Best Blogs For DIY Lovers
If you've ever been in Anthropologie looking at a beautiful set of gilt-edged coffee mugs with a cool, vintage feel, only to flip over the price tag and recoil in horror, then you can understand the allure of DIY. Many of the priciest home accessories right now have the look of something you could make yourself with a jar of Mod Podge and the right attitude. Plus, turn on any home improvement show and you'll see that salvaging antiques and personalizing them with a few minor adjustments and a coat of paint is all the rage right now. But do-it-yourself projects take a lot of talent and know-how, not to mention a creative spark that many of us just don't have.
Click here for The 15 Best Blogs to Follow for DIY Lovers (Slideshow)
That's where DIY blogs come in. There are thousands of websites to turn to for home improvement techniques, party planning tips, food hacks, and even paper projects to keep you occupied and make your home look catalogue-ready. But not all blogs are created equal. Some have ridiculously difficult projects with impossible-to-follow directions, and others have projects that look cheap or just plain tacky.
So we decided to wade through the crowd to find you the best. In our slideshow, you'll find a ranked list of the 15 best DIY blogs the Internet has to offer, guaranteed to help you serve the cutest desserts on the most elegant table or give you the best step-by-step guide to reproducing that expensive chandelier you've had your eye on at Restoration Hardware.
But how did we pick?
Pinterest followers were our first clue. Pinners are notorious for knowing their DIY, and a couple of these blogs have upwards of a million fans.
We also looked at the clarity of the project directions. If you'd need to be a professional welder with a serious passion for woodworking in order to follow along, then the blog is probably too esoteric for the general public. Photography was important as well. The most eloquent directions in the world don't mean much if the blog leaves you confused about or unimpressed with what your final project should look like.
Most importantly, we looked at the projects themselves. A blog that offers ingenious recipes, fun salvage ideas, and super cute party tips is a winner in our book. Bonus points were given if none of the projects came close to the threshold of bad taste.
So check out our absolute favorite do-it-yourself blogs to get inspired and get crafting!
#15 Cuckoo 4 Design
Founder Julia Konya's projects are at once useful and whimsical. Plus she often repurposes items that have gone out of style, like cuckoo clocks, or are only good once a year. Her Christmas ball chandelier is lovely even after the holidays have ended. As a bonus, Julia can show you how to build your own homemade cat tunnel!
#14 Honestly WTF
This blog is mostly dedicated to DIY clothes horses, but its home décor ideas are just as chic as its fashion sense. The DIY flower chandelier will have your friends wondering where you found the cash to invest in a notoriously pricey Anthropologie piece.