When the weather outside is frightful, you have the opportunity to do some delightful indoor DIY projects – seeing as you’re going to be stuck inside for a while, anyway. Make the most of your time spent indoors this winter with the following fun, simple, and useful DIY projects.
Grow an indoor herb garden – Many herbs grow quite well indoors, and an indoor herb garden can even be transferred outdoors come spring. With an indoor herb garden, you can save money on winter cooking, and create an attractive, fragrant space in your kitchen. Some recommended herbs for an indoor garden include chives, mint, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. These herbs grow quite well with minimal upkeep in four-inch pots placed on a sunny windowsill. If you don’t have an adequately sunny window, you may have to purchase grow lights.
Repaint something – Brighten up your interior living space by repainting. You can repaint a room (preferably the room you spend the most time in), an accent wall, kitchen cabinets, or furniture, such as bookcase. Keep in mind that doors, furniture, and cabinets will probably require refinishing before you can repaint. Since the weather may be too cold and wet to get a lot of outdoor ventilation while painting in winter, set up fans and choose a low-VOC, low-odor paint that does not give off toxic fumes.
Install energy efficiency upgrades – These projects are simple to complete and can help you save money on winter heating bills. If you don’t already have one, install a programmable thermostat, which adjusts the temperature automatically depending on the time of day or even the day of the week. The thermostat itself is inexpensive and will pay for itself in a couple months. Another easy winter energy efficiency upgrade is to insulate your water heater, wrapping it in an insulation kit purchased from your local hardware store.
Upgrade your interior lighting – The right lighting can do a lot to improve the look of your living space. Redoing the lighting in a room or your whole house will require you to pick out and install new bulbs and fixtures. When choosing bulbs, keep in mind that CFLs and LEDs are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. While more expensive than CFLs, LEDs are even more energy-efficient, are typically more aesthetically pleasing, and can be made to suit a wider variety of applications, including fixtures with dimmers and recessed lighting fixtures.
Want more of a challenge? Some more challenging interior enhancement ideas for the experienced do-it-yourselfer include installing crown molding, wainscoting, window trim, or a chair rail.