REVEAL: $100 Small Bathroom Makeover!!! (Tons of ideas for inexpensive upgrades)

This DIY project was FEATURED on Rachael RAY!!! Watch the segment!

So I made over my bathroom...on a $100 budget!

You seriously have NO idea how excited I am to finally be able to show off my brand spankin' new powder room!  I couldn't be happier with how it came out especially given all the "firsts" I faced - wallpaper, beadboard, trim, building...  What makes me even happier is that I was able to come in under my $100 budget.  It's hard to believe looking at the before and after pictures that this could be done for less than one hundred buckos, but I assure you it was!

HELP!! My Laundry Closet Needs a Makeover

Perhaps it's because I've been seeing the same four walls of my house for too many consecutive days this winter...that doing laundry actually feels like a retreat most days.  It's five or ten minutes that I can hide upstairs alone when no one is asking me for a drink or to find their Batman (no the other one) or calling from the toilet that "Mommy, there's a problem" only to find out the 'problem' is that he can't get his superhero underwear (oh sorry, mask) on his head without my help.  WHAT is going on!!???!!

Oh wait, I retreat upstairs to switch the laundry and I'm faced with this and it's like WHAM BAM thank you MA'AM this is no haven this is an ugly, inefficient, and scary small laundry room closet. 

7 Unique and Fun Ways to Hang Bathroom Towels (Guest Post)

Today we have a special guest blogger joining us.  Sue from the lovely (and very informative) blog My-Bathrooms Blog is here to share with us seven awesome tips on bathroom towel organization.  I'll let Sue take it from here...

With so much to be done and squeezed into the bathroom, it is hard to give this fiercely practical and functional room an attractive and charming finish. However, by choosing accessories carefully keeping your décor theme and chosen colors in mind, you will be able to fill your bathroom with color, appeal and plenty of useful storage space and practicality. 

A place to hang your towels is a perfect example of this. Instead of the standard dreary row of chrome hooks why not consider the following options?

Free Standing Towel Racks

Eke out precious space in your bathroom by investing in a freestanding towel rail that can be moved around the room as needed – even being popped outside the bathroom should it get overcrowded for any reason! Freestanding towel rails at Argos come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, and no matter how small your bathroom, you will be able to find one that suits your needs and fits into the available space.

Master Bathroom Renovations Tour {and my purchase list}

I'm so excited to finally be able to say we have a start date for the renovations on our master bathroom.  This is definitely not a DIY project - although I'm sure it will produce a few. 

Basically we are expanding our bathroom to make enough room for a double vanity ending our twice daily ritual of the toothbrush/facewash/hair styling dance around the mirror and sink.

When we first thought about making renovations to the bathroom we were told it would be major construction (and cost) and would entail cutting and bumping into the guest room which shares a wall with our master bathroom.  But I'm happy to say we've figured out a way to not disrupt the bathroom at all except for the vanity area.   Okay so...here's a little looksy look into what's happening.

Here's our master bathroom now.

Small single vanity

You can see it's pretty small and storage is minimal. 

How to cut chair rail trim with a miter box saw (Photos and Video)

Okay, so before I explain all this to you, let me just tell you that I learned how to cut trim with a miter box saw the hard way - by screwing it up.   I quickly learned that not only do you have to pay attention to the angle of the cut, which is determined by the corner, you also have to be careful about the way you position the piece of wood in the saw.


Since my recent $100  $84.41 bathroom makeover was my first go at it and I screwed it up, I had to live with my mistake and fix it as best as I could so I didn't blow my budget.

But now I'm here to tell you how to use a miter box saw correctly so you don't screw it up and end up with this...

15 Minute Window Valance (and DIY coordinating accessories)

You guessed it...it's another addition to the $100 bathroom makeover.   This was actually an edit that I made after being unhappy with the original stenciled drop cloth valance I made.  The drop cloth curtain didn't cost me anything because I already had the drop cloth, but this guy only cost me $4.25 (the cost of half a yard of this gorgeous HGTV/Waverly fabric between a sale and coupon).  I'm certainly glad I splurged because this little piece of fabric makes the bathroom for me!

Unfortunately, I didn't take many any pictures as I made the new valance because I was kind of just wingin' it, but since I've had a few requests for the tutorial I'll try to explain how I did it as best as I can using a few graphics. 

The curtain rod (aka dowel) was already hanging over the window so the easiest way for me to measure how wide I needed my valance was to actually mark right on the rod the inside points were the rod holders hit. My window measurement came to 27". 

