With spring in full swing, the itch to refresh your apartment decor might prove irresistible. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and your apartment is begging for a make-over that will brighten up even the darkest of rooms. If you’ve ever watched a design-centric show on HGTV only to think that you could never possibly do something that incredible on your own, think again. With the DIY popularity explosion, there are now a number of inexpensive and relatively easy projects you can undertake with minimal supplies. Even if you’re all thumbs, refreshing your apartment can be as simple as clicking over to Pinterest to find some design inspiration. 
Living in an apartment, you may be concerned that you cannot really dig deep into your design dreams. While it is true that you may not be able to paint your walls that bright aqua blue shade, you can employ a few crafty ideas that will liven up your space while still ensuring your damage deposit stays intact.
Make It Pop:
Pops of colour peppered throughout your apartment will instantly add some vibrancy to a muted room. If you love to knit, buy some colourful yarn and get busy making a beautiful throw for the back of your couch. Not so handy with the knitting needles? You can still purchase some brightly coloured items from a discount store like HomeSense or IKEA. Better yet, grab some pottery paint and put your artistic skills to work on some plain white vases that will soon house spring bouquets on your coffee table. Fabric markers are also available in a wide array of colours and can be used on pillows and tea towels to add some unique flair to your apartment decor.
You’ve Been Framed:
The quickest way to freshen up your apartment decor is with some brand new art. But, if we’re being truthful, art can be very expensive. A simple and one-of-a-kind solution is to frame fabric. This DIY trick allows you to showcase some absolutely stunning fabric, which can be purchased rather inexpensively at most craft supply stores, even if you don’t have the dexterity to sew something out of it. You can even dress up the frame your fabric will be housed in with a little paint to truly add your personal touch. Group a few of these masterpieces together, ensuring you vary the size of the frames for maximum impact.
Go Green:
Nothing screams spring more than fresh flowers and plants. As we’ve mentioned before, plants also help to clean the air in your apartment (something we all want to do after having the windows locked up tight all winter). Exercise your green thumb by purchasing seeds and growing your own plants from scratch on your balcony or windowsill. The DIY-er in you can even use “found” objects as planters, such buckets, bowls and mugs that you no longer use. Flea markets are amazing places to discover inexpensive treasures that you can use to get your plants potted. If you want to add even more creative planters to your apartment decor, using old wine corks (yes, wine corks) as tiny planters are unexpected and, frankly, adorable ways to mix a little green into your apartment life.
If you’re still not sure how you want to liven up your apartment decor, taking a trip to your local craft supply store and walking the aisles can provide you with endless sources of inspiration. You can also head over to the Rentseeker Pinterest boards to see some of the DIY projects that have us swinging into spring in style.
Feeling particularly crafty? We found these instructions on how to make your own braided rug from the blog A Beautiful Mess:
Supplies Needed:
– A piece of sturdy canvas. This will be the base of your rug. Ours was approximately 2ft x 2.5ft. You can choose any size you like.
– Plenty of scrap fabric to rip and braid. Choose colors that coordinate and fit your space.
– Black yarn
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Fabric glue
– Tape
– Aerosal Polycrylic Protective Finish (choose the water based option).
Instructions:
1. Choose your rug size and cut the canvas base piece to size. Set aside.
2. Rip long strips of fabric. Each braid needs to be about 2.5 feet longer than the length of your base piece. I know that seems like a lot, but they will get shorter as you braid and you need extra for fringe.
3. Braid enough ropes to completely cover the mat. This is the most time consuming part. It’s a perfect job to multitask during evening TV shows for a few nights.
4. Tape the ends of each rope for easy access later.
5. When you are done braiding (whew!) glue your braids to the mat. Leave an even amount of braid hanging over the edge of each side. Use as much glue as you need to get a very study rug.
6. Use the black yard and a tapestry needle to stitch along the edges of the rug base, tacking down each braid.
7. Remove the ends of each braid after the yarn line. Trim the edges so that your fringe is even.
8. Go outdoors and use Polycrylic Finish to seal the rug. This will make your rug waterproof and much more durable for your next rainy day.
Follow this and more great ideas on our blog at: RentSeeker.ca/Blog
