Moving stinks, but there’s a bright side: you get a blank canvas to style your new space.
Sadly, after paying moving costs plus first and last month’s rent or a mortgage, your budget for decorating is probably pretty slim.
But if you’re willing to get inventive and put in a bit of effort, there are plenty of low-cost ways to spruce up your home without breaking the bank.
5 DIY Decorating Projects That Make Your Space Pop
Below are five stylish ways to embellish your walls, each for under $15.
1. Popsicle Stick Hexagon Shelf
Remember making little birdhouses or trivets with popsicle sticks at camp?
Well, toss that memory — this is nothing like it.
This cool popsicle stick hexagon shelf tutorial from Make & Do Crew uses distressed craft sticks for a trendy, reclaimed-wood vibe that’s perfect for modern spaces.
It’s hexagon-shaped, which is oddly satisfying and even makes a cute gift for the lab nerd in your life.
Mount a single hexagon to highlight a special object, or cluster several together in a honeycomb layout to showcase trinkets (and maybe confuse a few bees).
The project is simple, and you get to enjoy popsicles while you work — or just buy a bag of craft sticks if you prefer no brain freeze.
What to Buy:
- 100 Popsicle sticks – about $2.09 for 150 on Amazon
- Tacky glue – around $1.29
- Satin wood stain – roughly $7.77
What You Already Have:
- Paintbrush
- Print-out of Make & Do Crew’s hexagon template
How to Make It:
1. Glue the sticks together following the template.
2. Stain the sticks and allow them to dry.
3. Hang the hexagon on your wall.
4. Place a small item inside it.
5. Bask in your DIY prowess.
Total Cost: $11.15
2. Framed Fabric Wall Panels
Ever stroll through a fabric shop and spot a print that screams “sofa” or “dress” but then realize wearing it would make you look like a vintage settee?
Often, fabrics are at their best in small doses — like a framed swatch on the wall.
This DIY is ridiculously easy and can be tailored to match any color scheme or room theme.
Small fabric samples cost about a dollar at most fabric stores. Dollar-store frames are literally a dollar.
If you want to spend nothing, raid friends’ closets for old shirts, pillowcases or duvet covers you can cut down to size.
Yard sales and thrift shops are also great places to find inexpensive frames and interesting textiles.
(Cheap frames can be fragile, so damaged ones are easy to repair with a little glue or tape.)
What to Buy:
- 3 fabric swatches – $3
- 3 picture frames – $3
What You Already Have:
- Scissors
How to Make It:
1. Remove the frame backing and lay it on the fabric.
2. Cut the fabric using the backing as a template, leaving about 1/2 inch of extra material on all sides.
3. Place the fabric on the backing.
4. Reinsert the backing to secure the fabric.
Total Cost: $6.00
3. Nail and String Artwork
When I make nail-and-string art, I throw on some bell-bottoms, light a candle and queue up Simon & Garfunkel.
It gets me into the groove for one of the grooviest crafts since the heyday of flower crowns.
These updated string-art pieces actually look modern, unlike the kitschier versions from decades past.
This one is a bit more time-consuming than the popsicle shelf, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.
What to Buy:
- Wooden board – about $4.97
- String or twine – roughly $3.90
- Bag of nails – around $1.24
What You Already Have:
- Hammer
- Your chosen pattern or one of these free templates
How to Make It:
1. Trace your design onto the wood.
2. Hammer small nails evenly along the outline of the pattern.
3. Wrap the string around the nails to form your design.
Total Cost: $10.11
4. Color-Blocked Cork Clock
What time is it? Time to make a clock.
Why buy a plain wall clock when you can craft one that coordinates with your decor, your vibe, or even your eye color if that’s your thing?
This color-block cork clock is straightforward to assemble, and you’ll want one in every room once you see how it turns out.
What to Buy:
- Clock kit – about $7.99
- Acrylic paint – around $2.37 (three colors at roughly $0.79 each)
- Round cork trivet – about $2.09 (roughly $6.29 for a 3-pack)
What You Already Have:
- Power drill
- Painter’s tape
- Paint brushes
How to Make It:
1. Choose contrasting paint colors for the cork and hands.
2. Drill a center hole in the cork trivet.
3. Use painter’s tape to mask off geometric sections.
4. Paint the sections and let dry.
5. Remove the tape.
6. Install the clock mechanism per kit instructions.
7. Hang it up.
8. Realize it’s taco time.
Total cost = $12.45
5. Cork Message Board Cluster
I’m a list enthusiast — grocery lists, bucket lists, to-do lists, song lists, lists of lists.
This cork-board message center corrals them all in one handy spot.
It’s also perfect for pinning random scraps that would otherwise become a soggy ball at the bottom of your laundry.
You can get creative here and use leftover fabric from your framed fabric project, or keep it simple by painting or doodling directly on the cork trivets.
What to Buy:
- Four cork trivets – $8.36 ($2.09 each)
- Two colors of acrylic paint – $1.58 (two at $0.79 each)
- One strip of fabric from a sale section – $1
What You Already Have:
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Paintbrush
How to Make It:
1. Cut fabric to fit a trivet, leaving about 2 inches extra around the edge.
2. Trim the corners to create a rounded shape.
3. Cut small slits around the fabric edge.
4. Center the trivet on the fabric.
5. Fold the fabric over the edges and staple it to the back.
6. Repeat with a second fabric-covered trivet.
7. Paint the remaining two trivets and let them dry.
8. Hang the four trivets grouped on your wall.
Total cost = $10.94
Your turn: What’s your favorite low-cost DIY decor idea?
Disclosure: You wouldn’t believe how much coffee the Savinly team consumes. This post contains affiliate links to help us keep the espresso flowing!
Edited by Megan Carter, a staff writer at Savinly. While she penned the piece, credit for styling the projects goes to assistant intern Jamie Ortiz.
Looking for more budget-friendly decorating tips? Check out these cheap diy dorm decorating ideas and dorm room decorations that wont cost a fortune for simple, affordable inspiration.
