These ingenious DIY projects, born out of financial constraints, have become favorites among home enthusiasts! On the first day back to work with renewed energy, I’m here to help you save a fortune! During the Spring Festival, while I was bored at home, a friend sent me what they called an ‘art piece’. Can you guess what it is? It’s a Spring Limited Edition lamp made from baking cups for just 50 yuan. Isn’t it beautiful? Despite our limited means, we must not lose the ability to create a beautiful life. Poverty breeds ingenuity! Thus, I’ve collected a bunch of ‘poverty-wise DIY’ projects that showcase brilliant creativity. They are not only cost-effective but also artistic. Let’s learn from these talented individuals! (On the path of poverty, talent is essential to move forward.)
Practical and Budget-Saving, Filled with Wisdom: Crafting a Beautiful Storage Shelf for 400 Yuan @ Xiaohongshu Aiden. A high-quality and visually appealing storage shelf from stores can easily cost thousands of yuan, and finding the perfect design requires scouring through online shopping platforms. So, Aiden purchased birch marine plywood and hardware accessories to create a DIY storage shelf that rivals those costing thousands.
The rattan-woven small tray DIYed by the dexterous Yan Zai is of extremely high aesthetics, and the operation is also easy to learn and master.
Materials needed: Rattan-woven materials purchased online, small photo frames of various shapes, hot glue gun + hot glue, handles, scissors, electric screwdriver (needed to drill holes for installing handles). The DIY process is very suitable for those who are not good at handicrafts. First, use scissors to cut the rattan-woven materials into the shape of the photo frame backboard; fix it to the backboard with hot glue and trim the lower edge. Then put it into the photo frame and fasten it. If you want to install a handle, draw the hole spacing on the photo frame, drill holes with an electric screwdriver, and screw on the handle. The delicate small tray is completed! If you feel this is still a bit difficult, Yan Zai has another 3-minute DIY tray method, which is so easy! Materials needed: Colored wooden boards (wood color and transparent color), 3 small wooden balls, 3 small wooden columns, hot glue gun + hot glue. The extremely simple DIY steps are as follows: Turn the paint board over and roughly determine the positions of the legs; quickly squeeze hot glue onto the small balls or columns and quickly stick them to the paint board; turn it over and the small tray is made. Isn’t it too simple? And doesn’t it look very sophisticated? Spend dozens of yuan to DIY a pleated table lamp @Xiaohongshu Yan Zai DIY. Yan Zai was recommended this pleated table lamp by many home bloggers and wanted to have it. However, the genuine product of this table lamp costs more than a thousand yuan, so… “turn on the wisdom mode of poverty”. Materials needed: Pleated lampshade (lower circumference diameter 28 cm); lamp base (30 cm high), light bulb. PS: Search for keywords on Taobao: Fabric pleated lampshade, lamp base accessories for lampshades. After preparing the materials, just assemble them directly according to the above steps. It’s very simple! Everyone can match them at will according to their own preferences. Saving more than a thousand yuan, isn’t it great? It looks unaffordable, but actually a low-cost DIY article. Spend 84 yuan to DIY a Issey Miyake pleated wall painting @Xiaohongshu Cao Gongzi-pluto Online wall paintings are all the same and ordinary. DIYing by yourself is not only cost-saving but also high-class. Materials needed: One piece of idle wooden board (40×50 cm); Three and a half meters of Issey Miyake pleated paper (just search for the keyword), hot glue gun + hot glue. The production process is relatively simple. As long as you have the foundation of primary school handicraft class. First, spread the cloth flat on the board, leaving enough space for hemming on both sides, and then pinch out the wavy shape you want with your hands. Glue the wooden board and the cloth with a hot glue gun. It is recommended that the distance between the dots of glue is not too close. If it is not appropriate, it is easy to modify later; keep sorting out the surface texture of the cloth and fill the gaps with glue. This is done. It looks particularly pleasing to the eye when placed at home! And DIYing by yourself is much more meaningful than hanging those identical wall paintings.Spend 25 yuan to DIY a dynamic balance device @Xiaohongshu wei wei
This dynamic balance decoration is surely something you’ve often seen. It can instantly liven up a space. The original is Flensted Mobiles from Denmark. The price isn’t too high, about over 400 yuan. Wei wei thinks that if you have a sufficient budget and really like it, you can buy the genuine product. But if you have a limited budget and want to DIY it yourself, that’s also fine.
Materials needed:
– 6 wooden balls each with a diameter of 40mm and 18mm (drill a half-depth hole with a 3mm diameter)
– 3 steel wires (1m long, 1.1mm in diameter)
– Transparent fishing line
– Hot glue gun + hot glue
– Pliers
First, use pliers to cut the 3 steel wires in half, getting 6 steel wires each 50cm long. Glue the two ends of the steel wires with hot glue and fix one large and one small wooden ball respectively. String the 6 steel wires together with fishing line, with an interval of 7 – 10cm. The fishing line should be closer to the large wooden ball. Finally, lift the fishing line to adjust the balance, hang it where you want to hang it, and fix it with a non-trace nail. Isn’t the operation simple?
Spend 130 yuan to DIY a Klein blue ball chair @Xiaohongshu Shi Daihui
Shi Daihui transformed an old and idle chair at her grandmother’s house in a fashionable and avant-garde way. Although she only used sponge balls and spent only 130 yuan, it has an expensive look.
Materials needed:
– Sponge balls
– Hot glue gun + hot glue
– An idle chair
First, roughly measure the length, width, and height of the chair and estimate the number of sponge balls (you can buy different sizes).
Turn waste into treasure at 0 cost, cute and lovely: Transform egg cartons into niche artworks @Xiaohongshu Zhi Lin
Zhi Lin said that there are often “waste” items in life with a highly ordered shape, which are especially suitable for transformation. For example, I spotted egg cartons in the vegetable market and made them into various small ornaments.
Materials needed:
– Egg cartons
– Acrylic paint
– Hot glue gun + hot glue
The transformation process is very simple: cut – shape by hand – fix with hot glue – paint with acrylic paint. There’s no fixed pattern, just do it according to your own preference. Make them into candlesticks and insert candles. Make them into flower vases and insert flowers, which are more beautiful than the flowers themselves.
Create a charming chandelier with minimalist design. Transform a simple aluminum wire into a sculptural candle holder. Weiwei from Xiaohongshu has crafted a candle holder with a sense of sculpture using just an aluminum wire, making the wire itself shine and exude a strong sense of design. Materials needed: aluminum wire (or aluminum alloy), foil, wooden balls, and candles. The method of making it is simple and intuitive, with the most captivating aspect being its inspiration and creativity. Weiwei says that while wire is typically used to tie up miscellaneous items, it can also be turned into a small candle holder glowing with candlelight, which is quite beautiful.
Foil becomes corner art clock. Weiwei has also used foil to wrap around a PVC foam board, DIYing a corner clock with a cool vibe. Materials needed: PVC foam board or cardboard, foil, hot glue, blue adhesive, and clock face & hands. Secure the two boards with hot glue, then cover the secured boards with foil and attach the clock face. The texture created by the crumpled foil wrapped around the boards is very cool and three-dimensional. Use blue adhesive to secure the finished clock; it can also be hung on a desk… Does this creation remind you of any classic work? After seeing these DIY enthusiasts create various home items, I feel so uninteresting! I can’t do anything, I’m poor and lacking in wisdom. These DIY methods are cost-effective, artistic, and wise in life. It seems that turning waste into treasure and accomplishing great things with small expenses is an impressive feat! Rather than calling these DIY methods the wisdom of poverty, it is more accurate to say they are the joys of life.