Decorating Archives - Pretty Handy Girl

Decorating, Destinations, Door, Home Decor, inspiration, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques

Go Bold or Go Home! Show Your True Colors.

Discover 55+ colorful front doors with stunning color schemes to boost curb appeal and add personality to any home exterior.

Colorful Front Doors

I am drawn to homes that have unique front door colors and crave something beyond the normal white, black or burgundy. Give me a unique color that tells me something about its occupants!

I love being able to say, we’re the only house on the street with the coral-pink doors. In my book, you need to Go Bold or Go Home!

Get out that paintbrush and show your true colors with this gallery of Bright & Bold Colorful Front Doors.

Before we get started, a little disclaimer. I’m very good at eyeballing paint colors, but I am only human. There are so many factors that go into choosing a paint color. Time of day, time of year, weather, and your surroundings will all affect the perception of color. Throw in the mix that you’re viewing these images on your electronic device which can only make up colors using a combination of Red, Green, and Blue. For that reason, I highly recommend using one of these colors as your springboard. Get similar paint chips near the ones you like and hold them up to your front door during different times.

I go into a lot more detail about how to choose paint colors in this comprehensive article.

Front Door Paint Colors Pictures

Over the years I’ve collected quite an assortment of photos of colorful front doors.

Some are from my travels to Iceland, Scotland, England, France, and other old towns in the US. Near me in Raleigh, Cameron Park is one of my favorite neighborhoods to find inspiration. It is tucked between Oberlin & Hillsborough Street. The houses are old and the trees are ancient. But, there seems to be an ongoing competition for the boldest and brightest front doors. I used Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Valspar color deck to choose an approximate match for each door.

If you are considering a new paint color for your door using any of these colors, be sure to paint a large sample on poster board and hold it up to your door first. Keep in mind, some of the colors may need two coats before you see the true color.

Now let’s get to these gorgeous painted front doors. Whether you are looking to add personality to a neutral exterior, or you want to create a bold focal point to elevate your home’s design, we have a ton of color inspiration for you! The paint color is noted in the link below each picture to make it easier for you to identify the name and brand of the paint color.

You will see a variety of brands including Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Valspar, Magnolia Paint and more.

Front Door Colors

Undercool by Sherwin Williams - Cape Code style house with bright blue front door and cedar shake siding — **Undercool by Sherwin Williams**

Chartreuse by Sherwin Williams - Small cottage green-yellow-lime colonial door with square wreath — **Chartreuse by Sherwin Williams**

Magnolia Green by Magnolia Paint - with Locally Sown by Magnolia Paint Siding — **Magnolia Green by Magnolia Paint –**
Siding color: Locally Sown by Magnolia Paint Siding

Blue Peacock by Sherwin Williams - Creamy Tan trim and dark siding on this early 1900's home — **Blue Peacock by Sherwin Williams**

Honorable Blue by Sherwin Williams - Dark Blue Door with climbing vines over the front door — **Honorable Blue by Sherwin Williams**

Colorful front doors — **Slick Blue by Sherwin Williams**

Classic Red by Valspar - 3 story Old house with navy siding, light blue shutters, and bright red door — **Classic Red by Valspar**

Picante by Benjamin Moore - Coral Pink from door with dark teal blue green siding and white trim — **Picante by Benjamin Moore**

Loyal Blue by Sherwin Williams - Modern Ranch house with sage siding and royal blue door — **Loyal Blue by Sherwin Williams**

Abalone Shell by Sherwin Williams - cute muted pink condo door with patina shell knocker — **Abalone Shell by Sherwin Williams**

Harbor Haze by Benjamin Moore - South Carolina coastal house with front porch, dormer windows, and light blue double glass door. — **Harbor Haze by Benjamin Moore**

Pictures of Front Door Paint Colors (International)

And just in case you have a lust for the international palette, these are a few doors I spotted overseas.

Iceland has loads of colorful doors because they typically use metal and stucco on their homes. The colorful doors add punch to an otherwise bland house color scheme.

