. Make edible slime for kids who just can’t help themselves.
Many homemade slimes include Borax or other things you don’t want your kids eating. Instead, just melt some Starburst candies over a double boiler and knead in some powdered sugar.
The kids can have fun with only a sugar rush as the side effect. Even I can get behind a DIY like this.
18. Pamper yourself with a homemade sugar scrub.
It only takes three ingredients: sugar, a base oil, and an essential oil. Just mix them together.
This recipe used coconut oil for the base and eucalyptus essential oil, which sounds absolutely divine.
19. Make a new bed for your pet with an old suitcase.
Whether you’re repurposing your own luggage or you’ve found a cute vintage one, all you need to do is remove excess flaps, straps, or anything else your pet could get caught up in, then line the case with comfy bedding.
20. Turn empty food containers into gold leaf vases.
These are extra cute if you use containers shaped like animals, such as bear-shaped honey bottles. Clean them thoroughly and apply gold leaf. No one will ever guess their original use.
21. Soothe muscle aches with a DIY essential oil rub.
For occasional aches and pains, melt some beeswax and mix it with coconut oil, olive oil, and a soothing mix of essential oils. Get the full recipe and instructions here .
22. Turn an old media shelf into under-the-bed storage.
Any shallow shelving unit can be used for this . Just give it a fresh coat of paint, some casters, and a handle to add some extra storage to your bedroom.
23. Turn old crates into rustic bookshelves.
You can customize this project in so many ways! Stain the crates like in the image below, or paint them fun colors. Just add as many crates as you need, depending on the size of your space.
From self-care to creating a home you can love to live in, I hope some of these simple projects were perfect for you.
SHARE this list with your friends, and tell us in the COMMENTS if you try any of the projects out yourself!
