Tie dye is back in a big way and this unique technique will have you planning a DIY day ASAP.

Shibori is an ancient Japanese dying technique in which you fold and bind fabric, then dunk it in dye to create one-of-a-kind patterns. There’s a great tutorial here if you want to learn more.

You can use this technique to create placemats, curtains, tablecloths, blankets, or just about anything else your heart desires.

For some, it might be unthinkable to tear the pages from books, but there are plenty of pages out there that are simply falling out or don’t really deserve a read. And recycling for art is better than adding it to a landfill!

Book-lovers can use these old pages to make amazing ornaments in a variety of styles by simply rolling and pasting pages into new shapes. This photo shows just a few of the options, but you can find even more here.

This lacing technique can give any wooden surface a beautiful lace texture. Simply take a piece of lace, paint over it with textured paint, lift the lace, and then add whatever final layer you desire to your new surface.

More instructions are here, but this is an easy one, despite multiple steps.

It’s not the most gentle way to treat a flower, but it turns out you can create a beautiful color transfer design with just a hammer!

You can use fabric or paper for this project which simply requires you to smash the flower with a hammer until the pigment is extracted and absorbed.

Easy and stress-relieving. See some instructions here.

The great thing about duct tape is that it stays in place. That means if you want to use it to create patterns to paint over, you don’t have to worry about paint sneaking up underneath and ruining your borders.

Simply cut the tape in the design you want and paint over the whole area. Lift the tape before it’s completely dry and you’ll have custom-stenciled items to decorate your home.

See more details on this project here.

Not all of us can afford to live in the palace at Versailles, complete with gold furniture – but you can gild your own furniture at home with this easy technique.

While you can use gold paint for an all-over gild, adding gold leaf will give it a more vintage look.

There are tutorials here and here to show you how to attach gold leaf to textured surfaces and burnish it a bit for an aged accent piece.

Pyrography, or woodburning, is not normally thought of as a beginner’s art, but this method involves transferring an image onto wood first so you don’t have to create a design freehand with a flaming torch in your hand.

By printing your design (backward, of course) on a laser printer and then heating it up against the wood to transfer the ink, you’ll have an easy design to trace over later.

Check out the instructions here.

When we think of elegant DIY, styrofoam isn’t normally the first thing we think of, but these cool vases might change your mind.

The complete tutorial is here, but you just need a styrofoam cup, boiling water, and some rubber bands. Simply place the rubber bands where you’d like to see indentations and boil the cup to watch it transform its shape!

Most people distress their paint job with sandpaper after it’s dry, but you can wet distress as well by using a lint-free, damp cloth and rubbing it on the not-yet-dry areas you’ve just painted.

You can use light or heavy pressure depending on the effect you’re after.

See more here.

Like that copper look but don’t know how to work with metal? You can create the same look with paint by following a few easy steps found here.

Using copper, gold, and rust-colored spray paint, as well as some turquoise chalk paint for a weathered look, you can layer colors while using a sponge or balled up plastic bag to add texture.

A design is transferred onto a glass surface with some Modge Podge and a bit of patience to turn this $1 plate into a beautiful serving vessel.

See the instructions here.

We adore this idea to adorn lids with faux flowers dipped in plaster of Paris. It’s simple, cheap, and adds a ton of personality to a plain old jar (or anything else you want to stick them on for that matter).

Check out the instructions here.

Over at A Beautiful Mess you can learn how to make your own beautiful stained glass art to hang anywhere in your house.

While there are lots of techniques, this one simply requires some glass, a few lead adhesive strips to place where you want, and glass paint to fill in your designs.

Bermuda blending is a lot like other techniques but uses specific colors to get that tropical feel. You can buy the kit here or choose your own colors.

If you’re not sure how to blend and distress, it’s not too hard, but detailed instructions can be found here.

Hometalk user “Purple Hues and Me” made this wire and floss flower based on an ancient flower-making technique called Ganutell that originated in Malta.

It requires floral wire, embroidery floss, some wooden skewers, and some patience, but instructions are here for making this unique conversation piece bound to brighten up any room.

