13 Weirdly Useful DIY and Home Tips That Actually Work.

 

We all have something, some thingsss, at home that makes us grumble under our breath at least three times a day.  Right?  I do.

So this here is about noticing those things we've stopped seeing and then weirdly useful tips on how to fix them simply and easily with 13 non-taxing DIY's that actually work.  Because once you start pausing and noticing, the problems practically resolve themselves.  

Aka, the little things that make a home quietly harder to live in, and the little fixes that make it brightly easier. 

Because tiny frictions are sneaky.  You sense they gnaw at you and wear you down but you might not fully realize the toll they're actually taking.

And what better feeling is there than resolving something that's been causing too much grumbling.

So, pat pat, come sit, time to fix some things.  

Let's start here...

1.  Pay attention to what irritates you.

If something slows you down every single damn day, it's trying to tell you something.  Fix that irritation instead of detouring around it forever.

What does that even mean, Becky?  It means like, a basic example we've all heard...keys and clutter by the door?  Set a bowl or a basket there, or something lidded.  It hides the visual chaos plus keeps things efficiently right where you need them.  

 

New thrifted bowl, who dis?  Clearly need some editing here, ahem.  Coat tired wood bowls in Feed n' Wax* and honestly, they're new again.  Like this one.  Most importantly is Benny's tail tip at the top.

Or, tripping over that giant cluster F of shoes near the door every dang time you go check the mail?  Toss them in a big basket you can skootch to the side.

Can't find your dang reusable shopping bags* every time it's errand time?  Stick a hook on the door.  

Incessantly shifting something here there and back again, pushing that thing, or always reaching for what's buried in the back of the cabinet or closet?  

Point being, see the irritation then pause.  Think for a sec about what would make it stop irritating you, and try that.  It may not be perfect the first go, that's ok, but at minimum, you've learned more about how to stop it.

2.  Build storage around what you own.

This is a big one for me.  

If you're trying to make your things fit random generic storage from the store, you'll likely end up in Frustration Town.   And redoing it, and spending more because, near guarantee, it becomes a mess again practically instantly.  Right?  I know you know.  

Make the storage fit the things.

This was soooo helpful.

And related...

3.  Check the thing before buying a thing.

Meaning, for example, maybe it's that the shelf is in the wrong spot, therefore you don't need to buy three different storage containers to resolve it.  Step back and look at the whole picture before you hit "add to cart."

Or add a shelf.  I slipped a piece of plywood into this kitchen cabinet and I gained 1/3 more storage.

4.  Watch out for "temporary."

Temporary solutions have a way of becoming permanent in the blink of an eye.  I get that; it can be budget-related, time-related, the screws are in the basement, the ladder in the garage, the problem upstairs...any number of very valid reasons.

This Home Depot bag holding recyclables on top of the fridge is dangerously close to becoming permanent.

On your lunch break, or tonight, or this weekend, set aside a few minutes to think about the thing you said you'd deal with later, pick the solution you had intended, and spend the time doing it.  If you plan ahead, the task takes a bunch less time and fewer trips to the hardware store.  cough, usually.  No but really, it does.

It's better to have tried and goofed than not tried and resign to temporary.

5.  Set it maybe is forget it.

If you keep setting something somewhere, even if you don't intend to and wish it'd go somewhere else, maybe that's where it does need to be.  Meaning, let's stop fighting it and find a way it can live there without bothering you.

 

Like a wall organizer, big or small.  This too was sooooo helpful.  Use your vertical space.

6.  Notice what you keep walking around. 

Stepping around that chair?  The garbage can in the kitchen?  The dresser?  Dinging your shin on the coffee table?  Don't get me wrong, I understand space constraints.  But maybe all it needs is to move three inches that way and your life is suddenly better for it.  

Now let's do some that are more handy, home improvement-y type ones next:

7.  Store the answer with the problem.

For instance:  if a piece of furniture takes a specific allen wrench or screws, or the faucet install required xyz tool, bag it with the instructions or tape it to the back or under or near.  Future-you will not need a scavenger hunt.

8.  Save the trims.

You're working on a project and have a pile of bits you cut off.  Keep them until the end of the project because sometimes that one weird piece might be exactly what you need to finish.  Or, use it to test the project's paint or stain on.  

 

Testing sealers here for the bathroom cabinets.

Or write the trim/wood/store/product name on it, along with paint or stain color, stash it for reference later.

9.  Your camera is your BFF.

Take pictures of the thing you're about to disassemble, and while you're disassembling, or take a video.  You'll never wonder where that one leftover screw was supposed to go.  Or while assembling so you know how it comes apart later.  

Take pictures of what's inside opened walls so you know where pipes and electrical are hiding.  Take pictures of tags at stores so you can remember the product name, details, where to find it, or where you bought it from.

10.  Plumber's tape is amazing.

Plumber's tape* stops more than leaks.  Wrap it around screws that are a little wiggly jiggly.  

I never touched these screws again after doing this.

Use it instead of a thread locker* because the removable stuff is not as removable as they say.  I used it on a luggage tag cable* since it kept coming undone.  It held and I was able to undo the screw part to change the info on the tag later with no issue.

11.  De-fur.

I know this on my Tips page but, really, it's that good.  Pet hair is no match for a Chom Chom.*  But better than that, a simple, cheap pumice stone* is, it's a jaw-dropper.  No joke.

12.  Don't sand.

I just don't think liquid sandpaper* gets the love and attention it deserves.

Do it.

Lastly, let's do one design-related hot tip:

13.  Take your time.

When it comes to DIY or decorating or redoing anything in your house, take your time.  Aunt May's visit is zero reason to rush.  Taking your time allows you to feel what's right for you and ponder.  

Oddly enough, slowing down is, frankly, the actual real shortcut.

 

Starting over.

Not saying mistakes can be avoided 100% that way; we all make mistakes but as I've said, a mistake is not a mistake, it's an opportunity to learn.

There's even more "Wait...I actually do know what I want" in The $100 Room Glow-Up Guide.

So there we have it, 13 weirdly useful DIY and home tips that actually work.  

I have more!  But we'll get to that more later.  You have things to do now.

Go get at that thing and meetcha back here soon.

*The reusable shopping bags, Chom Chom, pumice stones, and luggage tag cables are Amazon affiliate links.  The Feed n' Wax, plumber's tape, and liquid sandpaper are Lowe's affiliate links.  The thread locker is a Home Depot affiliate link.  Mwah, thanks!  Please see the "boring stuff" tab for more info.