If you are like many Americans, the time you used to spend socializing, eating out, going to movies, and anything else that took up your free time, you are now at home bored. You may even have extra time on top of the norm depending on where you work. Eitherway, this is the ultimate opportunity to get stuff done around your house. I don’t mean chores like cleaning the bathroom and organizing that “miscellaneous” closet, it’s time for some upgrades. DIY upgrades of course, you wouldn’t want a bunch of strangers coming to your house to do some work while you’re social distancing.
When it comes to DIY projects around the house, there are a few categories that the projects fall into. You are either creating a piece of furniture or shelving, a new decorative piece for the wall or counter, or you are reworking something that already exists in the house. Whichever one it is, if it’s made of wood, a power sander will make your job that much easier. Depending on the project you choose, you may find your life more organized, or just have your home better looking and ready for when you can throw another dinner party. Let’s go over a few of our favorite DIY projects from each category.
New Functional Items
Pallet Coffee Table
Pallet DIY projects are everywhere. You’ve probably seen someone make beds, couches, swings, and tables made from pallets. There’s a reason they’re so common. The aged planks have a unique look that fits a lot of homes well. Of all the tables we’ve seen though, this one stands out. It requires more work than a lot of DIY pallet projects since you need to disassemble the pallets, but the results are unique and cool. This table uses plywood and larger beams for the structure and planks it with pieces of the pallet.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://themerrythought.com/diy/diy-pallet-coffee-table/
Easy Bench
There is beauty in simplicity. This bench is made from 2 2×8’s with a very minimalist approach, but what you get is a sturdy bench that would look good against a wall in your house, or next to your front door, or even under that tree in your yard. This bench uses a single stretch of 2×8 as the seat, one for the backrest, one to create the backrest support and forward leg together, and one to create each back leg. And all it takes is a miter saw and a drill! Perfect for the beginner or a quick 1-day project.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/woodworking/projects/build-a-wooden-bench-for-less/
Baby Gate
Sure, you can run to a department store and grab a baby gate to keep your kid safe or to keep your puppy in a certain part of the house, but what fun is that? Check out this DIY baby and pet gate. It’s good practice for building a fence around the yard and would give your house a unique flare your friends probably haven’t seen before. The gate takes its inspiration from the standard white picket fence dream home, but now it’s in your house.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://knickoftime.net/2016/05/picket-fence-pet-baby-gate.html
New Decorative Pieces
Window Picture Holder
Keep an eye out for on the side of the road, if you’re lucky you will find someone remodeling and tossing out an old window. That’s all it takes to get a nice decorative piece for your house. The idea of hanging an antique window is trending, and if you go to your local salvage shop, you’ll find a hefty price tag on old windows. If you decided to buy one, or you come across one, check out this neat idea for showcasing your favorite photos.
Doorway Shelf
There’s a place in your house that you typically don’t do anything with, and that’s the little section of wall over your interior doors. It’s useless right? Too tall to put anything you need to reach, and too small for most paintings. But why not put a shelf there anyway? Check out how this shelf over a door can change the feel of the room. And once you have it up you rarely need to reach since it’s just decoration.
Bulletin Board
If you’re like me, it’s likely with all of the quarantine time, you’re at home wine consumption has increased. Hopefully you’ve been recycling the bottles and throwing the corks in a random drawer because this bulletin board is unique. Most bulletin boards are cork right? This one just so happens to be made from wine corks and a frame. While it could be considered functional, I included it in the decorative section since most of the time around the house, this would fall in that category.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://simplydesigning.porch.com/diy-wine-cork-bulletin-board/
Renovation Projects
Front Door Paint
What color is your front door? Why not add a new exciting color to your door? A fresh coat of paint on your door can give you house a fresh look, and you won’t even have that many square feet of paint to put down. Sand a little, put down some tape and primer, and then let that new color shine. It’s a good quick project you can knock out in a couple of days that will make a big difference to the look of your house.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://lollyjane.com/coral-painted-front-doors/
Paint Your Cabinets
Similar to the door, simply painting the walls in a room can change everything. What else could you paint though? How about the cabinets? While it’s a little time consuming to take the doors and hardware off, you can dramatically change the look of the room. But I have some advice from personal experience, be careful in your color selection or you may be hunting all new furniture as well.
For step by step instructions visit:
https://www.320sycamoreblog.com/2012/01/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets.html#more
Age Furniture
That nightstand you’ve had for years seems pretty antique right? Instead of that rustic look though, it just looks dirty and likes it could use some TLC. This cool DIY shows you how to take your furniture and give it the antique look you want. The process is simple, but you have to pick a color that will work. Paint it and then sand off some of the paint.
You’ve got all the time in the world right while you’re self-isolating. Use the time to make a difference around your house and you’ll be so happy you did when everything is back to normal.
Author Bio:
Brandon Smith is an Editor at TheSawGuy.com – a woodworking & DIY resource for everything from comparing the best table saws and miter saws, down to home and garden projects.
