The Decorating Resource We Bet You've Overlooked

It's awesome to swing by the paint aisle and pick up a chalkboard option. Then, you'll be ready when inspiration strikes to undertake a chalkboard paint DIY.

Dowels are an apartment dweller's best friend. Use them to prop up a sagging window or to inexpensively hang drapes. Creative DIYers can use dowels to make a chic hanging mobile, too!

Years ago, I picked up a couple of rustic metal pails at Home Depot that other shoppers probably use as mop buckets. Mine store errant mittens and Winter hats, but you can also keep a pail on hand to use as an impromptu drinks container when entertaining.

Source: Jessica Burke for Lisa Vorce CO

Scouring the Internet will produce innumerable DIY projects one can undertake with pipes, from chandeliers to blogger Brittany Makes's copper-pipe ladder. Shop ahead for particular sizes, or keep small bits of pretty metal pipe on hand for projects yet to come.

Home Depot even sells plants. Its succulents are available at surprisingly low prices. I picked up a trio of small plants intended for a long-postponed bathroom makeover. That never happened, and now the plants keep me company at my work desk.

Whether or not you make a DIY shelving unit using Home Depot wood, it's worth a spin around the lumber section to get inspired. A piece of wood may catch your eye and lead to something beautiful like your next serving tray.

There is so much a crafty person can do with rope, which comes in a rainbow of colors at Home Depot. Macramé is all the rage in interior decor these days, as evidenced by Emily Henderson's chic hanging plant. Rope can also be used to make headboards, desk accessories, and lampshades!