By now, maybe you’ve cleaned your house top to bottom, organized your Tupperware and re-grouted the tile in all the bathrooms. So what’s next? Here are 7 mini projects to occupy your time and feel like you’ve accomplished something (other than finishing all of the Netflix series your friends told you about, that is).
Beauty inspires us and lifts our spirits. Use these easy, no-cost ideas to add some beauty to your home in just an afternoon.
1. Flower Power. Take flowers from the store or clippings from your backyard. Put them in a vase, bring over some large books around the house, place them artfully on the coffee table and voilà. Done. Fresh flowers always add life into a room.
2. Color coordinate your books. I keep my books together by subject because it’s easy to find and I can skim through quickly. I was looking at my bookcase the other day and it looked so disorganized. Different sizes and colors everywhere, a bit haphazard. So I took all of the books off the shelves and color coordinated them. Kids could even help you with this! Yes, you get poetry next to architecture, next to health … but that’s ok. It looks so colorful and organized. The bonus is, I found books I hadn’t looked at in years! Now when looking for a specific book, you’ll be able to see all the other treasured books, topics and hobbies you’ve put aside.
3. Kitchen styling. Are your countertops bare? Do you have a few vases with color or random cookbooks? If you’re spending a lot of time in your kitchen, you probably need a change of scenery. Yes, we all need to maximize counter space, but adding style to the kitchen countertop will add a little spice into your daily routine. Find a tray or a low basket and a container. Put your cutting boards together, all of your main tools in the container, add something special and a little flower or succulent (real or faux) in the mix. You’ve little curated space that is both functional and pleasant to look at.
5. Pucker up. Another approach to styling kitchen surfaces is to use the natural colors of citrus to liven the space. Get one of your favorite bowls and pull out all of your lemons, limes and oranges. Done. Doesn’t that look pretty! So simple and colorful. Plus it will remind you to use those lemons and make some refreshing lemon water, tasty margaritas with the limes, or add refreshing orange slices to your salad.
4. Create a vision board. Do you have a lot of magazines floating around? Let’s be honest, you know you’ve had some for about a year! How about grabbing a few magazines, scissors, glue or modge podge and cardboard. This is a great project to do solo or with the family. Start cutting out words you like and that inspire you. Look at pictures, start cutting them out, and don’t edit yourself. The car, the dress, the salad, the ocean. Write down some things you’d like to manifest. Eat healthier, travel somewhere, garden more … whatever you’ve been thinking about. Then start gluing them on your cardboard in a somewhat organized way. I guarantee your creativity will start flowing and it will be fun welcome a mindset for the future.
6. Paint stones. Need to have a few quiet moments? Put the kids to work and send them outside to collect random stones around the yard. Clean them off and paint, draw and write on them. Let the paint dry and set them around the house, in a bowl, or however you choose. It’s a fun little art project everyone can do.
7. Yummy! How about a pre-summer drink? Sangria is always a festive-looking beverage. The main goal is to make a beautiful drink you can enjoy, whether it’s with wine or not. Take a look at this recipe to create a colorful and refreshing drink!
I hope these mini projects inspire you to do something creative with what you already have in your home. Let’s make the most of our quarantine!
– Juliana
