Budget Battlers star reveals DIY bedroom hack using $2 Kmart item: 'Wonderful'

Not only is Channel Nine’s new renovation series Budget Battlers receiving praise for its “down to earth” hosts, former Block stars Jess Eva and Norm Hogan, but fans are also loving the easy DIY hacks being demonstrated. The reality show sees the couple help deserving families by renovating each of their homes in just five days on a $10,000 budget.

Wednesday night’s episode featured Real Housewives star Pettifleur Berenger, who appeared alongside Jess on I’m A Celebrity in 2021, as she volunteered her time for free and took control of the interior styling. While she’s used to living in a luxury Melbourne penthouse, the property developer was designated only $1148 to style the entire home.

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Pettifleur was inspired by a $3000 curved bedhead and decided to create a budget version using pool noodles - which are available for $2 each at Kmart.

She cut the noodles lengthways, hot glued them onto a plank of wood, and upholstered them with fabric to create a stylish and one-of-a-kind product.

“It’s not very often on Budget Battlers that we show off very rare pieces, but you have a custom-made pool noodle bed head by Pettifleur,” Jess told the homeowner Sandra after the big reveal, who said Pettifleur had done a “wonderful job”.

Pettifleur's surprising advice to recreate her hack

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle about the DIY project, Pettifleur shares that it’s definitely something people could recreate at home - as long as they have a bit of time on their hands.

“Making the noodle bedhead was very slow, it was a process that I never knew I'd be able to do,” she details. “You had to staple, you had to screw, and you had to glue, and then you had to put the material in those grooves that I just created through the noodles.

“I’ve never picked up one of those drill thingies. Never. I’m not a tool person, I learned everything on the job.”

While she jokes others hoping to replicate the bedhead should “just save some money and go to the shop and buy something on bloody discount”, she adds that making something yourself is much more rewarding.

“If you just go and buy something on sale then you will never get a quality product made with love that you can be proud of, and that is something money can't buy,” she says. “I did it in a few days, so you can definitely do it. All you have to do is apply a bit of labour into it - and it’s called a labour of love too.

“I hope everyone likes my style and loves the show and understands that it was done out of the kindness of our hearts and we just enjoyed helping people.”

Fans declare Budget Battlers 'better than The Block'

Many fans have since taken to social media to praise Budget Battlers and say they are “loving the episodes”, with one person writing: “This is the TV we want to watch!”

“Love the show. They are so down to earth and do such a great job,” another added, while a third said, “Great show! So much better than The Block!”.

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“Bloody amazing you really do make the world a brighter place literally,” someone else shared, followed by a different user who said, “Fab to see practical things that everyday people can do to enhance their home”.

In addition to the DIY bedhead, the team made bedside tables from bricks, purchased a $20 table and chair set from the op shop, turned a window into a water feature, and used $10 battery-operated downlights for the study.

Budget Battlers continues 8:30pm Wednesday on Channel Nine and 9now

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