14 DIY tasks to tackle over a Bank Holiday weekend
BY Cassie Pryce
1st Jan 2015 Home & Garden
Come rain or shine, make the most of the long weekend and tick off some of those niggling decorating jobs from your to-do list.
It’s that time of year again to dig out the paintbrushes and don your decorating dungarees. We’ve rounded up 14 DIY ideas to get stuck into over a long weekend—some less thrilling than others—so you can finish off the weekend with a sense of satisfaction and a well-earned pat on the back.
Prepping for any DIY project is key, so make sure you write up a list of exactly what you’ll need before you start. Hit the shops early to avoid the inevitable rush and plan your time to make sure no job gets left half-finished.
1. Make an entrance
Image via Garden Ideas
If the weather allows, use the long weekend to spruce up your front door and outside entrance. Give the door and any surrounding woodwork a lick of paint and clean up door numbers, letter boxes and knockers.
For a fresh new look, try painting the door in a different shade—a soft sage green works well for a country cottage look, whereas a slick charcoal grey is perfect for an urban townhouse.
Read more: How to reclaim your front garden
2. Kerb appeal
Continue your hard work out the front of the house and remove any weeds from in between paving stones on your driveway or path.
Tidy up flower beds and hanging baskets ready for spring and summer blooms, and lay down new gravel if the budget allows.
Read more: How to transform a neglected garden
3. Garden grooming
Andreas furniture range Carver dining chairs, £300 for two; Carver dining table, £390; glass lantern, £50, all Debenhams
In preparation for the summer months, get your garden in tip-top condition and ready to play host to plenty of family barbeques and al fresco dining.
Invest in a pressure washer (or share one with a neighbour to cut costs) to clean up patios and decking and remove the grime that has built up over winter.
4. Summer style
Uncover and clean any outdoor furniture so it’s ready to be used when the warm weather hits. Hot soapy water is a good start to remove dirt for most materials—avoid using a pressure washer here as the high power can damage some woods and rattan.
For wooden furniture, lightly sand the frame and then apply a new coat of oil to get it looking as good as new again.
5. Paint job
Dovecote floral bedding set, £49.50; Darcy bed, £649; botanical print, £6; Loft task lamp, £29.50; Darcy three-drawer chest, £499, all Marks and Spencer
Use the extended weekend to touch up on any scuffed or marked paintwork around the house. Places such as skirting boards and door frames are likely to have shown some wear in the past year and it’s amazing what a coat of paint can do.
Use masking tape to ensure crisp, straight lines around tricky areas like switches and sockets.
Read more: 13 Common paint problems solved
6. All change
If you’re feeling bold and want to tackle a bigger makeover this Bank Holiday weekend, why not take the plunge and redecorate a room with wallpaper?
Whether you want to try papering an alcove, a feature wall, or the whole room, be sure to prep the area well and buy enough rolls of paper to allow for pattern matching and any mistakes.
Remove any existing wallpaper well before you plan on re-papering to allow time to overcome any problems that might be discovered beneath the original paper.
7. Bathroom blitz
While it may not be the most glamorous DIY job, it’s one that we all need face from time to time.
Give your bathroom a clean from head to toe—clean up grout or apply a new layer using a clever and time-saving grout pen, remove any mould or mildew using a strong spray and repaint if needed, and unclog drains and vents.
Read more: How to buff up your bathroom
8. Window dressing
White printed window film in Fioritura, from £30, The Window Film Company
Change the look of any room by hanging new curtains or blinds. When installing a window blind yourself, make sure to carefully measure the area before cutting the blind to fit and use sufficient wall fixtures to make sure it’s sturdy.
For an inexpensive and stylish window dressing, consider applying a decorative window film; they come in a wide range of patterns and designs, and are ideal for rooms requiring privacy without shutting out natural daylight.
Read more: How to decide between curtains or blinds?
9. Drab to fab
Image via Pinterest
Have a go at upcycling a preloved piece of furniture this Bank Holiday weekend.
Whether you decide to paint, decoupage or alter the design, there are so many ways to give furniture a new lease of life and make it fit in with your existing décor.
Check out the blog of upcycling expert, Annie Sloan, for plenty of revamping ideas to try.
Read more: 5 Ways to upcycle an old duvet cover
10. Mini makeover
Transform the look of your kitchen without splashing out on a full renovation project by simply painting the cabinetry. Buy a specialist paint, such as Valspar, to do it yourself or look for a local company that offers a kitchen spray painting service.
Remove all doors before starting and paint them lying flat to avoid drip marks forming.
11. Picture perfect
Get creative and hang your own gallery wall to showcase your favourite family snaps or artwork.
Use sheets of paper or masking tape on the wall to plan out the positioning of the frames before hanging them and ensure you’re happy with the layout.
12. On the rise
Give your staircase a makeover to instantly transform the look of your hallway. Use floor paint to add a bold colour either to just the risers or the entire stairway or try tiling the risers for a pattern hit.
Be sure to prime wooden floors before painting and always use a specialist floor paint for this project as it will be the most durable in heavy-traffic areas.
13. Top tiles
If you feel like taking on a bigger challenge, why not tile a small splashback area in your bathroom or kitchen? Make sure you have a tile cutter, tile spacers, grout, adhesive and a spreader, as well tile trim to finish off the area neatly.
Keep it simple and stick to a small square or rectangular area if you haven’t tiled before and remember to wipe away any excess grout and adhesive as you go to stop it hardening onto the tiles.
Read more: How to make a statement with tiles
14. Safety first
For a more practical task, use the long weekend to give your home a full safety check. Test all alarms, such as smoke and burglar alarms, and check that the locks on doors and windows are all working correctly.
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