100 Cheap and Easy DIY Apartment Decorating Ideas

These DIY apartment decorating ideas on a budget will help you decorate for less and maximize the space in your apartment. With these DIYs, you can make your apartment look classy without spending much money!

Kitchen Apartment Decorating Ideas

$30 DIY Marble Countertops
All you need is contact paper!

Hanging Kitchen Garden
clay pots + white spray paint  + rubber bands + jute rope + wood dowel rods +  curtain rings  + curtain brackets

DIY Concrete Dining Table Top
thrift store dining set + brackets and screws + primer & paint + concrete + concrete sealer (food safe)

Anthro-inspired Zinc Letters
wood letters + black acrylic paint + silver metallic paint

Hanging Utensils
towel bar +s hooks + screws + screwdriver

Olive Oil Glass Bottle Soap Dispensers

DIY Spice Rack Magnets
round clear-top tins + spices + magnets + tape + permanent marker

Kitchen Countertop Herb Garden
empty cans +ribbon +terra-cotta saucer  + drill + twine + tags

Coffee Cup Wall Storage
IKEA rails ($9.99) and hooks ($3)

Coffee Cup Holder
hooks + screws  + paint +  letter stencils + sponge brush

DIY Tiered Tray from Frames
picture frames + paint + wood + saw + wood glue + wooden candlestick and finial

Pots and Pan Organizer (using a wire rack organzier)

Pan Organizer (using a metal file sorter)

Pot Lid Storage (using command hooks)

Bathroom Apartment Decorating Ideas

Custom Drawers
wallpaper + paint roller + sponge

DIY Towel Rack with Shelf
wood boards + white paint + hammer and nails + decorative hooks + screws. + wood glue

Crate Storage
crates + spray paint or stain + large-picture hanging strips +  exterior clear coat

Floating Shelves for Small Sinks
You can get the shelves at IKEA for under $10

Framed Bathroom Mirror
wood + saw + staple gun & staples  + wood glue

Open Sink Skirt
adhesive-backed hook-and-loop tape + curtain
Tip: For more storage, add baskets or bins under the skirt

Back of the Door Towel Holders
All you need is 3 towel bars

Under Shelf Towel Rack
towel rod + wall shelf + mounting hardware

Above Door Storage

Over The Toilet Shelving
wood board + nails +  wood glue  + drill & screws + wood stain

Drawer Organizer DIY
wood glue + wood lathes + paint

Basket Shelving (source unknown)

Hanging Toothbrush Holder
glass vase ($1 at Dollar Tree) + E6000 + brass nail heads + scrap leather + wood

Jewelry Tower
cups + saucers + taper candle holders + spray paint + glue
These dishes were found at Thrift Stores, but you can also find similar ones at Dollar Tree too.

Tiered Tray
glass taper candleholder + white plate + white saucer

Dollar Store Makeup Holders
glass taper candleholder + e6000 glue + cylindrical candleholders

DIY Mirrored Vanity Tray
picture frame + mirror + drawer handles + rubber pads + silver spray paint

Macon Jar Bathroom Organizer Set
mason jars + white paint + clear coat sealant + mason jar soap lid converter kit + mason jar flower frog

Jewelry Holder from a Cutlery Tray
wooden cutlery tray + paint + knobs  + cup hooks

Repurposing Candle Jars
candle jar + glue + knobs + spray paint + primer + goo gone
Here is a great DIY goo gone

Dollar Store Bathroom Drawer Organizers

Under the Sink Makeover
nesting bins + metal shower caddy

Hair Appliance Storage
all you need for this is command hooks

Cook Jar Nail Polish Holder
You can get the cookie jar at Dollar Tree

Towel Rack  (Using a Wine Rack)

Rustic Ladder for Towels
pine dowel rods + pine studs + wood glue + sand paper + steel wool

IKEA Spice Rack Shelving
spice rack ($4) + white spray paint

Makeup Organizer
clear plastic organizers + double-sized tape

Mason Jar Organizers
mason jars + hose clamps + scrap wood + picture hanging kit + screws

Living Room & Bedroom Apartment Decorating Ideas

DIY Crate TV Stand
crates + screws + drill

Over Sofa DIY Side Table 
The tutorial is in German but I plugged it into google translate so you can understand it better

$25 DIY Sofa Table
pine board + furring pieces + screws + screw driver +  clamps + stainable wood filler + stain or paint

DIY Crate Bookcase
crates + hammer and nails + paint (optional)

Picture Frame Shadow Box Shelf
picture frame + drawers + saw + wood glue + spray paint + picture hanging kit

Corner Floating Shelves
You can either buy the shelves for $10-$15 each or. you could DIY them. Here is a tutorial for how to make them yourself. You just need some basic woodworking tools and skills.

