Improving your home is a great way to save money and add value to the property. But it can also help you to feel a little better about yourself, knowing that you had to master skills that most people leave to professionals.

Not every woodworking project you undertake to improve your home is going to be big or obvious to a casual observer. You may be the only person who notices the upgrade, which is sometimes good enough.

1. Transform your banister

Refinish the banister on your second floor if you’re seeking attention. The task is big enough that people will take notice. That’s also a problem. You might think it’s going to take a long time to refinish it.

It will take some time, but with a few simple tips and tricks and the right machine for the job, you can power through without much difficulty. You’ll feel great about how it looks and about how much easier it was than you imagined.

2. Roll-out kitchen pantry

Take a narrow unused space and turn it into vertical roll-out storage. Space for kitchen stuff is always at a premium, so being able to increase it without giving anything up is a big win for you.

This project will work in just about any unused space, from that slim area between your refrigerator and the counter, or inside a cabinet that was maybe designed for a garbage can.

3. Install crown molding the easy way

Molding can be a nightmare for home DIY hobbyists. It needs to fit perfectly at every joint or else the entire job will be off. Crown molding is even more intimidating because it’s at the ceiling. So you know people will probably see if it’s done poorly and working at height is a bit uncomfortable.

There are some tricks and tips you can use to get the job done relatively quickly and – most importantly – accurately. The process looks more complicated than it is.

4. Sliding barn doors

Traditional doors demand a lot of space to work properly, specifically the extent of their swing. Install a door without taking a swing into account and you will have created an uncomfortable, cramped situation.

A solution that will leave you feeling satisfied is installing sliding doors in small rooms. These doors will slide open and closed. It’s not the tight seal you get from traditional doors, but if the room is small that’s much less important.

5. Add glass to cabinets

You can make old, boring cabinets look cleaner and more open by replacing the solid wood doors with doors framing glass. Glass makes the room look brighter and more alive.

The job might look like it’s complicated and time-consuming. If you follow some pretty basic instructions, you will find that it looks harder than it is. You’ll feel great while your friends marvel at your abilities.

6. Cat tree house with a real tree

The DIY projects we’ve looked at so far have involved material changes to your house. This one is a bit more whimsical and involves our feline friends. You can make a corner of your house feel like it’s more alive and give your cat tree house with a real tree.

This project is endlessly customizable depending on the trees you use. So while it’s not a home upgrade, per se, we think it’s an upgrade to more than one home.

7. DIY pallet swing bed

No group of DIY wood projects would be complete without one involving pallet wood. A pallet swing bed enlivens your backyard by adding outdoor furniture that is perfect for naps on warm spring and autumn afternoons.

A pallet swing bed isn’t nearly as hard to construct as you imagine. It’ll be a conversation piece when your friends drop by, and you’ll feel great every time you lie down in it.

8. Frugally fill nail holes

If you install trim, there are two realities about filling in nail holes so they aren’t noticeable. The first is that it consumes a lot of time. The second is that if you use a wax stick, it can be pretty expensive.

There is one great hack that relies on your kid’s art supplies to do the job much more frugally. It might not save a lot of time, but you’ll like how it hits your wallet.

Conclusion

There are plenty of wood projects you can use to improve your home that will leave you feeling satisfied. Not all of them need to be big or even showy. They can just be something you do to make things look a little different or function with efficiency.

You will benefit from this, both in the way your home looks and in knowing what you had to do to pull it off.

Sources

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/g1810/the-low-stress-way-to-install-crown-molding/?slide=8

https://www.thegraciouswife.com/remodeling-tip-frugally-fill-nail-holes/