Sunshine by Benjamin Moore - Bright Yellow Door on a house with gray siding in Iceland — **Sunshine by Benjamin Moore**

Million Dollar Red by Sherwin Williams - Iceland small town red arched half light door with gray metal siding — **Million Dollar Red by Sherwin Williams**

Once you travel to France, Spain, and England you find yourself surrounded by stone homes. They also love to paint doors in vibrant colors.

Frank Blue by Sherwin Williams - 24 panel navy blue door with antique look — **Frank Blue by Sherwin Williams**

Fort Pierce Green by Benjamin Moore Double wide arched door spotted in France with diamond pattern and sunburst arch — **Fort Pierce Green by Benjamin Moore**

Fine Wine by Sherwin Williams - Cranberry Red door with an angular porch cover spotted in Scotland. — **Fine Wine by Sherwin Williams**

Pulsating-blue-by-sherwin-williams - beautiful royal blue door in France — **Pulsating Blue by Sherwin Williams**

Cape Verde by Sherwin Williams - blue green door with climbing vines over front door shot in France — **Cape Verde by Sherwin Williams**

Quite Red by Valspar. Tall double red doors with wrought iron detail on arched doorway opening — **Quite Red by Valspar**

Jekyll Club Veranda Blue by Valspar - skinny 10 light door spotted in France — **Jekyll Club Veranda Blue by Valspar**

Blue Chip by Sherwin Williams - Cute royal blue door in France with diamond iron grill over window — **Blue Chip by Sherwin Williams**

Vegas Green by Valspar arched emerald or Kelly green door with ornate windows and green stucco siding, white trim — **Vegas Green by Valspar**

La Fonda Fireberry by Valspar - Bright Red historic stone house in France — **La Fonda Fireberry by Valspar**

Great Barrington Green by Benjamin Moore - Olive or Army Green Double Doors spotted in Barcelona Spain — **Great Barrington Green by Benjamin Moore**

Spearmint by Sherwin Williams - Skinny little blue green door with potted tree in front of it. Spotted in Barcelona, Spain — **Spearmint by Sherwin Williams**

Talk about WOW factor! I found this green door online HERE.

Bold Blue by Benjamin Moore - Dark blue violet double doors with centered door knobs shot in France — **Bold Blue by Benjamin Moore**

And if that isn’t enough to catch your attention, look what Allison Cosmos did to this door:

This design would work well on contemporary homes, as well as traditional for a pop of modern texture.

My all time favorite front door photo is this one from The Impatient Gardener. Could you tell that I’m drawn to blues?

Blue Chip by Sherwin Williams - White House with royal blue front door decorated for the holidays with snowfall — **Blue Chip by Sherwin Williams**

Back at the Pretty Handy Girl abode, my home’s doors were purple for over 7 years.

Purple Honor by Duron Paint (ask a Sherwin Williams store to mix this color)

After that, I decided to add some vibrancy and paint the front doors an amazing green.

Perennial Green by Benjamin Moore

Before I painted them, I had to strip many layers of paint off them. If you ever need to strip paint off your front door, I have some tips and a tutorial for you.

But, I’m notorious for wanting to change things in and around my house. A few years ago, we needed to replace siding and I decided to paint the whole house a new color palette.

Lei Flower by Sherwin Williams

Siding Color: Inner Balance by Benjamin Moore

Because I love color, I also painted the inside of my front doors a cheery yellow!

Benjamin Moore Yellow Highlighter Painted Interior Doors | Pretty Handy Girl — **Yellow Highlighter by Benjamin Moore**

Don’t forget you can paint your out buildings and shed doors a fun color, too!

Spirit in the Sky by Sherwin Williams

How to Build this Cute Garden Shed — **Calypso Blue by Benjamin Moore**

Share this post because friends don’t let friends have boring front doors.

