DIY IDEAS - GET IT DONE!

All those amazing projects you've been saving on Instagram and Pinterest? It's time to start crossing them off your list! We rounded up some popular home and life improvements, with how-tos from the people who, y'know, got them done!

- ERICA FINAMORE & HANNAH BAKER

STENCIL YOUR WALLS

Wallpaper can be spendy and hard to hang. Understatement of the year? Enter: this idea from Emma Courtney (@emma courtney home), a DIYer based in Toronto. She faked the luxe look of real paper using paint and a stencil from Etsy ($77; stenciledup.etsy.com). According to Courtney-and the crew who prepped the set for our cover shoot-the key here is patience. "You also want a stencil with a registration mark," Courtney says. These marks are small design elements cut into the edge of the stencil that help you repeat the pattern evenly. Carve out a few hours per wall, gather your supplies, and follow these steps.

1 Clean and prep your walls as you normally would before painting, sanding down imperfections and making sure they're free of grease, dust, and schmutz.

2 Position your stencil either in a corner or at a focal point (say, the middle of the wall over a fireplace) and start from there. Use a level to confirm that the stencil is straight and secure it with painter's tape around the edges.

3 Dip a foam roller or foam brush in paint and remove any excess. Roll or dab it over the stencil gently! It's better to use a light touch and apply multiple layers than to go super heavy on the first stab and risk bleeding. Add more coats as needed.

4 Once you're finished with that spot, carefully remove the stencil and place it next to the section you just completed, lining it up evenly. Secure it with painter's tape and repeat! Keep repeating until the entire wall has been stenciled.

5 Finish with touch-ups. Go in with a small paintbrush to clean up edges or fill in any spots.

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