Did you know that 6 million men suffer from depression in America every year?
Clearly, it’s never been more important for guys to look after themselves. What better place to start than by creating their very own man cave?
Of course, you don’t have to be struggling in yourself to benefit from these man-centered spaces.
But there’s no denying the mental and emotional advantage of having a safe place to escape the world, unwind, and/or spend time with your closest buddies. Even better, you can easily create a man cave on a budget and avoid any unhelpful monetary pressure.
You get all the perks of having a room specifically oriented around your manly tastes and interests, with none of the financial headaches. Sound good?
Read on for seven DIY ideas to create epic man caves at minimal expense.
1. Build a Bar
Okay, so drinking your sorrows away is never a good idea.
But there’s no denying how gratifying it is to end a stressful day with a well-earned beer (or whatever your tipple of choice happens to be).
It’s even better when you get to drink it in your very own man cave. Why not build yourself a makeshift bar-area?
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Stick a few shelves on the wall, put a bar unit together out of scrap wood/pallets, and grab some stools from Barstoolelite.com. Before you know it, you’ve got the perfect station from which to serve yourself and your buds a beer or two.
2. Grab a Dartboard
Any self-respecting man cave has to have a dartboard on the wall.
They’re an ideal combination of a funky wall-decoration and fun-filled activity. Even better, you can pick one up for next to nothing. Grab one online for twenty bucks and stick it up for endless hours of entertainment.
Consider building a wooden board from which to suspend it though. Having some wood behind the darts board should protect the wall from any darts that go wayward.
Oh, and don’t forget the chalkboard to help everyone keep score.
3. Install a Pull-Up Bar
Man caves shouldn’t all be about sitting around, drinking beer, and playing games.
Far from it. Many men use them as a space to work out, stay fit, and get a pump on. You can crank up the music, drown out the world, and work up a sweat.
Your physical, mental, and emotional health improve all at the same time.
Unfortunately, buying a room full of benches, bars, and dumbells isn’t cheap. But you could easily install a pull-up bar somewhere in the cave as a budget alternative. Even better, they’re naturally out of the way, creating space and leaving room for other furnishings/items.
4. Make a Coat-Hanger from a Foosball Table
Need somewhere to hang your coats?
Happen to have an old/unwanted foosball table lying around?
Well, it’s time to kill two birds with one stone! You could break apart the table and use the bars that hold the player figurines as a coat hanger. Screw some brackets into the wall, suspend the bar from them (with the figurines still on there), and then hook your coats/jackets over the players.
Voila! You enjoy an ingenious, budget, and environmentally friendly solution to your problem.
5. Use Old Tires and Cinder Blocks
You could spend hundreds of dollars on furniture for your man cave. Sometimes, the best solutions are the budget ones.
For instance, you could clean up any spare cinder blocks from outside and repurpose them as side tables. Arrange them as you see fit. You could stand two vertically and place another across the top for a quick, easy, and stable table.
You can use old car or dirt bike tires in similar ways. For example, you could stack them on top of each other and put some wood across the top to create a table (or chairs, for that matter). You could create a bench by stacking a few tires at either end and laying a plank of wood between them.
As you can see, a bit of creativity can transform basic raw materials into functional furniture, without costing a dime.
6. Turn Old Sports Jerseys into Cushion Covers
Most sports fans have a host of old jerseys lying around.
Ask yourself if you ever intend to wear them again. If the answer’s no, then it’s time to put them to work in your man cave.
Of course, you could just hang them from the walls as decorations. A more creative way to use those jerseys would be to turn them into personalized cushion covers. Fold each one around a cushion, stitch them together, and you’re done.
7. Create Bottle Cap Wall Art
Love beer and need something to put on the wall?
Well, consider saving up your bottle caps to put some artistic wall displays together. Of course, there’s no limit to what you can do here. Grab a piece of board, get the creative juices flowing, and arrange them however you wish.
You could create an American flag, the logo of your favorite sports team, or replicate a famous work of art. No matter the design, you’ll end up with a fun decoration for the man cave- not to mention a visual indication of how much beer you’ve sunk.
Time to Create a Man Cave on a Budget
There’s nothing better than having a man cave to retreat to at the end of a long day. They’re places of solace, filled with endless opportunities to unwind.
That’s a big deal for any bloke going through a tough time.
Man caves can lift your spirits, tackle low mood, and make your days that bit better. As we’ve seen, with a bit of ingenuity, you can even make a man cave on a budget. Hopefully, this post will help you do it.
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