Latest news with #DIYOnABudget
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Savvy homeowner shows ‘best Ikea hack yet' as she saves almost £2k on cheap LED shelving & elevates it using £3 lights
DRAB TO FAB Savvy homeowner shows 'best Ikea hack yet' as she saves almost £2k on cheap LED shelving & elevates it using £3 lights A SAVVY homeowner has been hailed a genius after sharing what fans are calling the 'best IKEA hack yet". Gemma Markland, a home renovator who shares her stunning transformations on TikTok under Markland Home, wowed viewers with her ultra-chic built-in shelving display made entirely from budget buys. 2 A Savvy homeowner showed off her 'best Ikea hack yet' Credit: Tiktok/@themarklandhome 2 She saved almost £2,000 creating her own built-in bookcase Credit: Tiktok/@themarklandhome Using two BAGGEBO bookcases from IKEA, which start from just £25 a pop, Gemma built a sleek and stylish LED shelving feature that looks like it came straight out of a designer showroom. She carefully positioned the flat-pack shelves side-by-side, then used thin wooden boards to frame around the units, giving them a high-end, custom-built finish. After securing everything in place, she painted the entire unit, including the added trim, so it blended seamlessly into the wall. To take the look to the next level, she added a clever lighting trick that set social media alight. Read more on DIY projects WE A-DOOR! DIY whizz shows how to make gorgeous headboard using an old GARAGE DOOR for £60 The final result was a luxe LED shelving unit that looks worth thousands, for just a fraction of the cost. 'Everyone's been asking about the lights,' she said in a follow-up video. 'They're from Amazon, just £3 each. You peel the stickers off the back and pop them into the shelves exactly where you want them.' The tiny lights are USB-chargeable, so no wiring is needed, and come with a motion sensor setting to save battery. The lights come in warm white, neutral white or cool white. 'They're even dimmable. It's made this space look so much more luxurious.' I swear by 7 cheap hacks to transform a newbuild house into a home - your shoes will never be left in a messy pile again And she's not wrong. Similar built-in shelving features with LED lighting can cost upwards of £2,000 from furniture specialists, while even cheaper pre-lit versions retail for around £800. By DIY-ing the project, Gemma has saved herself hundreds and won plenty of fans online. 'I love this,' one viewer gushed. Another added: 'This looks so beautiful and creative.' A third wrote: 'Stunning, it looks really expensive.' Gemma's viral IKEA hack proves you don't need a big budget to create a high-end look, just a bit of imagination, some clever lighting, and a trip to IKEA. She's not the only nifty homeowner showing off Ikea hacks. A mum has given her son's bedroom the ultimate makeover on a budget. Nichola Ryan was able to give her son's tiny room the ultimate transformation and even make sure he had more space too, The mum took to social media and posted a photo of her jaw-dropping project on DIY On A Budget, a private Facebook group with 2.2 million members. The DIY fan showed off the new room which featured navy walls along with a wooden panelled feature wall. However, the room was so small that it was difficult for the mum to find storage solutions that would fit in it. Luckily, she stumbled across a hack that meant she could turn the bed into a storage unit as well. Instead of buying a brand new bedframe for the transformation, she instead headed to Ikea to pick up a Kallax unit. The cubed storage unit costs £50 and the mum picked up two of them to turn it into the bedframe. Elsewhere, a clever shopper explained how she took advantage of Ikea's Buyback scheme and managed to get £164.50 back for a set of drawers she purchased two years ago.
