Colorful DIY Bedroom Projects You Can Do in a Weekend

DIY Bedroom Art

Bedroom with plant artwork above bed — Nicolas Gourguechon

Art is an easy way to introduce color and personality to your bedroom. Create your own nature-inspired wall art by framing sculptural leaves from plants like monstera, croton, and areca palm. Before framing, press the leaves in a large book with newsprint or paper towels on either side to absorb moisture. For leaves that won't fit in a book, use two pieces of plywood. Attach the leaves to art paper using double-sided tape and frame.

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Colorful Bedroom Furniture Project

diy black teal dresser floral wallpaper — Jason Donnelly

Grab some removable wallpaper in a colorful pattern to quickly update bedroom furniture. This dresser boasts a vibrant floral pattern on its lower drawers. The piece also received a coat of black paint on the top, sides, and front frame; teal paint makes the top drawers stand out. To apply wallpaper on a dresser, remove the hardware and measure the drawer fronts. After cutting the wallpaper to size, peel off the backing and press the paper onto the drawer front. Use the edge of a credit card to smooth out any air bubbles under the paper.

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DIY Ribbon Bedding

blue colored bedroom ribbon trim bedding — Jay Wilde

Update basic bedding with ribbon for a pretty color pop. Add a decorative border to pillowcases and sheets, or create a striped design using ribbon in coordinating colors. When attaching ribbons to fabric, either stitch or use iron-on adhesive tape (not both).

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DIY Nightstand Project

Build This Wall-Mounted Nightstand

wood cube floating bedside storage — Jason Donnelly

Swap your traditional bedside table for this DIY floating nightstand. The wood cube is easy to construct with a few simple cuts and a pocket-hole jig. Inside the rectangular frame is a separate compartment sized for electronics; a hole drilled through the side can accommodate a charging cord. A painted plywood backing supplies a perfect pop of color.

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Colorful Bedroom Wallpaper

room shot of bedroom with blue patterned wallpaper and headboard — Annie Schlechter

Peel-and-stick wallpaper makes it easier than ever to add lively patterns and color to your bedroom. To apply, start with a completely dry, clean wall with a smooth surface. Peel off the adhesive backing and, starting at the ceiling, apply the wallpaper in a straight line down the wall, smoothing as you go. Use a straightedge and a small utility knife to trim away excess around the ceiling, baseboards, or window and door frames.

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Custom Bedroom Seating

DIY fabric-covered bench with storage — Jacob Fox

Create bedroom furniture that doubles as storage with this DIY tufted bench. Pick a fabric in your favorite pattern for a standout accessory, or coordinate the fabric color with your bedding for a cohesive look. A hinged lid opens up to reveal hidden storage for throw blankets and pillows.

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DIY Bedroom Artwork

Get the Art Tutorial

Colorful painting on mantelpiece at home — Jason Donnelly

Even if you live in a rental where you can't paint walls, or you simply prefer a neutral bedroom palette, you can still add small doses of your favorite colors through statement artwork. This abstract design is easy to make with spray paint. Hang the DIY wall art above your bed for a contemporary statement piece.

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Easy Velvet Headboard

bedroom blue velvet headboard next to table — Jason Donnelly

Fashion a fabric slipcover to quickly bring new color and style to your headboard. We chose brilliant blue velvet for ours and slipped it over a DIY headboard crafted from plywood and upholstery foam. Two-inch button blanks covered in velvet and attached with E6000 adhesive ($4, Target) introduce extra texture and dimension.

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Painted Barnwood Headboard

bedroom rustic reclaimed wood headboard — Adam Albright

Add color and texture with a DIY headboard made from reclaimed barn boards. Cut a piece of plywood to desired size (ours fits a queen bed). Gently clean the boards with a damp cloth, but don't scrub or sand away the weathered character. Cut boards as needed, and nail them to cover the plywood. For the whitewash finish, we diluted 1/3 cup white paint with 1/2 cup water and brushed on the mixture. When dry, we taped off boards and created color blocks using a blue spruce hue. The soothing shade works perfectly in a bedroom, and the color blocks add a modern touch to the piece. Screw the headboard into studs in your wall, or hang with wood cleats.

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DIY Ombre Duvet

This $50 DIY duvet cover gains high-style thanks to an easy dip-dye technique. Start with a 100-percent-cotton white duvet cover. Prepare three large buckets of Rit brand liquid dye ($5, Michaels). Mix equal parts Royal Blue and Navy Blue. Create three color intensities by diluting with water. Starting with the lightest tone, bunch up and dip about 30 inches of one short end of the duvet cover into the bucket about 10 times. (Dipping repeatedly, rather than soaking, results in a less crisp, more organic look.) While the fabric is still wet, dip 20 inches of it about five times into the midtone dye. Then dip 10 inches about three times into the darkest dye. Lay the cover flat on a protected surface to dry, then repeat the process with the other end of the cover. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to set the dye.

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DIY Striped Pillows

blue and white striped dyed pillow on comforter — Adam Albright

DIY pillow ideas are a simple, affordable way to add color to a bedroom. For this project, fan-fold a purchased white cotton pillowcase, then dip one edge into liquid dye. We used a mix of Rit's Royal Blue and Navy Blue to coordinate with our duvet. Let dry and heat-set according to the manufacturer's directions.

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DIY Geometric Dresser

orange and white geometric dresser in teal bedroom — Adam Albright

This previously plain white dresser now proudly wears an eye-catching geometric design. For either a new or an old dresser, remove drawers, then prime and paint the drawer fronts. Use a straightedge, a pencil, and painter's tape to block off a geometric pattern. Try alternating directions or flipping the pattern upside down on adjacent drawers, as we did here. We used three tones of the same color and applied them randomly inside the tape lines. When dry, reinstall the drawers.

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Customized Table Lamp

Customized Lamp with blue base and white shade — Adam Albright

Spray paint and thread update this thrift store lamp for a colorful bedside table accent. We used spray primer and blue Rust-Oleum spray paint ($6, The Home Depot) to freshen the old brass base. Then we used embroidery floss in long stitches to create the vertical lines on the shade and add V-shapes in two colors and hash marks underneath.

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Stitched Bedroom Pillows

blue pillow with orange stitching — Adam Albright

Subtle stitching adds colorful designs to a plain pillowcase. With the deepest-intensity dye left over from our duvet project (previous slide), we dyed two shams. When dry, we used embroidery floss in a simple split stitch to create a pattern that radiates like sun rays from one corner of the sham. Use all six strands of the floss for more visible stitching.

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