9 Decorating Projects for Lazy Summer Days

Take advantage of extra free time during your summer staycation or long weekend to whip up one of these colorful, crafty projects for the home. From DIY wallpaper and spray paint art to giant washi tape for your walls, these nine projects spied around Houzz are sure to get your creative wheels turning.

1. Stamped and splattered pillows and chairs. Spice up a plain white cushion, slipcover or thrift shop chair with a splash of bright paint. Either splatter the paint à la Jackson Pollack or use a simple stencil or stamp with fabric paint to create a repeating pattern, like the hearts shown here. Practice your design on paper and scraps of cloth first, until you've mastered the tools you are using.


2. Chalkboard "wallpaper." A chalkboard wall can go beyond the playroom when you treat it like your own customizable (and easily changed) wallpaper. Just use white chalk to create your own pattern — try tiny plus signs, dots, stars, triangles or waves.

See how to make your own chalkboard paint


3. Giant washi tape wall decor. Like the popular Japanese paper crafting tape but on steroids, this supersize washi tape can be used directly on your walls to add color and pattern, without the commitment of wallpaper. It comes in beautiful colors, and when you get tired of it, it will peel right off. You can find giant washi tape to purchase here.


4. Surfboard bar. If you have an old surfboard lying around or spy one at a late-summer yard sale at a bargain price, consider transforming it into a one-of-a-kind outdoor bar. Attach it to a basic table (even sawhorses and a plank would do), and top it with summer bar essentials before your next shindig.

Make one for the tots: Whip up a mini version for the kids' playroom by using a boogie board attached to a low side table.


5. Spray paint art. Pick up a blank prepared canvas and a can of gold spray paint at your local art supply store, and spritz your own design.

Set up your workspace outdoors, cover the ground with a tarp and protect yourself with a mask and gloves. Test your design on plain paper first until you feel comfortable with the spray paint; then move on to the canvas.


6. Giant letter magnets. Turn papier-mâché letters from the craft store into a major statement for your fridge by attaching magnets to the back. Choose a favorite word to spell out, cover the letters with colorful fabric or paint, and glue magnets to the back of each one (you may need several magnets per letter).


7. Scrap-wood wall art. Put your own spin on typography wall art, like the pieces shown here, using scrap wood and letter stencils. Fasten the wood pieces together, then paint on a short quote or phrase using letter stencils and white paint.


8. Photo booth wall display. Do you have a drawer full of photo booth strips somewhere? If so, it's time to dig them out! Hung together in rows on mini clotheslines, these little mementos make a big impact. No photo strips? Try using Polaroids, black and white photos or any photos with a theme (oceans, portraits etc.) instead.


9. Photo grid wall. Whip up a dramatic-looking but deceptively easy display for all of those summer vacation photos by using a grid of identical inexpensive frames (those shown here are from Ikea). The tricky part is measuring precisely so that the frames hang flush with one another, but once you get that down, it's a piece of cake — and the results are totally jaw dropping.

Tip: Don't have enough photos to fill every frame? Fill a few randomly placed frames with plain white paper instead — look closely and you'll see that was done in the room here.

Tell us: Have you made anything this summer? Itching to try something new? Share your ideas in the Comments!

More: 29 Home Projects to Make You a DIY Superstar

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