Table of contents for Spring 2015 in Do It Yourself

What’s Your Type? Are you a pick-up artist or “don’t judge me” girl? Discover what kind of cleaner you are and find tips to suit your style. BHG.com/CleanQuiz Spy the DIY Can you spot the DIY project in this room? Find out—and learn how to integrate DIY elements into your home decor. BHG.com/DIYSpy Handy DIY Apps Put your smartphone or tablet to work on your next project. Check out our picks for DIY-friendly apps. BHG.com/DIYApps Apartment Redo At only 750 square feet, this apartment is packed with personality. Pick up a few tips for living large in a small space. BHG.com/ApartmentMakeover…

PLASTIC HOW TO PREPARE Clean old surfaces with an ammonia-base cleaner and new ones with paint thinner. If previously painted, lightly sand the surface and remove dust with a tack cloth. WHICH PAINT DO I USE? Rust-Oleum’s Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2X and Krylon’s Fusion for Plastic bond to most plastics and require no sanding or priming. “When a run or drip begins to form, reposition the item so that the drip is horizontal. This will stop the drip and allow it to flow out and flatten somewhat, making it much less obvious. If the drip has dried, lightly sand it and re-coat.” —JENNY THAVENET, BRAND MANAGER AT RUST-OLEUM PREVENT CLOGS BY HOLDING THE CAN UPSIDE-DOWN AND SPRAYING UNTIL A CLEAR GAS RELEASES. IF A TIP CLOGS, WIPE WITH WATER…

DEAR HANDY GIRL, Our dishwasher isn’t old, but it’s been giving off a wonky, musty smell, and it isn’t cleaning well. Help! The last thing we want to do right now is replace it. DEAR READER, A little bit of elbow grease and some appliance love might be all you need to keep your dishwasher smelling fresh and working well. Try these maintenance tips: AFTER EVERY WASH •Remove clean dishes promptly.Some water may not have drained from one or more dishes, and that can cause a stale smell, too. • Wipe of any leftover food. Remove any particles still on the drain. They can lead to smells and mold. • Clean the exterior. Wipe away fingerprints or drips and dribbles from the door’s front. •Clean the exterior. Wipe away fingerprints…

select offer | get it here first ORDER TODAY: 1-800-420-2852 REFER TO CODE SIP01 ORDER ONLINE: BHGGardenStore.com The Spring Exclusive Garden in a Box INCLUDES A TOTAL OF 16 PLANTS! Welcome pollinators to your yard with this colorful perennial garden guaranteed to provide a season-long banquet for hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and bees. This collection was designed by the experts at White Flower Farm and includes 16 pollinator favorites: 6 Liatris ‘Alba,’ 3 Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam,’ 2 each of Phlox ‘Blue Paradise,’ Salvia ‘May Night,’ Echinacea PowWow¨ Wild Berry, 1 Agastache ‘Blue Fortune.’ These nectar-rich varieties will keep flowers coming from spring to frost, and will cover about 18 sq ft. Ships in 3” pots and bareroot at the proper time for spring planting in your zone, weather permitting. Recommended for zones…

1. Design mind Graphic designer Aaron is an artist for Powerhouse Factories, a marketing agency that works with clients as diverse as musicians and Fortune 500 companies. Here, one of his creations for a local music festival. $20; powerhousefactories.com/shop 2. A ledge up The hardworking Ribba picture ledge is perfect for displaying artwork—and even better for swapping out artwork on a regular basis. Go with your gut and swap paintings and knickknacks as the seasons change and your style evolves. $10; ikea.com 3. Wall art A petite matte clay wall pocket planter with a glazed interior is great for growing herbs or housing easy-grow air plants. $22 each (including air plant); mudwhimsy.etsy.com 4. Stick with it Emily employed graphic wallpaper with a natural theme in her kitchen. Get the look…