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
Savvy homeowner shows ‘best Ikea hack yet' as she saves almost £2k on cheap LED shelving & elevates it using £3 lights
DRAB TO FAB Savvy homeowner shows 'best Ikea hack yet' as she saves almost £2k on cheap LED shelving & elevates it using £3 lights Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SAVVY homeowner has been hailed a genius after sharing what fans are calling the 'best IKEA hack yet". Gemma Markland, a home renovator who shares her stunning transformations on TikTok under Markland Home, wowed viewers with her ultra-chic built-in shelving display made entirely from budget buys. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A Savvy homeowner showed off her 'best Ikea hack yet' Credit: Tiktok/@themarklandhome 2 She saved almost £2,000 creating her own built-in bookcase Credit: Tiktok/@themarklandhome Using two BAGGEBO bookcases from IKEA, which start from just £25 a pop, Gemma built a sleek and stylish LED shelving feature that looks like it came straight out of a designer showroom. She carefully positioned the flat-pack shelves side-by-side, then used thin wooden boards to frame around the units, giving them a high-end, custom-built finish. After securing everything in place, she painted the entire unit, including the added trim, so it blended seamlessly into the wall. To take the look to the next level, she added a clever lighting trick that set social media alight. The final result was a luxe LED shelving unit that looks worth thousands, for just a fraction of the cost. 'Everyone's been asking about the lights,' she said in a follow-up video. 'They're from Amazon, just £3 each. You peel the stickers off the back and pop them into the shelves exactly where you want them.' The tiny lights are USB-chargeable, so no wiring is needed, and come with a motion sensor setting to save battery. The lights come in warm white, neutral white or cool white. 'They're even dimmable. It's made this space look so much more luxurious.' I swear by 7 cheap hacks to transform a newbuild house into a home - your shoes will never be left in a messy pile again And she's not wrong. Similar built-in shelving features with LED lighting can cost upwards of £2,000 from furniture specialists, while even cheaper pre-lit versions retail for around £800. By DIY-ing the project, Gemma has saved herself hundreds and won plenty of fans online. 'I love this,' one viewer gushed. Another added: 'This looks so beautiful and creative.' A third wrote: 'Stunning, it looks really expensive.' Gemma's viral IKEA hack proves you don't need a big budget to create a high-end look, just a bit of imagination, some clever lighting, and a trip to IKEA. She's not the only nifty homeowner showing off Ikea hacks. A mum has given her son's bedroom the ultimate makeover on a budget. Nichola Ryan was able to give her son's tiny room the ultimate transformation and even make sure he had more space too, The mum took to social media and posted a photo of her jaw-dropping project on DIY On A Budget, a private Facebook group with 2.2 million members. The DIY fan showed off the new room which featured navy walls along with a wooden panelled feature wall. However, the room was so small that it was difficult for the mum to find storage solutions that would fit in it. Luckily, she stumbled across a hack that meant she could turn the bed into a storage unit as well. Instead of buying a brand new bedframe for the transformation, she instead headed to Ikea to pick up a Kallax unit. The cubed storage unit costs £50 and the mum picked up two of them to turn it into the bedframe. Elsewhere, a clever shopper explained how she took advantage of Ikea's Buyback scheme and managed to get £164.50 back for a set of drawers she purchased two years ago.
Scottish Sun
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I gave my hallway a glow up whilst on a budget – people say it's ‘so classy' & is the ‘best' transformation they've seen
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DIY fan has revealed that she transformed her hallway from drab to fab, all whilst on a budget. So if your home could do with an upgrade but the cost of living crisis has made your purse feel tighter than ever before, you've come to the right place and will need to listen up. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A DIY fan has revealed that she gave her hallway a mega makeover, without breaking the bank Credit: facebook 4 What was once a dated space has since been given a major overhaul Credit: facebook 4 People think Rachael's hallway looks 'so classy' Credit: facebook 4 Others have said it's the 'best' transformation they've ever seen Credit: facebook Rachael Proctor, a bargain hunter from the UK, gave her home a stunning makeover, and it's left many open-mouthed. Eager to share her DIY renovation, Rachael took to social media to show off a before and after look at her home. Posting on DIY On A Budget, a private Facebook group with 2.2 million members, Rachael gave viewers a close-up view of her hallway. What was once a very dated and unloved space was given an impressive new look and is now something you'd expect to see in a luxe interiors magazine. It's now incredibly trendy and glam, with black doors and beige walls. The space has been decorated with chic tables, faux plants and stylish prints - and we think it looks fabulous. Alongside snaps of her home, Rachael beamed: 'Just finished my hall stairs and landing. 