Monday, July 1, 2013

15 totally awesome DIY wood dowel projects

I have been using dowels a lot lately and while simple wooden rods may not seem too exciting at first...let me tell you these inexpensive babies have massive potential and diversity for DIYers and crafters.  I have used them for everything from a toilet paper holder to a jewelry organizer to Pottery Barn knockoff.

A craft supply caddy I created with a dowel as a ribbon holder caught the eye of the editors over at the DIY home and garden website, Hometalk, and they asked me to create a featured clip board of some of the best DIY Dowel Projects.  Of course, I jumped at the chance and let me tell you there are some totally awesome crafters out there using dowels in some really creative ways.

First, here's a quick recap of how I've used wooden dowels...

Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer

DIY Toilet Paper Holder

July 4th Paper Stars

Craft Supply Caddy

Burlap Flag (Pottery Barn inspired)

And now some of my favorite dowel projects from bloggers around Hometalk:


Thistle Bird Feeder:  Using a plastic soda bottle and a dowel, Linda at Crafts A La Mode created a really cool and simple bird feeder.  She cut (or in her case, melted) holes in the bottle then stuck a dowel through to create a perch for birds to feed on the bird seed she filled inside the bottle.  Full tutorial...



Necktie SunBurst Clock:  Wouldn't this necktie clock be so cool for a man's office or a big walk in closet (of course, not mine since I have an insanely small - yet organized - closet).  Jessica at Dear Emmeline is a straight up genius when it comes to dowels, as I promise you'll see.   In this project - which I'll let her full explain in the full tutorial - she used dowels as supports to keep the shape of the necktie sunburst.


Embroidery Hoop Pendant Light:  Can I tell you how excited I was when I found this light? I came across something very similar in the Restoration Hardware catalog a few weeks back and I, too, imagined using embroidery hoops to create the knockoff version.  Lucky for me - and you - Jessica at Dear Emmeline has done all the work for us by providing the step-by-step DIY tutorial.   She used square dowels as part of the hanging mechanism.  See...this is why this girl is my new dowel hero!



Pumpkin Topiary:  This is one of those projects that you can stick in your back pocket until it's time to clear off the tiered front porch planters and replace them with pumpkins.  Jennifer at Decorating Made Easy used a dowel to create a gorgeous and very festive pumpkin topiary complete with a monogram.  How awesome would this look on your front step?   I'm thinking I'll be doing this one come September or October.  If you'd like to too, here's the DIY pumpkin tutorial.


Spring Topiary: While we're talking topiaries, Shanna at Restoration Redoux has put together a beautiful and bright sprint topiary.  She uses a wooden dowel to support the large flower bloom, but takes some of the weight off the dowel, by adding sand to her pot.  What a great idea and a perfect usage for a dowel.   For the easy spring topiary tutorial click here.
 

Ribbon Storage - Marty at Marty's Musings has some major ribbon
love so it's a good thing she is also not afraid to use a dowel - or five!  She's created a great system to store her dozens of spools of ribbon by hanging dowels horizontally on the wall.  This keeps her ribbons neat, untangled, easy to access, and out of the way.   For more on how to create this super easy ribbon tutorial storage project click here. 


DIY Curtain Rod:  Curtain rods can be so expensive - which is part most of the reason at least three rooms in my house still have naked windows 2+ years after we moved in.  Okay, maybe being a busy SAHM to two kids under 5 is also to blame. But...now that I know Jessica (at Dear Emmeline's) trick to creating fast and easy customizable curtain rods I have no excuses.   Jessica shows us how to cut down a dowel to fit the exact dimensions of a window, spray paint the dowel, then add drawer pulls to each end = instant curtain rod.  How freakin' great is this? Yeah, I thought it was pretty freakin' great too which is why I'm currently working on three for three different rooms.  I told you Jessica is nothing short of a genius! Full Tutorial...

Outdoor Tuna Can Lanterns: Diane over at In My Own Style has come up with a great way to make creative inexpensive outdoor lights that don't look like they were made from a dowel or a tuna can.  Yet, that's exactly what she did to light up her beautiful backyard.  For the full tutorial on these DIY lanterns click here.

West Elm-Inspired Wood Tile Dresser: This is like playing a game of "can you spot the dowel."  This use of a dowel was so ingenious I didn't even recognize it as a wooden rod.  Amanda at Love and Renovations created this stunning dresser and used wooden dowels as the drawer pulls.  They are disguised under a coat or two of oil rubbed bronze and I can assure you they saved her more than a few dollars.  Absolutely stunning...yes, I'm drooling over here! 


Idea Board from a Mirror Frame:  Suzanne at Pieced Pastimes used the frame of an old dresser mirror to create a beautiful vintage idea board.  She inserted dowels across the front to hang clips from so she can easily change out cards, tags, or embellishments.  Absolutely gorgeous piece and a great way to incorporate dowels. 

Well, that's it for today ... I certainly hope you've been inspired to use dowels in your crafting and DIY adventures.

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Posted by: Melissa

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