Who among us doesn’t find himself daydreaming about having a man cave one day?
Not just any man cave…
No, you want the man cave that all your buddies will be talking about. The one everybody wants to come to and watch the big games.
But, you’ve got a problem.
You’re broke.
Maybe you’re not completely broke, but you don’t really have the extra money to create a basement or garage man cave.
Here’s some good news for you: it may still be possible.
We’ve scoured the web and found some of the best DIY man cave ideas and decorating ideas on a budget that will have your place looking top notch, without spending top dollar. Some of these are things you can make yourself out of old stuff you probably have laying around, or could find free on Craigslist.
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1. DIY BASEBALL BAT TABLE
Let’s start off with man cave furniture. Obviously the length of the bat determines the height of the table. See step by step instructions here.
2. A CHEAP, BUT AWESOME MAN CAVE SIGN
A sign on the door or the wall will make sure that everyone knows exactly which room they are in… via Amazon
3. A FOOSBALL COAT HANGER
Got a broken down or unwanted foosball table? Tear that guy up and make a coat hanger out of the soccer players on a stick. Via Fancy
4. TURN OLD SCHOOL TENNIS RACKETS INTO MIRRORS
5. CHEAP WALL-MOUNTED BOTTLE OPENER
This wall mounted bottle opener is a great DIY project idea, especially if your man cave has a bar, via Amazon
6. HIDE A RIFLE BEHIND AN AMERICA FLAG
Because you need to show off your guns, right? Full tutorial at DIY Ready.
7. MAKE SHELVES/TABLES OUT OF CINDER BLOCK
I’ll admit, the picture above is a little less-than-manly… but you could easily take the concept and man it up a little. via Dwell
8. MAKE CHAIRS FROM OLD TIRES
via CleverBirdBanter
9. DIY BEER COASTERS
This DIY project is great especially if you have a man cave bar!
10. MAN CAVE LIGHTING VIA SKATEBOARD
11. LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS
12. DIY FOOTBALL FIELD RUG
After all, don’t football and “man cave” go together like peanut butter and jelly? This is an excellent idea for those looking for man cave decor. Tutorial via ChicaandJo
13. FOR THOSE JERSEYS THAT NO LONGER FIT…
If you’ve spent a little too much time in the man cave and not enough time in the gym… you might have some jerseys of players from the 80’s that fit a little snugly these days.
Why not turn them into DIY pillows for your man cave? This is one of our favorite DIY ideas, it’s also very budget friendly, via Kenneth Wingard
14. MAKE A ROLLING FOOT STOOL FROM A TIRE
We looked at making a tire bench seat earlier, but if you happen to pick up some extra old tires for free (or cheap) then why not make an awesome rolling foot stool for the room? via Wikihow
15. MAKE A PENDANT LAMP FROM A DRUM
If you are a musician with an old snare laying around, check out this DIY man cave lighting project from the Randolph family
16. USE TREE STUMPS FOR TABLES
Does it get more manly in a Paul Bunyan sort of way?
17. TURN AN OLD TV INTO AN AQUARIUM.
You might still have one of these dinosaur TVs sitting in your garage or basement. If not, you’ll find them sitting on curbs for free all the time. Why not turn that baby into a fish tank? It’ll light up the man cave and make for a conversation starter. via Viral Nova
18. BRAND YOUR STEAKS WITH YOUR FAVORITE TEAM LOGO
For about $10, you can have every piece of meat served in your man cave displaying support of your favorite team:
via Amazon.
19. VINTAGE POOL BALLS IN A VASE
via Pottery Barn, Have an old set of pool balls from a pool table? If so, you could easily create this!
20. HOLD YOUR BOOKS WITH A SWORD
If you’re displaying books in your basement man cave, do it awesomely with these book ends:
via Amazon
21. MAKE IT SMELL MANLY
Enter man candles. Have your man cave smelling like fresh cut grass, dirt, bacon, and many more manly scents.
22. USE PALLET COASTERS
You can make everything else out of a wooden pallet, so why not coasters in your man cave bar? Get a set for under $20
23. USE A BIG-ASS BRICK OF SOAP
Don’t screw up the man cave by letting your wife take over the nearest bathroom. Besides decor that fits your man cave theme, man-up the soap with something like Duke Cannon’s Big Ass Brick of Soap modeled after the soldiers soap in Vietnam.
24. GOLF GRILL SET
Want to store you grilling tools in the man cave? Then you need something functional and fitting. Check out this golf themed grill set with legit grips. Even if you don’t display it in the man cave, when you come walking in from the grill with these babies, your friends know you mean business.
25. PLUNGE YOUR TOILET WITH A SHOTGUN
Did I mention that the bathroom of your man cave matters? You’ve already seen the brick of soap, now if things get clogged, make sure you’ve got this guy handy:
Hopefully, you are leaving here inspired. Having a killer man cave doesn’t have to cost a fortune; cheap man cave ideas look great they just require some creativity and a mix of some “upcycling” with some other budget items that really make a statement.
Now get out there and make it happen!