Pin this graphic to share these bright front door colors with your friends! I hope you found the perfect color choice for your front door!

vertical collage with colorful front door ideas and text overlay

I hope you have been inspired! Now Go Bold or Go Home!

After you’ve learned how to choose the perfect color, you’ll want to learn how to paint your doors like a professional.

Speaking of painting, I have painted almost every room in our home now. Make that almost every room in two homes!

You could say that over the years I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade.

If you’re planning to paint, I recommend these favorite painting tools that I pull out for every painting job.

If you like this post, you’ll want to find out the 15 Simple Ways to Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal!

three houses with amazing curb appeal. White house with black shutters, 1 black and white modern house with wood accents, and one cream colored house with bright coral front door.

July 6, 2025/by Brittany Bailey

Before and After, chair re-upholster, Decorating, DIY, Furniture, Kids Room, milk paint, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, painting chair, polyurethane, re-upholster, re-upholster seat cushion, ReNew, Sewing, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling, Upholster Chair

How to Reupholster This End Up Chairs (a Simple DIY)

This DIY reupholster chair tutorial features a This End Up chair. You can follow the same basic steps to recover and renew similar chairs.

As a parent of two elementary school students, I always ask my kids’ teachers if they need anything for their room. Usually the answer is markers, wipes, or snacks.

But, my kindergartner’s teacher knows about my secret identity after having taught my older son for a year.

So, she didn’t hesitate to ask me if I could possibly recover a few really sad looking chairs that had seen their fair share of kindergarten butts. 😉

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

How to Reupholster This End Up Chairs (a Simple DIY)

These poor chairs were still very study and in good shape, but the fabric was nubby, pilled, stained, and not in good condition.

I love a good challenge, especially with a solid piece of furniture, so I took all three of the chairs home over the Christmas break for my next DIY project.

I knew I could give these chairs new life. The first step involved removing the seats and the old upholstery fabric.

Before I touched the seats, I flipped over the chairs and marked the front side of the chair so they would fit together perfectly when I put them back together.

Next I removed all the screws securing the chair seat to the frame of the chair (all six of them.)

turn chair upside down and look for screw locations

Because of the construction of these chairs, I found it necessary to use a longer bit on my drill to get into each hole.

upside down chair and drill removing screw from under seat cushion on a chair

I pried off the piping from the seat backs with a 5-in-1 painter’s tool and needle-nosed pliers. Then removed the old fabric and old foam.

prying old piping off a this end up chair back

After the seats were removed, each chair got a good cleaning, a little sanding and then a couple coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint (colors used: tricycle and luckett’s green) and the blue one was chalk painted.

I used the bonding agent with the milk paint to make sure the paint would stick to the chairs.

three this end up style chairs with a new coat of paint in red, green, and blue

Finally, the chairs each got two coats of Minwax Polycrylic because those kindergartners are tough on furniture and this is a great way to give them a bit more protection.

adding a top coat of polycrylic over the red painted chair frame

Now on to the fun part!

How to Reupholster This End Up Style Chairs:

You can pick up the supplies at Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local craft store.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Fabric
Oil cloth tablecloth (optional for waterproofing)
Batting
Staple gun
Staple Remover
1/4″ staples
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Screwdriver
Piping (see tutorial for making your own piping)
Hammer (for any staples that don’t go in all the way)

spoonflower space themed fabric for recovering the chairs

I let my son’s teacher to pick out new fabric from one of my favorite fabric sources, Spoonflower.com.

Not only do they have loads of designs to choose from, but you can also upload your own graphics and create your own custom fabric!

You can also check out your local fabric store.

She picked out adorable space themed patterned fabric: Rocketship fabric and Space Fireworks fabric.

With a primary color palette, they are the perfect fabric choice for a kindergarten classroom.

Instructions:

Cut out fabric, oil-cloth (optional), and any additional batting a few inches larger than the bottom of the chair seat.

