Making Home Improvements a Family Affair

DIY is usually a lot of hard work!  When you have children who are eager to 'help', the simplest tasks can become an even bigger chore as you try to paint the walls and supervise your toddler while he sticks his fingers in the can of emulsion.  If you have some jobs that need doing around the house, there are ways that you can involve the whole family without it becoming a DIY disaster.  Delegating tasks to each member of the household will make everyone feel important and hopefully make it easier to get on with the job in hand. Plus, the kids can learn valuable skills that they can develop in later life.

Make wooden planters

If you are improving the garden, displaying wooden boxes filled with plants is a great way to add colour to even the smallest outdoor space, plus it's a good way to teach the little ones about gardening. Making the wooden planters yourself is something best done when the kids are not around as it will involve cutting wood using a jigsaw.  But once the boxes have been put together, sanded and primed, you can then allow your little co-workers to help you choose a paint colour and design. Maybe even let them decorate their own planter while you paint yours.

Take a family trip to your local garden centre and allow each family member to pick their own plant for the garden. Giving children the responsibility of looking after their plant, will teach them the importance of nurturing and caring for it.  Getting into the habit of watering the plants makes little ones very useful in the summertime!

Create a feature wall

Whether it’s in the kids' room, the living room, the playroom or in the kitchen, a feature wall is a great asset to the home, which totals revamps the living space. Whether you opt simply to add a lick of paint or apply a funky wallpaper design, there are various options to choose from. You can let the little ones accompany you when it comes to choosing the paint colours and wallpaper styles. If you need to strip a wall, little ones will love to help peel the old paper off.  Once they get bored you can get out the steamer and finish the job in no time.

Special paints can transform a wall into a blackboard or make it magnetic - perfect for the playroom!  There are lots of wall stickers available that will transform a wall in just minutes.  Let little ones help with the decision making so they feel involved.

Stencils are also a great idea, and younger children can have a go – just ensure you tape newspaper over any areas you wish to protect.

Sometimes you need to get in the professionals for any big jobs that need doing. You may need to repair your sash windows, install double glazing, plaster the ceiling or put in a gas fire.  Little ones can be curious but it is important to keep them away from the work in progress.  Ensuring they are entertained whilst this work is going on is a must.  But they still want to feel like they are helping.

Get creative

Why not get them to create their own artwork using brightly coloured materials such as fabric, tissue paper, glitter and paint.  It will certainly ensure they’re entertained. You can then frame their artwork and hang it on one of the walls in the household. This will make them feel like they’ve really helped with the home improvements.

Don't Move ... Improve! A Kitchen Renovation for £50!

In these times of austerity, money is very tight.  UK homeowners have been gradually reducing their DIY spend since 2008.  Working longer hours has reduced the free time available to do DIY projects.  However, making the effort to do DIY can improve the look, feel and functionality of rooms in your home. 

We were challenged by moneysupermarket.com to carry out a cut price room renovation in hope of becoming a home improvement hero with a budget of just £50.

For me, a brand new kitchen would be top on my list of dream home improvements, but without a budget of thousands of pounds, I need to get creative and revamp my space as cheaply but effectively as possible.

Revamping the Units

You can change the whole look of your kitchen cabinets by changing the door handles on your units and drawers.  I found some brushed steel bow dimpled handles on Amazon for just £25.25 for 20, complete with fixtures.  They brighten up the units and modernise the kitchen, giving the illusion of it being new.  They are easy to fit, screwing in to the original holes.

They make such a difference to the overall look of the kitchen.  I love the curved design, they are much nicer and more ergonomic than our original handles.  Buying in bulk on Amazon saved us some money too.

A lick of paint is something that can totally change the ambiance of a room.  Our off-yellow paintwork was looking tired and dull.  New paint can totally freshen up the room and give it a new feel.  We have gone for a Mediterranean theme and used Olive paint on the walls and brilliant white on the ceiling.  The colour scheme was inspired by a utensil pot that I really liked in Homebase that cost £1.93 on their sale rack.  It sometimes helps to find an object to use for inspiration if you don't have a clear colour theme in mind.

We already had the decorating equipment and white paint so we just needed to get the Crown Olive Green Kitchen Paint which cost £22 in Homebase.

Top Tips for Painting

Choose a colour that reflects the mood you want.  You could go for something warm and homely, chilled and relaxed or vibrant and energetic.