A half a yard is 18 inches and the fabric comes standard 54" wide on a roll, not a bolt.  Let the graphics parade begin...

Dollar store trash can makeover

What do you do when you're working on a $100 bathroom makeover and you want a dollar store trash can that doesn't look like a dollar store trash can? You buy a $1 trashcan and you cover it in leftover rope...at least that's what I did.

Small Bathroom Storage: DIY Pallet Board hanging shelf

And here's another sneak peek into how my $100 powder room makeover is going.  The great thing about this guy is he cost me next to nothing!  I used all pallet wood and I had the screws and stain on hand.  I did have to purchase the rope and the hook at the top, but you can actually make this without either.  (My little secret is they're just for decoration, they're not actually keeping the shelf on the wall.)

The lovely ladies over at Shanty 2 Chic inspired me to make this shelf.  They built a similar one for that odd wasted space over the toilet.   The only difference is mine is pallet wood (free) and they paid for their boards (better quality).  I believe she said she still made it for about $10...which is still quite the steal.

DIY light switch covers: Update and coordinate with scrapbook paper

Another little peak into my $100 bathroom makeover.  This update to the light switch covers didn't cost me a dime, but it makes a big impact.  I love how they add a pop of navy and coordinate with my new blue and white bathroom. 

Here's how I did it.  First I removed the light switch plates and cleaned and dried them really well.  Then I found some coordinating scrapbook paper in my stash (wrapping paper would work, too). 

DIY mason jar light fixture (on the cheap)

I can't wait another minute to show you my new bathroom light.  To say I am excited would be a vast understatement.

I told you last week how I was planning a challenge to myself to redo the powder room for $100.  Well...my husband is out of town and my kids spent the weekend at the beach with the grandparents and so...I had 36 hours to transform this teeny tiny space and I have made some major headway!   I'm not ready to make the big reveal yet, but I can't wait any longer to show you my mason jar light.  I made this baby for $3.87...and that my friends, is how you keep a $100 budget!

We had this this hideous brown tri-globe light fixture and I just about hated it as much as I hated the yellow paint.  But a whole new light fixture wasn't in the plans on my shoestring budget.  Since I have been wanting a mason jar light I thought the bathroom would be the perfect spot for it.

Small bathroom makeover: $100 budget challenge

We have 2.5 bathrooms...and lucky for me (okay, not so much) all of them need some updating (don't get me started on the demo needed in the master or the total reno needed in the kids/guest room bathroom).

The main floor powder room will far and away be the smallest project and really just requires some DIY TLC.  The Mr. is all about hiring out - but I'm not trying to spend my kids' college fund on the rooms where my kids pee and poop all over.  So...I've set a very tight budget for the powder room: a mere $100.  Yes, I recognize the craziness of this, but I figure if I set it low and plan ahead I can do it.  Pretty much everything is cosmetic and I am pretty sure I can do it all myself.

Okay, so here's what the bathroom looks like now. (I was literally standing in the coat closet across the hall to take this picture.) It's the same as it was 2.5 years ago when we moved into our home (I do have an excuse for not updating it until now and that is that my youngest was born 3 WEEKS after we made the out-of-state move.)

15 totally awesome DIY wood dowel projects

I have been using dowels a lot lately and while simple wooden rods may not seem too exciting at first...let me tell you these inexpensive babies have massive potential and diversity for DIYers and crafters.  I have used them for everything from a toilet paper holder to a jewelry organizer to Pottery Barn knockoff.

A craft supply caddy I created with a dowel as a ribbon holder caught the eye of the editors over at the DIY home and garden website, Hometalk, and they asked me to create a featured clip board of some of the best DIY Dowel Projects.  Of course, I jumped at the chance and let me tell you there are some totally awesome crafters out there using dowels in some really creative ways.

First, here's a quick recap of how I've used wooden dowels...

Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer

DIY Toilet Paper Holder

July 4th Paper Stars

Craft Supply Caddy

Burlap Flag (Pottery Barn inspired)

And now some of my favorite dowel projects from bloggers around Hometalk:

Thistle Bird Feeder:  Using a plastic soda bottle and a dowel, Linda at Crafts A La Mode created a really cool and simple bird feeder.  She cut (or in her case, melted) holes in the bottle then stuck a dowel through to create a perch for birds to feed on the bird seed she filled inside the bottle.  Full tutorial...



Necktie SunBurst Clock:  Wouldn't this necktie clock be so cool for a man's office or a big walk in closet (of course, not mine since I have an insanely small - yet organized - closet).  Jessica at Dear Emmeline is a straight up genius when it comes to dowels, as I promise you'll see.   In this project - which I'll let her full explain in the full tutorial - she used dowels as supports to keep the shape of the necktie sunburst.