The great thing about this project is no sewing machine is needed for this upholstery project.

cut fabric, oil cloth, and batting to larger size than original cushion

Layer the new pieces of fabric face down on the floor. then the oil-cloth next (I put the oil-cloth face up so the fuzzy back side would be against the fabric to keep it from feeling too crinkly.)

Cut a square out of each corner about 1″ from the seat cushion corner.

cut out corners of fabric and batting before folding

Staple one staple into the center of each side. Work across form each other, gently stretching the fabric taut.

Staple fabric onto seat backing in this order. top, bottom, side, and side

Add more staples along each side.

bottom of chair with new fabric stapled to it.

Corners are neatly folded and then stapled to secure them. Hammer any staples that didn’t go completely into the bottom of the seat.

fold over fabric corners on seat cushion then staple

Re-attach the seat to the chair frame by replacing all the screws.

attach the seat bottom with screws driven from the underside

Flip the chair right side up and follow these steps:

Layer batting, then fabric over the chair back. Trim the batting to fit perfectly on the back of the chair.
Cut the fabric about an inch wider on the two sides and the bottom. Fold under the raw edges of the fabric.
Secure the fabric to the chair back by stapling at the top of both sides first.

adding new batting to the chair back, cutting fabric to fit over batting, and stapling the top of the back to hold fabric in place

Next put a few staples into the bottom of the seat back (hidden from view.)

staple fabric from the underside of the chair back

Continue stapling the fabric to the chair along the sides.

Set your staples as close to the frame as possible so the piping will hide your staples later.

Hammer any staples that stick up.

Add staples to the ends of the seat back.

If you haven’t done so already, make your piping.

The easiest way to do that is to sew your piping following this tutorial. Trim the excess fabric from the piping.

Peel back the ends of the piping fabric to expose about an inch of the rope inside. Cut the rope.

Then fold the fabric back and tuck the raw edges inside. This will give you a flat section at the end of your piping.

roll back edge, cut excess rope, fold edge of piping

Staple this flat end to the underside of the chair back.
Spread some hot glue on top of the staples along the side of the chair back.
Pull the piping taut and press it into the hot glue.
Secure the end of the piping with hot glue and a staple.

staple, hot glue, and press piping onto chair back. Finish with a dab of hot glue underneath

Secure the piping to the opposite side using the same method. Follow the same tutorial for the second chair.

Refinished chair close up seat back with piping

That’s it! Check out this sweet new chair!

one red refurbished this end up style chair with red frame and space fabric

Would you know that it was the same chair if I hadn’t shown you?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

close up seat cushion of a this end up style chair

Good, let’s keep it our little secret ;-).

The next time you see an outdated chair at the thrift store, consider giving it a new look with this easy blog post tutorial.

There is no need for a professional upholsterer. Give it a try. You will be amazed at just how easy it is. Good luck!

The new chairs were such a big hit with the kids. They all rushed to be the first to sit on them.

I think their teacher was happy with the finished product too.

happy teacher posing with a refinished chair

It’s a happy trio of kindergarten chairs!

three this end up style chairs refinished with colorful frames and space themed fabric

Pin this image to save for later or share with a friend:

You might also like this chair makeover with a video tutorial on my YouTube channel:

How to Easily Reupholster Your Chairs | Pretty Handy Girl

Pin for later!

May 7, 2025/7 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Decorating, DIY, Do It Yourself

45 Ways to DIY your College Student’s Dorm Room or Apartment

Ready to upgrade your college student’s space? These 45 DIY dorm room decor ideas are fun, affordable, and full of personality!

DIY Dorm Room Decor Projects

Heading off to college is a big transition, and creating a cozy, comfortable space can make all the difference for your student’s well-being and success.

With a few clever DIY projects, you can help transform a basic room into a functional and personalized retreat.

To make it easier, we’ve gathered 45 of the best DIY projects perfect for your college student’s dorm room or apartment.

Storage is key, so we’ve included lots of DIY storage ideas including underbed storage, wall storage and plenty of storage ideas for all the necessities.

