17 easy-peasy home projects that'll make you love DIY

​Pocket Park, Lustenberger Schelling Landschaftsarchitektur Lustenberger Schelling Landschaftsarchitektur Garden
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Let's be honest; we'd all LOVE to be considered DIY geniuses, but very few of us actually are! So many of us seem to have a tendency to jump straight into more complicated projects, get them a bit wrong, wind up disillusioned and then we are calling out the professional plumbers and tradesmen anyway, which we could have done from the start, but there is a way to become the DIY savant that you've always wanted to be! If you focus on smaller, easily attainable projects first and build your confidence, you'll soon find that you are ready to tackle anything, which is why we though we should give you a list of tasks to master! Come and take a look at our suggestions and think about which room you want to start in, but take our advice and leave bathroom things until you have a little more plumbing confidence under your belt!

1. Installing a deck in your garden is super easy, if you stick to an angular design. Work up to curved shapes, once you've got your technique down.

2. Painting your kitchen cabinets will give them a whole new lease of life, but make sure you use the right pain, follow all the instructions and don't rush it!

3. Reuse a fallen branch, to create eye-catching and modern interior shelves. It's easy yet impactful, just as all DIY should be!

4. Installing a toilet isn't hard at all, if you turn the water off and simply swap one out for another and leave all the plumbing in place! Treat yourself to a new seat too!

5. Upholster a chair, to give your furniture a far more personal touch. You don't need to be a savant with the sewing machine, as usually, a simple staple gun and some patience will do the trick.

6. Painting a brick wall might sound easy as pie, but to do a proper job, you need to get into every crevice and facet, to create a seamless finish. Choose the right tools, don't rush and be prepared to do more than one coat!

7. Painting your walls might sound like a simple task, but there are a lot of things to consider. Be sure that you are actually taking the time to prime and clean and you'll see a serious improvement in your finishes!

8. Tile a splashback in your kitchen, to revive a tired old room. You really can't go wrong here, as long as you use tile spacers and proper adhesive!

9. Make some pallet furniture and guests will swear blind you must be a master carpenter! Coffee tables for indoors and sofas for the patio will all be a doddle to create but beautiful once you do!

10. Upcycle some existing chairs, rather than throwing them out! With a decent sanding, some pretty paint and maybe even a handmade cushion or two, you'll have brand new chairs!

11. Craft a chopping board out of scrap wood and you'll have to turn away orders from family and friends! Simple scraps, glued and clamped together, then shaped, will look great!

12. Build a brick firepit to keep you warm in the garden and you'll really be heating your DIY efforts up! You don't need to be an expert bricklayer to manage this!

13. Unclog your own drains and you'll be able to wave goodbye to expensive call-out fees for the pros! A great tip is to flush hot water with white vinegar, baking soda and fresh lemon juice down your plug holes, once a week.

14. Repair some cracked grout by chipping it out with a Stanley knife and redoing it, carefully! Nobody will ever know there was damage there to begin with!

15. Build a simple coffee table to create a natural focal point in your living room and we think that after just a couple of compliments, you'll feel ready to try your hand at something bigger… like a bed!

16. Erect your own greenhouse! It's really not that hard and they all come with assembly instructions, so lay your pad and get building! Just wait for a nice day, so it is a pleasure, not a chore!

17. Laying your own gravel path is so simple, but looks beautiful! Maybe you have a future as a landscape architect!

For more DIY tips, take a look at this Ideabook: Cheap and easy DIY garden projects.

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