DIY Farmhouse Decor Ideas: 10 Simple Projects for a Weekend

Handmade accents suit farmhouse rooms because the style favors plain, useful-looking things over polished ones. A slightly uneven stripe or a wreath with a stem out of place adds warmth that a factory finish cannot.

These ten DIY farmhouse decor projects need no workshop and no power tools. Each can be finished at a kitchen table in an afternoon or less, so a free weekend is enough for three or four of them.

Basic Supplies to Gather First

Most of the projects share the same short kit: sharp scissors, a tape measure, a pencil, jute twine, craft glue, a couple of paintbrushes, painter’s tape and a drop cloth or old sheet for the table. A hot glue gun speeds up a few of them but is never essential.

Greenery and Glass

1. A greenery hoop wreath

You need: a metal or wooden hoop, faux or dried stems, floral wire or twine. Wire the stems around part of the hoop and leave the rest bare for a light, open shape. The full method is in the step-by-step hoop wreath tutorial.

2. Glass jar vases

You need: clean glass jars, twine or a strip of linen, a few stems. Tie something simple around the neck and group three jars of different heights. There are many more ways to decorate with glass jars once you have a few saved up.

3. Twine-wrapped bottles

You need: empty glass bottles, jute twine, craft glue. Brush glue onto a small section at a time and coil the twine tightly from the base upward. Wrap the whole bottle or stop halfway so the glass shows. A single dried stem is all it needs.

Fabric Projects Without Sewing

4. A frayed-edge table runner

You need: plain-weave linen or cotton, scissors, a tape measure. Cut a long strip and pull threads from each edge until a soft fringe forms. Measuring and fringing are explained in the guide to a no-sew frayed table runner.

5. A grain-sack stripe cushion cover

You need: a plain cotton or linen cushion cover, fabric paint, painter’s tape, a flat brush, a sheet of stiff card. Slide the card inside the cover so paint cannot soak through. Tape off one wide stripe with a narrow stripe on each side, press the tape edges down firmly and brush on thin coats. Peel the tape while the paint is still slightly damp, then set and wash the fabric as the paint label and the care label direct.

Simple Wood Projects

6. A stained crate organizer

You need: a small unfinished wooden crate, wood stain or diluted paint, a rag. Wipe on a thin coat, let it dry fully and stand the crate on its side on a shelf or counter as a cubby for cookbooks, tea towels or small pots. New, unfinished crates take stain evenly and need no preparation beyond a wipe with a dry cloth.

7. A wood bead garland

You need: unfinished wooden beads in two sizes, jute twine, scissors. Knot one end, thread the beads in a loose pattern and finish with a knot and a short tassel of frayed twine. Drape it over a stack of books, around a jug or across a tray.

8. A sign with your own wording

You need: a small plain board, paint, a pencil, a fine brush or paint pen. Keep the lettering short and the board mostly empty: a surname, a place, a date or one everyday word. The guide to farmhouse-style signs covers layout, lettering methods and choosing wording that is yours.

Paint and Paper

9. Painted terracotta pots

You need: terracotta pots, matte craft paint in white or cream, a brush. Paint the outside only. For an aged look, brush on one uneven coat and wipe some of it back with a damp cloth before it dries, so the clay shows through at the rim. A row of three in graded sizes looks better than one alone.

10. Pressed-leaf frames

You need: leaves or fern fronds, heavy books, plain paper, simple frames. Press the leaves flat between sheets of paper under a stack of books for a week or two. Fix each one to cream paper with a dot of craft glue and frame it. A pair or a trio hung together becomes quiet, personal wall art.

Choosing Which Projects to Make

Ten handmade pieces in one room would be too many. Pick by what the room is missing:

• A bare wall: the wreath, the pressed leaves or the sign.
• A flat, all-smooth room: the twine bottles, the bead garland or the crate for texture.
• A plain table: the runner with a group of jar vases on top.
• A sofa that needs pattern: the striped cushion cover.
• An empty windowsill: the painted pots with small green plants.

Keep the colors to white, cream, natural wood, jute and green so that pieces made on different days still look as if they belong together.

Placing What You Have Made

Spread handmade accents through the house instead of gathering them in one spot, and pair each with something plain: a wrapped bottle beside a smooth white pitcher, a bead garland on a simple tray. One or two per room is a good rule of thumb.

For anything that goes on a wall or door, choose the hanger for the wall or door type, the weight of the piece and the manufacturer instructions. Keep dried stems and leaves away from heat, and treat painted pots and wrapped glass as decoration only, not as containers for food.