Decorating
7 Satisfying Home Projects You Can Crack On With Over Easter
Make the most of the four-day weekend by refreshing and revamping your home with one of these projects
The Easter weekend provides you with four whole days to do with what you will. If you’re in a productive mood, perhaps you could use some of it to tackle one of those big home jobs you never get time to do. Take a look at these ideas to see how you can make the most of the free time – and, when you’re done, don’t forget to reward yourself with a chocolate egg.
Spruce up the shed
If your shed’s looking rundown and unruly, now’s the time to get it spick and span for spring. There isn’t always enough room to store everything you’d like, so it’s important to prioritise what you really need to keep, whether that’s bikes, garden equipment or DIY tools.
Start by decluttering; to make the task less overwhelming, you could take one wall at a time. Allocate each item to one of three piles – keep, recycle, donate. Once you’ve done this, you can figure out what storage you actually need, such as shelving units, wall shelves and pegboards. Keep garden tools, such as spades, forks and rakes, off the floor by hanging them on hooks, and install a bike rack to store your cycles.
If you have enough time, it’s worth painting the internal walls white before you put everything back. Bright walls will lighten up the shed and make it easier to locate everything inside.
If your shed’s looking rundown and unruly, now’s the time to get it spick and span for spring. There isn’t always enough room to store everything you’d like, so it’s important to prioritise what you really need to keep, whether that’s bikes, garden equipment or DIY tools.
Start by decluttering; to make the task less overwhelming, you could take one wall at a time. Allocate each item to one of three piles – keep, recycle, donate. Once you’ve done this, you can figure out what storage you actually need, such as shelving units, wall shelves and pegboards. Keep garden tools, such as spades, forks and rakes, off the floor by hanging them on hooks, and install a bike rack to store your cycles.
If you have enough time, it’s worth painting the internal walls white before you put everything back. Bright walls will lighten up the shed and make it easier to locate everything inside.
Lay some flooring
For a soft alternative to a ceramic or porcelain floor, shop around for some of the beautifully designed vinyl tiles on the market. It’s possible to lay them yourself, and is a project that can be done over the four-day weekend.
Start by screwing 6mm plywood boards to your floorboards to create a level surface. Vacuum the wood to remove any traces of dust, then seal by painting with a coat of one part PVA glue to five parts water.
Measure the length of each wall and find the centre point of the room – mark this point on the floor with a cross and begin laying the tiles from there. Work your way outwards and cut around the edges with a craft knife, using a template to mark out complicated shapes. To iron out any creases, you can hire a tile roller, or alternatively use a rolling pin.
For a soft alternative to a ceramic or porcelain floor, shop around for some of the beautifully designed vinyl tiles on the market. It’s possible to lay them yourself, and is a project that can be done over the four-day weekend.
Start by screwing 6mm plywood boards to your floorboards to create a level surface. Vacuum the wood to remove any traces of dust, then seal by painting with a coat of one part PVA glue to five parts water.
Measure the length of each wall and find the centre point of the room – mark this point on the floor with a cross and begin laying the tiles from there. Work your way outwards and cut around the edges with a craft knife, using a template to mark out complicated shapes. To iron out any creases, you can hire a tile roller, or alternatively use a rolling pin.
Create a feature wall
Painting a whole room can take a while, but for a similar effect in half the time, try painting just one wall instead. Here, the pink partition adds a subtle warm touch to the neutral space and tones beautifully with the brown hues elsewhere.
Prepare the surface by giving the whole wall a good sand, then use a filler to cover any holes or cracks. Ensure you don’t get paint on the adjacent walls by using masking tape, but choose a low-adhesive one so it doesn’t peel any existing paint away from the surface.
Use a roller, applying long strokes up and down. Work from left to right and have the attached end of the roller on the right, as that’s where most of the paint accumulates. Finally, cut in the edges with a paint brush. Apply a second coat to give the colour depth.
Find out how to brighten up your dark living room for summer
Painting a whole room can take a while, but for a similar effect in half the time, try painting just one wall instead. Here, the pink partition adds a subtle warm touch to the neutral space and tones beautifully with the brown hues elsewhere.
Prepare the surface by giving the whole wall a good sand, then use a filler to cover any holes or cracks. Ensure you don’t get paint on the adjacent walls by using masking tape, but choose a low-adhesive one so it doesn’t peel any existing paint away from the surface.
Use a roller, applying long strokes up and down. Work from left to right and have the attached end of the roller on the right, as that’s where most of the paint accumulates. Finally, cut in the edges with a paint brush. Apply a second coat to give the colour depth.