What We Did ... What We Did ... HOW TO SCREEN PRINT MULTIPLE COLORS WHAT YOU’LL NEED • Printouts of artwork and each screen layer from BHG.com/ScreenPrint • Cardboard • Three 10×14-inch screenprinting screens • Masking tape • Screen drawing fluid • Paintbrushes • Old toothbrush • Squeegee • Screen filler • Heavyweight (at least 40#) paper: light blue • Polar fleece • Plastic spoons • Water-soluble screen-printing paper ink: ivory, green, dark red step 1 Gather your materials (a). Center artwork on cardboard, and mark corners with a pencil (b). Center screen with flat side down on top of artwork; mark corners (c). Remove screen and artwork. step 2 Place printout of screen 1 on cardboard; align with marks. Place screen on top of artwork with flat side down;…

What We Did ... Stripped of a dull coat of oh-so-blah blue-gray paint, the lustrous graining and elegant lines of this oak dresser shine post-restoration. A radiant hue on the hardware—here, an exuberant turquoise— lends a contemporary twist to the lines of this decades-old heirloom. Visit BHG.com/StainGuide to download our free stain and wood projects guide, including 16 bonus projects! HOW TO REFINISH A DRESSER WHAT YOU’LL NEED • Drop cloth • Nitrile gloves • Respirator • Wood stripper (We used Citristrip.) • 2- and 4-inch foam brushes • 2- and 3-inch putty knives • Scrap bucket • Small wire- bristle brushes • Steel wool • Mineral spirits • Medium (80–60) and fine (200– 100) sandpaper • Tack cloths • Stirrer and stain • Staining pads • Paintbrushes • Cheesecloth…

Find clickable links to all these sources in the digital edition of this issue. BHGSpecials.zinio.com [P] Paint Color Because of the magazine printing process, paint colors depicted on our pages might vary slightly from manufacturers’ colors. Use paint color names or numbers, when provided, as a starting point. To get a color as it appears in the magazine, take the page to a paint retailer for matching. SHAKE IT Pages 8– Linen boxes on top shelf—The Container Store; 800/786-7315; containerstore.com. Green suitcases— The Land of Nod; 800/933-9904; landofnod.com. Yellow paint for box Dual Superbond Paint + Primer in Gloss Sun Yellow, teal paint for box and basket ColorMaster Paint + Primer in Satin Sea Glass, navy paint for box ColorMaster Paint + Primer in Gloss True Blue—Krylon Products Group; 800/457-9566;…

Pet Cause There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction you get from a DIY project done well. The only thing better? DIYing for a cause close to your heart. Like many of you, we at Team DIY share our lives with pets we adore. My own two kitties were rescued as strays when they were tiny, and they’ve been a joyful part of my family ever since. So we were thrilled at the opportunity to partner with the Animal Rescue League (ARL) for an event that helped raise money for adoptable pets in Iowa. The theme of the night: high fashion. Local celebrities escorted their adopted pets—dressed to the nines in couture costumes—up and down a runway to wild applause. Super fun. Our team helped with the decor (think loads of…

With two dogs, we’ve accumulated an abundance of pet items and storage solutions—a metal bin for toys (because they chewed the rattan one), a garden tote for shampoo, treats, and brushes, and an airtight food bin under the sink. We may need to learn a few more tricks if my daughter gets the kitty she’s been wanting! Your furry friends may have free rein in the house, but that doesn’t mean their stuff has to. A tall cabinet or bookshelf, opposite, contains everything in one spot. These other storage-savvy products also help you get a grip on pet gear so no one winds up in the doghouse. 1. Hang in there Mount this double hook by the door where you can grab a leash and go with your canine pal.…

ORDER TODAY: 1-800-420-2852 REFER TO CODE SIP01 ORDER ONLINE: BHGGardenStore.com EASY-TO-GROW BLUEBERRY PLANT The Well-Behaved Blueberry BrazelBerries® Blueberry Glaze™ is unlike any other blueberry variety. With its small stature (just 2-3’ tall), and incredibly glossy, dark green leaves, Blueberry Glaze™ is reminiscent of a boxwood and can easily be sheared as such. The white with pink spring flowers beautifully contrast the deep foliage color. Small, little dark (almost black) berries present in little bundles mid-summer. The small berries have intense flavor much like the flavor of wild blueberries. With their deep flesh color, these berries pack a healthful punch with their antioxidant-rich qualities. Ships in a 1 gallon pot at the proper time for spring planting in your zone, weather permitting. Recommended for Zones 5-8 S&W. Item MM004580, $31.95, plus…

