If you got some free time during the weekends, you should try and spend it on trying out some DIY projects. They are fun to do and what you make can improve your home. Here are some DIY projects you can start around the house.
DIY Projects You Can Start Around the House
We’ll start with some projects that are fairly easy to do. You may need to buy some of the tools and materials. Also, make sure to read about safety and how to properly handle and use your tools.
In 2018, U.S. households spend about $7,560 annually on home improvements. The money spent is worth though since you get to fix your home and do some makeovers. It’s also a productive hobby to do.
Paint the Front Door
Let’s start off with something easy to do. Painting doors should be easy work for you. It’s a great first DIY project for you to get you used to work with DIY projects at home.
Make sure you choose the right paint. There are products of paint that are suitable for wooden surfaces like doors.
Materials
You will need to prepare the following:
- Paint and some primer cans
- Paintbrushes
- Painter’s tape
- Foam roller and handle
- Drop cloth
How to Do It
- Remove any decorations on the door and anything that you don’t want to be stained with paint like doorknobs. If you can’t remove them, use the painter’s tape to cover any features you don’t want to be painted.
- Clean the door to remove any dust and debris that may catch on the paint. You may use a scraper to remove peeling old paint. Use sanding sheets to smoothen out the surface if necessary.
- Decide what color you want to use. If you’re unsure use a sample of spare wood or a small space on your door and check how it looks. You should also choose the best paint applicable to your door.
- You can use a primer to hide the old paint and your test paint. Make sure to let it dry for at least 24 hours.
- Start painting on the edge of the door using the paintbrushes. Afterward, use the foam roller to paint the larger surfaces. Decide how much coat to add. It’s generally recommended to coat 2 to 3 times.
- Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours after coating.
- Reattach any decorations that you removed formerly.
Painting Your Trailer
If you have a trailer at home and is not well-taken care of, it could look ugly around your home. Trailers are not only for camping and hauling cargo. They are useful decorations for homes when not in use.
Trailers require specific paints compatible with metal trailers. You may find that painting trailers share similar steps to repainting any furniture or part of your house that may contain rust.
Materials
- Paint for trailers
- Paintbrush and/or roller (optional)
- Wire brush
- Steel wool pad
- Auto soap
- Soft clean rag
- Painter’s tape
- Old newspapers
- Rust sealer (optional)
How to Do It
- Brush off the rust as much as you can using the wire brush. Take off most of the large chunks of rust. This is the initial phase for removing rust.
- Using a steel wool pad, scrub away any remaining rust. Don’t worry about hard-to-remove rust. You can use a rust sealer for it. The more rust you remove, the longer it will also take for you to repaint the trailer.
- Wash the trailer with some auto soap mixed with water. Make sure all the dust and residue are removed from scrubbing off the rust.
- Dry off the trailer with a soft clean rag. Let it air dry completely before you start painting.
- Once dry, tape off areas of the trailer you don’t want to paint. Use the painter’s tape and old newspapers to cover them.
- Layout some used cloth or plastic sheeting around the trailer if you don’t want the ground to have paint stains.
- Use a rust sealer on any remaining rust to remove them completely. Let it dry completely.
- Brush or spray a thin coat of paint on the target area of the trailer. Allow it to dry for around two to four hours. It should not feel sticky before you start your second coating.
- Brush or spray the second coating the same way you did with the first coating. Wait for it to dry again.
- After completely drying, remove the painter’s tape and old newspapers. Your trailer will look good as new and won’t be an eyesore around your house.
Use Old Bricks for a Backyard Walkway
Do you have some spare unused bricks at home? Why not use it as decorations for your home. Old bricks can be a great decorative walkway for your front lawn, backyard, or if you have a garden at home.
Materials
- Old bricks (as many as how much the walkway needs)
- Garden spades
- Garden shovels
- Garden trowels
- Strings visible in the ground
- Nails
- Paintbrushes
How to Do It
- First, plan the design of your walkway. Gauge how many bricks you will need.
- Layout the ground on where you will place the bricks. Use the strings and nails to mark the ground you’ll dig in.
- Afterward, dig the ground you marked using either a garden spade, garden shovel, or garden trowel.
- Fill in the dug-up space with the old bricks making sure it follows your design layout.
- Fill up the space with soil to fill any gaps
- Clean up the walkway. Use a paintbrush to brush away dirt and debris on top of your old brick walkway.
You can paint the bricks beforehand, to give you a more decorative and bright design. Although it would cost you more.
Change Your Doorknobs
This is a really great DIY project to do. Learning how to fix doorknobs in case they get broken in the future. Replacing doorknobs also maybe for enhanced security or just for decorative purposes.
In the end, it’s a great skill to learn. You can replace broken doorknobs by yourself and don’t have to wait or pay for a repairman.
Materials
- Measuring tape
- Phillips head screwdriver
- New replacement doorknob
How to Do It
- Start by taking the measurements of your old doorknob. You can’t just buy a new doorknob without knowing what the right measurements are. Doorknobs usually go in standard size so they can be easily swapped.
- Remove your old doorknob. This can get tricky depending on your doorknob. It can have visible screws that you can unscrew and pull apart the knobs. You may also have a doorknob with no visible screws. It may have a hidden latch that holds it in place. Find the base of the knob and check for a small groove. Press it with the tip of a pen or tweezers. It should show the screws. If you’re unsure, you may want to check your doorknob manufacturer if you can find out.
- Remove other components of the doorknob like the faceplate, strike plate, and latch. Simply unscrew the screws holding them in place and they should come off easily with a gentle push.
- Install your new faceplate. Follow the process in reverse with how you removed the old faceplate.
- Next, install the new front doorknob. Make sure your doorknobs are in the right position (which is front and back). Have someone hold it in place while you will install the other side.
- While someone is holding the front knob, line up the back knob until it aligns with the front knob. You can check if it’s good when both flush to the door when pressed. Once they do, hold them in place and screw the backplate to secure them in place. Test again to make sure the knobs turn from both sides.
- All that’s left is to install the new strike plate on the door frame and screwing it in place. Your new doorknob should be working now.
Wallpaper Your Stairs
Why not add some decor to your stairs. It will make the stairs look less boring. Additionally, if you have kids, you can pick a wallpaper that your kids will love. Make sure that it also matches with the wall texture around the stairs.
Materials
- Wallpaper of your design
- Fine sandpaper
- Wallpaper paste
- Spatula
How to Do It
- Measure the front-facing side of the stairs. Cut your wallpaper using the acquired dimensions so your wallpaper will fit perfectly.
- Smoothen out the surface with fine sandpaper. It will make it easier for the wallpaper to stick to the stair’s wooden surface.
- Apply wallpaper paste to the smoothen surface and place your wallpaper, pressing it into position. Use the spatula to smoothen out any air bubbles.
- (optional) apply a coat of varnish to your paper once it dries. It will protect the wallpaper from scuff marks and enhance its aesthetics.
Conclusion
These are some DIY projects you can start around your house. They are fairly easy to do and won’t require you to spend as much. Learning how to maintain your house by yourself is a great skill to have.
