DIY Home Project Tips for Beginners

You guys know how much I love do-it-yourself projects. They’re what I’ve built my business and my home doing! But, even after all of my year’s building, crafting, and painting, sometimes starting a new DIY project still feels intimidating. This is especially true if you’re just starting out. In this blog, I’ll share with you all of my best DIY home project tips for beginners. I’ll also share some great starter projects and some of my earliest DIY mistakes with you, and we’ll fight the new project overwhelm together! Like I always say, it’s time to Stop pinning. Start doing.

DIY Tip #1 – Beginning a Home Project

My first DIY home project tip for a beginner is to JUST GET STARTED. Although it may seem simple this can be one of the hardest parts of a DIY project. It’s so tempting to make excuses and/or tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow. But the truth is, there’s no better time than the present! You can do your research and start planning your project today. Although I’ve been there, this doesn’t mean you should grab a hammer and start demoing your old staircase. Try to start off with a small project.

DIY Tip #2 – Start With a Small DIY Project

If you are just starting out on your first DIY home project it might be a good idea to try and walk before you run. Start small. I would suggest staying away from any electrical, plumbing, and structural changing projects. Because these types of projects require a lot of experience to carry out safely, they are probably best left to professionals. But, there are still a ton of projects you CAN do! A few of my first projects were painting my tile floors, installing floating shelves, and updating my closet doors. All of which majorly changed the look and feel of the room they were done in. Small projects can still make a big difference in your home! This brings me to my next tip.

DIY Tip # 3 – Create a Home Project You Love

This is one of my favorite DIY home project tips for beginners. If you want to enjoy your first DIY project you need to pick a project that you are going to love. It may be helpful to lean on a talent that you already have like painting, woodworking, or being creative. Then I usually decide to transform an area that I don’t love, but spend a lot of time in, with a space I will love! For example if you:

Love cooking, consider a project to enhance and update your kitchen.
Like to garden, a planter box might be the perfect DIY project for you.
Exercise in your garage, paint a mural on the wall and turn it into a space you love.

But, if you’re still not sure where to start, bathrooms are always a good idea! They’re a fun place to express your style and try out trends that you can easily update in years to come. I’m still in love with my star bathroom and I had no idea how it was going to turn out when I started it.

DIY Tip # 4 – Mistakes Are Part of the Process

You know I wouldn’t be me without making a few mistakes along with each project. But, the more things I try, the more I learn, and the better I get at avoiding big disasters. Sometimes, I’ll still spill an entire can of wood stain on my garage floor or get paint on my clothes, but it’s okay! There are things in life to stress about and things in life to enjoy and you should be enjoying your DIY project.

DIY Tip # 5 – Planning Your Home Project

I suggest beginning DIYers choose projects that:

Are inexpensive
Can be finished in a day
Don’t require you to buy several tools
Won’t damage your house

It can also be very helpful to follow a guide that someone else has made. One of the first and simplest projects I ever made was a headboard for my bed. It was inexpensive, quick, and really made an impact on our bedroom. You can follow along with my blog about it here. Some other simple projects you could try are my $2 planter boxes, banister make-over, and DIY art ledge.

Most of these can be constructed with a simple hammer, nails, saw, and a paintbrush. But, if you’re looking to invest in some time and hassle-saving tools I recommend starting out with a miter saw, nail gun, drill/driver, sander, and a Kreg jig. If you want to know why I recommend these tools first, I have a blog post about them here.

DIY Tip # 6 – Finish the Home Project You Start

The last step is to always finish what you start. It can be tempting to leave things unfinished if you lose focus. Try to focus on one project at a time. When you’re not sure what comes next, ask questions. Google your problems, ask the hardware store guy, or leave a comment on one of my Instagram Posts. There’s an awesome community of people who can help you. Like any good relationship, DIY projects take commitment!