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There’s no doubt about it, 2020 has been an unpredictable year. We’ve spent more time inside than ever before, and have all had to come up with new ways to work, connect with each other, and keep ourselves busy. Now, with a second lockdown upon us, it’s time to start getting creative to fill up all those hours we’ll be spending at home. Luckily, there are plenty of fun DIY projects that you can tackle over the coming weeks. Here are a few lockdown DIY ideas to get you started.

 

Give Old Wooden Furniture A New Lockdown DIY Lease Of Life

A few coats of simple chalk paint can completely transform old, tired furniture. It’s a great way to change the look of that ancient wooden chair or that car boot sale mirror you’ve been wondering what to do with. All you’ll need for this project is some light grained sandpaper, chalk paint in a colour of your choosing, a paintbrush and some furniture wax.

To prep your piece, all you need to do is give it a light sanding before you are ready to paint. You can create all kinds of effects with chalk paint. You can give it a gentle sand once the paint is dry for a distressed, shabby chic look. You can also layer different paint colours or even use coloured wax to create a multi-dimensional tone.

You’ll only need two coats of chalk paint and it’s very fast drying, meaning that you’ll be able to complete your project in just one day. It’s also great for beginners to DIY, as you don’t need to be perfect when applying your paint. The main thing to remember is to not overload your brush so you don’t get any drips or runs.

 

Update Your Wardrobe With Mirror Doors

Mirror doors are a simple change that can make a big difference and are a great way to modernise tired wardrobes or cupboards. They can also work wonders for making a space seem bigger, helping to bounce the light around the room and creating the illusion of depth. At Mirror Doors Direct, we provide made to measure doors with a selection of frame colours, with the option of buffer strips to prevent slamming.

We have handy guides online for installing sliding, pivot and bifold mirror doors, making it easy for you to do at home. They each include step-by-step instructions complete with diagrams so you can be sure you’re doing everything right. All you will need to do is cut the top and bottom tracks to length, install the tracks and then fit the doors. If you’d like to get started, you can take a look at our measuring guide.

 

Create A Lockdown DIY Chalkboard Wall

This DIY project won’t only keep you busy, but when it’s finished it will help entertain the kids too. A chalkboard wall really makes a statement in a children’s bedroom or playroom and is so easy to do yourself. All you’ll need is some masking tape, a sheet to protect the floor, a paint roller and tray and of course some chalkboard paint.

If you like, you could even get extra creative and use the chalkboard paint to create a decorative shape. If you don’t want to go all out, you could limit the paint to a door or even make your own chalkboard. You could also add on extra elements like wall-mounted boxes or shelves to hold all the chalk. Once the chalkboard paint is dry, your little ones can have hours of fun unleashing their artistic side. Simply wipe clean when they’re done with drawing and you have a big, blank slate to start all over again.

 

Reupholster Your Dining Room Chairs

With so much daily use, it doesn’t take long for upholstered dining room chairs to look a little bit worse for wear. Reupholstering can be a great way to refresh the look of your chairs and bring them up to date with the rest of the room. Plus, it’s a lot easier than you might think, particularly if you’re just working with an upholstered seat. All you need to do is unscrew the cushion from the bottom to swap out the fabric. For this lockdown diy project, you will need your new fabric, scissors, a staple gun, staples and a screwdriver.

Once you feel confident with reupholstering side chairs, you could even move onto a bigger project like reupholstering an old armchair. Alternatively, you could completely change the look of your chair by giving it a fresh lick of paint once you’ve removed the seat. The great thing about reupholstering is that you can change the materials as often as you like, so feel free to experiment with different patterns and colours to see what you like best.

 

Make A Lockdown DIY Desk

If you’re going to be working from home for the foreseeable future, now is a great time to create a proper workspace with a functional desk. Having a dedicated spot to work can have a huge impact on your focus and productivity and stop your work life spilling over into other parts of the house. It will also help to minimise distractions by signalling to other members of the family that when you’re at your desk you are hard at work.

There are lots of ingenious lockdown DIY ideas out there for making your own desk, even if you are short on space. You can make a floating desk with simple wall supports, go for a minimal look with a simple wood top and some sleek hairpin legs, or even turn an old chest of drawers into a secretary desk. No matter your style or budget, you are sure to find something that will improve your day to day life.

 

Make Your Own Compost Bin

The sun may not be shining this time around, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands dirty in the garden! Composting is a fantastic way to add nutrients into your garden, enriching the soil, helping to retain moisture and even fighting against certain plant diseases and pests. When it comes to making your own compost bin, there are a few different ways you can go about it.

You can create a wooden compost box from leftover timber or even old pallets. You could make one by simply stacking breeze blocks, with no tools required. You could even repurpose something you already have, like a plastic storage container or unused bin. There are plenty of ideas out there, so have a look online and see what kind of approach would suit you best. Once built, you can add a wide range of things to your compost bin, from coffee grounds and old fruit and veg to egg cartons and grass clippings. Not only will it be a huge benefit to your garden, composting is also a great idea to help reduce waste.

 

Curate A Gallery Wall

If you have some prints or photos that you’ve been putting off hanging up, now is the time to get it done! Works of art can really inject some personality into your home, adding colour and interest to any blank wall, and a gallery wall makes a real style statement. Essentially, a gallery wall is a curated collection of framed photos or art creatively arranged on the wall.

To create a gallery wall, a good tip is to cut out bits of paper to the same size as the frames you want to use. Then you can arrange the paper in different ways by simply sticking them on with masking tape. This way you can figure out what arrangement you like best before you make any holes in the wall. Gallery walls look best when you use different sized images and mix and match different styles and media. However, there really aren’t any rules here. The key to a gallery wall is to create something that reflects your personal style and says something about your home.

 

Conclusion

The prospect of another lockdown may be a daunting one, but it’s important that we do our best to stay positive during this tricky time. Undertaking one of these DIY projects can help take your mind off things while making a big difference to your home. They offer a chance to be creative, work with your hands, and spend quality time with the ones you love. We hope that we have given you some inspiration for your next lockdown DIY ideas project and can’t wait to see what you create!

Improve your home with mirror doors

Replace your existing wardrobe doors with mirrored doors and benefit from the added light and spacious feel they give to a room.