menu
Post a job
send
wave

Top tips to guarantee a successful diy project

14th Aug '18 • By Ellis Garwood

Whether it’s a big or small DIY project, you may be turning your tidy home into a mini construction zone, so plan ahead to nail a successful DIY project.

Top tips to guarantee a successful DIY project

ellis diy 6.jpg

A DIY project can vary from making your own dreamcatcher or candle holders to turning your used pallets into a full bed frame. Whether the project you’re taking on is a small task or a large project, follow the process of planning, prepping and remaining tenacious to create the results you desire. 

Research and budget

 

Whether you are looking to renovate your bathroom or kitchen, or create something smaller, research is key. If it is a complex project, you will need a budget, time and room to create your wonders around your busy life. When you know exactly what you are going to create, you will have a vision of what it will become and how much you’ll need to spend. Setting a budget for the project is important as it will allow you to understand how much you can spend on each material that has roughly the same quality. There is no point spending 80% of your budget on high quality, luxurious materials then buying the rest of the materials lower quality because you are running out of money. All of the materials have to come together at some point to create the project, so ensure they all hold the same quality as this will determine the life of the product you create. You buy cheap, you may buy twice. When you are on a budget, there are simple home upgrades that will actually save homeowners money. When it comes to some of your DIY projects, you can actually end up saving yourself money if it's as simple as transforming your old coffee jars into storage options for the kitchen or transforming Op shop furniture into home wonders. Repurposing your belongings is always a great way to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

photo-1487014679447-9f8336841d58.jpg

Preparation is everything 

 

 Fail to prepare or prepare to fail. 

This is the most boring part, so people tend to rush through the prep work. However, this is really the part that will make or break a project. Make sure you have all of the materials that are required for your project ready and prepped. Ensure all materials are correct, i.e correct size, colour or brand. Once the materials are clarified, make sure all materials are prepared carefully. For example, if a piece of furniture isn't primed or sanded down properly then every step after that won't be up to scratch. 

ellis diy 3.jpg

Set aside a time

 

Setting a time aside is important or else you will either try and complete the project as quick as possible and will end up making mistakes or you will forget about it and will never be completed. You will find yourself procrastinating and not being productive. Your little DIY projects can be completed in your spare moments throughout your day. However, if you have a large project to complete, this is where we recommend to set aside a specific time in the day that is convenient to yourself, when there aren’t any distractions. DIY projects can be a good time to have time to yourself and switch off as it requires concentration and attention to detail which often takes your mind off other things. Setting an hour aside every day is a good amount of time and means you will be completing a vast amount of your project every week with just an hour a day. Some DIY projects are as big as building a tiny home, a tiny home trend that is blooming big right now, which is very complex so these DIY home builders must create time every day that stretches out for many months. Projects require timelines, even for the new DIY’er. 

ellis diy 1.jpg

Improvisation

 

Things may go wrong, but don't give up! Improvise with what you have - that's when the imagination kicks in and the magical wonders appear. Every project has unexpected issues. The key to any successful DIY project is to expect the unexpected and account for those mistakes to create backup options. You learn from your mistakes so if you are doing small projects then they are only going to get better as you go. There are many carpentry inspired ideas for your home that suit all levels of experience. If you are a beginner with DIY, start with the smaller projects. Candle holders are a perfect mini carpentry project that is perfect for your first DIY experience. Making a candle holder doesn’t require a lot of materials so you could use the cuttings from other projects to begin, easily improvising if something doesn't quite go to plan. Creating a personalised candle holder for your home sets a relaxed nature inspired atmosphere. This is a great DIY project for you to bring a little of the outdoors inside your home. For the more experienced, you may want start a bigger project like making a pallet bed for your room, giving you the more relaxed bohemian look. 

ellis diy 5.jpg

Break the projects down to smaller tasks

 

Look at the big picture. Make sure you understand what the end product is supposed to look like. Then break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. If it's a big project, this will help avoid stress and procrastination. Feeling overwhelmed with a big project may put you off the entire project. If it’s a DIY project you've chosen to do yourself, you want to enjoy the process of creating your project and not feel overwhelmed from the get-go. 

Patience is key. If you have instructions or you have created your own instructions, work on the first step until it is perfect, don't rush, complete it to the standards you want, then move on. If it isn't perfect from the start, then you may struggle to keep the quality up from there. At the start, everyone thinks they are a master at DIY and rushes through the instructions. Take your time because everybody makes mistakes and you don't want to be that person that is left with 1 nail at the end because you've skipped an instruction. 

ellis diy 2.jpg

YouTube

 

This is a blessing in disguise, nowadays the majority of people YouTube how to do something. You have access to a vast amount of people that will explain how do do something in different ways, meaning you will be able to find a resource that suits your learning needs. Youtube is great at assisting you with small questions and tutorials. 

ellis diy 6.jpg

Pinterest

 

Pinterest is a social network that allows users to visually share, discover new interests, images, and videos. Whether that means helping you decide what you want your DIY project to be or how to prepare a surface for painting, it's all there so like ourselves, we would recommend having a scroll to give you some quality inspiration. If you are a DIY lover then you can create your own vision board on Pinterest using the inspiration you've found and of the projects you may want to take on. 

photo-1522125670776-3c7abb882bc2.jpg

Follow our tips and tricks for a successful DIY project, and if it's your first DIY project then start small to kickstart your DIY addiction. Find inspiration and tutorials to help you along the way. 

About the Author

 

Ellis is one of the beloved Content Writers of Service.com.au. When Ellis isn't writing articles with ♥ from the Gold Coast of Australia, she is up at the crack of dawn attending the gym followed by a day in the office, finishing her day off with an evening stroll along the beachfront catching the evening sunset.

 Get Quotes Now

Posted under