Normally we think of chalk paint as being useful on flat surfaces, but it turns out it can add some serious dimension to textured wood.

By going over your previous paint job with a brush barely dipped in a different color chalk paint, you can create an amazing antique look for your molding.

The instructions aren’t as straightforward as you might think, so you might want to read up before trying this at home here.

Give a cheap new frame an antique look by “distressing” it with a bar of soap.

Rub the soap over a frame and paint over it to get a rough texture that makes a frame look like it’s been around a lot longer.

Lightly sanding it afterward will give it even more vintage appeal. See the whole how-to here.

You can make this adorable pillow with a stencil, some Elmer’s glue, and a dye kit.

Simply fill in the stencil with glue and dye your fabric. The glue can be peeled off later to reveal your design.

Check out the instructions here.

Paint doesn’t adhere well to glass because it’s not porous.

But using this method, you can prime, sand, and seal paint onto glass jars to create your own shabby chic masterpiece.

If you have a large empty space and no artwork to hang, try creating an accent piece on your own.

Using painters tape to create the design, you can paint your wall a nice bright color and reveal some visual interest once you peel off the tape.

Here are the instructions for this cool project.

Stenciled walls are great, but if you want some texture, try mixing paint with a joint compound to get a raised design.

This requires a bit more effort, but you can find instructions for this project here.

This one involves multiple steps and some skill, so we’re just going to direct you to the video here.

For those of you who want a unique new look on tables and countertops, you must check out the technique that can turn your laminte into a gemstone-colored glaze.

Have a cheap bookshelf that you wish was made of solid wood? Well, now you can give that particle board some real wood grain to get the look you’re after.

You just need to paint it and drag what’s called a wood graining tool across the wet paint to get this great effect. You can see it in action here.

Have some shiny new metal that you’d like to look antique? You can add a patina to it yourself using just some sandpaper and Lysol!

Or click here for a more natural method. While you’ll have to wait a few hours for the full effect, the results are lovely.

Do you want a matte finish on your glossy furniture? You can get it with a wax and steel wool technique by Red Wind Studios by following the instructions here.

We’re loving the matte black look on this piece!

Stop by the hardware store and invest in some aluminum tape for this cool holiday project. All it requires is the tape, some foam letters, and a paint pen to create this festive piece.

Check out more here.

This requires a special dye mixture for cold water that you can find here, but we can see why everyone is copying this technique for their picnic blankets.

This look is achieved by placing a bunch of ice in a sheet and pouring the dye over it! Definitely not something we would have come up with!

You can do your own marbling with this fun splatter technique that involves pouring nail polish into water and dunking in your decor item.

See the how-to here.

Do you have a bricked up fireplace? Well you can turn it into a wine rack with instructions from Girl UPcycled Studio.

Such a great idea for unused space!

Ok, hear us out.

Do you have a bare wall in your bathroom that needs some pizazz but are afraid to hang art there because of the humidity?

Have you ever seen a beautiful bathroom curtain?

Well, it turns out you can frame that curtain to make a perfect, humidity-proof piece of artwork to hang on your bathroom wall! Brilliant, right?

Next time you stain wood, keep this easy stenciling technique in mind.

The detailed instructions are here, but basically involve cutting a design, painting it over with glue, staining the area, and peeling the glue off later.

Are you ready for another shower curtain hack? It turns out the mildew and mold-proof fabric used to make modern shower curtains is good for lots of things!

That includes recovering a rug that wasn’t previously stain-proof!

Just follow these instructions and you’re all set. You can use any heavy fabric, but shower curtains often provide a lot of bang for your buck.

Ever want your backyard to match most glam interior? Well, now you can give your birds the best by upcycling a chandelier into a birdfeeder.

It might seem a little over-the-top, but imagine how elegant an unused piece of lighting decor will look if you paint it a vibrant color and have all of your beautiful backyard friends adorn it!

The instructions are here, but you can probably wing it.

For a calming but unique paint job, consider this watercolor technique on your walls.

The tutorial can be found here (as well as the finished product).

