Having a kitchen that looks great doesn't have to mean spending a ton of money. Sometimes, you just have to get crafty. Here are 12 super-easy projects you can steal for your own kitchen.

1. A wire utensil rack

This DIY wire utensil rack from A Beautiful Mess would be perfect for a minimal kitchen that needs just a little more storage.

2. An IKEA cart upgrade

Meaghan of Oliver and Rust upgraded a humble IKEA Bekvam kitchen cart with a towel bar, a bit of paint, and a marble slab.

3. Glam kitchen shelving

These shelves, spotted on Houzz, are made from pieces of reclaimed lumber resting on spray-painted shelf brackets.

4. Custom storage canisters

Upgrade plain storage canisters with this DIY from The Lovely Drawer. You'll just want to practice your penmanship a little first!

5. A DIY magnetic knife rack

Fun fact: Almost any piece of wood can be turned into a magnetic knife rack. You just need these directions from eHow.

6. A hanging planter

Don't have a ton of counter space for lining up plants? This tutorial from The Lovely Drawer takes advantage of vertical space.

7. Dipped cooking utensils

These painted wooden spoons from Earnest Home Co. will make cooking just a little more fun.

8. A pegboard wall

Our sister site, Apartment Therapy, has a great tutorial for a pegboard wall, which will add a little bit of Scandinavian cool (and a lot of extra storage) to your kitchen.

For a more classic pegboard: How to Build and Hang the Ultimate Kitchen Storage Solution

9. A dresser turned kitchen island

This project from Redbook shows how to make a kitchen island from a $100 dresser. More storage, more counter space, and a little extra dose of style — all on a modest budget.

10. Colorful shelf backings

Dress up shelves by adding some visual interest to the backs of them. You can paint them, add wallpaper, or even use gift wrap, like this example from Lulu & Georgia.

11. Painted backsplash tiles

If you're bored with your plain old tile, try painting it like this beautiful example from One Kings Lane. By painting half of each tile, the backsplash now has some geometric flair.

12. Hand-painted dish towels

These painted dish towels from Mamas Kram are easy to make, and could be painted in pretty much any color to match the scheme of your kitchen.