Tag Archives: DoItYourself

Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Do-It-Yourself Landscaping Projects

Do-it-yourself landscape projects can be a fun and rewarding way to enhance your outdoor living space. There are few things more satisfying than relaxing in an outdoor oasis that you created and built with your very own hands. However, most landscaping projects will require the “do-it-yourselfer” to do some research and investigation before embarking on a trip into the unknown world of gardening and lawn care. To make your journey a little easier, here are some common mistakes that many new do-it-yourself landscapers have run into.

Planning Is Paramount For The Do-It-Yourself Landscaper

Yes, indeed. A landscape design that has not received any forethought or planning will look hodge podge and disjointed. A plan for your do-it-yourself landscape projects will ensure that your outdoor space will have a flow and a uniformity that will be pleasing to the eye. Think about how you will use each area in your yard and design for functionality as well as beauty. While you want to select a variety of plants for your landscape, a pattern of size, color and texture will be easier on the eye than a complete mix of many different images. Don’t just consider what your yard will look like in the summer, either. Include some early-blooming plants for spring color and trees and bushes that will offer plenty of splendors in the fall. Even your winters can be attractive with the proper plan.

What To Do With That Lawn

A lawn is usually the centerpiece of a yard, but the landscape do-it-yourselfer will want to consider how much lawn he wants to be responsible for irrigating and maintaining. Mowing a large yard every week can be quite time-consuming, and the amount of water necessary to keep it healthy can be expensive. A wise do-it-yourself landscaper will incorporate a lawn into the overall design that will add beauty while not overwhelming the caretaker.

Keep Those Tools Organized!

Any do-it-yourself landscape project will become a frustrating and time-consuming venture if tools are not easily available. Take a weekend away from your yard to spend some time organizing that garage or garden shed. Your projects are guaranteed to go much more smoothly when the right tools are at hand.

Do-it-yourself landscape projects can become a fun and rewarding hobby for the homeowner. Fortunately, there are multitudes of resources available so that the landscape do-it-yourselfer can see success in his undertakings.

So go online and search for a landscaping site. Learn more about it; get some books about it. Go to the home and garden stores in your town and start to browse. Before to long, you will have more ideas than you know what to do with.

For more information on do it yourself landscaping visit http://www.LandscaperBasics.com/ or http://LandscapingBasics.blogspot.com/

A Closet Organizing System – Do-It-Yourself Or Call In The Pros?

Have you been investigating a closet organizing system that will set your budget back to medieval times? Are you wondering why you should spend more on your closets than on your kitchen cabinets?

Or maybe you’ve looked at several closet organizing systems and are frustrated because they are not as customized as you would like?

My spouse and I have been involved in do-it-yourself projects for years and recently completed a major remodel on our own. If you’re wondering if a do-it-yourself closet organizing system is the way to go for you, here are some facts you need to consider that will help you decide.

— Compare costs.

There was a time when do-it-yourself always meant saving money. But that’s not true anymore. Do-it-yourself projects have become immensely popular and therefore, the options and costs have increased dramatically.

Do your homework. Figure out the type of closet organizing system you’ll need, then compare:

— the cost of purchasing one custom-made and having it installed by professionals.

— The cost of purchasing one ready-made and installing it yourself.

— The cost of building your own organizing system from scratch.

The good news is you have a lot of options available for this type of project so make the most of them.

I recently did an online search for “closet design” and “closet design software” and found some useful sites. If you need help getting started with the preliminary design portion of your closet makeover, this is a good place to start.

— Do you have the tools?

If you already have a garage full of tools, a do-it-yourself closet organizing system makes a lot more sense. If that’s not your situation, you’ll need to take that fact into consideration. Tools are not cheap and it doesn’t make sense to acquire a lot of them for only one closet makeover.

However, your tools (or lack of them) can help you make your decision about what type of closet project you can tackle. A pre-made closet organizing system that simply needs to be installed in your closet will only require simple hand tools such as screwdrivers, a drill, a level, etc. But a from-scratch, fully customized closet system will require several power tools and the space to use them.

Which one sounds like you and your situation?

— Enlist help.

I’ve read several do-it-yourself books on all kinds of projects and I always chuckle when I see the pictures of a person doing the project alone. Unless you’re an octopus, you’re going to need some help! An extra set of hands is often smart and always handy! Make sure you have a willing helper on board before you commit to doing your closet makeover on your own.

— Customize.

The beauty of do-it-yourself is that you can often customize your work to fit your needs exactly. Or at least MORE exactly than off-the-rack solutions. Using unfinished pieces will allow you to coordinate your final project with the room’s decor. For example, custom means you decide how many shelves and where they fit…plus how much weight they can support.

The internet offers a wealth of do-it-yourself information and it’s simple to locate an appropriate forum and find out what solutions other do-it-yourselfers have discovered works. The library is also a great resource that costs nothing but your time. Some excellent resources I can recommend for do-it-yourself closet or storage projects are the following.

— “Reader’s Digest Storage and Shelving Solutions” with the editors of “The Family Handyman” magazine. (Content 2006)

— “Black and Decker Build Your Own Custom Closet”. (Content 2007)

— “Sunset Smart Closet Makeovers” by Cynthia Overbeck Bix (Content 2006)

These books also offer excellent advice about the planning and designing of your closet organizing system and will give you a good feel for the tools you’ll need to complete your closet project.