It basically requires you to add water to your paint and press a wet brush at the top of the wall to expunge the paint and water that then trickles down, waterfall-style.

Have you ever dreamed of a lush backyard vegetable garden only to be left with a barren wasteland and leftover tomato cages? No, just us?

Ok, well, if you do happen to have some of those cages left over, it turns out you can still put them to good use by turning them into plant stands. A gold paint job will give it more posh feel.

By simply taking a wide paintbrush and placing your colors side-by-side, you can swipe over an area and turn your furniture into a unique creation that looks like chalk art.

Check out the instructions here.

Just because shelving is functional doesn’t mean it has to be ugly.

You can cover up your wire shelves with some stenciled wood to give your pantry or laundry room a much more put-together look.

Using a canvas print, a power drill, and some hinges, you can hide away unsightly outlets that aren’t in use or other things on your walls that you don’t wish to display to everyone.

We love this hack because it also keeps things out of sight that are personal and makes it feel like you have your own secret vault.

You don’t even need to add all the bells and whistles to this PVC lamp project to make it look cool.

You’ll need a lighting kit, but after that, it’s up to you if you want to decorate it or make the cut-outs that this handy Hometalk poster used. You could easily just stick with the lamp on the left!

There’s no magic solution here to getting water to flow – you will need a pump for that.

But you can customize your fountain any which way you want by using your own pots and buckets and a bit of paint (and sealant) and whatever stones and pebbles go the best with your garden for a soothing backyard retreat.

Instructions are here.

Have an old bedframe you can’t bear to get rid of? You can repurpose it into a bench with some power tools and know-how.

Just follow these instructions and the sky’s the limit when it comes to painting and choosing a cushion!

It turns out aluminum foil tape (which you can find at the hardware store and is often used to seal air ducts) has a lot of cool uses!

Whether you use it to cover letters (like in #26) or simply find a soft surface to write on so it picks up the indent of your handwriting, it makes a great label for things like spices and other kitchen containers.

Such a great way to customize your spices!

Have an old armoire that’s stuffed with things you don’t need? Or have a great cocktail collection that’s scattered around your kitchen? Maybe it’s time to make an armoire bar!

These pieces can run into the thousands of dollars if you buy them already customized and they might not fit your glassware or your specific needs, so here’s some inspiration to make your own.

It’s also a great way to keep the booze away from prying eyes if you want to save the good scotch for special occasions.

If you’ve got some boards laying around (and many of us do for whatever inexplicable reason), consider turning them into a window box that you can screw onto a small window on your garage to give it some good cheer.

These instructions will give you some ideas about how to make it (along with homemade shutters, if you’re interested) and are bound to save you some serious cash.

Certainly a conversation piece, you can use any design you want, but we’re loving this stylized wire dress for crafty fashionistas.

You’ll need 14 and 20 gauge black jewelry wire as well as pliers and some wire cutters, but you can turn just about any sketch into your own unique piece of artwork.

You can find instructions here.

Have some hoola hoops around? Even if you don’t, they’re only a few dollars, so this project has a low budget.

We’re loving this conversation piece made of hoops painted gold. There are some other ideas here, all fairly simple but totally unique!

We’ve seen plenty of cute ways to make garden labels, but this is the first time we’ve seen repurposed Scrabble tiles used.

This is sure to appeal to the word nerds in your life.

It would also make a great gift for a gardener who loves playing board games!

See more instructions here.

Bookworms, once again you may be horrified to see book treated this way, but I think we can all agree that some have served their purpose and can take on a new life as something else – in this case as wall art.

Yes, you can put your books on shelves, but how amazing is this open book installation?! There are plenty of ways to tackle it to fit your decor, but you can see instructions for this more elaborate piece here.

Do you like a bit of whimsy, but have trouble finding the perfect decor that says what you want it to? From sweet to snarky, this string art project will give you free rein over your message.

There are tons of ideas here, but we like this one best.

Is your household part gearhead-part gardener? Opposites attract when you repurpose tires or rims into an ourdoor wreath.

The instructions for this project are here, but you get the point and can choose your own combination.