Copycat

Angela from blue i style has long been obsessed with the Reclaimed License Plate Map from Uncommon Goods. When she decided to go with a vintage, handmade look for her son’s room, the map was a shoo-in. However, at almost $4,000, Angela knew it would never be in her budget and pulled together a plan to get the same look with a much- less-expensive license plate map she found printed on heavy gauge steel and an old pallet. She says, “The final product, while not made from real license plates, has a very similar feel at a much better price. The final price tag for my knock off version was only $140!”

Amy from Joyful Daisy has seen and made many different magnet boards but simply couldn’t wait to make another when she saw the round ones featured at The Land of Nod. Not only was Amy able to customize her magnet board with pretty fabric, ribbon, and a monogram but she saved a whopping 80% since she only had to purchase the pizza pan and the grosgrain ribbon. Even if you had to buy a small piece of fabric, this is a project that definitely wouldn’t break the bank!

Tami of Curb Alert is a pro at taking trash and turning it into treasure. She had found a bright orange plastic clam shell at the Goodwill. Sure, it made a great chip bowl for her luau, but it wasn’t décor Tami would want displayed on her table everyday. At least not until she took it from tacky to classy with a can of stone texture spray paint!

Holly, one of the crafty gals behind My Sister’s Suitcase and a contributor at Tatertots & Jello, is quick to admit that she has “West Elm taste on a thrift store budget.” It was their wood tile furniture that flipped Holly’s DIY switch and motivated her on to update her current dresser with wood shims. The shims facilitated the project, allowing Holly to work with only limited tools and avoid cutting a bunch of wood. You’ve got to check out the before pics to appreciate how Holly totally changed the look of her dresser from traditional to modern.

Lindsay from My Crafty Spot loved the idea of creating pillows that mimic the look of framed art. She found a way to make her own for less than $10 using a paint marker and a steady hand. Lindsay says, “The real beauty of this is that ANYONE can do it! You might have to find your image online, but creating it is as easy as tracing letters in kindergarten, and saving $90 isn’t too awful either.”