5 COMMON PLIERS HEADS Plan to have the following pliers in your kit: DIAGONAL PLIERS OR WIRE CUTTERS make clean cuts to wire for electrical projects. SLIP-JOINT PLIERS tighten or loosen hardware, pull nails, or grip almost anything. GROOVE-JOINT PLIERS tighten or loosen hardware, pull nails, or grip almost anything. Most open wider than slipjoint pliers. LINEMAN’S PLIERS grab several wires and twist them together for a solid splice; can also cut wire. LONG OR NEEDLENOSE PLIERS hold nails and other small hardware in place; shape wire loops. Many can also cut wire FACT TORQUE IS A TWISTING MOTION WITH FORCE BEHIND IT. YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR HAND AND WRIST AS YOU USE A SCREWDRIVER. HOW MANY SCREWDRIVERS DO YOU REALLY NEED IN YOUR TOOLBOX? “While I’d recommend owning…

HOW TO MAKE TASSEL WALL ART step 1 Wrap cord around the longer side of wood, starting and ending at the bottom of the block. Wrap cord eight times and cut from roll. Cut a 12-inch section of cord and use it to tie tassel strands together about 2 inches from top of tassel (a). Slide tassel off block. Wrap the ends around all strands and tie off again. Cut through all bottom loops on tassel. step 2 Cut an 18-inch strand of cord and run it through the loop at the top of the tassel (b). Tie a knot at the top of the strand, leaving ends untrimmed. Mix dye and dip bottom of tassel into dye for desired look (c). Let dry. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with…

1. Cool tool Typical countersinks require you to drill a separate pilot hole first. The Dewalt Rapid Load Countersink tool drills a pilot hole and countersink in one easy step so screw heads sit flush on the surface in half the time. For our projects, we used the #8 countersink (DW2568) with 11/64-inch drill bit. $12; dewalt.com 2. Labels galore Perfect for kitschy kitchen wall art, decoupage projects, or other papercrafting endeavors, reproductions of fruit and vegetable crate labels are available as collections printed on 8½ ×11-inch sheets. $4 per sheet of about 11 labels; retrowallart.etsy.com 3. Crate curator If your local flea market has been plundered, turn to The Crate People for vintage labeled soda bottle and fruit crates. You’ll also find one-of-a-kind furniture pieces made from old crates,…

What We Did ... What We Did ... Pillows are a quick way to add handmade personality to store-bought bedding. For the rose pillow, we simply stenciled a rose motif onto a purchased pillowcase. Here’s the secret to a painterly result: Purchase at least three shades of fabric paint—we used bright pink, orange, and white—and mix the shades on a palette to create several hues. Use them to paint each petal a slightly different color, concentrating the darker hues in the center of the rose. The subtle tonal variation adds an artistic touch. For the blue pillow, we simply wrapped a scarf around a pillow form. Place the pillow in the center of the scarf on a diagonal. Pull opposite corners around the pillow and tie in a knot. Do…

1. Inside story The engraved lid of this box doubles as a stand to hold recipe cards upright for easy reading. $69 (box); $85 (box and 20 cards); richwoodcreations.etsy.com 2. Well-traveled Made from vintage fabric, this stylish bag includes a shoulder strap. $66; tatonyon.etsy.com 3. Wild thing This 7×10-inch handmade safari wall art comes ready to hang. $40; michelleholley.etsy.com 4. Pattern play This bold 18×18-inch pillow is screen printed by hand on natural linen. $39; celineandkate.etsy.com 5. Custom carve Made from wood, a laser-engraved adhesive skin personalizes your iPhone 5 or 5s. $29; carvedproducts.etsy.com 6. Say cheese Shoot in style with this tribal-print camera strap, backed with nylon fabric. $25; lunaviz.etsy.com…

Put spray paint to work on highly textured surfaces—it’s the best medium for hard-toreach areas. Use smooth, sweeping motions when spraying. Holding the can in one spot for too long can cause drips. Stand back when painting. Apply multiple thin and even coats, allowing the recommended drying time between each, instead of one thick coat.…

