DIY Projects When You Need A/C!

July 21, 2020

Some might call these rainy-day DIY projects, but with the mercury rising, (baby it’s hot outside!) we need some crafts to do with a little A/C! Here are some cool (every which way), productive, indoor DIY projects to help you beat the heat!

Design and Décor Projects

Erica Van Slyke at Designing Vibes is an interior designer, bargain hunter and DIYer, whose tutorial for a woven wall art project is an interesting bit of décor for just $20. And the best part? You can complete it in an afternoon. Erica opted for a variety of yarn colors (although jute is an option), in varying thicknesses, hung from a 3-foot long wooden rod. Grouping colors together, white, cream, taupe and brown, with a few gold strays add spark to the subtle hues, but you can add more color and emphasize contrasts. 

Recover a lamp shade in faux leopard, zebra, cheetah, bovine, giraffe or tiger prints. Jenna at Rain on a Tin Roof shows you how with a lamp shade from an old bottle lamp. The result transformed both the lamp and the table it graced. For 16 more DIY lamp creation ideas, click here. You’ll find lamps made from an antique tripod, a stack of classic books and a block of ancient wood, in lamp shades from fabric and balsa wood, with a variety of trims.

Mason jar lanterns with glitter are fast and fun and could be in the next category for kids’ projects. Whether you involve the littles or not – you’ll want mason or glass jars (Amazon has the jars and wire hangers separately, or get the combo at Save On Crafts). Grab a bottle of Mod Podge®, a foam brush and painters’ tape and let Jenna show you a pattern to create, adding glitter if you’re inclined to bedazzle – but you can come up with your own stripes or find an appealing stencil. Then add LED candles and place or hang outside on the patio for summer night lights.

Sugar Bee Crafts has another mason jar project to show off your cut flowers – painted and distressed you can recreate Mandy’s patriotic trio of brightly-colored vases or choose pastels. Or, try wrapping some yarn or twine around a jar, paint it white, and then peel the yarn away for gorgeous luminaries!

A simple DIY project for tackling inside when it’s hot outside are switching out handles and hinges on your doors, or switch plate covers. These come in a variety of styles and colors including bright white, wood, oiled and rubbed brass and others with fun graphics.

Kids’ Fun-to-Make Projects

Save up some of your weekly Aurora Sentinels and teach kids how to make a Craftionary paper basket. Try your hand at a rectangular one, or take on the more complicated and time-consuming rolled paper basket – which has a much different look. You can follow the step-by-step tutorial at Artfinity’s YouTube Channel. 

Stencil a t-shirt with a message they love, like “Let it Go,” or “It Has to Be Today” or “Dirty Hair, Don’t Care.” You can freehand it with a white paint pen or Ducklings in a Row will show you how to create your own stencil. 

Cereal boxes, covered in wrapping paper from the dollar store and glued with Mod Podge® make great drawer organizers! 

The DIY Network collected 13 fun projects for kids like DIY snow globes (made out of upside down mason jars) with kids’ treasured animal figurines and water, plus glitter, and from-scratch nutty putty. 

Take a look at the aerodynamic paper airplane made of cardstock and straw from DIY Network, or the marshmallow launcher game, made with craft sticks (think tongue depressors) rubber bands and a water bottle cap. All you need besides the marshmallows (minis, by the way) is glue and a target, and we’ve got the template right here!

And while kids can make the “cootie catchers” for this DIY origami chandelier, you’ll likely be the one to glue all the pieces together on this paper lantern from IKEA. Follow the YouTube tutorial for a truly eye-catching, artistic light fixture!

Come on Indoors, at Southshore

There are plenty of places to spread out and DIY to your heart’s content in the new homes that comprise the master-planned community of Southshore. Take a tour of the brand new homes from in this exclusive development built by Taylor Morrison, Toll Brothers, and Richmond American Homes. Explore Life at the Lake and find the ranch or two-story design that suits you, priced between the $400s and the $700s.