7 Easy DIY Projects You Can Do in a Day

Some DIY projects can be long and drawn out. From renovating a kitchen to retiling a bathroom, many of these things can take a lot of money, time, and skills. But a good, impactful DIY doesn’t have to take a long time to complete. With a little bit of patience and skill, you can change the look and vibe of a room before the weekend is over. Here are seven DIYS you can do in just one day. 

Create an Accent Wall

Artist and designer Elizabeth Sutton tells me an accent wall is an easy DIY that's short and sweet. “Paint a solid color accent wall or do stripes, which create a wallpaper-like accent. I love white and silver or black and gold alternating for something really bold.”

Install Peel-And-Stick Wallpaper

Or instead of paint, just go for the wallpaper with a roll of peel-and-stick. “The installation is definitely a job for two, so call your most meticulous friend to help you in order to make sure this gets done perfectly and properly.” Sutton also suggests using a plastic clipboard to help prevent air bubbles. 

Swap Out Your Hardware

Kat Christie, licensed contractor, DIY Expert, and founder of She Fixed That, recommends swapping out your old kitchen or bathroom faucet for a new one. “You can easily enhance the look, feel, and function of your kitchen or bathroom with a new faucet. It will make the whole space feel cleaner, and if you choose a more stylized faucet, it will modernize the entire space too. I love a gooseneck with a pull-down sprayer, which leaves plenty of room to wash large items.”

If dealing with plumbing sounds a little beyond your scope of skills or you’re a renter, consider switching out the knobs and pulls in your bathroom, kitchen, or even on pieces of furniture instead. “While it can be costly to perhaps upgrade the handles on all of your kitchen cabinets, you can still upgrade the handles on smaller pieces of furniture, like hope chests, closets, and drawer sets,” says Christie. “You can even get vintage handles at antique shops or hit up those garage sales! Clean them up, install them, and have a chic vintage upgrade.”

Makeover Your Doors

This is a two-parter but the overall amount of time isn’t more than a day. “Spend a weekend re-painting your doors so they look and feel brand new, and pick out some new knobs at your local big box store. You'd be shocked at how fast your space feels upgraded and sleek,” says Christie.

Create a Photo Wall

Sutton says that creating a photo wall is a DIY that takes some planning but the installation can be done in an afternoon. “Spend an hour selecting your very favorites and then deciding on the sizes and layout of the frames. Based on the configuration you’ve chosen, order the frames. You can find stylish and affordable sets on Amazon.”

Once they arrive, she suggests carefully measuring your wall to ensure the layout is perfect. “Make sure to use pencils or tape when marking the wall, as well as a level to make sure everything is perfectly straight.”

If you don’t have photos you want to display or want a truly unique look, Sutton recommends an art collage wall as an alternative. “Spend some time gathering your ‘collection’ from flea markets, Facebook Marketplace, and sidewalk street art for some inexpensive options.”

Make Your Own Art

Interior designer Mina Lisanin of ML Interiors recommends creating your own canvas art to put a personal touch on any wall. Start by purchasing a canvas and some acrylic paint. “Acrylic paint is a versatile medium for this project. It dries quickly, allowing you to complete your artwork in a single day. Pick a color that complements your room's color scheme.”

If you're not confident in your freehand lettering, you can buy stencils. On a budget? Lisanin tells me you can create your own stencils in Canva and print them out. 

Paint a Tile Backsplash

“A quick DIY project that makes a huge difference is painting your tile backsplash. You can do this in the kitchen or the bathroom,” says Siobhan Alvarez-Borland, lifestyle and DIY Expert. “I was skeptical at first, but after some research and finding the right paint, I went for it, and it makes a huge difference—at a fraction of the cost and time of replacing tile.”

DIY Expert and founder of Bouquet Box, Courtney Sixx is also a proponent of painting tile. However, she advises being very intentional about the prep work. “Scrub the tiles really well and use rubbing alcohol after to degrease. It’s important to wait a few hours to let it set in and allow the grout to dry. Then use an oil-based paint primer and two coats of gloss oil-based paint. Once it dries, don’t forget to add a clear coat.”