'It's taken nearly a year as it needed new everything.' Rachael confirmed that she got her stair runner from Flexi Pay Carpets and to save cash, rather than getting posh Elephant's Breath paint from Farrow & Ball, she had a similar colour mixed by Valspar. Not only this, but to further keep the costs down, Rachael also nabbed accessories from B&M. A £7.99 Home Bargains buy made my hallway look SO much bigger but everyone's saying the same thing about my DIY method Rachael's post has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 1,500 likes and 255 comments. Not only did people think her hallway was 'classy', but others claimed it made the space look 'much bigger and brighter.' Eight Easy DIY Tips & Tricks The ultimate guide for homeowners and renters: DIY expert's lazy painting hack will make decorating your home much easier Save time and money with this easy DIY tiling hack to transform a room in under an hour Avoid these five mistakes in your next DIY project Transform your kitchen with this renter-friendly DIY hack Noisy neighbours? Here's how to soundproof a room DIY expert shared her favourite strategy for painting around glass without tape If you want to give your kitchen a fresh look, here's how to paint your kitchen cabinets Five tricks to spruce up every room in your home for less than £5 One person said: 'This is STUNNING! Well done.' Another added: 'Very classy!' Looks so much bigger and brighter.. amazing work Facebook user A third commented: 'I love the black doors, you've given me inspiration, thank you, fantastic job.' Meanwhile, someone else penned: 'Looks so much bigger and brighter.. amazing work.' At the same time, another DIY enthusiast chimed in: 'Wow…one of the best I've seen.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
Scottish Sun
04-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
I made a water feature using nothing but a bucket, pebbles & a £9 Amazon bargain – people cannot believe how easy it was
Plus, eight easy ways you can add more value to your property WATER RESULT! I made a water feature using nothing but a bucket, pebbles & a £9 Amazon bargain – people cannot believe how easy it was AS Brits are soaking up the sun outside, millions of households are looking for affordable ways to spruce up their gardens. And if you want to turn your outdoor space into a tranquil oasis but can't afford landscapers then look no further. Advertisement 2 DIY fans can go totally wild when decorating the feature Credit: FACEBOOK/DIY On A Budget Official 2 For her epic water feature, Ann used colourful pebbles, fake flowers and silver balls Credit: FACEBOOK/DIY On A Budget Official This is because one crafty woman, Ann Fleran, has shared an easy-to-follow guide on how she made a stunning water feature for her garden. For the project, you only need five main things - two buckets, a £9 Amazon bargain, as well as some chicken wire and a pump. The rest is entirely up to you - for the decorations you can pick whatever your heart desires. In her helpful video, Ann, from Rotherham, went in with bright coloured pebbles, mega shiny balls and fake flowers. Advertisement First, she instructed, fill the larger bucket with water and place the second one in the middle upside down - but ensure the smaller bucket has some holes at the bottom to let the air flow. Next, grab the chicken wire which has already been pre-cut to fit the diameter of the bucket and make sure it sits on top of the smaller bucket that's upside down. Once ready, you can start placing the decorations on top to cover the 'floating' wire - the DIY fan used blue, black and light grey glass pebbles for this. Happy with the arrangement, Ann then went in with a mini bouquet of faux flowers which she squeezed through the wire - but you can pick whatever you like to fit the theme. Advertisement To make the water feature even more extra, the Rotherham resident also added a garden light on a stand - ideal for night-time. The one last final step was topping it all off with the main element - a floating water pump that will create your very own a tranquil oasis. 'I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do' Although the version Ann had snapped up from Amazon is currently out of stock, the mega marketplace offers a huge variety of similar products for around £9. Those keen to keep the costs as low as possible can also find the feature on Temu and Shein for less than a fiver. Advertisement As the floating pump boasts solar technology, the water feature will only work once there's been enough sun - which Brits have had plenty of in the last few weeks. Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% The epic DIY work has since taken the internet by storm, winning Ann more than 940 likes. Over 530 members of the popular DIY On A Budget Official page - where the post was uploaded - also flooded to comments. One social media user thank Ann for the easy tutorial, writing: ''Lovely thanks for posting how it's done.'' Advertisement Someone else chimed in: ''You made it look so easy thanks. It's fantastic.'' ''Looks great might try myself,'' a fan was keen to give it a shot too.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I saved thousands fitting a new bathroom myself – people love our Amazon mirror & floor to ceiling tiles came from B&Q
A COUPLE have left people with their jaws on the floor after giving their bathroom an epic glow-up with no prior experience. If you're looking to have your bathroom fitted professionally, this will cost you around an eye-watering £7,000 - or more, depending on the size, according to data by Checkatrade. 2 2 But as many cash-strapped households are looking for cheaper alternatives, one DIY-loving couple recently stunned everyone with their gorgeous bathroom makeover. What's more, not only did they achieved the stunning results themselves - but they also saved thousands in the process. Chloe Newlove took to Facebook to share snaps of the process from the very start to the very end - and while it did take them several months, the final result was worth it. According to the thrifty woman - one of the members of the DIY On A Budget Official page - the pair had ''no experience''. Before the jaw-dropping transformation, the bathroom was pretty plain, featuring a bathtub, dark grey wall tiles, as well as cream tile flooring. The slow reno process started with getting rid of the existing bathtub and sink, as well as removing the wall tiling, stripping the room completely. The DIY enthusiasts then installed the brand new bathtub, a stunning white sink, before tackling the light grey wall tiles - all of which they did themselves. The Johnson tiles Urban Concrete White Matt Stone effect tiles, Chloe revealed in the comments, were from B&Q and cost just £23 for a pack of six. The gorgeous Johnson Tiles Marlow Beige Matt Cement Tile Effect Porcelain Indoor Wall & Floor Tiles were also purchased from the beloved retailer. If you want to get your hands on this stunning flooring, you'll have to be quick - as they're currently on offer, down from £22.50 to just £13.50 for a five-pack. I transformed my council house hallway for under £60 - the old laminate has vanished but critics say it 'looks cheap' Another fabulous feature that instantly gave the room a more modern yet cosy feel was the round light-up mirror they found on Amazon. Sharing the jaw-dropping results online, Chloe revealed the total costs came to just £4,000 - saving the money-smart pair an astronomical sum. 10 DIY hacks for under £1 each These simple and affordable DIY hacks can help you get creative while saving money Homemade Air Freshener: Mix baking soda with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Place it in a small jar with a perforated lid to keep your home smelling fresh. Upcycled Tin Can Planters: Clean and paint empty tin cans to use as stylish planters for herbs or small plants. Custom Phone Stand: Use a sturdy piece of cardboard or an old plastic credit card to create a custom phone stand. Decorate it with washi tape or paint. DIY Lip Scrub: Combine sugar and a bit of honey or coconut oil to make a natural lip scrub. Store in a small container. Personalised Bookmarks: Use old greeting cards or decorative paper to create unique bookmarks. Punch a hole at the top and add a ribbon for a finishing touch. Decorative Mason Jars: Paint or decoupage old mason jars to use as decorative vases, storage containers, or candle holders. Easy Cable Organiser: Use empty toilet paper rolls to organize cables and cords. Decorate the rolls with colorful paper or tape. Magnetic Spice Jars: Attach small magnets to the lids of small jars and stick them to a metal board or fridge for easy-access spice storage. Handmade Coasters: Cut out squares from old corkboard or felt and decorate them with paint or fabric to create custom coasters. Natural All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent. Use it to clean surfaces around your home. 'Love it, who needs a professional' Since being uploaded on the popular page, the glow-up has taken the internet by storm, winning Chloe more than 130 likes in less than 24 hours - and heaps of praise. Dozens of fellow DIY lovers flooded to comments totally amazed by the stunning makeover. One person said: ''Soo gorgeous!!! You should pat yourself in the back for that!'' Someone else chimed in: ''That looks absolutely amazing.'' ''Love it, who needs a professional,'' a third added. ''Bathroom looks stunning,'' another was singing praises.
