5 Awesome, Eco-Friendly DIY Projects for your Home

Lately, I’ve been getting the itch to do another DIY project. I would love to find an inexpensive used dresser to rehab, because my husband and I really need one. But until I find “the one,” I’ve been on the hunt for other projects that will satisfy my desire to be crafty. Ah and yes our home air conditioner broke so we contacted Classic Air Conditioning & Heating to get it replaced. I’ve found a ton of great projects out there that I hope you’ll love as much as I do. Find Makita Tools here, these are my favorite tools to work on projects. Since I’m not a craft maven — yet — I will share the creativity of these artisans with you.

1. How To: Make a Headboard Bench from Scraps

All I can say is wow!  I saw the “after” photos of this incredible transformation before I saw the “befores,” and I was completely blown away.  Can you imagine that 4 hours, $38 and an ugly headboard could even become this bench? The incredibly talented Nia Sayers entered this project into a eco-project contest at Re-Nest, and I think it should win hands down. Click the link to see photos of several stages of the process. She offers a step-by-step description of how she created the bench, and she has certainly inspired me. My husband and I bought a headboard for my daughter’s room at Goodwill a few months ago, but we didn’t have room for it. Instead of leaving it in storage, we may just try our hand at a headboard bench of our own. Thank God for people like Nia.

2. Tutorial: Easy Envelope Pillow Covers

There are very few things I’m comfortable making by hand without a detailed set of instructions. Pillow covers are among those few things. But this very simple technique from Jackie at Tiny Decor is one I never would have thought to try. It requires no zippers or buttons for the sewing challenged (read: me), and with the help of a sewing machine, it takes just 20 minutes to make. Pillow covers this simple will make me want to change them out every other week. Now I just have to buy a sewing machine. Craigslist, here I come!

3. DIY Kids’ Table and Chair Instructions

I saw this one last year and I am still immensely impressed by it. Mother Mayaluna created this cute kids’ table and 2 chairs from a contractor-grade, heavy-duty cardboard tube, foam, fabric and a pizza pan. Yes — I said a pizza pan. There’s nothing quite as eco-friendly as cardboard, even more so if it is made with recycled content. The entire set can be recycled and/or reused when outgrown. This would be stunning in a kids’ playroom or bedroom. And lucky for us, Maya was generous enough to tell us how to do it.

4. DIY Painted Planters

Photo by Magda Wojtyra

All of these projects are beautiful, but some might be a bit intimidating to try on your own. So in the spirit of finding DIY projects that anyone can do, it doesn’t get much easier than these simple painted planters made from empty cans.  We’re not huge fans of canned food, but we do buy it on occasion.  I’ve always known I could do something with those cans instead of throwing them in the recycling bin, but I could never figure out what. Now, I finally know what to do. These planters are easy to make and colorful, though I would recommend trying to treat them with some type of rust proof paint or solvent. Don’t quote me on that, because I’m not even sure it is possible to rust-proof something in a non-toxic way.

5. DIY Project: Kate’s Uncommon Valentine Art

This project posted at Design Sponge was intended as a Valentine’s Day project, but it can definitely work throughout the whole year. It also solves a problem that many of us (especially those of us who have children) run into. We all have a collection of “stuff” that we have no need for. Old keys, extra buttons for clothes you no longer have, earrings that have long since lost their mates — I could go on and on. It can be tempting to throw that stuff away. After all, it won’t take up much space at the landfill, right? That may be true, but this project is a much better solution. You’ll get a unique piece of handmade art and you’ll finally be able to put all those knicknacks to use. And I love the versatility of this project. You can create any shape you want, even using your unwanteds to spell out words or create initials. I’ve definitely put this one on my own to-do list.

I have tons more DIY projects that I want to try bookmarked. I’ll share more of them another time. If you attempt any of these projects, I’d love to hear how they turned out. Feel free to tell us about it in the comments and send me photos of your finished work!