7 Easy DIY Projects for the Beginner Crafter

Do you have lots of materials at home that are too good to be put to waste? Give them a second life by trying some DIY crafts. For one thing, this is a good habit to do because it’s also another way of recycling! Talk about taking care of Mother Nature in a creative way.

It doesn’t have to be difficult to give your home a personalized touch. All these projects can be completed with inexpensive craft materials found in your humble abode, but if you do lack some tools, you can purchase some from your local home improvement store or the craft store. From jewelry to kitchen hardware, you can improve any part of your home with these easy DIY projects.

Jewelry Holder

This easy DIY necklace holder can be put together in minutes. First, select a piece of wood to use for the base. Driftwood makes an especially attractive product.

Choose four to five reclaimed drawer pulls from the thrift store for an extra vintage look. Otherwise, choose drawer pulls from the home improvement store. Drill holes for the drawer pulls. Attach the knobs to the wood using the holes.

With smaller knobs, this can also be adapted as a key rack.

DIY Lockpicks

Have you ever experienced locking yourself out of a room or your house then forget that the keys were still inside? Even if you haven’t yet, it may still happen to you.

In those situations, you can easily buy some lockpicking tools from your local locksmith, but you may not have the time to do that.

Luckily, you can make your own lockpick from common, everyday materials like a bobby pin, paperclip, a coke can or a plastic bottle.

DIY Braided Hex Nut Bracelet

This fun bracelet is made of butcher’s twine and small brass hex nuts from the home improvement store. Start by tying a knot in three strands of butcher’s twine. Leave a few inches at the end. Braid three strands of the butcher’s twine for about two inches.

Start threading on nuts one at a time, and push them up so that they are braided tightly. Alternate the direction that the nuts are facing for a spinelike texture. When the bracelet has reached the desired length, tie a knot securing the nuts, and then leave the same amount of twine as what you began with.

Letter Bottles with Hot Glue

For a customized touch, try writing on reclaimed glass bottles with a hot glue gun. Choose a meaningful word like love.

Make sure you keep the bottle on its side for a few minutes after writing. Brush off extra glue strings with an old toothbrush. Then spray paint the entire bottle in one solid color.

Paper-Mâché Bowls

These bowls are easily made with shredded paper and white glue. First, choose a bowl to use as the mold. Cover this bowl with plastic wrap, and make sure it is kept tight with painter’s tape.

Then mix thin white glue with water. Use one part glue, one part water. Dip strips of shredded paper in the glue mixture, and lay the strips inside the plastic-wrapped bowl. Lay the strips out so that the entire bowl is covered.

Let it dry for at least three hours. Gently loosen the paper bowl from the inside of your mold. Spray-paint the bowl, using two different colors for an extra touch.

Fork and Spoon Door Handles

For this project, find a large serving fork and spoon. Buy one-inch aluminum screw posts at your home improvement store. Using epoxy, glue a screw post about half an inch from the base of the utensil. Let it dry, and place another post at the flattest point of the fork or spoon.

Drill holes in your cabinets to match the new handles, and attach them to the doors, screwing them in from the inside.

Washed-up Treasures

For an underwater theme, you can use sea glass, shells, and materials like burlap or linen to decorate the dessert table or other areas during an outdoor birthday party. The burlap fabric can serve as a tablecloth, lending a natural feel to the decorations, and a wood picture frame that will hold the fabric will give off the rustic vibes. A preserved white finger starfish can then be used as the focal point when placed at the center of the burlap backing.

After that’s been taken care of, you may now scatter shells and different shapes and sizes of sea glass around the photo frame’s base to add that washed-up look. For emphasis, the drinks, food, or presents can surround the marine display.