Over the weekend, Hannah, my daughter, was upstairs in her room cleaning when suddenly I heard a loud crash and her scream. Sprinting up the stairs and nearly colliding with our huge cat, Carter, I arrived to find magazines, books and pictures scattered everywhere, along with her stereo receiver and cable box upside down in the all the rubble.

What happened??? She explained that as she was trying to shoo Carter away from the fish bowl he freaked out, darted away from her, and jumped onto the flimsy bookcase, pulling it down.

Lifting the crumpled bookcase and steadying the receiver, I decided the frail piece of furniture had to go! So, off to Target we went to pick out a new one. I agreed to get whichever one she wanted as long as she agreed to put it together.

With the help of some friends, we got the bookcase upstairs and Hannah began taking all the parts out of the box. Spreading them out on the floor and grabbing the instructions, she went to work.

                    Hannah ready to tackle assembling her new bookcase!

The nice thing about the bookcase was that it required very simple tools so Hannah wasn’t intimidated. The hardware was pretty simple as well. Inserting the cams into the holes on the side, Hannah made sure that the arrow on each cam was pointed towards the outside edge of the pieces.

Once the cams were all in place, the dowels were inserted in each cam and locked in place with a Phillips head screwdriver to create a nice, tight fit.

                Inserting the cams                             Locking the dowels in place

Now that the sides were ready, it was time to align and tighten down the two bottom shelves that would serve as the drawer compartment. This was a bit tricky for Hannah to do on her own, so I helped steady the side while she tightened the cam to draw the two pieces together. Moving to the top of the bookcase, Hannah aligned the top shelf and locked it into place.

            Attaching the bottom and top shelves to the sides of the bookcase

Turning the bookcase over, Hannah attached the back panel with the tiny brad nails. Since the back panel had a cutout for TV and stereo cables, she had to make sure the panel lined up perfectly with the frame before nailing it down.

            Nailing on the back panel                         Assembling the drawers

Next came assembling the drawers. She was almost there and still had a smile on her face! I was impressed!

After sliding the drawer into place and installing the two remaining shelves, Hannah jumped up and down, twisting in a sort of jig at her accomplishment!

Here is the finished bookcase with all her things back in place! I am so proud of Hannah. This is really the first project she has taken on by herself. There just might be a future in home improvement for her yet!

This is only an overview of the main steps involved in assembling a bookcase from a kit. The actually procedure will vary depending on the brand of bookcase you purchase, so be sure to read the instructions that come with it thoroughly.

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To turn an old column into a headboard:

• Apply painter’s tape around the column to mark the cut.
• Cut the columns to length using a reciprocating saw with a long blade.
• Build a cubbyhole shadow box out of 1”x 6” lumber.
• Cut 2”x 12” lumber to size for the base and caps on the columns.
• Attach the headboard, bases, and caps to the two columns.
• Finish the headboard and allow it to dry.
• Install the headboard by securing it to the wall with screws.

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Creating personalize stepping stones for your yard can be a great family DIY project. All you need is an old 5-gallon bucket to use for the form and a bag of premixed concrete. Once the concrete has been poured, you can personalize each stepping stone by adding decorations and handprints. Here’s how to go about it:

• Clean a 5-gallon bucket and cut it down to size with a jigsaw to use as a form.
• Apply lubricating oil to the inside of the bucket to keep the concrete from sticking to the form.
• Mix up enough premixed concrete with water to fill the form.
• Use a piece of scrap lumber to smooth and level the concrete even with the top of the form.
• Personalize the stepping stone while still wet with stones, handprints, or other decorations.
• Once the concrete has set, remove the stepping stone from the form.
• Dig shallow holes in your yard the size of the stepping stone, and set them in place.

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Painting an old wicker chair is an easy DIY project that can breathe new life into old furniture. Here’s how to go about it.

• Use an air compressor to blow off all the dirt and dust from the cracks between the caning.
• Scrub the chair down with denatured alcohol to clean the surface.
• Use a hot glue gun to reattach any loose caning.
• Apply several light coats of spray paint to the chair.
• Make sure the paint has dried completely before using the chair. Directing a fan on the chair for a few hours will help speed up the drying process.
• Save any leftover paint to use for touch-up later.

