6 DIY Hacks for First Timers

Here at the B&M office, most of us are DIY newbies. We know our way around a paintbrush but ask us to put together some furniture and you’ve got most of us stumped! We know we’re not alone - there are lots of people who are either inexperienced or quite frankly can't stand DIY.

That’s why we’ve spoken with our expert DIY buyers, and put together a list of 6 super-easy DIY tips and tricks that you can do at home, to help keep organised or to just make a room look that little bit nicer!

B&M Top Tip: these brushes from JCB are perfect for painting newbies.

Give it a lick of paint!

 

This might sound like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at how many people go to great lengths to completely redecorate a room, when all it needs is a lick of paint. We recommend going for a light, pastel colour to make the room look bigger.

Mineral mist from our Dulux range is a great colour as it really gives a room that cool, Scandinavian-style feel, and goes with pretty much any type of furniture. To ensure you get an even coverage when painting your walls, use a roller rather than a brush.

B&M Top Tip: to be extra creative, why not spruce up your wooden furniture by adding a dash of colour? We recommend using this ultra thin paint brush for extra precision. Don’t forget to use a wood primer first so that your paint goes on better.

Use door knobs instead of towel racks

 

Yes you did read that right. To give your bathroom a really quirky edge, drill door knobs into your wall and use them as towel racks! We love these crystal door knobs - great for adding a bit of glam to a dull bathroom!

B&M Top Tip: to drill your door knobs into your wall, don’t be afraid of using a basic hand drill. We really like this one from Black + Decker.

The Writing's on the Mirror!

 

Whiteboards can sometimes cheapen the look of a room - especially if your kitchen is nice and modern. This idea means you can finally resign it to the playroom or office, and use a glitter mirror instead.

Simply hang the mirror on the wall and blue tac your whiteboard pen behind it, and you’ve got yourself a really unique and useful place to write reminders or notes for the family.

Can’t organise your plastic shopping bags? Use a tissue box!

 

If, like millions of other people in the UK, you have a cupboard that’s home to plastic bag chaos, we’ve found a solution for you! Simply stuff your plastic bags into one or two empty rectangular tissue boxes and secure them to the inside cupboard door using wall tacks. This way, you can pull out your plastic bags one at a time, just like you would with tissues.

Upcycle old cans

A great way to upcycle old cans is to wash them, strip them of their labels and use wallpaper to spruce them up a bit. They make great pencil / makeup brush holders and look hella cute too! We absolutely love this pink sparkly wallpaper from Muriva, but feel free to use any wallpaper that takes your fancy.

B&M Top Tip: for an extra rustic look, why not just paint your old cans instead? We think this paint brush is perfect can-size.

Got old crates lying around? Hang them up!

 

Old wooden crates actually make fantastically rustic storage items when hung on the wall! Using your electric drill, fix them to the wall and use them for light storage. You could even just use them for plants and make a really cool indoor/outdoor space.

B&M Top Tip: for a unique look, paint your crates in pastel colours. We love lime crush and aqua from the Johnstone’s range, and Chic Shadow from Dulux.

Do you have any home improvement tips that you’d like to share? Or perhaps you want to show us the results of some easy DIY home decor? Join the B&M community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.