Rope Decor: 16 Cheap & Easy DIY Projects for Your Home or RV

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Using rope is a cheap and easy way to dress up common items to match rustic, nautical, bohemian, or farmhouse decor.

Sisal rope can be purchased online or at just about any hardware store.

1. Storage Ottoman

This footstool with removable padded lid was made from a plastic file crate.  Not only would it make a great place to store linens, shoes, or toys, it could also double as a coffee table or extra seating for small kids.  Get the full tutorial here.

2. Storage baskets

Baskets, especially large ones, can be pretty expensive.  These homemade ones look great, can be made inexpensively, and can be a good way to reuse items that might have otherwise been thrown away.

This storage basket was made from a cardboard Amazon box.  This video demonstrates how to make it, including a clever way to make the fabric liner (no sewing machine required!).

On her blog, Amanda shares how she repurposed a popcorn tin to make this toy basket.

While it looks like something you might purchase at a pricey home decor store, this ombre basket complete with fabric liner was made from a cheap plastic laundry basket.  Find out how to make it here.

3. Mirror

This DIY mirror would look great in a beach themed RV.  Get the instructions here.

4. Curtain rod

A rope can be used as a cheap and cute alternative to curtain rods.  You can see how this project was done here.

5. Towel rack

Instead of purchasing a towel rack, why not make your own like this one?

Don’t want to put screws in your wall?  Maybe you could mount it on a board instead like this and attach it to the wall with Velcro or some other adhesive.

6. Decorative trim

This idea has so many possibilities: along the top of a slideout, around the inset panel of cabinet doors, around a door frame….see more photos of this project here.

7. Clock

If you like Western themed decor, you could use a lariat rope instead of sisal rope for many of these projects, like the one used in this clock project.

8. Candles

If you are not comfortable burning candles, you could put flameless battery-powered ones in these homemade candle holders made from PVC pipe couplings.  (If you love beach or nautical themed decor, be sure to check out some of the other projects from this blog, Sand and Sisal!)

You can also just wrap rope around candle holders you already have, like in this DIY project.

9. Wall Sign

I love this DIY rope sign.  If you didn’t want to hang the wood on the wall, you could probably attach the letters directly to the wall with clear acrylic mounting tape.

10. Hanging shelves

Learn how to make this shelf in this tutorial.  (In an RV, you might want to use museum putty to secure decorative items.)

If you would rather pay somebody else to build one for you, there are several similar shelves for sale on Etsy.  This one would be ideal in an RV since its “walls” would keep things in place.

11. Fruit bowl

Watch this video to see how to make this bowl using only rope, a hot glue gun, and a glass mixing bowl.

Maybe you could connect three of them together to make a hanging fruit basket similar to this one?

12. Bar stool (or chair) makeover / (cat scratching post?)

The great thing about the bar stool project demonstrated in this video is that it could probably be done in a way that would be reversible.  Instead of glue, perhaps you could cover the stool legs with removable acrylic mounting tape before wrapping them with rope.  If you don’t have bar stools, how about wrapping chair legs?

13. Drawer pulls

This rope handle was actually added to a vintage box but would also look cute on kitchen or bathroom drawers.  Learn how to make it here.

14. Drink coasters

These coasters are for sale on Etsy, but you can also make some like them yourself.

15. String Lights

I love the dried herbs hung with sisal twine from this pretty DIY strand of lights made from ping pong balls!  This string of lights would also look nice hung outside from an RV awning.

16. Planters

Learn how to turn empty cans into cute flower pots, succulent planters, or an herb garden here.  (Be sure to check out some of their other cheap DIY projects!)