Think you don’t have what it takes to do a beginner DIY home improvement project without hiring a handyman? Think again! Your wallet will thank you for it! 😉
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This one is for my little rebels at heart who refuse to believe in the old rhetoric that you simply “can’t do it just because you’re a woman.” To that I’d say, “Oh yes I can, watch me!”
Disclaimer: This is not meant to be one of those controversial post. Any such language and description is to help illustrate my point that you are capable, smart, & strong woman who happens to be good at whatever you choose. My sole intent is to empower you, encourage you, & cheer you on, especially if you grew up surrounded by this sort of mentality throughout your life whenever you attempt anything that has anything remotely to do with DIY home improvement projects.
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but this is nothing new. Sometimes it can be a harmless comment made in jest, other times it can be just outright rude, and then at times, somewhere in between. But you know it when you hear it and it’s jarring to your ears each time you hear it:
- “Women aren’t supposed to do that, it’s a man’s job.”
- “Why don’t you go back inside and make us a sandwich & let us men handle this?”
- “Don’t mess up your nails, it’s not worth it.”
Sound familiar? While they may sound like they might have some shred of chivalry laced within those misogynistic notions, it can be downright deflating to us women. Well, I’m here to remind you that all of that malarkey is simply not true.
You’re not helpless. You’re more capable than you care to realize. And you certainly don’t need to hire a handyman to get the job done right, for you. You can Do It Yourself and I’m going to prove it to you.
Still skeptical about your skills? Here are 40+ easy home improvement projects that you can do on your own without hiring a contractor:
TLDR? Grab Your Basic Tool Kit Checklist here:
A. Here are just a few easy indoor DIY home improvement projects for beginners
Let’s be honest, you really didn’t know what you were in for when you bought your home. You probably didn’t expect for things to go “wrong,” so quickly. You really didn’t know just how much these things really cost until it actually happens.
It’s not like you planned for it to break. And while we’re being totally honest with ourselves, you’d even admit that it wasn’t even on your mind to even budget for your home maintenance home improvement projects just yet.
So imagine your surprise when you go to the bathroom and you try to flush the toilet and you suddenly discover just as you’ve about to wash your hands that the water tank still won’t fill up! And then you panic! What in the world do you do now?
Oh the embarrassment if it overflows! 😬💩😷 Kidding, but not really… 😳
First, take off the lid on the toilet tank and check to see if the valve, the chain, or the stick might be stuck. If so, it’s just a simple adjustment with your screwdriver to make sure everything is tightly screwed on.
If not, then you’d need to get a replacement float valve kit from your local hardware store and install it with the instructions that are provided on the box. Either situation is doable and easy to do without calling a handyman, just like the following easy home improvement projects below.
1. Caulk, Fill, Grout, & Paint Your Cracks, Tiles, & Wood:
If you can spread butter on toast, then you can caulk, fill, grout, & paint. It is as easy as it sounds. Don’t let the negative voices in your head fool you into thinking that it is any more complicated than that, no gender requirement needed. 😉
- caulk & paint your trim & baseboards
- refill a settling crack in the wall or ceiling
- regrout your kitchen & bathroom tiles
- remove & install wallpaper
- repaint a room
- repaint your furniture
- repaint & touch up paint on your high traffic use cabinets
2. CLEAN Your Own Home:
While it can be a huge downer and a chore at times, cleaning your own home can save you quite a bit of money if you have the time and energy to do it. What worked for me was reframing my negative thoughts around calling it a chore and making it boring and uninspiring to do. So now, I’m now calling it a blessing to my family, instead.
I’ve first learned about this concept from The FlyLady. And I have to say, I’m so grateful for her wise words. Since then, I have a new appreciation for cleaning my own home and blessing my family with it too. No gender requirement necessary here either. 🙂
But if you don’t have the time, energy, nor the bandwidth for cleaning your own home, consider delegating the cleaning tasks to your own kids instead. Not only will this teach them about responsibility, it will give them the motivation to start earning an income via completing a job for later on in their life. And that’s a win-win, for all of you! 😉
- clean your own house,
- clean out your washer & dryer chutes,
- clean out your drains & dishwasher jets
3. CREATE Your Own Artwork, Home Decor, & Wall Decor:
As Maragaret Wolfe Hungerford once said, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” so is our taste in art. There is no rule that says your must only own expensive art in order to live in a nice home. Anything can be considered a piece of art as long as it is special to you.
