Many homeowners like to do their own decorating projects themselves. By doing your own decorating projects, you can ensure that your own style and personality come through your decorating. Try any of these 5 great DIY decorating projects for the home.

1. Paint the Walls
Painting is considered to be the easiest yet most effective way to give a room an entirely new look. The décor of the room will always be influenced by the color of the walls. If you begin a painting project, you want to be sure you do it properly and prepare the walls as needed. This includes filling in cracks and then sanding them down so that the wall is smooth and crack-free. You also need to be sure to put on a coat of primer. You may have to put on a few coats of paint as well, depending on the color and the saturation of the wall.

2. Install Molding on the Walls
Molding instantly adds a new touch to your walls. Molding’s great, because it will add some interest and appeal to an otherwise boring wall. You might install a chair rail in the middle of the wall or go with crown molding, which is installed at the top. Before nailing it to the wall, paint or stain the molding first. Then you can go back and touch up the nail holes later.

3. Personalize the Lampshades
Are you having trouble finding the exact kind of lampshade you want? Or do you just want something that shows your style? Consider designing your own lampshade. An easy way to do this is to find a white or cream-colored lampshade. Then cut out designs or figures with dark paper such as black or red. Then tape the paper to the inside of the lampshade and you will have created a designer lampshade that reflects your own personal style. Another way to personalize the lampshade is by adding embellishments and ribbon to it. This is [wonderful|great] way to [add a touch of flair to|decorate|accent] a [mission|wood|wooden|oak] end table in your [living room|family room|bedroom].

4. Make Your Own Artwork for the Walls
Even those who can’t draw or paint well can still come up with their very own artwork for the walls or to place on a wooden bookcase. You just need to get creative. You can look around and use items you already have. Look around for photographs, postcards, and book images that you can hang on the wall. Collages of items like those found in nature also make great pieces of art. Another simple project is to take a frame or blank canvas and wrap it in a patterned fabric that fits in with the room’s décor. If you put together two or three different patterns stretched on different sized frames, you can hang them all together in a cluster on the wall.

5. Make Your Own Window Treatments
For those who aren’t handy with a needle and thread or a sewing machine, there are many other techniques you can use to make your own curtains that don’t involve sewing. For instance, you can take a long silk scarf and drape it over a window curtain, which will create instant interest around the window. Other instant window treatments include such things as placemats and tablecloths. If you do sew, then find a pattern you like, pick out the fabric, and create the window treatments you’ve always envisioned for your home.

Just because a decorating project is DIY doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. These are only 5 of the many different types of projects you can take on so you can decorate your home in your own personal style.

Decorating DIY Projects for Your Home

	Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $2.37 Average Rating:
	Love the look of mid-century, modern, retro design, but don't feel like dropping two weeks' pay on an Eames chair? In Handmade Modern, Todd Oldham shares his passion for mid-century modern homes with over 52 do-it-yourself projects for anyone who loves crafts and longs to add character to every corner of his or her home...

	Cottage Style: Ideas and Projects for Your World List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $36.89 Average Rating:
	- Create the ambience of a 19th century English cottage.

	Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $2.37 Average Rating:
	Love the look of mid-century, modern, retro design, but don't feel like dropping two weeks' pay on an Eames chair? In Handmade Modern, Todd Oldham shares his passion for mid-century modern homes with over 52 do-it-yourself projects for anyone who loves crafts and longs to add character to every corner of his or her home...

	Terence Conran's Diy By Design: Over 30 Projects To Make and More Than 100 Design Ideas For Every Room In Your Home List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $8.89
	Restore, revamp, repair, and revitalize your home! Whether it's tiling a kitchen work surface or building a bedroom wardrobe, these projects will make a room more attractive and functional. Enhance comfort, increase storage space, introduce character into a setting--when you "do-it-yourself," almost anything is possible...

	The Complete Book of Step-by-Step Outdoor DIY: Over Sixty Stylish and Easy-to-Build Projects for Your List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $57.08
	Including numerous photographs, plans and ideas, this handbook is designed to inspire readers to build their own features and structures for the patio and garden. It provides over 60 projects made from wood, brick and stone.