How to guides
how to guides

5 cracking home projects for Easter weekend

A four-day weekend means you have plenty of time to squeeze in some DIY around eating chocolate, sharing family dinners and organising egg hunts. So if you're keen to do something creative with your time off, try one of these easy home makeover projects.

Hallway

Revamp a piece of furniture

Instead of discarding a piece of worn out furniture, try giving it a new lease of life instead. Take a look around your home for an item that's seen better days, or browse second-hand stores for the perfect piece of upcycle.

You could try turning some scruffy drawers into a stylish storage unit like this one. Start by giving the whole surface a sand with either a sanding block or a handheld electric sander. If the condition if the item is particularly bad, begin with a coat of primer. If it's fairly smooth, add a couple of coats of white emulsion or eggshell paint. Follow this with two layers of your chosen top colour in a matt paint of oil-based eggshell.

Fancy a distressed look? Gently sand away areas of the paint that would naturally get scuffed and finish with some varnish or beeswax.

Bedroom

Upholster a headboard

It's easier than you might think to make your own luxurious upholstered headboard - just remember to gather your equipment in advance.

You'll need a piece of plywood the same width as your bed and any height and depth you like, and some cut foam, which you can order online. You'll also need a staple gun and spray adhesive, as well as some fabric of your choice.

Start by adhering the foam to the plywood with spray adhesive, then roll the excess foam over the top of the board and staple it to the back. Now, wrap your fabric over the front of the foam and again staple it to the back. When you're happy with how it looks, simply slot it between your bed and the wall.

Bedroom

Add storage to your shed

if you frequently open your shed door to an unruly mess of clutter, the bank holiday weekend could be a good time to get it in order. Before you decide on storage it's important to work out how much you need. Sort items into groups, such as outdoor living (cushions, parasols), gardening (spades, forks, watering cans) and DIY (tools, screws, paintbrushes) then allocate these to different types of storage. 

Start by fitting some shelves, and remember to put items you use most often on the shelf that's easiest to reach. AS well shelves, there are plenty of other nifty storage solutions you can use, such as hooks for garden tools, magnetic strips for hammers and screwdrivers, and baskets and boxes for smaller items. While organising your shed might be a time-consuming job, it'll be worth the effort for the satisfyingly organised space where you can find what you need in seconds.

Credit: Garden Trading Company

Shed

Jazz up some shelves

Looking for a super quick project that will make a big impact in a room? Try giving some standard shelves a colourful makeover by adding pattern or colour to the wall behind them.  

This idea works particularly well behind cube shelves where you can paint blocks of colour like they’ve done here. Alternatively, make the most of wallpaper offcuts by adhering them to the back of your shelving. You can either stick to one pattern, or add different designs for a patchwork effect. 

Credit: Circu
Bedroom

Create a blackboard wall

A chalkboard wall is a really practical idea for a kitchen or utility room as it allows everyone to quickly jot down shopping lists, to-do lists and other useful notes. It’s also fun for kids who can get creative by drawing on the wall with colourful chalks. 

These useful surfaces are also incredibly easy to create with a tin of specialist blackboard paint, which you can apply directly to the wall. Use masking tape to outline the area you’d like to paint, and give the surface a light sand first to help the paint to stick to the wall. Then use a roller to get a nice smooth surface with the paint. Before you use your chalkboard wall it’s a good idea to prime it first by covering the whole area with the side of a chalk; leave for a few minutes, then erase. 
Utility