Try adding a comfy chair for lounging, a small side table just the right size for a laptop and be sure to include personalized wall art with family photos.

These are just a few of the ideas we have in store for you. Take a look around to find just the right projects for your student’s space.

DIY Pouf Ottoman from Pretty Handy Girl

Get all the details on how to make a colorful and useful DIY pouf ottoman, along with several tips that will help you in making yours. It also doubles as extra seating for guests.

How to Fix a Wobbly Chair from Pretty Handy Girl

One thing that is a necessity in any student’s dorm room is a comfy chair, either for a desk or lounging. Keep costs down by fixing an old chair and refinishing it. It’s a great way to add a unique look and personality.

Space Saving Sofa End Table from By Brittany Goldwyn

Here is a great idea for bringing in an end table that doesn’t take up much space. Your student can pull this handy table over to the side of a chair, sofa or bed to use their laptop.

Modern Boho Side Table from In Her Garage

Learn how to build a modern boho side table with minimal supplies on a budget!

DIY Garden Table Knock-Off from Pretty Handy Girl

I spotted a plant stand at Anthropologie, but it was priced at $148.00. While it’s quite stylish, I just can’t rationalize spending that much on a plant stand. So, I made my own at a fraction of the cost and I’m thrilled to share the process with you. This would make a colorful addition to any dorm room!

DIY Side Table from Woodshop Diaries

This compact end table is great for small dorm rooms or apartments and has plenty of room for books with a bottom shelf, as well as the top.

Half Round Copper Wood Side Table from Pretty Handy Girl

Create a compact side table suitable for a dorm room that is space-efficient and has a light, open, and industrial vibe.

Upcycled Stool From A Chair from Decor Adventures

We probably all have an old chair that has seen better days. Rather than discarding it, turn it into a playful and useful stool. Follow this tutorial on transforming a broken chair into a stool.

Recover a Butterfly Chair from Pretty Handy Girl

Do you have a butterfly chair that is worn or faded? With a sewing machine, some fresh fabric, and a bit of free time, you can transform that unsightly butterfly chair into a beautiful new piece that is perfect for dorm life!

Reupholster Dining Chairs from Pretty Handy Girl

It’s amazing to see how different an old chair can look with just a little paint and some pretty fabric. Reupholstering a chair is not as difficult as you may think. I’ll show you how!

How to Paint Second Hand Chairs from Remodelando la Casa

Here is a really unique painted chair makeover with a chalkboard feature! This is just perfect for a college apartment or dorm room. Think how cute it would be for each roommate to have one of their own.

Recovering This End Up Chairs from Pretty Handy Girl

Vintage “This End Up” chairs are super sturdy and could be re-upholstered giving them new live. And outdated chair is nothing a bit of colorful paint and fabric couldn’t fix. Now they are ready for their next 20 years!

DIY Floating Shelves from Pretty Handy Girl

Shelves are a necessity for extra storage in a dorm room or small apartment. Floating shelves are affordable, attractive and easy to install. Check out these 25 DIY floating shelves to find the best one for your space.

DIY Envelope Pillows from Remodelando de Casa

Envelope pillows are the easiest pillow covers to make. You can get super creative with the design and color to match any dorm room decor.

Patriotic Denim Bunting Tutorial from Jaime Costiglio

An easy way to add a decorative touch to any space is to hang a pretty bunting or banner. Use school colors for a customized look.

Pom Pom Placemat Pillows from Jaime Costiglio

You can never have too many throw pillows, but they can be pricey. Check out this step-by-step tutorial for turning placemats into pillows!

Hidden Storage Laundry Room from Pretty Handy Girl

Hide unsightly necessities with this creative hidden storage DIY. Make one for under a bed or anywhere you need hidden storage. It can be adjusted to fit any size space.

Make Piping Out of Thrift Store Finds from Pretty Handy Girl

When making custom pillows, there is no need to buy expensive piping. Learn how to make your own with this tutorial. Add custom school colors to old pillows, scarves, and other fabric projects.

