09 Oct 5 DIY Projects for Beginners to Try
There always seems to be endless tasks around the home that need completing, and when you scroll through interior design articles online and see all the beautiful homes, you may have the sudden urge to pick up a paintbrush.
Trouble is, it can be difficult to know where to start, and unless you’ve been taught some DIY skills or gone to classes, you may be worried about causing more damage than you can fix.
Here are some projects that beginners can try:
- Putting up curtains
Once you learn to put up a curtain pole, you’ll have the skills to do a number of DIY jobs around the home. Curtains aren’t just for windows, they’re an excellent way to cover shelves and cupboards without doors, making your rooms look less cluttered. You’ll need to buy or borrow a good drill, and you’ll need a tape measure, screwdriver and spirit level.
There are plenty of instructions for putting up curtain poles around the web, but the most important thing is to take your time, keep using a spirit level to get a straight finish and measure more than once.
- Try some basic woodworking
Learn some basic woodworking skills and you’ll be able to make all manner of decorative and practical items for your home. Using pallets is a good way to get started, as the wood is already cut to size and there are lots of creative ways to use them. You don’t need many tools or supplies, wood screws make perfect fasteners for DIY woodworking projects, and pallets are cheap, so even if you make mistakes, you haven’t wasted lots of money.
You could try making:
- Pallet shelves
- Pallet chairs
- A pallet light fixture
- A wine rack
- Pallet tables
- Paint a room
It sounds basic, but it’s surprising how many people end up with an unprofessional finish when they try to paint themselves. If you learn to paint like a pro, your rooms will look so much more well-finished, and you’ll save money on hiring decorators. Prepping the walls, using a primer, and neatly taping off the edges aren’t tasks that take very long, but they can make the finished project appear one hundred times better.
- Re-grout your tiles
Move into an older house or apartment, and it’s likely that the kitchen or bathroom will look a little grubby, and scrubbing those tiles with a toothbrush probably won’t do much. However, most people don’t have the budget nor time to completely remodel these rooms as soon as they move in. You can instantly give these rooms a lift by re-grouting the tiles and re-caulking the seals around the sinks and bathtub. This will give a cleaner, fresher look. Got old, out of date tiles? They can be painted, but make sure you use the right products designed for this purpose.
- Build a deck
If you’re lucky enough to have an attractive backyard but nowhere to sit and socialize, then a good project for beginners is to build a deck. It’s not an easy task, there are many stages to building a deck, and it can take a while if you’re a beginner. However, you can buy kits, which make the installation easier, and you can always do it over a few weeks or whenever you have spare time. You’ll certainly feel a great sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.