Every kitchen could use a pick-me-up now and then, which is why we’ve rounded up a handful of kitchen DIY ideas just in time for the holidays.

Whether you have five days, five hours, or five minutes, take some time and freshen up the heart of your home. Even if you’re not a savvy DIY-er, many of these projects take very little creativity or technical skills to accomplish.

1. Chic Shelf Paper

Shelf liner, wallpaper, and even leftover wrapping paper are great ways to freshen up your cabinets. First, it’s perfect for covering up less than savory looking shelf bottoms on older cabinets and inside drawers. It will add a pop of color, or a fun geometric pattern. And finally, it can bring life to open shelving areas, spots where you may have removed your upper cabinet doors altogether, and glass front cabinets, including the china hutch that desperately needs a makeover, like this “after” beauty over at HGTV.

Choose a patterned option for something fun and unexpected, especially if you plan on having your in-laws over for the holidays. You never know when they might be trying to snoop, I mean, find the plates so they can set the table, silly! Another option for a more eco-friendly touch is choosing cork liner. This earthy tone and texture would look great with cabinets that are white, gray, black, or dark brown for a nice color contrast.

2. Savvy Storage

Don’t settle for looking at a boring sack of flour or bag of sugar, if you’re doing any cooking in your kitchen this season, make it easier on the eyes and more efficient by swapping out bulky baggies for cool canisters. Whether you opt for Momtastic blog’s mason jar hack, complete with chalkboard lids for easy labeling, or prefer a modern geometric look to your containers, make it happen before the guests start pouring in.

Branch out from only organizing the ingredients – your tools are just as important. Pick up a few natural baskets or revamped thrift store trays that you can display on your kitchen counters, and fill or stack these with your important tools, like the rolling pin, your cookbook, small cutting board, your favorite seasonings, a paring knife, and other go-to items that you can tote around the space as you cook.

3. Peg Board

If your oven also doubles as the storage space for your pots and pans, then it’s time to find a solution before you end up playing musical chairs with your cooking vessels. Peg board is a great way to make room for these items without the need for extra cabinet or counter space. Simply hang a sheet, paint it, grab your hooks, and start organizing. And don’t limit this kitchen DIY to only pots and pans – cooking utensils, cheese graters, colanders, and pretty much anything with a handle or a hole that doesn’t weigh a ton can be hung here, too. Check out the simple how-to from Inspired by Charm.

4. Seating Solutions

Don’t be tempted to turn your shindig into a B.Y.O.C. event. Instead, create more seating from thrift store finds, or add a little personality to the barstools and chairs you already own. One great solution is to pick up some secondhand seating, even if they don’t match, and create continuity by painting them all the same color, or variations of the same, like they did over at A Beautiful Mess. And still going strong is the popular look of adding just a splash of color by dip dying the legs of chairs and barstools. Either way, these are top notch for a stylish eat-in kitchen.

5. Open Shelving

Open shelving is a great way to display your favorite kitchen possessions, allowing for more storage space in other areas. You can accomplish this by going the traditional thick wood shelf and bracket route, which is always a winner, or by trying something less conventional. Hanging metal baskets are perfect for storing produce, and wall-mounted crates are great rustic ways to display and store kitchen goods. The DIY from 11 Magnolia Lane turned out great!

6. Bar Cart

A cool bar cart, whether revamped from a small dresser, large nightstand, or just a really outdated original, is a great little piece to include in your kitchen. Putting it on casters, if it isn’t already, makes it mobile so you can trek it all around the house. When the holidays roll around, one handy way to make use of your bar cart is to set up a self-serve area with a signature cocktail or hot chocolate station that guests can interact with. This bar cart re-do from Design Sponge is the perfect inspiration piece.

7. Freshen Up

Fresh fruits and veggies are instant kitchen brighteners. Help them stand out by grouping in a large bowl on your counter, or in a trio of glass jars. The vibrant color from a big vessel filled with lemons or green apples is always a nice touch. Another option is stand alone produce, like a gathering of pumpkins, whether decorated or as-is, displayed on your counter. Fresh cut flowers also provide an instant kitchen pick-me-up. A vase, jar, or pitcher filled with a bunch of budding botanicals adds the perfect for a splash of color. Grab some on the morning of your gathering from the local farmer’s market. Yummy Mummy Kitchen has great flower arranging tips.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our simple, yet effective, kitchen DIY ideas! Let us know your favorites on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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If you’re ready for a welcome change in the heart of your home, but still wish to keep it as eco-friendly as possible, then check out these hip, classy, and quirky sustainable kitchen backsplash ideas.

Backsplashes have many benefits. You can dress up a drab kitchen, increase the value of your home, and even make the walls easier to clean. As you’ll learn from the examples below, backsplashes can be extremely creative and artistic, or as traditional and classic as you’d like.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability. In fact, even your grout and mortar can serve their purposes while also being non-toxic. Be sure to check out these non-toxic setting and finishing options here.

It’s totally understandable if you’ve grown tired of looking at that empty, spaghetti sauce-stained expanse under your cabinets, so maybe it’s time to get planning, get creative, and give one of these kitchen backsplash ideas a try!

1. Cork Dotz Brown Mosaic Tile

Get the look of organic tile while also using a material that’s good for the environment. This option is a great choice if you want something that’s renewable and recyclable. The trees from which cork is harvested never have to be cut down and they can live for hundreds of years. It’s also aesthetically pleasing and becomes waterproof once sealed. This cork tile requires some maintenance, like annual re-sealing, but in the end, we’d say this warm, inviting addition is worth it. Get it here.

