5 Fun DIY Room Ideas for the Rainy Season

Rain, rain, go away…come again another day…

It’s that time of the year again where you hear a distant, almost furious rumbling in the skies and look out the window in dismay as you watch the sun slowly disappear behind a vast cloud of darkness. Soon, the inevitable pitter patter starts and you reluctantly cancel your yumcha and shopping plans to settle for yet another movie marathon indoors.

Yes, folks, the rainy season is upon us. We dread the hours and hours of traffic jams, sudden flash floods, muddy waters that stain our shoes and blasts of cold wind, yet we know to accept and welcome the cooling Malaysian rain and thunderstorms amidst the endless hot summer days.

And since we’re cooped up indoors, why not get creative and spruce up your room with these simple, fool-proof DIY room decorating and de-cluttering ideas? No sticky hot glue guns or complicated carpentry work required!

DIY Thumbtack Art

Thinking of ways to fill up that empty wall? Customize your own ‘Inspiration Frame’ with an inexpensive black foam board, basic gold thumbtacks and a photoframe. If you happen to mess up, simply remove the thumbtacks and pin again. Simple and classy to jazz up your room.

We recommend quotes from Steve Jobs or Barack Obama if you need some motivation to start the day. You can even put up your favourite song lyrics, or if you’re feeling ambitious, try doing a portrait of your family, idol or pet.

Toilet Roll Cable Organizer

We hate empty toilet rolls. Especially when our roommate or family member doesn’t grasp the concept of replacing a roll once you’re done with it. But trust me, once you realise how empty toilet rolls could come in handy on a rainy day (no pun intended), you will not underestimate the power of cardboard rolls any longer.

Picture this. You’re all ready to head out the door for a road trip. You realise that you’ve forgotten to take your camera charger and cable. Like any regular person, you head to the god forsaken drawer where you’ve kept a mound of cables since 2001. You spot the camera cable, but it’s entangled with some monstrosity of a cable mess. You then spend all of 30 minutes trying to untangle the mess, when in fact…all you need is a couple of empty toilet rolls to save you.

All you have to do is organize, roll and stuff your cables into separate toilet rolls, label them with a marker pen and voila! You’ve killed the cable monster. If you want to get creative, put some coloured stickers on the roll so you can identify the cables in a jiffy.

Corkboard Jewelry Organizer

Ladies, this one’s for you, because we know how frustrating it can get – when all you need is that one necklace to complete your Audrey Hepburn Halloween inspired look, yet somehow you can’t locate it in the pile of rings, earrings and pearl bracelets.

This corkboard organizer is as simple as it sounds. You can easily find a medium sized board in Daiso or Kaison for less than ten ringgit. Toss in a couple of strategically placed thumbtacks, and you’re good to go! If you have longer necklaces, place them slightly higher. If you’re feeling particularly motivated, you can even sort your accessories by type, size and colour to save more time when getting ready. Talk about a win-win!

Clothes Pin Photo Frame

Looking for a way to spruce up your room AND tackle the pile of accumulated Instax photos from a few years’ worth of birthday and New Year parties? We’ve got just the solution for you.

All you need is a circular cardboard piece, a box of good old wooden clothes pins and some imagination. You can even mix and match your Instax photos with birthday cards, notes, quotes and more, or get artsy and paint the clothes pins to match your room colours. Hang this frame on a wall for maximum wow factor – guaranteed from guests and family members alike!

If you want to take it a step further, hang some dreamy fairy lights on your wall and add some photographs for that personal touch!

Candy Tin Holders

If you’re in the habit of tossing your empty Mentos or Eclipse candy tins away – you’ve got to kick it. Not only do these tins look effortlessly cool to brighten up your room, they come in great for organizing tiny items!

Pens, paper clips, hair pins, rubber bands, rings, pins, pencils…you name it. To save more space, detach the lid and stick the tins to a magnetic surface (such as the side of a fridge) and you’ll never misplace your pen again. For a quick solution on-the-go: you can use the tins to store guitar picks, keys, coins and more!

Just try not to offer the wrong candy tin to your boss or girlfriend.

And there you have it - 5 simple, budget-friendly ideas to get your creative juices flowing this rainy season. Don't let the rain dampen you mood no more! Have fun trying them out and feel free to share your own ideas with us!