Simple DIY ideas for the home

Why spend money on new products when you can get the satisfaction of doing them yourself, the natural way? Here are some easy things you can do to freshen up your home – both litererally and decoratively.

You may never buy a commercial air freshener again when you start making your own. Many people swear by homemade fresheners made with baking soda or vinegar, which act as deodorizers as well as adding a gentle scent.

Both lemon and baking soda are traditional odour eaters, and this recipe couldn't be simpler. You'll need:

• 5 g (1 tsp) baking soda
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
• 500 ml (2 c) water

1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and let the mixture fizz.
2. When fizzing subsides, stir well.
3. Pour the mixture into a spritzer (a spray bottle that produces a fine mist). Spray rooms that need freshening two or three times a day.

Whether you're new to repurposing items found around your home or you're a seasoned pro who sews your own drapes, you'll want to make sure you have an inexpensive glue gun in your home design arsenal. Available for around $10, a basic model will enable you to add your own personal touches to virtually every room in your house, from the bedroom to the bathroom and beyond. Here are some ways you can use it:

• Have some great linens or textiles kicking around that you don't want to get rid of? You don't have to. Use them, along with your glue gun, to add appliqués to drapes, wallpaper, shower curtains, bed coverings, headboards and more. Be creative: Appliqués can mean far more than just cut pieces of cloth or textile. Poke around your sewing kit and dig up some older-looking buttons to create a fabulous design treatment.
• Too many Christmas ornaments for your tree? Make a reusable holiday wreath by glue-gunning extra ornaments to a twig wreath form (available at craft shops); at the end of the holiday, simply store it for next year.
• Create one-of-a-kind gift boxes with everything from plain cardboard shipping containers to dilapidated shoeboxes: cover with fabric, glue-gun in place and dress up with buttons, bows and trim. What does it cost? Virtually nothing.
• Love that bargain lamp but hate the boring shade? Get to a trimming store, pick up some inexpensive fringe or seam edging and glue gun it to the edging of the shade.

It doesn't take much to turn something simple into something spectacular, with the help of these simple DIY tips for the home.