Embroidery Hoop Pendant Light:  Can I tell you how excited I was when I found this light? I came across something very similar in the Restoration Hardware catalog a few weeks back and I, too, imagined using embroidery hoops to create the knockoff version.  Lucky for me - and you - Jessica at Dear Emmeline has done all the work for us by providing the step-by-step DIY tutorial.   She used square dowels as part of the hanging mechanism.  See...this is why this girl is my new dowel hero!



Pumpkin Topiary:  This is one of those projects that you can stick in your back pocket until it's time to clear off the tiered front porch planters and replace them with pumpkins.  Jennifer at Decorating Made Easy used a dowel to create a gorgeous and very festive pumpkin topiary complete with a monogram.  How awesome would this look on your front step?   I'm thinking I'll be doing this one come September or October.  If you'd like to too, here's the DIY pumpkin tutorial.


Spring Topiary: While we're talking topiaries, Shanna at Restoration Redoux has put together a beautiful and bright sprint topiary.  She uses a wooden dowel to support the large flower bloom, but takes some of the weight off the dowel, by adding sand to her pot.  What a great idea and a perfect usage for a dowel.   For the easy spring topiary tutorial click here.
 

Ribbon Storage - Marty at Marty's Musings has some major ribbon
love so it's a good thing she is also not afraid to use a dowel - or five!  She's created a great system to store her dozens of spools of ribbon by hanging dowels horizontally on the wall.  This keeps her ribbons neat, untangled, easy to access, and out of the way.   For more on how to create this super easy ribbon tutorial storage project click here. 


DIY Curtain Rod:  Curtain rods can be so expensive - which is part most of the reason at least three rooms in my house still have naked windows 2+ years after we moved in.  Okay, maybe being a busy SAHM to two kids under 5 is also to blame. But...now that I know Jessica (at Dear Emmeline's) trick to creating fast and easy customizable curtain rods I have no excuses.   Jessica shows us how to cut down a dowel to fit the exact dimensions of a window, spray paint the dowel, then add drawer pulls to each end = instant curtain rod.  How freakin' great is this? Yeah, I thought it was pretty freakin' great too which is why I'm currently working on three for three different rooms.  I told you Jessica is nothing short of a genius! Full Tutorial...

Outdoor Tuna Can Lanterns: Diane over at In My Own Style has come up with a great way to make creative inexpensive outdoor lights that don't look like they were made from a dowel or a tuna can.  Yet, that's exactly what she did to light up her beautiful backyard.  For the full tutorial on these DIY lanterns click here.

West Elm-Inspired Wood Tile Dresser: This is like playing a game of "can you spot the dowel."  This use of a dowel was so ingenious I didn't even recognize it as a wooden rod.  Amanda at Love and Renovations created this stunning dresser and used wooden dowels as the drawer pulls.  They are disguised under a coat or two of oil rubbed bronze and I can assure you they saved her more than a few dollars.  Absolutely stunning...yes, I'm drooling over here! 

Idea Board from a Mirror Frame:  Suzanne at Pieced Pastimes used the frame of an old dresser mirror to create a beautiful vintage idea board.  She inserted dowels across the front to hang clips from so she can easily change out cards, tags, or embellishments.  Absolutely gorgeous piece and a great way to incorporate dowels. 

Well, that's it for today ... I certainly hope you've been inspired to use dowels in your crafting and DIY adventures.

Thanks for stopping by Two It Yourself.  If you like what you see we'd love for you to Pin it and share it with the world.  Also, join us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and, of course, Hometalk...whew that's a mouthful...but, yes, we're everywhere!

Posted by: Melissa

DIY Toilet Paper holder from a planter and a dowel

You know when you have a moment of pure genius? Yeah, well, I had one today.  I was sitting there, on my kids' stool, waiting for my two year old to poop and the toilet paper holder next to the john caught my eye.  Why, you ask? Well, you sit in the bathroom for half an hour at a time as your kid stands - yes, stands - on the toilet seat pooping...you'll look at anything besides...

Anyway, I had just purchased a $1 large diameter dowel (about an inch) for another project I had in mind, when I realized it would be perfect for a toilet paper holder.  I've been in need of one for our tiny master bathroom.  I had this white planter in the garage that I've been dying to use for a project and guess what? It just so happens a toilet paper roll fits in it perfectly.

I also happen to have one of those floral foams on hand...put them all together and they make a toilet paper holder my day.