Keeping up with the latest trends in design can often be overwhelming, especially when you’re pinching pennies, your budget too tight for the occasional furniture splurge. Working on a budget, however, doesn’t mean you have to forgo style — especially if you’re feeling crafty. To prove our point, we teamed up with our pals over at Target and completely revamped one of their most simple, flat-packed cabinet designs (retail price: $34.99) in three different popular styles. The best part? Each of these projects are easy enough to be accomplished in less than a day and without breaking the bank. Check out all three styles, plus directions for crafting each look after the jump! —Max

* Special thanks to my wonderful fiancé, Daniel for lending a hand, helping me with the miter saw, and teaching me all about the wonders of paper bag faux-leather!

This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Room Essentials to make modern life easier.

The Industrial Chic style is one that has pervaded the design world over the past few years and it’s no surprise why—the look is unfussy and effortlessly stylish, able to be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. This look was created by raising our 2-Drawer Cabinet as is on a support system of copper piping. We swapped out the plastic handles for rope for an extra dash of rustic charm. (Full directions at the bottom of the post.)

Who doesn’t love a big dose of mood-lifting color in their lives? This Retro Revival cabinet provides just that. With tapered legs (available at most large hardware stores), fabric-fronted drawers and a splash of bright sea foam paint, this little side table fits perfectly in a fun, friendly, eclectic interior. (Full directions at the bottom of the post.)

We’ve been seeing leather as a decorative treatment everywhere these days. It’s no surprise why designers are drawn to it—it imparts a wonderfully glamorous, classic look to any room. This cruelty-free option is wonderful even for the leather-averse (it’s actually made from paper lunch bags!). (Full directions at the bottom of the post.)

INDUSTRIAL CHIC

Materials

1) Assemble cabinet according to manufacturer’s directions. Do not attach drawer pulls.

2) Cut copper piping using miter saw into the following lengths (you may want to adjust these based on the height you need):

3) Insert 2 21-inch pipe pieces into the top and bottom of each copper “T” joint.

4) Attach a copper elbow at the end of each 21-inch piece. Connect other side of elbows together with 8-inch pipe pieces. This should leave you with two separate long loop-shaped pieces of piping. These are your table legs.

5) Attach each 19.5 inch piece to the leftover center hold on each “T” joint in order to create a central brace that holds the table legs together (see photograph for reference).

6) Put cabinet on its side (face up) and attach legs to cabinet bottom with metal conduit straps.

7) Cover the screw holes on the drawer fronts with painter’s tape. Drill through each hole using a bit that corresponds with the thickness of your rope. Remove painter’s tape.

8) Cut rope into two evenly-sized pieces. Feed each rope piece into the drilled holes. Adjust size as desired. Affix rope pulls by tying a tight knot on each end on the drawer interior.

9) SAFETY NOTE: Because the cabinets are fairly light weight, you will need to use the wall-mounting attachment that is provided with the cabinet hardware. This prevents the cabinet from tipping over if rattled or opened too quickly. If you’d rather not see this bit of hardware, simply affix it to your cabinet on its underside. Done!

– – – – –

RETRO REVIVAL

Materials

1) Wash and dry curtain panel according to provided washing directions. Iron out any wrinkles with a warm iron.

2) Sand the outward facing surfaces of the cabinet frame (4 sides total).

3) Apply shellac-based primer to outward facing surfaces of cabinet frame and allow to dry. Follow with 2 coats of Devine Color Horizon Paint. Allow to dry.

4) Apply 2 coats of wood stain to tapered legs according to stain manufacturer’s directions. Allow to dry.

5) Sand the front-facing side of the drawer fronts.

6) Lay drawer fronts face-up, parallel to each other.

7) Apply a generous layer of Mod Podge to both drawer fronts.

8) Lay curtain panel fabric face-up on top of drawer fronts. Wipe firmly across drawer surfaces to remove any air bubbles and to secure fabric to drawer fronts.

9) Gently apply layers of Mod Podge on top of the portions of fabric that are covering the drawer fronts. Allow to dry thoroughly.

10) Cut excess fabric away from drawer fronts, leaving about an inch around the edges of the drawer fronts.

11) Flip drawer fronts upside down and gently cut away all remaining excess fabric with your X-Acto blade. In order to protect your floors or work surface, use the disassembled box that the cabinet came in as a cutting surface.

12) Attach Threshold knobs to the center of the cabinet, using the two pre-drilled knob holes as a guide. If you have a power drill handy, it’s helpful to drill a pilot hole before you screw the knobs in. Because the cabinet panels are thinner than most wood, use the knob screws provided with the cabinet rather than those provided with the Threshold knobs.

13) Assemble cabinet according to manufacturer’s directions.

14) Place cabinet on its side and drill four top plates into the corners of cabinet underside. Screw in tapered legs. Presto! All done!

– – – – –

VINTAGE GLAM

Materials

1) Stain table legs according to stain manufacturer’s directions. Allow to dry.

2) Assemble cabinet frame according to manufacturer’s directions. Leave drawers unassembled at this time.

3) Sand all portions of cabinet that will be visible, including drawer fronts.

3) Decoupage your “faux leather” finish onto all outwardly visible parts of cabinet frame and drawer fronts. To create a distressed leather look, tear brown paper bags into non-uniform pieces, making sure there are no creases or straight lines. Crumple paper in your hands, uncrumple paper, apply a generous amount of Mod Podge to cabinet surface and place paper piece onto primed surface. Secure with a thin layer of Mod Podge. Repeat until entire cabinet frame and drawer fronts are covered.

4) Apply two layers of brown shoe polish to decoupaged surface. Create a uniform look by applying in small, circular strokes. Allow to dry.

5) Attach drawer pulls to drawer fronts using the pre-drilled holes. Because the cabinet material is thinner than most wood panels, use the knob screws that are provided with the cabinet, not the screws provided with the drawer pulls.

6) Assemble cabinet drawers and attach to cabinet frame following manufacturer’s directions.

7) Place cabinet on its side (front up) and screw in top plates at corners. Attach table legs. Done!