Console Table
maple gel stain + clear sealant + chalk paint + wax sealant + wood plank

Drawer Shelf
old drawer + spray paint + wood scraps + hammer and nails

$10 DIY Blanket Ladder
3 pine boards + miter saw + wood stain

DIY Frame Shelves
wood boards + old frames (thrifts store) + wood glue + spray paint + nails + wood filler + command strips

Crate Book Storage
crates + white paint + wall hanging brackets + saw

Closet Door Mirrors

DIY Hanging Shelf 
wooden board + rope + metal rings + saw + drill

$20 Plush Headboard DIY
Plywood + wood boards + screws + batting + drapery lining + buttons + staple gun

Rolling Utility Cart
Carts are great for small spaces. They are versatile, customizable and mobile so you can move them around.
You can also use them in the kitchen for extra storage space (e.g. coffee or bar cart).
You can get carts for around $20

Pallet Nightstand with Light
pallet wood + wood stain + hammer and nails

Floating Shelf Nightstand
brackets + screws + wood + wood stain

Crate Nightstand 
crate + wood stain + gold string + hairpin legs + screws + drill

Sofa Arm Table
wood boards +  screws + wood glue + sand paper + wood stain

Wire Basket Side Table
wire basket + round wood panel + spray paint + wood stain + clear coat + cable staples

Home Accent Apartment Decorating Ideas

$4 DIY No Sew Throw Pillows
canvas bag + poly-fil stuffing + glue gun

DIY Washi Tape Candles
You can get the brass candleholders at thrift stores. I see them all the time for a couple of dollars.

DIY Mercury Glass Vase
glass vase + Rustoleum Mirror Effect spray paint + paper towels + spray bottle

Knock-off Ballard Designs Garden District Mirrors
white eye liner pencil + cheap mirrors +white stain glass window color

DIY Planter Box Centerpiece
pine boards + staple gun + wood glue + paint

Stenciled Rug DIY
solid colored rug ($1 at Dollar Tree) + stencil + painter’s tape  + acrylic craft paint + fabric medium

DIY Decorative ORB
12 inch embroidery hoops + wood stain + tacks

Thumbtack Patterned Candles
gold thumbtacks + candle

Gold Leaf Vase
gold paint + painter’s tape + vase + flowers

Paint Swirl Vases
vases ($1 at Dollar Tree) + acrylic paint

Enamel Painted Vases
different sized vases + dishwasher safe PermEnamel paint + PermEnamel Surface Conditioner

Kate Spade Rosebowl
round glass candleholder + gold paint pen + flowers

Succulent Tiered Ceramic Bowls
ceramic bowls + glass pillar candleholder + potting soil + pebbles + fake succulent

Invisible Book Shelf
“L” Bracket + wood screws + books

$15 DIY Mirror
wood + wood stain + wood glue + liquid nails + staple gun + saw

$20 Gallery Wall
$2 IKEA mirrors + printer + mod podge

$7 Knock Off West Elm’s Herringbone Mirror 
wood veneer + wood stain + E6000 Glue + chevron fabric  + spray adhesive

Entryway and Laundry Apartment Decorating Ideas

Marble Accordion Rack
wooden accordion rack + marble self-adhesive film + white paint

Key Frame
picture frame + gold hooks + paint

Mail Holder Baskets
wire baskets ($1) + black spray paint + chalkboard labels

Metallic Rope Throw Basket
round laundry basket + paint + jute rope  + 1 yard felt

Cardboard Box Basket
jute twine + cardboard + white fabric

DIY Laundry Sorter
 canvas bags + hooks + wood screws + wood filler + scrap wood + white paint + curtain grommets

Ironing Board on Hooks

Laundry Wall Clock
cheap wall clock (IKEA – $3) + clothespins + wood stains + hot glue gun

Custom Pressing Board
Plywood + staple gun + batting scraps + 1/2 yard of quilting cotton
If you don’t have enough space for an ironing board, then this is a great idea

cookie jar (Dollar Tree) + laundry pods

Closet Apartment Decorating Ideas

Back of Closet Door Organization
tension rod + wreath hanger + narrow hooks +  plastic holders + command strips

Belt Organizer II
shower curtain rings + shower rod

Purse Organizer
curtain rings + shower curtain rod (or you could just attach the rings to hangers)

Tights Organizer
clothespins + ruler + glue gun

Scarf Organizer
shower curtain rod + curtain rings + scarves

Hat Organizer
curtain rings + hanger

Tank Top Organizer
shower curtain rings + hanger

Bra Organizer Using Metal Racks or Towel Hook Rack
You could do the same thing with 2-3 of these Dollar Tree hooks

Winter Accessory Organzier
towel bar + curtain clip rings

Flats Organization
plastic clips + hangers
You can also use bent wire coat hangers to

Shirt Organizer (using a soda tab)

Tie Holder
screws + decorative drawer handles (you can them at Walmart for $2-$3)

Patio Apartment Decorating Ideas

Patio Lanterns
plastic landscaping solar lights + basket hangers

One Pot Herb Garden
large terra cotta pot + chalkboard labels + chalk pen

Tiered Pots Herb Garden (no source found)

Rock Covered Bucket
metal can or bucket + river rock mesh tile + thin set mortar + grout