Lisa from Salt Marsh Cottage needed to replace three ugly ceiling lights at her beach house. A beautiful fixture from Design Within Reach inspired her, but when Lisa realized it would cost almost $1200 for three fixtures, she felt less inspired. Plus, Lisa really wanted a chrome finish rather than brass. Are you feeling a DIY coming on? Lisa found a $15 fixture at Home Depot with a similar design, and with the help of a can of metallic silver spray paint, she was able to get the look of the DWR fixture in her preferred finished at a much more reasonable price!

While looking for decorative pillows for her daughter’s bedroom, Hayley from Grey House Harbor came across an adorable anchor design. But $52 for a 20″x 20″ pillow?!? Hayley says she didn’t like it that much and decided a DIY was in order. She already had an unused throw pillow insert and white fabric left over from another project. One freezer paper stencil and a little latex house paint later, and voila! Why would you spend $52 when you can make a spot-on knock off for only $3???

Debbie of Made From Pinterest was a little hesitant to try a pin for hand painted bowls due to the artistic nature of the project. However, the beauty of the hand painted look is that it doesn’t require perfection. Debbie got some cheap bowls and paints and went to town. She says, “Be creative!  Don’t worry if the design isn’t perfect. That just adds to the hand painted look and feel of these cute designer and decorator bowls.”

Mable from Tiny Dazzles Blog loves to watch her kids role play. When Mable came across a play store online, she knew they would love it and found similar plans from Ana White. Mable is a regular shopper at the Home Depot scrap bins and bought all the wood she needed to make her own store for less than $6. Some of the wood was even free! Mable says, “It was an easy project and my kids absolutely love it. They are the cutest little store keepers.”

Like Bre of Average But Inspired do you love the low-maintenance nature of succulents? Bre created a stylish terrarium to hold succulents using a glass bowl from the dollar store and a piece of wood to create a vintage-inspired brass base. I love the look of the mixed materials and how the pedestal elevates the bowl slightly. Bre’s easy DIY terrarium cost only $7 and adds a touch of modern flair to her home.