Use Tester pots to make sure you like the colour before you commit to the change.

Use a proper kitchen paint which resists grease and mould to give a finish that will stay looking good.

Stir your paint well before you start to paint to ensure it is well mixed.

Use cheap masking tape on the edges of the walls to get a clean line.  It is much easier and much faster than trying to do it freehand, and gives a straight, neat finish to your paintwork.

Don't wash all your brushes and rolls.  Wrap them in clingfilm overnight and they will be ready to go next morning.  This saves time, effort and means you only need to clean your tools once.

Do a good old 'snagging' after you have finished.  Get someone with a fresh pair of eyes to spot any bits of paint you've missed or smudges you've made.  You can go paint-blind after staring at the wall for hours so it's good to get someone to help with the quality control!

Decluttering and Storage

Decluttering doesn't cost a penny!  It is the biggest home improvement you can carry out and it's absolutely free to do.  Getting rid of old, unwanted stuff and finding sensible storage solutions for the things you are keeping is a great way to update your space.  Charity shops are always pleased with donations so you will be helping others too!

I used old plastic boxes in my cupboards to separate the food items such as herbs & spices, cake decorating bits and nuts & seeds.  Keeping all the similar items together makes it so much easier to locate the things you need and keeps everything tidy.

In organising my kitchen work surfaces I doubled the work area available.  My microwave had been taking up much needed space as I had put it near an  electric socket which was away from my other electric appliances.  By adding a socket extension block to the other plug socket I now have all my electrical equipment together and have loads more free space. It really gives the illusion of having a much bigger kitchen...improving for free!

I have had a brand new toaster and kettle in the garage since Christmas.  It was the perfect opportunity to bring them out and complete our new kitchen.  

So here is a quick before and after shot which show how we improved our kitchen for £50 and a bit of hard work and reorganisation!

Before

After

Shopping List

Cupboard Handles £25.25

Olive Paint £22.00

Olive coloured Utensil Holder £1.99

TOTAL

£49.24

DIY For Less With Aldi

This week, while stocks last, Aldi are selling a great range of DIY products as Special Buys.  So if there are any jobs pending in your home, it's a perfect opportunity to buy everything you need to do it yourself whilst saving some money in the bargain!

Aldi sent us some of the DIY goodies to take a look out.  They arrived this morning, so I'm planning all the jobs that Ian can do around the house this weekend!

My Handy Man

The Cordless Multi-Function Tool is a saw, cutter and sanding tool with a Lithium Ion battery.  It includes four different cutting blades and twenty sheets of sanding paper so it is ready to tackle a whole host of jobs.  It is also compatible with Bosch accessories.  Costing just £39.99, it comes with a three year warranty for complete piece of mind.  You don't get that with big brand names!

The 9" Roller and Tray Set is just £2.99 and includes two sleeves.  It makes light work of painting the walls or ceiling.

The Premier Brush Set is made with 100% pure black bristles and is perfect for corners and edge work.  For just £2.69 you get a 1", 1.5" and a 2" brush.

The Kitchen and Bathroom Paint costs just £7.99 for a 5l tub.  It is a hard wearing, matt emulsion with a protective film to prevent mould making it perfect for a kitchen or bathroom walls where dampness can be a problem.  It is a great DIY tip to freshen up a room by giving the ceilings a coat of white paint.  It really gives the room a lift. Knowing that this paint can also help prevent mould is a real bonus!

Other products that Aldi have for sale include an Electric Tile Cutter for £29.99.  I wish I'd had one when I tiled the splash back in my old kitchen.  I broke so many tiles!  This would have been an excellent tool to help with that job.

Scrapers, Hot Air Guns, Wrenches, Spacers, Safety Gear, Grout, Tile Adhesive and a Two Step Stool are among the other products available as Special Buys this week at great prices.

But hurry...while stocks last!

For more information on their weekly special buys go to www.aldi.co.uk

The Binary Box For Father's Day

Revamp Your Wall Space With The Binary Box Plus Get A 25% Discount This Father's Day

The Binary Box is an exciting website run by passionate folk dedicated to the idea that decorating does not have to be dull!  The Binary Box offers a huge and tempting range of vinyl Wall Stickers in different formats to suit any room or taste. From trendy to traditional, toddler to teenager there is something to suit everyone. Each vinyl comes with clear instructions and can be removed easily whenever you want to redecorate following the simple step by step guide. It’s the fun and cost effective way to make your house fresh, different and give it a stamp of individuality.  Any room can be made to stand out with a wall decal from The Binary Box.  If you have a plain blank wall in your home you can make it look absolutely stunning with The Binary Box!