Find out how to brighten up your dark living room for summer
Get your wardrobe ready for spring
Finding it difficult to locate clothes in the morning? Then it might well be time for a wardrobe overhaul.
To avoid garments getting squashed, misshapen and lost in a huge bundle, it’s best to organise them into two seasons – spring/summer and autumn/winter. The Easter weekend is the perfect time to start putting those extra-thick woollies away and getting some lighter clothes out of storage. Make sure clothes are washed and dried before storing them in airtight containers.
While sorting through, take the opportunity to declutter. Divide items into piles of keep, mend, donate or recycle and be honest with yourself about what you’re realistically going to wear again. If you haven’t already, it’s worth investing in quality hangers to keep your items in good condition, and add a few scented sachets or bars of soap to keep the wardrobe smelling fresh.
Finding it difficult to locate clothes in the morning? Then it might well be time for a wardrobe overhaul.
To avoid garments getting squashed, misshapen and lost in a huge bundle, it’s best to organise them into two seasons – spring/summer and autumn/winter. The Easter weekend is the perfect time to start putting those extra-thick woollies away and getting some lighter clothes out of storage. Make sure clothes are washed and dried before storing them in airtight containers.
While sorting through, take the opportunity to declutter. Divide items into piles of keep, mend, donate or recycle and be honest with yourself about what you’re realistically going to wear again. If you haven’t already, it’s worth investing in quality hangers to keep your items in good condition, and add a few scented sachets or bars of soap to keep the wardrobe smelling fresh.
Revamp your tiles
It’s possible to completely transform your tiled walls without removing or laying a single tile. Simply search online for one of the many tile sticker designs that are available, ensuring you order the same size as your existing tiles.
Make sure your tiles are clean and dry before applying the stickers, then carefully align each decal at the top edge. Use a dry cloth to help you iron out any air bubbles as you press down the sticker.
Be inspired by March home trends in the Houzz Shop
It’s possible to completely transform your tiled walls without removing or laying a single tile. Simply search online for one of the many tile sticker designs that are available, ensuring you order the same size as your existing tiles.
Make sure your tiles are clean and dry before applying the stickers, then carefully align each decal at the top edge. Use a dry cloth to help you iron out any air bubbles as you press down the sticker.
Be inspired by March home trends in the Houzz Shop
Refresh your windows
As the sun gets brighter, you’re probably beginning to realise your glazing could do with a spring clean. It’s not just the glass that needs a polish, however – take a look around the edges and you might notice a layer or two of grime that’s accumulated over the winter. Start by opening the windows and removing excess dust with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
Wash uPVC frames with mild soapy water and a sponge, but don’t use a scourer, as it will scratch the surface. On wooden window frames, use mild soapy water again, and loosen any stubborn dirt with a soft-bristle brush. For patches of mildew or mould, soak with a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts warm water, and clean as usual.
Tell us…
Are you planning any home projects for the bank holiday weekend? Share your ideas in the Comments section and see if fellow Houzzers can offer advice.
As the sun gets brighter, you’re probably beginning to realise your glazing could do with a spring clean. It’s not just the glass that needs a polish, however – take a look around the edges and you might notice a layer or two of grime that’s accumulated over the winter. Start by opening the windows and removing excess dust with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
Wash uPVC frames with mild soapy water and a sponge, but don’t use a scourer, as it will scratch the surface. On wooden window frames, use mild soapy water again, and loosen any stubborn dirt with a soft-bristle brush. For patches of mildew or mould, soak with a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts warm water, and clean as usual.
Tell us…
Are you planning any home projects for the bank holiday weekend? Share your ideas in the Comments section and see if fellow Houzzers can offer advice.
There’s something really satisfying about reviving an old piece of furniture, and the bank holiday weekend is a great time to do it. Look around your home to see if there’s an item that could do with a revamp, or spend Good Friday browsing a car-boot sale, antiques market, or second-hand stores to find the perfect piece.
You could try creating a distressed cabinet like this one. Start by sanding the piece all over. If the surface is in a bad condition, start with a coat of primer; if it’s fairly smooth already, cover with two coats of white paint (emulsion or eggshell) or an alternative shade. Now add two layers of your chosen top colour in an oil-based eggshell or matt paint.
To get a distressed look, use sandpaper to gently scrape away the paint in areas that would naturally suffer wear and tear, then finish with a layer of varnish or beeswax.