Consider creating an art project with your kids, enlarging it, and display it for all who enters your home to admire your handy work. Choose your favorite pieces to display in a frame and create a gallery wall in your hallway. Every time you walk by your gallery art, it will feel as though you’re taking a trip down memory lane together. 🙂
- Create your own artwork with supplies from yours or your kids’ art stash
- Create your own wall decor
- Create your own home decor
4. Install: Follow Manufacturer’s Installation Instructions
A Do It Yourself project does not have to be over complicated or take up too much of your precious weekend R&R time to complete. Sometimes it can be as simple as following the manufacturer’s instructions straight out of the box that it came from. All you need to complete the project are some basic tools for beginners and you’re good to go on your DIY home improvement installation project, without the help of any handyman.
- Install a security camera surveillance system
- Install a light fixture
- Install & put together furniture by yourself (like a bunk bed, bike, shelving units, bookcases, etc.)
5. GROW Your Own Food:
There’s nothing more satisfying than homegrown organic produce that came straight out of your very own garden. Knowing exactly where your food is coming from and exactly what you are feeding your family are enough good reasons to grow your own food. Some easy herbs to get you started on developing your beginner green thumb includes some of the following: green onions, cilantro, chives, mint, basil.
- grow an herb garden indoors: green onions, cilantro, chives, mint, basil, dill, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, & oregano
6. HANG Your Own Curtains, Drapes, & Wall Decor:
Want to make a big impact in a small room without having to get messy paint all over and waiting for it to dry? Then hang your drapes and wall decor. You’ll only need just 6 things from your tool box to make this happen: a level, a pencil, painter’s tape, cordless screwdriver, screws, & wall anchors.
- Hang your own curtains & drapes,
- Hang your own wall decor like mirrors, scrolls, & plaques
7. Recycle, Reduce, ReUse, & Repurpose:
If you’re looking to save money with your DIY project, then these four R’s: recycle, reduce, reuse, & repurpose is a great place to start because you already have everything you need at your disposal. Not only is it trendy, eco friendly, and fun, it also helps you save a ton of money too. Think of it as a creative hobby that allows you to think outside the box and decide how to extend the life of a product after it’s original use, just like an ingenious engineer would do regardless of your gender.
- Recycle the things you already have like an old sweater into a DIY pillow case
- Reduce the use of your fancy hand soap by filling it ½ way with H2O
- Reuse your glass mason jars as Modern Farmhouse decor
- Repurpose a pack of clean straws into wall decor with hot glue & spray paint
8. Repairs:
You can fix anything that breaks, comes loose, or has worn out over time with simple repairs that you can do. All you have to do is remember where you’ve placed your tool box, do a quick search on Google, find a few tutorials on YouTube, or grab a DIY book from the library or bookstore and you’re all set. You already have all the resources available at your fingertips and you are capable of fixing it by yourself because of it.
- repair a broken screw/nail hole,
- repair broken furniture with Bondo/wood filler, new screws, etc.
- repair/replace/regrout/recaulk broken tile
9. Replace:
There are some things in your home that cannot be fixed. Unfortunately, they will need to be replaced. Some of the things you’d need to replace periodically include: air filters, lightbulbs, leaky/broken faucets, broken toilet float valves, door handles, plastic items, etc. Fortunately, you do not need a handyman to replace these things either.
- replace your air filter
- replace a burnt-out lightbulb
- replace a leaky faucet,
- replace a toilet float valve
10. ReUpholster & Update:
One of my favorite ways to save money is to salvage items that I find at garage sales, thrift stores, and even hand-me-downs like my chaise lounge chair. I could not pass up this steal of a deal that I’ve found on CraigsList, in excellent condition! The only thing I was not fond of was the tacky coastal blue color that was clearly made in the 90’s.
That was an easy fix with the help from my Mom, her sewing machine, a staple gun, some velvet-like material with lots of leftover scraps for extra pillow cases too.
- reupholster your seat cushions with new fabric using a staple gun
- updating old decor (like accent tables, light fixtures, & accessories with good cleaning, some spray paint, & some finishing touches with embellishments)
Sick of looking at your ugly house? Let’s Fix that!
B. Here are just a few easy outdoor DIY home improvement projects for beginners
Now that you’re armed with a slew of beginner DIY home projects that you can do indoors, let’s take a look at what you can easily tackle outdoors as well. There’s a world of possibility right outside your doorstep, all within your property line of course, to explore. Armed with the right tools, the proper skills, and confidence, you can make it happen because you are more than capable of completing your home improvement projects on your own without hiring a handyman.
