The lockdown DIY projects you can start and finish this weekend

We understand if you're feeling uninspired as we enter another weekend of lockdown. Eleven months into restrictions, it seems there is not much left to renovate, bake, or binge-watch, while the frigid February climate further encourages us to stay inside. 

One of the perks to a lengthy lockdown, however, is that we can take inspiration from some fairly amazing former lockdown projects. The best part? They only take one weekend. 

Read more: Modern interior design – a guide to modern interior styles and design

1. Mosaic a piece of furniture  

While we may not be able to admire the exotic beauty of azulejos tiles on your travels, there is no reason why you can't bring a jet-set kiss of glamour into your home. While some mosaics take notably longer than a weekend to complete- you can still get busy with tiles in under two days. 

For example, you can entirely revamp a small coffee table or stool with large tile in almost no time- meaning you can savor your Monday morning coffee on a rejuvenated piece of pre-loved furniture.  

There are almost no rules when it comes to mosaics- as Rachel Shillander, creator of the widely - admired 'Disco Chair' revealed. The artist hand-stuck 30,000 mirror tiles to her chair as a tribute to the long-lost disco days we are all so nostalgic for over lockdown. 

Granted, sticking 30,000 tiles onto a piece of furniture will take longer than one weekend. Though, Rachel's work only emphasizes the freedom we enjoy when it comes to tiles.

'Imagine the solar system is a dance floor, and all the planets are just country-western, two-stepping around the sun,' shared Rachel, in her otherworldly description of her tiled masterpiece. 

The artist continued: ‘The chair is a hollow, thin-concrete monocoque shell, formed over an inflatable mold and covered in 30,000 individually handset mirror tiles. When placed in direct sun, either inside or outside, it creates a daylight disco as the sun cycles throughout the day, year, and varying weather conditions. As no two days are exactly the same, each day is a new, constantly changing and unique light show.'.

2. Create an art wall

While your favorite gallery remains closed (unless you can have a virtual tour, in which case, nevermind,), there is a way of filling the art-shaped hole in your heart by bringing it into your home- in the most fashionable way possible. Your pieces can never look better than they do on a statement wall, alongside several other works of art. It's always looked stylish, it always will look stylish, and it only takes a day to create (art collection pending, of course).  

Read more: Gallery wall ideas - 37 inspiring ways to turn art into an installation

3. Trash to Terracotta 

In December 2019, author and interior stylist, Geneva Vanderzeil, first shared her 'Trash to Terracotta' project, in which she upcycled old vases she had found in a thrift store. 

Geneva used liquid terracotta paint to cover the old color or pattern, so she was left with a vase that was shaped and colored exactly the way she would like. Since then, the author has shared a whitewashed version of Trash to Terracotta and a ceramic effect- which is equally as effective. 

Let this weekend be the time you rejuvenate an aging vase that has outdated your color scheme. If you like the shape, there is now no reason to part with it.

4. Press Flowers

As surprising as this may be, you may want a token of your daily lockdown walks to reminisce over in the future. 

If you wish to preserve a piece of this era in the most elegant way possible, this trick is for you. While pressing flowers is a quick and straightforward process, the results could not be more beautiful, and they look charming in almost every room of the house.  

5. Paint a frame  

Depending on the size of your frame, this project can consume far less than a day. However, you are left with an individual piece of decor and a sense of accomplishment, that will carry you through the rest of the weekend, and beyond. 

Read more about the effects of the pandemic on our homes- 10 Ways Covid-19 is shaping design trends