Self-Sufficient: Why DIY Projects Rock

Though I love just about anything with a vintage/antique vibe, the apartment I rent right now feels very mod. I would love to redecorate the whole place but I have a feeling my landlord would object, and living on a student budget can be very limiting. My solution is to add my personal style with little things here and there.



I love using giant coffee mugs as flower pots. They add something special and when your plants die (as mine ALWAYS seem to) you can go back to filling it with copious amounts of caffeine.





This is an old cigar box I found at a market in Belgium. It's perfect for holding tea and adds a lot of character to the kitchen. I doubt I’ll be in Belgium again anytime soon but it’s not difficult to find items like this in any city. Thrift stores, antique shops and garage sales have some amazing finds if you're patient enough to hunt for them!



Wine and Perrier bottles make great candle holders - they're cheap and beautiful with light shining on them. My favourite place to buy the long candle sticks is in China Town where they're only 30 a piece!

My apartment still has a long way to go but little tricks like this have already made it so much more comfortable.