This Father's Day, The Binary Box are offering a 25% discount when you buy one of the special bumper stickers for just £2.99.  In three cool designs, you'll find one that suits your dad's personality.  I like the 'Who's The Daddy' design!

Who's The Daddy?

The Binary Box collections offer a huge choice of designs.  Trendy dads might like their very own Banksy graffiti design to add a fun, modern and irreverent personalisation to a favourite room.  How about this Anarchist Guard to provide a focal point to any space?

Get  Your Own Banksy Artwork

Music Loving dads will love having an iconic image of their favourite music legend on their wall.   Choose from Icons Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Morrissey, Ian Brown or Oasis.

Globe Trotting dads may prefer something from the World Map collection.  From the traditional to the quirky, these will look great in a study, inspiring wanderlust!

This year the Cool Britannia imagery of 2012 is making us all feel patriotic.  The Best of British Collection  includes iconic and quintessentially British imagery to add a statement to any room in the house.  You can have your very own post box, double decker box, red phone box or even a London Street sign to bring the capital to your home!

If dad is more of a mad scientist the Science Museum collection has a great selection of science geek images to please him.  Planets, astronauts, DNA molecules or even a Periodic Table will look really impressive on the wall!

If you have a dad who would like to funk up his wall space with something really unique and impressive then check out www.thebinarybox.co.uk and make this Father's Day a bit different!

Review

I was given the chance to try some wall decals from Binary Box.  I decided to get a selection of products including some rubber ducks for our bathroom, name stickers for my two youngest children and a car sticker for Ian's car.  I loved some of the Banksy designs but you would really need a big expanse of clear wall to make the most of them.  (With five kids and all the stuff that comes with them, we don't have much free wall space left!)

The stickers arrived in a stout plastic tube that kept them safe in transit.  I was surprised by how large they were.  The Rubber Duck wall sticker set contains seven ducks.  The smallest is 11cm x 11cm and the biggest is 45cm x 48cm.  They are priced at £19.99 and are available in different colours to suit your decor. We went for brown and yellow to match our bathroom.  With the top layer on the picture they look a bit creased and dull, but that is not indicative of the finished result.

Our Binary Box Delivery

The stickers are easy to apply if you follow the instructions.  You simply stick the adhesive top layer and the sticker to the wall whilst pulling out the backing paper, smoothing it out as you go.  When the backing paper is out you pull off the adhesive top layer which leaves the sticker stuck to the wall.  The colour of the sticker on the wall is much more vibrant once the top layer is removed.

Step By Step Sticker Fitting 

There are good fitting videos on the website demonstrating the technique, very useful for the larger images.  The stickers can be removed using a hairdryer and again full details are on the website.

I really like how our ducks have brightened up our plain bathroom walls.  They look really good and the kids love them!  Ian also loves his Rubber Ducks and car sticker and agrees that they would make a great gift for Father's Day! Just make sure you have the appropriate amount of wall space to do the design you choose justice.

Revamping My Ensuite with Mira

We've lived in our new build house now for six years and my once shiny ensuite shower unit was looking rather tired after coping with the demands of keeping the whole family clean.  The ceiling was spotted with mould, the shower head was getting bunged up with limescale and the shower slide bar was broken.  Definitely time for a makeover!

So with a new year dawning, we started Project Ensuite.  Thankfully for us, Mira offered us a 360i Four Spray Shower Head to try out and get the ball rolling.  The 360 has flipstream technology giving four unique spray experiences:

• Rain for a fully drenching spray.
• Burst for a sheet of massaging water.
• Cloud for a soft, soothing soaking
• Storm for a breathtaking down pour

With the Shower Head as our starting point we headed to B & Q to buy a Mira shower hose, shower slide bar and some Dulux Anti-Fungus Bathroom paint for the ceiling.  Unfortunately the budget didn't extend to getting new mixer taps, so we just kept our old one in situ and gave it a good de-scaling!

Ready for Action!

