How to DIY Without Breaking the Bank

Do it yourself projects are all the rage these days, and with a plethora of free tutorials to be found on the internet, they are easier to complete than ever.Those who DIY generally fall into one of three categories: those who DIY for fun, those who DIY to create something unique, and those who DIY because they are too poor to do things any other way. If you most often fall in the third group, like me, the philosophy is fairly simple:

Bargain materials + elbow grease = $ < buying something new

This can run you into two problems. The first is that some projects actually cost more to make than to buy, and, the second is that some projects are beyond the reaches of your budget even after the savings. This post will give you 7 tips on how to avoid both of these blunders. But first, an example of success and failure.

When I was pregnant with Henry I was beyond excited to decorate his nursery. I was determined to make our baby's room the cutest ever! I looked at our budget to see what we could spend on making my extravagant Baby pinterest board a reality, and the results were devastating. $200. That's $200 for a whole room, including furniture (minus crib)! Luckily I had some solid DIY experience at this point that made the challenge doable. Success! (See my DIY nursery after the 7 steps.)

Now let's back up to a time when I wasn't as savvy. When first married, Zac and I fell in love a project idea--a magnetic hanging scrabble board with magnetic scrabble tiles. It was so cool! We then stumbled across an old medical dictionary at a thrift store for $2. We decided to take it apart and modge podge the pages onto our board. We set a total budget of $50 for the project, which was living pretty big at the time, believe me. This is how the project went down:

Found a frame at Hobby Lobby on sale for $30
Found steel to fit our frame $60 (noticing a problem yet?)
Learned we needed to treat the steel with primer to prevent rust $6
Bought hardware to hold metal in place $4

Running Total $102 Um....woopsy!

At this point we had doubled our budget, spending more than we could afford, and it didn't even have tiles yet (which are actually pretty costly). We hang our beautiful board, but it is sadly incomplete. FAILURE!

 

Here is a list of our mistakes:

• Not setting a budget before committing to the project
• Beginning without doing the proper research of what materials cost and where to find them
• Not creating a plan of action
• Going beyond our budget instead of finding creative solutions

If I were to do this project over again, these are the 7 steps I would take:

1. Create a budget. How much can you afford to spend on this? Since this is all you can afford, this budget is set in stone unless you get some surprise extra cash flow.

2. Make a list of ALL needed supplies. You don't want to get caught by surprise materials that can add up and ruin your budget.

3. Assess your resources. I like to call these "already-haves." The great things about an already-have is that it is free. This is an especially useful technique if you have craft materials or furniture around the house that aren't getting much use. The best place to find an already-have is probably your garage.

4. Do your research. How much are materials? Where can materials be found, and what are the most cost-effective methods for completing the project?

5. Readjust your plan as necessary. If the research numbers exceed your budget, it is time to revise and make some changes. It may even be necessary to set the project aside all together until you have more $ to put in your budget.

6. Collect materials, and be savvy--this might mean being patient and collecting over time. Coupons and Freebies are are great ways to go. I buy supplies with Micheal's and Joann's coupons as they come out, and then begin my project once I have them all. Check with family, friends, and Craigslist for freebies. Hit up thrift stores for great deals as well.

7. Begin your project, and when you hit a bump be creative about the solution without compromising your budget. The staff at home improvement stores can be very helpful with this.

Henry's DIY Nursery

Here is what I did with that $200 budget. It isn't all technically DIY because some things were cheaper to just buy. Following these 7 steps made it all possible:

Rug $25

Found it at TJ Max!

Reupholstered and repainted glider $40

 

The glider was a freebie, and we shopped around to find the cheapest spray paint (it was at Lowe's), and went to a local fabric store (not a chain) to find this great fabric at a reasonable price.

Changing Table repainted $35

 

This changing table was $25 at a local thrift store, but a few coats of paint and added hardware give it a new life.

Cabinet repainted with new hardware $14

 

This cabinet is actually half of a freebie entertainment center that we cut in half, repainted, and added new hardware to.

Book Shelf $0

This shelf was a freebie and we coated it with already-have paint!

Wall Art $35

This was an incredible combination of already-haves, freebies, and couponing with a little help from IKEA and Etsy.

Ottoman $8

I hunted around a bit before finding this little beauty on Target clearance.

Lamp $12

Found the base at a thrift store and the shade on clearance at TJ Max.

Mobile $10

 I created my own pattern, and used coupons.

Even Henry is in awe!

Total = $179 That's right-- UNDER BUDGET! I did decide to splurge a little on the elephant and lion drawer pulls when a little extra $ came in. They were purchased on Etsy and really complete the room.

I smile every time I walk into that room, and see all of the beautiful hard work done by myself and family members to make my fantasy nursery a reality without breaking the bank! I hope this post helps you be successful with your own DIY adventures!