Frankly, even if you end up hiring out your closet make-over, books like these will help you talk intelligently with your closet contractor and ensure you end up with a final project you love.

A closet organizing system can be an excellent do-it-yourself project if you take the time to properly plan your tools and costs, enlist help, and decide on the level of customization you want.

And the satisfaction of saying “I did it myself” isn’t bad either.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com . Visit her website and learn more about the basics of a closet organizing system today.

Crucial Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Improvement Tips

With an ever-expanding network of home improvement television shows and DIY magazines, the do-it-yourself home improvement sector has taken off. Homeowners everywhere are rushing to their local hardware stores, ready to rip out their bathroom tile or tear down old kitchen cupboards.

As excited as you may be to get started on your first DIY home improvement project, there are a few considerations you should first take into account. You need to plan, understand your project, budget, and be aware of your space. To learn more about these basic, but crucial, DIY home improvement tips, keep reading.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

Before you even begin a DIY home improvement project, you should have a full plan in place. And prior to making that drive to the home hardware store, put together a folder with all your measurements and a complete list of everything you intend to buy, right down to the last nail.

People get excited about projects and don’t want to get right to it instead of “wasting” time planning. However, By planning out the phases and details your project, you’re less likely to overspend on unnecessary materials or find that you need to backtrack over already-completed work.

Planning prevents mishaps such as needing to stop work and call a plumber because you forgot to verify whether there were pipes running where you wanted to put in that door. Planning also decreases overspending, such as buying three cans of paint when you only needed two.

Meanwhile, researching your project will help to avert the more costly mistakes. By reading books, watching relevant DVD’s or researching online information about the project you want to tackle, you’re less likely to botch a job and more likely to complete it with a professional finish.

2. Budget

Along with planning, comes budgeting. As you plan the details of your project, keep a running tally of the expense for each material. If you don’t know how much something costs, check the Internet or call your local retailer to obtain a price ahead of time.

Once you have your budget, add 10-20% extra. Almost every home renovation project, DIY or not, runs up against unexpected expenses – it’s just a reality of life’s uncertainties. Whether it is materials that cost more than you expect or a surprise problem that needs to get fixed, you’ll need to have the money ready to take care of it. Every good DIY’er knows to have a little extra on hand.

3. Understand Your Project

Before you attempt to tackle a major home improvement project, make sure you know what you’re doing. Use resources like books, your local hardware clerk, the Internet and how-to videos to get a good grasp on the project you will be undertaking.

If you feel like the project is out of your league, don’t hesitate to call in a professional.

4. Know Your Space

This tip is related to planning, but make sure you have enough space to take on your project. Don’t try to fit a new island in your kitchen if there isn’t sufficient room for it. Try to live by the old carpenter’s adage of “measure twice, cut once.”

To help meet your home improvement needs, such as for beautiful replacement windows, great flooring options, home improvement loans, and much more, please visit www.home-improvement-needs.com for insightful information.

Do-It-Yourself Candles

Do-it-yourself candles have become a recent craze. More and more homemakers are turning to candle making as a source of income and a worthy pastime. It is a great way to make personal presents and giveaways. But as we all know, this craft is nothing new. Before there were light bulbs and lamps, there were candles.

In order to earn big bucks from making your own candles, buy good quality materials.

If you want to cash in on candle making, or would simply like to make your own candles, you must perfect the process of molding the candle itself. You want to get high quality materials for you candles. Materials include wicks, molds, coloring and scents. These are all available in either craft or hobby shops.

The first step in candle making is to prepare the wax. You do this by melting it in a double boiler. A double boiler is simply one large pot filled with water and placed on the stovetop. Another smaller pot that contains the un-melted wax is sat inside the larger pot. Wax will burn when you try to melt it so using a double boiler makes it easy.

Carefully place a wick on the center of the mold you choose while filling the mold with your melted wax. Let it sit until the mixture is solid. To make the process a bit faster, you can put the mixture inside the freezer. To ensure easy removal of the wax mixture, coat your mold with non-stick spray.

There is almost no end to the different types of candles you can make at home. With the different fragrances, colors, and decorations your only limit is your imagination. Some candle making enthusiasts have gone as far as to make their own molds using liquid latex in order to create amazing candles.

These molds however are notorious for being flimsy.

It is going to be quite hard to fill it with wax if you don’t have anything to support the mold from the outside. You can use a cardboard piece to remedy this. Just place a hole big enough for the mold to fit inside the cardboard. Be sure that the cardboard only covers until the lip of the latex mold. The board will prop up the otherwise flimsy latex mold.

Selling candles can be extremely simple, once you acquire the skill for making candles. Coupled with your own creativity and attractive packaging, you will definitely find a market for your homemade candles. Perfecting candle making requires a few tries but once you’re on a roll, you will be surprised at how fast you’ll be selling them.

Janine Holden is a Candle Making expert. For more great tips on candle making visit http://candlemakingguidebook.com/ or check out her e-book at http://candlemakingguidebook.com/tips/