The mould on the ceiling was treated with a bleach solution to clean it off and allowed to dry.  Loose paint was scraped away and edging that had come away was restuck.  After the surface was prepared, a coat of the paint was applied.  It instantly gave the bathroom a face lift.  I wondered why we hadn't done it years ago!  It was a vast improvement on the thinned down emulsion applied by George Wimpey.  Ian cleaned the grout and replaced the silicon sealant making the stall look as good as new again.  

The shower kit was easy to fit.  The rail bolted in to the universal fixtures in the unit.  The hose and the shower head fitted easily together and into the mixer taps.  It really was as simple as that to revamp our shower unit.  No plumbing skills or special tools were needed to completely modernise our shower.

Mira 360.

The Mira 360 Shower Head really is revolutionary.  The head turns easily through 360 degrees with four different sprays which can be accessed instantly.  Each one is very different and gives a unique experience, much like the showers you find at spas!  You simply flip the head through 90 degrees allowing the water to flow through a different set of holes or aperture.  It is very clever and allows you to change the mood of your shower experience in an instant.

 

 

The shower head looks good and is modern and striking.  A real statement in your bathroom.  My girls all love the new shower.  The different sprays are useful for different purposes.  Burst is great for rinsing shampoo from hair.  Storm is wild and re-invigorating!

Storm!

It really was very easy to make our old, tired shower room look new and exciting again.  I'd recommend taking a look at Mira's Showerheads for an instant revamp.  The Mira 360 is priced at £69.90.  Other accessories are available such as the 1.25m hose which has an RRP of £30 and the Slide Bar at £48.

DIY Project 1 has been a success...now, what to revamp next!!

B&Q Summer Fun

We are coming to the end of the long summer holidays.  If you are running out of fresh ideas for things to do with the children, DIY giants B&Q have come to the rescue.  They have asked real children what they want to do when school is out and have come up with 20 top ideas for fun filled mini-DIY activities.

From building a wigwam, to making their bedrooms glow in the dark to planting a herb garden to building a sandpit, the kids came up a whole range of exciting activities to do whatever the weather.

Check out the kids' ideas in this lovely video from B&Q.  I love their creativity...such fabulous projects for parents to do with their children.

B&Q have made a list of everything needed to make the children's ideas a reality, which can be found on their Facebook Summer Fun page.

My favourite activity idea is to make a Magnetic Wall perfect for a kid's bedroom or even a kitchen to stick up photos, drawings or notes.  

What you need to create a magnetic wall:

• Magnetic primer
• Masking tape
• Paint brush
• Foam roller
• Old clothes

Materials are available from www.diy.com

B&Q have sent us an adorable little watering can containing a £50 gift card so we can get stuck in to our own DIY project.  I love how the unique packaging makes giving a gift card something really special...so if you are stuck for a present for someone...this would be a great idea!

*I'll let you know what we decide to do and keep you updated with our own DIY project!*

Pimp My Slide

My husband is being exalted as a DIY hero in our house at the moment!  Freddy adores the outdoors.  He'll stand at the back door shouting "Garden!" whilst clutching his Dinosaur wellies in his little hands.

A few years ago we bought an outdoor swingset for Kizzy.  A big wooden affair with a slide, climbing rope, see-saw and swing.  It served us really well!  When Fred was born we swapped the see-saw for a baby swing and he spent many a happy hour swinging.  As he has got older and more adventurous the slide has intrigued him more and more.  At first he'd enjoy being 'whooshed' down it safely in your grasp.  More recently he's wanted to do it himself.  Unfortunately it is not made for a toddler.  The rungs have thin wooden edges and the top has open sides that a small child could easily slip through.  This leads to our independence seeking toddler getting very frustrated.

Ian decided to try to remedy the problem.  I immediately had visions of something akin to Steptoe's Yard with mismatched pieces of wood nailed all over it!  Yes, I had little faith...but I saw my husband's attempt at a DIY compost bin constructed from an old palette!  It weren't pretty!  However I shouldn't have anticipated a Homer Simpson-esque attempt at woodwork.  He spent £10.87 on some decking and a fence post and set to work with his trusty saw and drill.

Three lovely flat stairs leading up to the platform and lovely fenced in side panels have transformed a dangerous outdoor toy into something that Freddy can use on his own.  He has spent ages going up and sliding down today...so proud of himself!  DIY SuperDad totally Pimped his Slide!!