DIY projects use all sorts of materials to create beautiful outcomes, and one of the materials that gets the least recognition is PVC pipe. PVC, which stands for polyvinyl chloride, is a plastic polymer widely known for its use in plumbing (the low cost and invulnerability to corrosion make it an attractive alternative to metal pipes). It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, configurations, and colors, as well as its ability to be painted, making it a great choice for do-it-yourself projects, too! But it might not be obvious how to use PVC in your DIY decor outside of basement plumbing; although it is cheap, durable, and fairly customizable, it can look a bit plain and industrial on its own. The trick is to know how to use it, and we’ve collected 5 projects that all use PVC in different ways to help get your creativity flowing. Read on and DIY!
PVC Tent
This DIY is one for the kids - use PVC pipes and connectors to create the structure of a bedroom (or backyard) tent! They can be created in a ton of shapes and sizes based on the PVC pipes and connecters you get for the play tent, and you can easily add on if need be. Cover with blankets or fabric, and take it apart pretty quickly for easy storage. Great on rainy summer days!
PVC Bathroom Organizer
Smaller pieces of PVC are great to use in the bathroom - from PVC toothbrush holders to a heat-resistant holder for hot hair styling appliances (hair dryers, curlers, etc), PVC has many more uses in the bathroom than in the plumbing. If you’re remodeling your bathroom, consider incorporating PVC, painted to match the new style.
Industrial Style Wall Shelving
If you’re into the rustic industrial look that’s trending right now, you might consider using PVC pipe to build a wall shelving unit. Unlike those PVC shelving units you can buy from hardware stores (that have absolutely no style), these shelving units combine painted PVC with reclaimed wood and brass or copper finishings to create a totally customizable and super stylish shelving unit that doesn’t take up a lot of space, physically or visually. Much nicer than blocky bookcases!
PVC Door Wreath
While wreaths are often thought of as holiday decor, they can be used to decorate your front door (and welcome guests into your home) at any time during the year, and these PVC wreath ideas are perfect. With the basic PVC design, you can incorporate different colors and little decor pieces into the wreath for different holidays - think about red, white, and blue bows for patriotic holidays, and ornaments during the winter holidays.
PVC Outdoor Shower/Water Play Structure
Perfect for hot summer days, you can use the plumbing qualities of PVC to create an outdoor shower or other water unit for outdoor water play. While outdoor showers range from simple to complicated (based on your style and DIY-savvy), outdoor water play structures are easy to make and super fun for kids. Even without a swimming pool, kids can stay cool running through the jets of water and playing with this easy (and cheap) to make alternative.
