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03 Jun 16

31 Bodge proof tips for stress free DIY

DIY sophie and drawers

Last weekend was a glorious three day bank holiday- the perfect opportunity to all get stuck into some DIY as is the traditional British pastime way.  I spent it in the garden although I’ve got LOADS to do in the house, but the garden is just going berserk at this time of year. I’m no gardener so I’m getting aquainted with weeds right now and totally addicted to mowing. Who knew?! Well all I can say is I’ve surprised myself. But I cannot wait to get back indoors and start getting some colour in my mainly magnolia house. Soooooon!!!!!!

I teamed up with my pals at Electrical Safety First to spread the DIY love and ran a competition over on Twitter for the best DIY tips in celebration of the long weekend so I could keep an eye on what you lot were up to. I asked you to share your advise on the perfect DIY bank holiday and here are the resuts, all shared using the hash tag #diynation

 

BE PREPARED

 

  1. Kelly⭐@Anotherkellylou

Get all tools to hand before starting. It’s frustrating &unsafe to stop to search for a tool you need mid job!

 

2. Natalie Harrison ‏@NatHarrison84

Always have a full toolbox, with spare screws, hooks and hinges

 

3. Sam Smith ‏@samhenleysmith

The most important thing: Get up early to make ‘provisions’! Nothing worse than no provisions 😉

 

4. Laura Donelly ‏@LDonelly

Measure twice, cut once

 

5. Mel crumpton ‏@daddiesmumpet

@ElecSafetyFirst  Always make sure you know what you are doing, plan what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.

 

6. arfar kit ‏@chrisb9666

PREPARATION! “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!”, so true in DIY.

 

7. Emma Welbourn ‏@emwelbourn

The three P’s Preparation, preparation and preparation. Boring but true!

 

DECORATING TIPS

 

8. Englishcountrylife ‏@engcountrylife

Use an oil based undercoat to cover biro or felt tip pen on plaster walls

 

9. Debra ‏@sunflowerdeb16

Put foil round the edge of paint pots to avoid sticky and hard to open / close lids.

 

10. B€CCA FIF€ * ‏@RiRi_108

Instead of cleaning a paint roller after each coat, put it in a plastic bag & seal so it’s ready for next time.

 

11. John Glen Stevens ‏@JohnGlenStevens

Priming walls and ceilings is important to improve paint adhesion, which reduces blisters & peeling.

 

12. Carrie ‏@Carrie_MissG

Buy rolls of plastic dustsheets on eBay for pennies covering floor and furnishings while painting

 

13. Carrie ‏@Carrie_MissG

Put bin bag over paint tray before using, then when done- pull bag back over the tray & no cleaning required!

 

14. Miss.N.R ‏@njr381

If you want a smooth flat finish when up cycling furniture use a mohair roller! Finish is perfect every time.

 

15. Christina ‏@meganchristina9

When painting with brushes/paint pads between use keep them in a plastic sandwich bag, stops them drying out

 

16. Debra ‏@sunflowerdeb16

Line paint trays with cling film to make cleaning easier. Use quality paintbrushes to avoid stray bristles

 

DON’T SCREW IT UP

 

17. James ‏@james_opus

Always drill a pilot hole!

 

18. Daniel Morgan ‏@thesoundmandan

Cut your downlight box in half, put in between holesaw and chuck of the drill to use as a cheap dust collector.

 

19. claire harrill ‏@claireharr

Stick a creased post it note on the wall just below where you are drilling to catch the dust from the hole

 

20. Carrie ‏@Carrie_MissG

Invest in all surface wall fixings to save multiple trips for plaster/hollow/hard wall fixing

 

21. Amy Ward ‏@amylena33

Use masking tape to stick an open envelope to the surface when drilling to catch all the dust!

 

22. Age of Reason – Ali ‏@AgeofRStudios

Print out groups of small-framed pics & “hang” w blue tack to ensure perfect wall composition before drilling.

 

23. Loren ‏@Lozj77

Be patient- loosing your temper only makes things worse, & remember this is not your profession, mistakes will happen

 

CALL IN A PRO:

 

24. Nicolette Lafonseca @archieandtherug

Use the right tools, do your research & be realistic about your skill set

 

25. Alexis Hall ‏@AlexisHall13

In my house the best DIY tip is ‘get in an expert

 

26. Ian Davies ‏@IanTheInventor

When it comes to installing electrics ‘Don’t Install Yourself’

 

27. LBurgess ‏@lindseyburgess1

Ring Dad!!

 

28. John Ruddy ‏@jruddy99

Get someone else to do it

 

29. Ellie ‏@Ms_Scatty

Be safe! Wear appropriate clothing & correct safety gear, keep your work area tidy and keep pets+children away

 

30. Carrie ‏@Carrie_MissG

Watch YouTube how to guides and give it a go. We saved £000s by fitting our own vinyl, laminate & doing tiling

 

31. Winston Walsh ‏@antwalsh1

Always wear a toolbelt whilst doing diy. It makes me appear as a passable man.

 

If you have any top DIY tips I’d love to hear them so please drop them into the comments below

 

 

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Before and after! This room took me on a real jour Before and after! This room took me on a real journey.
At first, I thought I needed a calm, blank space to focus… so I painted it all white. I know - can you believe it?! I told myself it was for clarity and creativity, but the truth is, I hated it. I felt flat and totally uninspired.

So, I ripped up the rulebook and went back to what I know works for me: bold colour and big pattern. I painted the whole space in my favourite cobalt blue (Lazuli by @zoffanyfw) and installed the ‘In the Woods’ mural from my @Harlequinfw collection - and now it’s everything I wanted and more.

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Was John your winner?
What design moment caught your eye?
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Ready to create a home that feels unapologetically Ready to create a home that feels unapologetically YOU?

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Thankyou @john_cooper_design for a beautiful LIVE taking a deeper look into your amazing experience being on the this most loved show. We all loved watching you grow and develop as a designer and your collection with @johnlewis is an absolute triumph! Cannot wait to see what you do next 🙌
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Beware of listening to the ‘experts’! I get i Beware of listening to the ‘experts’!
I get it though, designing a house is hard, especially if your taste leans towards the 
maximalist style. There is every chance you’ll feel overwhelmed or stressed about getting it wrong with the end result one hot mess. However here are some of those common ‘design rules’ that I absolutely disagree with! Would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Ready to step into your best life? Start with the Ready to step into your best life? Start with the place that holds it all. Your home.

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