Erin Doman on June 10, 2016 0 Comments You don’t have to wait until the work week to get stuff done! With more and more of our time being devoted to work during the week, we are left with very little time to clean and maintain our homes. This leads to disorganization and mess and an all-around unhappy home. By getting off of the couch just one weekend, you can easily knock out many of the tasks that have been on your to-do list for a long time. Here are 5 easy home improvement projects to transform your space in just one weekend. You’ll be so happy you did! 1. Clean Out Your Garage Are you unable to park your car in the garage because there are piles of boxes and things blocking your way? Are you frustrated that you can never find what you’re looking for? Well this is the weekend the tackle the heap growing inside your garage! Supplies Hop in the car and head to Home Depot or Lowe’s where they have the perfect storage supplies that you’re going to need. Look for large plastic bins, large hooks, heavy duty metal racks, shelves or closed cabinets for a clean continuous space and trash bags. These will help you organize your garage and get things up and off the floor so you can actually park your car inside and find what you’re looking for. Sort Next, pull everything out and into the driveway. Sort items into 3 piles: Keep, Donate/Sell and Trash. Organize Designate all the Keep items into sections. Line the perimeter of the garage with storage racks or cabinets and designate your areas. Use large hooks to hang things like ladders or bikes. Thoughtfully label and organize your spaces and boxes so they are easy to access as needed. Keep items you frequently use nearby, like tools and cleaning supplies. Stash the annual holiday decorations and boxes of memories up and out of the way. Now you’ll enjoy a clean, clutter-free garage! 2. Clean Our Your Closet If clothes, belts, scarves, purses and shoes are spilling out of your closet, or you can’t find a single thing you’re looking for, it’s probably time to de-clutter your closet. Cleaning out your closet may seem like a daunting task, especially if you haven’t done it in a couple of years. However, if you approach the project the right way, it doesn’t have to be scary. Supplies Before you dive in, be sure to pick up non-slip hangers in a matching color and closet organizers. Depending on your budget, you can find full closet built-in systems or easy to add hanging double rods and loose shelves, as well as handy shoe racks. Sort Pull everything out of your closet and sort into 2 piles: Keep and Donate. Organize your Keep clothes by season and switch out as needed. Either store winter/summer clothes in a bin, or organize them in the back of your closet. Maximize your space with double hanging rods which are great for low hanging items like tops and pants. Look for single hangers that hold large amounts of belts, ties or scarves but don’t take up much room. Organize Color-coordinate your wardrobe for a quick visual glance when you’re looking for something to wear. Remember the Golden Rule for keeping your closet from becoming overstuffed: every time you bring in a new piece of clothing, remove an existing piece and toss it in the donate pile. One in, one out. 3. Plant Vegetable Beds or a Potted Garden for the Patio Bring some color and easy edibles to your backyard with a raised vegetable bed, box or potted plants. Growing foods at home is a great home improvement project that can help you save money, is fun for the whole family and easier than you think. Supplies Home Depot sells a variety of garden bed sizes and shapes for your backyard (or front yard!) and your local nursery will have plenty of organic produce, herbs, plants and flowers along with beautiful pots. Location When choosing your ideal spot, think about the direction of the sun in order to maximize or minimize the exposure. Vegetables will need full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day, while some herbs are more delicate and need a partially shaded area. Keeping the garden or herb pots nearby will make it easy for you to grab what you need while cooking in the kitchen. Hi-Lo-Flow Create a visually appealing landscape design by following the Hi-Lo-Flow Rule: tall plants in the back (or vines up a trellis), short plants in the middle and cascading plants in the front. This also applies to potted plants. Soil Make sure you have fertilizer and nutrient rich soil that is appropriate for the type of plants and vegetables. You might also want to consider composting old fruit rinds and coffee grounds to help your plants flourish. Don’t forget to water, then enjoy the fresh and healthy foods coming straight to your table. 4. Stage Your Bookshelves Your bookshelf is a perfect opportunity to share what you and your family are all about. It’s a moment to brag about your interests, travel, collections, friends and family. If it’s looking more like a cluttered mess, then it’s time to take it down and start over. If you’re feeling extra fancy, paint or wallpaper the back of your bookshelf for an extra special wow moment. Remove Take everything off your bookshelf and place into 3 piles: Books, Decorative Objects and Framed Photographs. Organize Think about balance, variety and scale when you start placing things onto each shelf. Heavier items can go on lower shelves. If you have a lot of small items or magazines that you’d like to hide, purchase matching baskets or boxes to keep things out of sight. Stack a few books vertically or horizontal with an object on top. Color-coordinate a group, or cluster 3 items of various sizes, add a small plant or flower in a vase, a piece of art or photographs. Allow your favorite showcase items to breathe with some space on either side. Repurpose or Donate If you have items left over, either find a new home for it or donate it. 5. Master Bedroom Makeover Painting any room is the easiest and most affordable home improvement project to completely transform a space. Think about what mood you’d like to create: relaxing and peaceful or romantic and exotic, etc. Collect a few inspiration images of the look and feel you’re going for then break it down. Notice the color for your backdrop, the style of bedding and accessories. Supplies Select your paint and make sure to purchase zero VOC to minimize any toxins in the home and near your face while you’re painting. Depending on the original wall color, you’ll most likely need a primer, although some paint is sold with a built-in primer and paint in one. Head to the hardware store and select your supplies: Roller brush and pan, small wedge paint brush for the corners and trim areas, paper or plastic to protect the floor and painters tape to protect your base, crown and trim molding. Prep Lay down your protective floor covering because you will definitely splatter or drop paint during this process. Tape and carefully paint the primer around your trim areas (base and crown molding, doors and windows) and fill in the corners where the roller cannot reach. Paint Dip the roller into the paint but make sure it’s not too wet, otherwise it will splatter or drip down the wall. Roll in diagonals, back and forth, left to right in order to cover the most space evenly. Allow an hour or so to dry in between coats. Bedding For the final touches to your new and improved bedroom, add your new bedding, a few accessories and enjoy your totally transformed space. Take Advantage of the Weekend It doesn’t take much to transform your home. All you need to find is the time to tackle your home improvement projects–and what better time is there than the weekend?
