Whether you’ve just bought your first home or you and a roommate are looking to spruce up your small apartment, DIY room dividers will reorganize and refresh your space. The beauty of it being do-it-yourself is that you may even have everything you need already, without so much as a trip to IKEA.
A room divider can truly be anything, but if your creative juices need a spike, we’ve got a heaping dose of inspiration for your project.
1. Lighted Privacy Room Divider
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and the creator of this design used an extended visit from her parents to inspire this beautiful privacy screen. Even if you don’t want to create a barrier from guests, it still is a beautiful addition to your space.
It will work great with a repurposed folding panel room divider. You can also make it yourself in true DIY spirit, or order one online. The lights are really the thing that make this divider stand out, and it gives you the opportunity to play with colors and designs!
2. Rope Divider
Perfect for that rustic, bungalow look, a rope room divider works great for anyone who is working on a budget.
You can use any type of rope to create this grilled effect. Macrame rope is an especially durable, colorful, and nicely textured rope that can add to the appeal of this craft.
Pull them taut or let them freely hang to give the signal that the line has been drawn and your space has been claimed.
3. Bamboo Divider
Just like the rope divider, bamboo can function as a clear divider in your home. They’ve been used outside for landscaping, but now they’ve found their way indoors.
Depending on your style, you can get full bamboo poles or just opt for some of the reeds. Either way, it evokes the calming elements often found in zen gardens… but in the comfort of your own home.
4. Beam
Beams can also make for some very attractive dividers, depending on how you design it. It doesn’t take many, of them to create the look, and there’s plenty of versatility you can add once you decide on the bulk of the project.
Some people have tried adding in some floating shelves, but get creative! Picture frames, fairy lights, or chimes can all help to make this divider even more appealing.
5. Frosted Glass
Frosted glass isn’t just for the office building or shower doors. It can be placed anywhere to make an opaque signal that one room ends and another begins.
Frosted glass can also be hung in a sliding fashion, or just jut from a wall to ceiling to make the divide.
6. Free-hanging
The frosted glass may fall into this category (albeit dangerously!) but a free-hanging divider can take many shapes.
For a safer alternative to potential shattered glass, try ropes, paper mache, or even the retro classic beads!
7. Book Shelf
Who doesn’t love installing a perfect bookshelf? They keep things neat, tidy, and now they can even be used to divide a room.
8. Chain Mail
For those who like an added edge or have an enduring Game of Thrones obsession, the chainmail divider is a no-brainer. Also known as a “mesh curtain,” it’s sleek, it’s cool, and its oh so easy to do!
9. Vinyl Display Divider
Music lovers, vintage collectors, or pseudo-studios are perfect contenders for hanging a series of records as a means to divide a room.
Either take those dusty, unused vinyls out of storage, or have a full day of sorting through bins at a record store. It’s sure to be a conversation piece and a one-of-a-kind design, every time.
10. Pallet Room Divider
Pallets are multi-purpose pieces of wood that can become tables, shelves, storage, and now, room dividers.
They’re perfect for creating a rustic look. Depending on how many you have to work with, they can turn your space into its own personal enclave.
11. Barn Door
The barn door has seen a resurgence as one of the leading trendy elements to add to your room.
While it can be used to separate one room from another, we love the idea of setting up a door in the middle of the room can make for a clear way to signal if you’re open to interaction or not.
12. Chicken Wire Divider
This screened in enclosure turns your space into a neat and tidy coop.
Think you don’t have access to chicken wire? Think again. It’s easy to find on Amazon for an incredibly reasonable price. Next step is up to you to get crafting!
13. Macrame Folding Screen
If you want to make every element of your room divider your very own, this macrame folding screen is a perfect way to add your creative touch.
Macrame gives you the chance to create the design you want in the color you want. Adding it to the frame is the easy part. The weaving is where you can shine!
14. Chalk Board
You won’t need to scrounge for old chalkboard material when you make a chalkboard DIY room divider.
Thanks to the invention of chalkboard paint, you can turn any surface into a message board. This is also great news for sprucing up room dividers, and marking it with “Do Not Disturb!” to really get your point across.
15. Upholstered Bulletin Board
Your favorite fabric, a few ribbons, and voila! An upholstered bulletin board room divider comes to life.
A divider like this is multi-purposed. Hang memories, reminders, or messages within and always feel like your space is safe and happy.
16. Patterned Canvas
An artist canvas is an enduring indicator of creativity. They can be hung on the wall, or in this case, in the middle of the room to divide your space.
Keep it simple with a pattern, or try to create a vision all your own. It’s your canvas to do with it as you please!
17. Repurposed Fruit Crate
Fruit crates, like pallets, make for a wonderful repurposing of home and garden items. They stack easily and attractively to divide the room, and double as a bookshelf or storage space.
They’re also versatile in that you can paint them any color or string lights through them for an enchanted forest feel.
18. Curtain
Timeless, tried, and true; the curtain room divider is perhaps the most classic and enduring way to divide a room.
Just as you’d pick the curtains for your windows, pick the curtain that suits your space. Do you want it to trap light or allow it in? Should it blend with your surroundings or add an accent to them? There’s a surprising amount of opportunity with a simple curtain. Just hang the rod and let it tell your story.
19. Repurposed Window
Repurposing things is a big part of DIY crafting. A repurposed window can transform a corner of a room into its very own space, as if it were meant to be there all along.
It blends right in, so dividing the room feels all the more natural and inviting. You may want to consider getting blinds on these windows, still!
20. Storage Space Headboard Divider
Storage space is a huge element of improving your apartment and still establishing boundaries. If you’re really hard up for extra space, a headboard acts as a three-in-one opportunity to divide the room, give you storage space, and keep your bed rock steady.
It’s a problem-solver that’s easy to do, and saves time, money, and precious resources from bulking up your already limited living space so you can enjoy it.
21. Geometric Room Divider
This is where you can get exceptionally crafty. There are very few limits to color, shapes, and connections–like ribbons, chains, or rope to wrangle it all together. Choose from your favorite shapes and simply connect the dots!
22. Twinkling Branch Divider
Twinkle lights are a favorite in many bedrooms for their softness and calming effects. Add a touch of the outdoors with branches that you can collect yourself and be transported to a fairy tale village every time you come home.
Final Thoughts
Picking a room divider is exciting, but with so many options it can also seem overwhelming. This list serves as inspiration, not as a final say in your decision. Mix and match ideas and elements that speak to you, and you’ll have yourself the perfect addition to your living space made by your own hands.