2. CD Mosaic Backsplash

Remember these round slivers of house party goodness? That’s right, the compact disks you and your girls used to get down to can now play double duty as your kitchen’s backsplash. They have a surprising mother of pearl appearance and end up looking pretty rad. Check out the example here for some inspiration on how to create your own.

3. Recycled Clay Tile

With over 100 different colors, this recycled clay tile is sure to jive with even the most discerning decorating plan. Handmade in California, this beautiful tile is created with over 70 percent recycled content. According to the Fire Clay Tile website, their clay tile contains “post-consumer waste up-cycled from curbside-recycled glass bottles, waste porcelain from toilets and bathtubs, and other manufacturer’s pre-consumer waste, including granite dust and spent abrasives. They also re-use our own waste water and manufacturing scrap.” How’s that for commitment to sustainability?!

4. Penny Backsplash 

Ever lusted after penny tile? Well now you can have it…literally! If you’re the chick that opted for endurance sports and refuses to give up without a fight, then this is the project for you. Creating a kitchen backsplash from pennies isn’t for the fair of heart and will require some dedication in order to apply, oh say, 6,000 pennies to a wall. But fear not, because the outcome is absolutely stunning. Check out the finished results here. Glue them up one-by-one, or create professional mesh mosaic squares like in the tutorial here.

5. Reclaimed Wood Tile 

You can pick up reclaimed wood on your own from various places, like salvage yards, or old barns, but did you know that you can also purchase recycled wood tile that’s ready for install? Everitt & Schilling Tile specializes in fine wood wall tile that comes from either reclaimed barnboard or upcycled hardwood and are said to be finished with the highest quality, environmentally friendly finishes. Their product is easy to install, gorgeous, and comes in a variety of styles, patterns, and colors.

6. Mason Jar Mosaic 

If you love the coastal chic look and adore the idea of a sea glass-esque kitchen, then definitely check out this beautiful blue mason jar backsplash tutorial here. This is a simple, inexpensive, and striking way to dress up your coastal cottage kitchen.

7. Recycled CRT Tiles 

What do ginormous TVs and computer monitors have in common? They utilize CRTs, or cathode ray tubes, in order to display their pictures, and now that part is being turned into some really gorgeous and useful tile. Since recyclers have amassed 860 million pounds of CRT glass, this idea couldn’t have come at a better time. The result is a cool, opaque gray with bits of black and an almost ethereal finish that can be seen here.

8. Bottle Cap Backsplash 

Looking for something quirky and affordable? Then why not try a bottle cap backsplash. Collect them organically, or band your friends together and have them pitch in their old caps. Not a beer drinker? No worries. Get creative with soda instead. Check out this awesome bottle cap backsplash result here.

9. Recycled Glass Tile

Chances are you’ve heard of recycled glass backsplash tiles, but did you know that you can create stunning designer looks from pre- and post-consumer waste? Oceanside Glass Tile has a breathtaking array of options for your kitchen backsplash and they’re committed to sustainability and philanthropy. They often utilize silica, an abundant naturally occurring resource, scrap material that hasn’t yet been used by consumers, as well as waste that has.

10. Broken Plate Mosaic

Make use of those forgotten decorative plates from your local thrift store and you’ll have a beautiful backsplash for just a few dollars. Executed similarly to the Mason jar backsplash, this application is also simple and beautiful. For a kitchen that’s as unique as you, head over to the tutorial here.

Now that you have the lowdown on 10 of the most beautiful and sustainable kitchen backsplash ideas, we want to hear from you. Have a project to share? Feedback about our suggestions? Sound off on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Kitchen backsplash image via Shutterstock

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Kitchen hacks to make the whole domestic thing a lot easier.

If your kitchen’s anything like mine, its myriad of quirks cause drama when you’re trying to cook, clean and entertain. Whether you’re lacking counter space, your cupboards are bursting at the seams, or it’s missing that personal touch, these 13 kitchen hacks will help make your life a little easier (don’t mention it):

1. Store soup cans in empty soda boxes. [ source ]

Image: Then She Made…

2. If you can’t remember how old your eggs are… [ source ]

Image: Discount Queens

3. Extend the life of your onions with a paper bag, hole punch, and paper clip. (Seriously.) [ source ]

Image: The Yummy Life

4. If you don’t like the waste that comes from storing food with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, make your own reusable food wrap using muslin and beeswax. [ source ]

Image: One Good Thing

5. Use coffee filters to keep bugs out of your cocktails. [ source ]

Image: Buzzfeed

6. Use marshmallows to keep your brown sugar soft. [ source ]

Image: Storage & Glee

7. Low on counter space? Place your cutting board on top of an open drawer to prep your food. [ source ]

Image: Buzzfeed

8. For more storage space under the sink, install a tension rod. [ source ]

Image: Emily Mohundro

9. To clean the gunk around the edges of your faucet: Soak a paper towel in vinegar and wrap it around your faucet. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and unwrap – voila! [ source ]

Image: Discount Queens

10. To efficiently read recipes from your tablet, create this tablet stand using a cutting board, scrabble tile holder and doorstop. [ source ]

Image: CountryLiving

11. Store an apple with your potatoes to keep them from budding. [ source ]

Image: MyFridgeFood

12. Spices are a disaster to store – until now. Make magnetic spice jars by repurposing baby jars and store your spices on the side of your fridge! [ source ]

Image: One Lucky Pickle

13. If you find wine glass racks to be a total snore, you’ll love this one – it’s made from a repurposed rake! [ source ]

Image: Make

What are your favorite kitchen hacks?

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Image: Laura D’Allessandro

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