DIY Wall Bookshelf from Pretty Handy Girl

Save on floor space and increase storage by building a charming wall-mounted bookshelf. This is a beginner-friendly project.

DIY Wood Crate Nightstand from The Unprofessional Blog

An inexpensive wooden crate serves as an ideal nightstand for a dorm room. This design not only functions as a nightstand but also provides the advantage of serving as a bookshelf. Below, you’ll find a simple guide to help you create your own.

DIY Personalized Wall Shelf from Jaime Costiglio

Create your own custom wall shelf with some simple painting and assembly to achieve this fantastic, personalized piece.

Decorative Shelf with Crown Molding from The DIY Village

Make a decorative shelf with crown molding and hooks to hang towels, coats, scarves or other items to keep a dorm room tidy.

Fir Tree Pegboard from The Unprofessional Blog

Space can be limited in a college dorm room. This is a table-top pegboard can add extra storage for school supplies, makeup, and more. The best part is it has a small footprint and doesn’t take up much space.

How to Make a French Cleat from In Her Garage

Here’s a reliable technique for safely mounting heavy items on your wall using a board and some screws. This French Cleat system has proven to be an excellent solution for this purpose.

DIY Ladder Display Shelves from Pretty Handy Girl

A simple storage option is to repurpose an old ladder as the framework for your own DIY display shelves. These will add a cool rustic look and additional storage to a dorm room or apartment.

DIY Jewelry Organizer from The Happier Homemaker

Check out this super easy way to keep your jewelry organized. It’s another convenient way to go vertical with storage and save table top space.

DIY Rolling Storage Stool from Jaime Costiglio

There never seems to be enough seating in a dorm room, especially in such a tight space. These rolling storage stools are the perfect solution!

DIY Produce Rack from Addicted 2 DIY

Think beyond storing fruit and vegetables in this DIY produce rack using some scrap wood and inexpensive wire baskets. Hats, gloves, scarves, and other belongings can quickly be corralled in the bins.

DIY Cell Phone Charging Station from I Am A Homemaker

Create a homemade cell phone stand and charging station for your college student. This is definitely a must!

Scrap Wood Industrial Ironing Board Rack from Addicted 2 DIY

Use scrap wood to make an ironing board rack (or coat rack) with ample storage those things you want to store away, but grab quickly. Such a great space-saver!

Galvanized Tub Storage Bench from Pretty Handy Girl

This easy storage option features a galvanized tub topped with a soft, upholstered lid. It serves as an ideal spot to organize and manage mess in your student’s dorm room. Additionally, the tub can function as both a bench and a step stool.

DIY Tray Gift Box from Pretty Handy Girl

Quickly whip up a tray using vintage rulers perfect for student life. They can be used to corral small items, hold a mail pile, or used for an inbox.

Rustic Wood Box Crates from Pretty Handy Girl

Creating personalized rustic wooden box crates is quite simple. You can design your crates to perfectly fit into a bookshelf or utilize them as drawer replacements in a cabinet.

DIY Decorative Bin from Pretty Handy Girl

Gather a cardboard box and art supplies to make adorable decorative bins. Get creative with the design style and size. Then store shoes, magazines, books, electronics, or anything you want hidden out of sight inside. This project should cost you next to nothing!

Tall Skinny Storage Cabinet from Woodshop Diaries

Create a narrow, tall shelf for bathroom supplies. It’s a great space-saver with room for storing towels, rolls of toilet paper, baskets, and cleaning products.

DIY Stacking Storage Cubbies from Addicted 2 DIY

These tiered storage bins are ideal for storing footwear, books, and more. They can be customized to fit into any small nook.

DIY Underbed Storage from Jaime Costiglio

Here’s a straightforward storage solution utilizing cedar wood for your dorm room. Build these cedar bins to fit under your bed and take advantage of that otherwise unused area.