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• (714) Something for Almost Nothing

Instead of throwing an outdated ceiling fan away, consider refurbishing it. Here’s how to go about it:

• Remove the blades and metal components from the fan.
• Clean the entire fan thoroughly with denatured alcohol.
• Rub all metal surfaces with fine steel wool to allow the paint to adhere.
• Lay the metal components out on newspaper and spray with several light coats of spray paint.
• Rehang the ceiling fan.
• Reattach the blades to the ceiling fan.

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Refinishing and personalizing old children’s furniture makes a great DIY project. Here’s how to go about it:

• Start by cleaning the chair thoroughly, making sure all the dust is removed.
• Next, apply on coat of primer, and allow it to dry. Tinting the primer to the color of the paint can cut down on the number of coats needed.
• Apply two coats of paint and allow to dry.
• Personalize the furniture with the child’s name or decorative artwork.
• Finally, spray on a coat of clear finish to seal the paint and increase the longevity of your work.

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Fireplace screens can be bought, but why not make your own for under $10? Watch this video to find out how to refinish and hinge three old shutters together to make a beautiful fireplace screen for your home.

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Updating and improving the look of your home doesn’t have to put a strain on your budget. By using recycled or reused materials, along with a little imagination and creativity, you can make a big difference in your home for a very small investment. Here are seven simple DIY projects to get you started.

Where to Find Items to Reuse and Renew

There are a number of sources for used and discarded items, such as:

• Thrift stores
• Secondhand consignment shops
• Goodwill
• Salvage companies
• Habit for Humanity ReStores
• Online at The Freecycle Network
• Yard and garage sales
• Classified ads online and in newspapers
• Remodeling site dumpsters

How to Refinish a Ceiling Fan

Instead of throwing an outdated ceiling fan in the trash, consider refinishing it to make it look like new. Here’s how to go about it:

• Disassemble the fan components you plan to paint.
• Clean all the parts with denatured alcohol to remove any dust or grease.
• Rub metal surfaces with fine steel wool to remove the gloss.
• Lay all of the pieces out and spray with several light coats of spray paint for metal.
• Reassemble the fan components except the blades.
• Reattach the fan to the ceiling.
• Attach the blades and balance if needed.

How to Refurbish Old Furniture

Kendra Bennett is a homeowner who has a knack for taking old objects and transforming them into something new. She found an old credenza for $20 at a yard sale. After stripping off the black finish and refinishing it, the piece was converted into this unique conversation piece for her home.

The two cabinet doors in the center of the piece were removed and replaced by wine racks. As an accent, two wooden window frames were backed by mirrors then mounted on the wall above it. The whole project only cost $150 dollars and a little imagination.

How to Make a Fireplace Screen

To hide a fireplace from view during the summer, create a simple fireplace screen by hinging together discarded shutters found at a salvage store. Here’s how to go about it:

• Clean, sand, and make any repairs to the shutters.
• Apply two coats of interior paint and allow to dry.
• Link the shutters together with brass cabinet hinges.
• For screens of more than three shutters, install each pair of hinges on alternating sides so the screen can be folded up like an accordion when not in use.

The project was completed in less than a day for under $10.

How to Personalize a Child’s Chair

Lisa Brodie also enjoys giving new life to old pieces of furniture. Some of her favorite items are small chairs made for children. Here’s how to go about it:

• Clean the chair to make sure all of the dust and loose finish is removed.
• Apply a coat of primer and allow to dry.
• Apply two coats of paint.
• Decorate the chair as desired with contrasting colors and patterns.
• Personalize the piece with the child’s name.
• For a more durable finish, apply a final coat of clear finish (brushed or sprayed) to the painted surface.