Durable by Design The stucco finish on this pot—and each of the other projects in this story—is made to withstand weather and frequent watering. Before dressing up a terra-cotta pot, see “How to Prep a Terra-Cotta Pot” on page 23, for steps to seal and weatherize it. HOW TO STENCIL A STUCCO FOSSIL WHAT YOU’LL NEED • Terra-cotta pot • Spackling knife • Premixed stucco • Outdoor paint (We used Deco Art Patio Paint in green.) • Paintbrush • Fossil stencil • Multi surface water-base sealant (We used Thompson’s Water Seal.) step 1 Seal the inside of the terra-cotta pot, following the steps on page 23. Using a spackling knife, spread stucco on the outside of the pot to create a rocklike finish that also seals the pot (a). (Primer/sealer…

A Fine Line Hang photographs, tickets, and other ephemera from this clothesline display. Forty wooden mini clips let you easily hang items. $20; umbra.com True Colors French Paper’s Pop-Tone Fan Deck features quirky illustrations fit for framing. Order more paper in your favorite shades online. $5 for 24-hue sample deck; frenchpaper.com 1. Apply Here Add flair to picture frames, furniture, walls, and mirrors with Efex flexible latex appliqués. Trim with scissors, then adhere with contact cement to wood, plaster, metal, glass, or terra-cotta. Starting at $15 for 18-inch pieces; efexusa.com for retailers 2. Petal Punch Craft three-dimensional flowers or scrapbook embellishments from pieces cut with this squeeze punch. Ergonomic handles provide comfort and control, while an open head lets you see exactly where you’re cutting. $16 for large punch, $19…

Age may be nothing but a number, but it was the reason Emily May fell in love with this 100-year-old Covington, Kentucky, home—and bought it right after graduation. “I was really young, I was single, and at the time I didn’t really think about how small it was,” she says. Emily now shares the 900-square-foot home with her graphic designer husband, Aaron; a Chihuahua named Biggie; and a Boston terrier who goes by Suge. She blogs about her DIY decorating adventures at gohausgo.com. Her smart ideas can give any small space big style. 1 Top shelf If you can’t go out, go up. Enhance a big-box bookshelf by adding glass doors and an extender for a staggered look that’s a bit eclectic. Emily fills the shelves with her fave finds.…

HOW TO CREATE A GRANITE-LOOK SURFACE step 1 Gather your materials (a). Put on gloves, eye protection, and a dust mask. Use the diamondembedded sanding block to sand the surface in circular motions (b); wipe clean with a damp cloth (c). step 2 Pour adhesive base coat into a roller tray. Apply with a foam roller (d) to the surface, then use the spray bottle to apply wetting agent to the surface (e). Once the base coat is applied, you have a 20-minute window to apply the color chips. step 3 Use the rotary chip dispenser to spread decorative chips evenly over the entire surface (f). Let dry at least 12 hours. step 4 After the surface dries, use a dry rag to brush off loose chips. Then use the…

Pretty Peony Wreath Making this stunning wreath involves some patience, but it will brighten your home for months to come. Cut a 2×10-inch strip of fine yellow crepe paper along the grain; fold in half. Fringe the folded side of the paper about ½ inch. Cut a 6-inch piece of 20-gauge wire for the stem. Dab hot glue onto the top of the stem, secure on one short end of the yellow paper, and roll, fanning the paper outward as you go. Dab the opposite end with glue and secure to the stem with green florist tape. Using the peony petal template at BHG.com/Paper Flowers, cut out six small and six large petals from fine crepe paper. Pinch the bottom of the small petals together, then tape to the wire…

“Are you woman enough to use my tools?” reads a sign over Brit any Bailey’s workbench. Many people aren’t, but Brit any, the popular blogger at prettyhandygirl.com, is determined to change that. She’s been wielding a hammer for nearly as long as she’s been walking. “I grew up in a house that was under construction,” Brit any says. “My parents added a floor to our ranch house and a wing over the garage. They did all the work themselves. I’m used to people doing things themselves, and I have that mentality.” Brit any uses her can-do spirit to make over outdated furniture, then shares the results and step-by-step instructions online. She also tackles bigger projects, including renovating the kitchen in her North Carolina home. “I think 75 percent is having…