DIY Decorations to Transform Your Rental Property

Colorful Pillows

If you need a pop of color in your home, a homemade pillowcase can give you the brightness you need. You can place these items on your sofa as decoration, or you can add them to your bed as throw pillows. You could also place the pillows on your dining room chairs to add color around your table. This is also a great way to introduce patterns into your apartment, which can be especially valuable if you live in a rental property that has plain walls and flooring.

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be particularly crafty, you can easily make your own pillow. You don’t even a sewing machine. As long as you have the following tools, you can make a pillow:

Your choice of fabric
Sewing needles
Fabric scissors
Thread that matches your fabric
Pillow stuffing

Wallpaper Artwork

If you have some spare wallpaper lying around, you can use this material to transform an exposed surface. This is especially helpful if you want to cover the top of your desk, the side of your bookshelf or line your drawers. With leftover wallpaper, you can upgrade any blank space to make it more interesting.

If you don’t have wallpaper, you can also use leftover wrapping paper as a substitute. Wallpaper can be used to create a simple, cheap backsplash behind a desk or to decorate your storage units.

Printed Placemats

You can easily make your own placemats to decorate your dining room table. Depending on the style you want, you can either create fabric placemats or cover yours in vinyl. Regardless of which one you choose, you should start with fabric. For each placemat you make, you’ll need two pieces of fabric that are the same size. Then, you need to sew the pieces together so that the patterned or colored sides are facing outward.

If you want a fabric placemat, you can stop after this step. However, if you want to cover your placemats to make them less susceptible to spills, you can then cover them with vinyl. You may be able to purchase this by the yard, so make sure you have your measurements with you before you go to the store.

Decorative Coasters

Coasters help protect your table from being stained by glasses and mugs. No matter your style or price range, you can easily craft designer coasters that will add personality to your home. In fact, you can use the following materials to make your own coasters:

Fabric
Cork
Tiles
Felt

Tapestries and Wall Art

Most rental properties come with neutral-colored walls, and you usually can’t paint them. However, you want to make sure that anything you hang on the wall is easily removable so you don’t accidentally damage them. Luckily, there are many lightweight, simple wall decorations you can make on your own.

Regardless of your style, you can create wall decor to match. The types of items you can make include: