Image via Complex Original
Having the same furniture or Ikea aesthetic that all your friends is no longer be an option, as we've dug up 20 DIY apartment ideas for you that are cheap, easy, customizable, and good-looking. Take some time out of your hectic schedule to create, especially something that makes your living space a little more livable. Whether you live in a cramped apartment or something more spacious, these DIY ideas can be done in a multitude of ways, and no doubt they'll inspire new ideas that you originate yourself.
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Record Crates
Record Crates
Protecting your valuable and often expensive records is a must, and DIY record crates are the way to do it. These are really simple, clean, and customizable a.k.a. the winning DIY triad.
Leather Wood Trivets
Leather Wood Trivets
There's nothing more annoying than fucking up a table or object because of a hot pan. Get rid of that possibility with these DIY trivets that can be easily customized to your style.
Slatted Wood Map Art
Slatted Wood Map Art
This is one of the dopest DIY projects to exist, and the map idea is ingenious. You can basically paint anything you can stencil or draw, though, so don't limit yourself to a map if it doesn't suit you.
Beer Cap Stool
Beer Cap Stool
Put your beer caps to use with a stool, or any cool surface really. The more variety, the better.
iPhone Stand
Scrap Wood iPhone Stand
This DIY project shows how color turn a simple project into a standout piece for your apartment. It's not only easy but cost efficient, too.
Floating Shoe Rack
Floating Shoe Rack
While there are plenty of floating shoe racks on the market, they're certainly not hard to make, and the crew at Not Martha have put together great instructions for doing it with a simple trip to the lumber yard or Home Depot.
Sliding Barn Door
Sliding Barn Door
The sliding barn door is an easy way to give character to both inside and outside a room, whether it's in the yellow they've used here, or another color. We imagine staining old wood would make a for a cool look, too.
Soundproofed Walls
Soundproofed Walls
Should you ever want to soundproof your walls, this step-by-step DIY method is perfect. If nothing else, it also adds a new color palette or texture to a room.
Key Rack
Kitchen Utensil Key Rack
Even the person who remembers where they put everything should have a key rack, and why not make one that only sacrifices a utensil?
Lightbulb
Lightbulb Socket Chandelier
Chandeliers can be really over-the-top, but this lightbulb socket idea is really dope and easy to make. This would look great in any apartment.
Tin Can Lamp
Tin Can Lamp
The tin can lamp is a super classic yet industrial look for any desk or bedside table. With or without the rustic look Those Northern Skies has made, there are infinite options to turn a can into a dope lamp for your apartment (i.e. Campbell's soup can, chalboard paint, gold crackle paint).
Simple Side Table
Simple Side Table
Side tables are a pretty essential part of any apartment, and it's all too easy to buy cheap plastic ones, even knowing they're not hot. A side table is a super easy Saturday project, and you'll like your place much better for it.
Deer Head
Book-wrapped Deer Head
This is a cool, less expensive alternative to an actual deer head trophy mount, not to mention that it also saves a deer.
Wine Cork Board
Wine Cork Board
The wine cork board is awesome, because you can make it any size you want, and it requires you to drink a lot of wine to accumulate enough corks. Might even be cool to paint over the corks in black or something afterward.
Literary Clock
Literary Clock
The literary clock is awesome, and while we can imagine there are better books than these to do a cool DIY one with, you get the idea.
Mail Basket
Mail basket
The best part about this mail basket is that you can use it for other things, too, and it's super versatile and easy to install. Definitely recommended for those not wanting another boring shelving unit.
Pull-out Couch
Pull-out Couch
This pull-out couch is definitely one of the more difficult DIY projects, but Little Green has put together really helpful diagrams to actually make a good one.
Wood Log table
Wood Log Table
While these instructions are in Dutch, the images aren't hard to follow. We had no idea there was a cube supporting the logs, but this is a pretty bomb way to have a table that doesn't look like the same $5 one everybody has.
Cardboard Stool
Cardboard Stool
Cardboard furniture is the shit...but we already knew this. Out of a lot of cardboard furniture you could make, why not a nice, sturdy stool?
directions
Wine Bottle Torch
Wine Bottle Torch
The wine bottle torch is definitely the most creative item on the list, and we really like the way they did it with blue bottles. Pretty sure if your balcony, deck, or patio's got these, you'll elicit endless respect from your visitors and roommates.