Random Projects I've Done Around My Apartment

So I moved to Dallas, TX and signed the lease on my first apartment almost a year ago now! The picture below is from a week after I moved in. (I'm holding leopard statuette I found at a vintage shop. His name is Vincent. :)

So because I finally have a place of my own, I want to do (and have been doing) a bunch of miscellaneous DIY projects. Some big, some small. Some simple, some that are maybe a bit stupid- BUT- it's been so much fun! All the random ideas that used to pop in my head, suddenly I can actually do them! And that brings me to- the DANGER ZONE!!!! (but in a good and thrilling way, but also in a this-may-be-really-stupid-and-ridiculous sort of way).

BIG Painting on Plywood!

More of a art piece than a DIY project but, still, I specifically made it to go in my bedroom.

It's inspired by depictions of birds in ancient works of art such as mosaics and frescoes. Take a look at my inspiration board on Pinterest and some process posts below.

I finished this piece a month or two ago and haven't taken portfolio-worthy pictures of it yet. You wouldn't think of it when looking at it but this piece was quite the mental process. I might write about it later but I won't go into it now. Anyways, I'm currently using it as a headboard. My platform bed hides the bottom 1/3 of the piece (including my favorite bird) but it won't always be a headboard.

(First picture is still in progress, painting and carving the dots in my living room)

IKEA Tarva Nightstand

Photo taken from IKEA.com

This guy was FUN!!! Couldn't figure out what to do with it for the longest time. I thought of adding tile to the top and maybe the sides, doing some paintings on it...I landed on carving a checkerboard pattern onto the drawer front. I also painted the inside of the drawer so that you'd see the design every time you open it. And then I stained the wood a orange tone- which I'm still not sure about. Been thinking about going over it in the same wood stain I used for the big painting but I'll have to do some tests.

Jute Fringe Lamp Shade

This one's real simple, but made a big difference. Started with a plain burlap lampshade from Walmart, then spruced it up by hot gluing jute string around it. Combed out the fringe and trimmed it.

IKEA Lack TV Stand

Haven't really finished this guy yet. Mostly because all the hammering is really loud. I've tried to muffle the sound a bit by putting a towel over the tack as I'm hammering but it still makes me uncomfortable cause I don't want to disturb my neighbors. That being said-- I bought the Lack TV Stand from IKEA my first week here because it was only $17 but I didn't have good enough tools so it was really annoying to try to put together.

I tried putting the shelf in but gave up because it was so hard to put the screws in with a mere screwdriver. Ended up not actually using it a TV stand for a while and got another one off of FB marketplace that was kinda shitty. I got really sick of that one a couple months back and decided to use the Lack instead!

I painted it green but didn't really do it right. I should have sanded it down more before painting so now the paint is peeling a bit. But no matter I think maybe adding a sealer to it later might help.

The next improvement I'm making to it is adding brass upholstery tacks to the upper part of the legs. Again, this is in progress.

That's pretty much it. I have a bunch more planned or in the very beginning stages but that's a post for another time! I've also been framing stuff and adding to gallery walls in my bedroom and dining area but that's another post for another time.

This place has been so much fun to work on! Such a fun and different creative challenge for me! (And a great hobby to do in my free time in the age of corona!)