15 Great DIY Home Projects
Posted on September 1, 2020
Here are 15 great home projects to tackle on your own until you are able to hire a professional.
Remember, some of these projects will require supplies from a big box retailer or home improvement store. Be sure you are aware of any social distancing or mask requirements before setting out to do your shopping. Keep safe by taking advantage of home delivery or curbside pick up.
Build a DIY window box.
Window boxes are a charming way to add curb appeal to your home and beauty when you look outside your window. Creating a window box is a fairly straightforward task but will require the use of power tools. Once you’re done, add some flowers to liven up your living space with freshness.
Change up your photos.
Photos can use some refreshing every so often. With so much time spent indoors these days, take the time to add some new photos to your frames. If your walls are more bare, gather frames, and fill them to hang. Create an art gallery feeling by using different sizes and shapes of frames. Create a cohesive feeling by painting them all one color.
Start a kitchen garden.
Even a novice gardener can have some success with a garden of things you eat. Experts suggest beans and peas as introductory herbs. They are easy to grow and will yield veggies quickly. Adding herbs to your garden makes a successful, edible garden. Research online to find the best options for your plants. There are many gardeners out there offering help with everything from what grows in shade to container gardening in an apartment.
Update your cabinets and drawers.
Cabinets can become banged up really easy, especially with a whole family in the house full time. If your kitchen or bathroom cabinets are looking dingy, update them. Replacing custom cut wood items like this in your home can be really pricey. Painting cabinets can give you the same feeling of a new kitchen for a fraction of the cost. While this project is fairly intricate, it can be left to a homeowner. However, most choose to go the professional route for this one. Once it’s complete, finish the look with new knobs and hardware.
Refresh your air vents.
Air vents can get grimy from all of the air blowing through them daily. To update them, you have several good options. First take them down and attempt to wash them. Use a soft brush and dish soap to remove the stains or dust covering them. If this doesn’t yield results, paint them. Most vents are a flat white paint. Use a small amount of paint and try adding a new coating to the vent. If you’re just not getting the pristine look you are going for, vent covers are not terribly expensive. Purchase new ones and replace them. You’ll be surprised the difference this makes in the room.
Paint an accent wall.
If you’re bored with your walls, now is the time to attempt a painting project. Add a new accent wall to a room. Choose something that will stand out with your current furniture and accessories in the room. Adding the color to a wall is a day-long task that will rejuvenate your whole room. Extra points for painting an accent wall in your office. It will give you a new lease on working from home.
Repurpose your old furniture.
We all have that one piece of furniture that is a bit past its prime. Use paint to make it stand out in the best way possible. Adding a new color to an older dresser, bookcase or chair can give it a totally new lease on life. For example, take an older, metal patio set, sand it down, and paint it with a new vibrant color. It will inspire you to update the rest of your patio or porch as well.
Freshen up your baseboards.
Baseboards are another unsung hero of our houses. They often sit unattended for years, collecting dust and messes. Similar to the air vents, you don’t realize how messy your baseboards are until you clean and paint them. As an added bonus, this project allows you to plop on the floor and work your way around the house. Washing the messes away to get started is a great project for little hands to help. Put the whole family to work!
Get rid of all the old paint you don’t need.
Most of us are guilty of having that pile of half-used cans of paint, stain, and spray paint lurking in a garage or shed. Now is a great time to go through it. Paint will not stay good forever. You’re better off taking a day to catalog the colors you have marked on your cans for future reference. You cannot throw paint away. Instead, take your paint for a trip to the appropriate disposal location. This varies according to city and state. A quick internet search should yield results for your area.
Clean your refrigerator coils.
This is another project that should be done regularly but isn’t often taken care of. With time to spare, pull the fridge out and get to work. Locate the coils on the fridge and use a vacuum with brush attachment to remove the dust on them. This will save you money and keep your refrigerator working well for longer.
Bring some greenery inside.
While the weather is beginning to break, allowing more time in the great outdoors, there is no reason to limit your time with nature to outside your home. Adding plants and greenery in your home makes closed in spaces feel fresh and open. If you suffer from allergies or pollen reactions, avoid flowering plants and instead opt for air-purifying plants.
Upcycle plant pots.
While you’re busy planting and bringing nature into your home, you might be in the market for planters. Rather than purchase expensive pieces retail, make your own. Gather old kitchen supplies for a shabby chic option or get clearance style pots at the store. Use some paint and glaze to create a cohesive look for various sizes and shapes of pots. This is a good time to add a pop of color as well. This allows you to experiment with colors around your home without committing to a full repainting of your house.
Soundproof your working space.
Focusing at home can be really difficult. Family vying for attention and work life encroaching in can make it seem like there are not enough hours in the day. Adding some touches to your home office can help your brain get into work mode. Drown out the sounds of your noisy home with heavy curtains or blankets. If you can do more permanent changes, opt for sound proofing foam as wall decorations.
Try out a new tile on your bathroom floor.
Pulling up tile in a bathroom on a hunch you might like something else isn’t probably a risk you’re willing to take. Instead, try a peel and stick option that will give you the look you are considering without the costly mess. It’s a great way to do a trial run in your home.
Organize your stuff.
Surely, with the added work accouterment in your home on top of school supplies and eating at home, your home is overrun with things. Since many of these items don’t have a home, now is a good time to go through the piles of clutter and organize. Adding some colorful boxes and file folders will encourage you to continue the decluttering.
Schedule an Estimate Appointment
While some of these projects are perfectly easy for a novice dabbling in home improvement, others might be a bit cumbersome. Our teams are here to help with repair and painting of your interior and exterior projects. Schedule an estimate appointment to discuss your project today.