How to Refinish a Wicker Chair

To make an old wicker chair new again:

• Use an air compressor to blow off dirt and dust out of cracks.
• Clean surface with a scrub brush and denatured alcohol.
• Use a hot glue gun to reattach broken or loose caning.
• Apply several light coats of spray paint, letting it dry for the recommended time between coats.
• Allow the paint to dry completely for several before using. A fan can help speed up the process.
• Store any leftover paint to use for touch up later.

How to Build a Headboard

To turn a discarded column and some leftover lumber into a headboard:

• Mark the cuts around the column with painter’s tape.
• Cut the column to length using a reciprocating saw.
• Construct a cubbyhole shadow box for the headboard from 1×6 lumber.
• Use 2×12 lumber for the feet and caps.
• Assemble the columns to the headboard.
• Paint the headboard and allow to dry.
• Use screws to attach the headboard to the wall studs.

Since all of the material used in the headboard was discarded or scrap, the project cost next to nothing.

How to Pour Concrete Stepping Stones

To make personalized concrete stepping stones for your yard:

• Cut down a 5-gallon bucket with a jigsaw to use as a mold.
• Spray lubricating oil around the inside of the mold to prevent the concrete from adhering.
• Mix up concrete and fill the mold with it.
• Smooth off the top of the concrete using a board as a screed.
• Customize the concrete while wet with handprints, decorations, or masonry dye.
• Allow concrete to dry before removing stepping stone from the mold.

Other Tips from This Episode

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Old doors can be reused for a number of home improvement projects, including headboards for beds and dividers in a room. Here’s how you can convert an old door into a writing or computer desk complete with bookshelves and coat rack.

Desk Materials List:

We used a 30” wide door, but you can make the desk from whatever width door is available. If you don’t have a leftover door, you can buy a used one at a salvage yard or reuse store.

• 1 – 30” door
• 1 – 18” x 30” cabinet grade plywood (desktop)
• 2 – 7” x 30” cabinet grade plywood (bookshelves)
• 2 – 2” x 6” x 24” lumber (support feet)
• 2 – 9” x 11” premade wood brackets (desktop supports)
• 4 – 5” x 7” premade wood brackets (bookshelf supports)
• Coarse, medium, and fine grit sandpaper
• Auto body filler
• Primer and paint

Making a Desk from a Door:

• Remove old hinges and lockset from door.
• Fill hinge mortises and lockset holes with auto body filler.
• Hand plane the filler flush with the door.
• Sand the door smooth (wear respirator approved for lead paint and sand outside to prevent lead contamination).
• Cut the desktop and shelves to size.
• Rout a pattern on the bottom of three sides of the desktop and shelves.
• Attach shelf brackets to the bottom of the desktop and shelves.
• Attach desktop and shelves to door using glue, nails, and screws.
• Cut support feet to length and round corners and edges
• Attach support feet to door edges with nails and screws.
• If desired, attach a coat rack or hooks to the back of door.

      Patch holes in door.             Attach brackets.                     Attach base.

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This convenient shoe caddy is made from recycled 5-gallon buckets and scrap lumber. It’s great for keeping track of shoes in your garage, mud room, or closet. To make it, all you need is some 5-gallon buckets, scrap lumber, and leftover paint.

Shoe Caddy Materials List

• 6 – 5-gallon recycled buckets
• 1 – 1” x 8” x 12’ scrap lumber
• 1 – 30” x 40” scrap plywood
• 1 – Quart leftover paint

Making a Recycled Shoe Caddy:

• Use a sabre saw to cut the lip off the buckets with the rim of the bucket acting as a guide.
• Sand the cut edges on the bucket smooth.
• Arrange the buckets in a triangular shape (other shapes can be used as well), using spring clamps to hold them in place.
• Cut the plywood to size in a triangular shape so that it doesn’t protrude past the buckets.
• Screw the bottom of the buckets to the plywood.
• Cut the 1” x 8” to size at an angle so it forms a tight fitting frame around the buckets.
• Nail the four pieces of frame together.
• Sand and paint the frame.
• Slide the frame over the buckets, and screw the sides of the buckets to it.

      Cut rim off buckets.             Assemble frame.           Attach buckets to frame.

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