Here are a list of just some ideas of outdoor easy home improvements that you can do:
1. Garage & Driveway Repairs:
Just like I’ve mentioned above, if you can spread butter, you can fill a crack in your driveway too. Be sure to check out your local home improvement store to find out the best brands for your type of driveway. If you have a cement driveway, you may need just a small driveway cement kit that’s designed just right for you to get the job done without having to spend too much on any extra bags of mortar. The same goes for asphalt.
- refill a crack in your garage or cement driveway
2. Gardening:
There is no gender requirement for growing your own garden whether you use it for growing food or even flowers and plants. You don’t have to be a natural green thumb to achieve a bountiful harvest of produce, just follow what is recommended for your zone of residence. You also don’t need to use real flowers, faux flowers can be just as gorgeous as real ones and only you will know the difference. 😉
- grow a fruit & veggie garden outdoors: tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, strawberries
- Grow a flower basket, floral containers, and flower arrangements (real or faux) for beautiful curb appeal
3. Humane pest control:
Don’t let all of your hard work in the garden go to waste from grubby pests big and small. Keep them out of your yard by setting up humane traps and eco-friendly sprays. Luckily, you can find a plethora of humane pest control options at your local home improvement store. Some of them are so potent, mimicking the scent of a large predator, that it keeps rabbits and deer away from your produce all season long!
If you’re still not happy with the store-bought options, you can also DIY your own humane yet eco-friendly mixes right in your kitchen. Just do a Google search for DIY eco friendly pest control and you’ll find that there are several recipes available for you to choose from. Remember to reapply your pest control sprays often especially after a rain to help maintain it’s effectiveness.
- setting up mouse traps,
- spraying the perimeter of your property with bug stop,
- spraying outside fence with wolf urine spray to prevent predators & pests from eating your vegetables
4. Patio, Deck, & Fence:
If you have a patio, deck, or fence, at home, you can keep it looking beautiful without much time or effort. It can be as simple as a once a year waterproof & seal treatment to a simple touch up paint job. Look ahead about 1-2 weeks to see which days are ideal to apply the sealer and let it dry out completely in the hot sun for 24-48 hours.
Split the cost of the sealer with a neighbor or friend and you’ll both have a great outdoor space that you can enjoy all season long without hiring a handyman.
- waterproof, seal, & maintain your patio, deck, fence, with touch-up paint etc.
5. Power Washing:
Need a tell-tale sign that you’re officially an adult? When you’d rather spend your Saturday afternoon sipping on a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade, listening to an audiobook, while power washing your driveway than go out and spend money aimlessly shopping at the mall is when your train has officially entered Adulthood. Not sure about you, but I find power washing mhy driveway to be so satisfying and soothing in every way.
For those of you old enough to appreciate this: it brings out the Danny Tanner in me to uncover the bright cement underneath all of the snow from the previous winters. And of course, you don’t need to be a man nor hire a handyman to appreciate these things either. 🙂
- power wash your own house exterior (windows, gutters, walkways)
6. Yard Work:
If like me, you don’t give two rats tails about yard work you may not find this to be an enjoyable DIY home improvement project either. However, like my example above with cleaning, you can reframe your mind and tell yourself what a blessing it is to live in a nice house that you’ve created all on your own for your family and loved ones to enjoy. All it costs you was some sweat equity to achieve and a fatter wallet by giving yourself the choice of not having to hire a sketchy handyman to do what you already know how to do on your own. 😉
- aerate/fertilize/water & maintain your lawn,
- cut your own grass, hedges & bushes
In SUMMARY—
If this is your first time dabbling at beginner DIY home projects, it is important for you to remember that you’re not helpless. You’re more capable than you care to realize. And you absolutely do not need to hire a handyman to get the job done right.
I have just proven to you in the article above that You can Do It Yourself and you’ll have the skill set going forward to tackle any home improvement project you want to do in the future.
To recap, here’s all of the problems we solved today:
A. Here are just a few easy Indoor DIY home improvement projects for beginners you can do
- Caulk, fill, grout, & paint
- Clean your own home
- Create your own artwork
- Install: Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions
- Grow your own food
- Hang your own curtains, drapes, & wall decor
- Recycle, Reduce, ReUse, & Repurpose
- Repairs
- Replace
- ReUpholster & Update
B. Here are just a few easy Outdoor DIY home improvement projects for beginners you can do
- Garage & Driveway Repairs
- Gardening
- Humane Pest Control
- Patio, Deck, & Fence
- Power Washing
- Yard Work
Other Helpful Resources:
- The FlyLady
- 50+ Must-Have Tools You Need For DIY
- 25+ Unexpected Places For Your Dream Home Inspiration
- Things I Wish I’d Known Before Attempting DIY Home Improvement
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Sick of looking at your ugly house? Let’s Fix that!