DIY Jewelry Holder with Wine Corks from Love Create Celebrate

Repurpose wine corks to hang necklaces and other jewelry. This is a whimsical and affordable storage option!

One Board Storage Idea from Pretty Handy Girl

Using a single 1″ x 8″ x 8′ board, I made a decorative cubby box that offers ample storage space, making it suitable for any size room.

Scrap Wood Caddy from Woodshop Diaries

This scrap wood caddy is extremely versatile to hold whatever you want inside. A custom shower caddy, cleaning supplies, tools, snacks, etc.

Wall Mounted Desk Tutorial from Pretty Handy Girl

Looking for a desk but short on floor space or budget? This guide for creating a wall-mounted desk is perfect for you! You can also adjust its length to fit your specific requirements.

Folding Laptop Tutorial from Pretty Handy Girl

This folding laptop and writing table is just the thing you need to make any room a work space!

DIY Wood Wall Organizer from Decor Hint

Make a simple DIY wood wall organizer to organize your things, while still making the space look polished and well decorated.

DIY Sliding Mirror Door from Jaime Costiglio

Learn how to build a sliding mirror door for a dorm room or student apartment using wood, wheels and pipe fittings.

DIY Platform Bed In Her Garage

Don’t break the bank buying your college kid’s furniture. Create a DIY platform bed for them! This bed embodies minimalism and seamlessly compliments the contemporary Bohemian decor trend.

There you have it! 45 DIY college dorm room decor ideas that you can easily create for your student’s space. I hope you found a project or two to try.

If you are looking for more easy DIY ideas, check out my build-it project gallery.

April 15, 2025/0 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Decorating, Holiday decorating, mantles, Valentine's Day, wreath

Unique DIY Valentine’s Day Wreaths

Trying to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit? Need to inject a little romance into your home? Yup, me too! Here are several unique Valentine’s Day Wreaths to help you decorate for February 14th.

Unique DIY Valentine’s Day Wreaths

Have some downed tree branches in your yard? Make this Valentine’s Day rustic tree branch heart.

This upcycled book page rose wreath is the perfect addition to any house.

Train some ivy vines around a copper pipe to make this beautiful heart shaped topiary.

Be still my heart, this Home is Where the Heart Is Wreath belongs on my door.

Call me plumb crazy, but I think this adorable PVC pipe art would make a beautiful wreath.

Have some extra ribbon you’ve been hanging onto? This ribbon wreath is a pretty way to use it.

I get it, you want a wreath you can leave up through Valentine’s Day and beyond. This Modern Floral Wreath should make you happy.

This last idea is a start shaped wreath, but you could easily bend it into a Rosemary Heart Wreath.

I hope those gave you some great last minute decorating ideas. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day to you.

Need something to do with the kids for Valentine’s Day? Here are several DIY Valentine’s Day cards:

If you liked these ideas, you’ll love these Fall DIY Wreath ideas.

January 12, 2025/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

bedroom, buffet, Build It, cabinet, circular saw, creating moulding, Decorating, dining room, DIY, DIYCourage, DIYLikeaBoss, Do It Yourself, Furniture, hanging shelves, Home Decor, Home Office, inspiration, Uncategorized

How to Make and Use a French Cleat

I am going to teach you how to securely hang heavy objects on the wall with a board and a few screws. Using a French Cleat has been a tried and true method for hanging heavy objects and is used by professional cabinet makers and DIYers alike. It can be incorporated into the item being built or added after the fact.

How to Make a French Cleat

What is a French Cleat? A French Cleat is a board or molding with a 30°-45° bevel cut attached to the wall along with a corresponding beveled board or molding attached to the object to be hung on the wall. That sounds a little confusing but check out the diagram below and it will all make sense. First let’s grab a few supplies.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

1″ x 3″ board or 3/4″ plywood strip (3″ minimum width)
2″ screws

Tools:

Instructions:

Step 1:

Measure the length that you need your French cleat to be. Typically a french cleat is the length of the item to be hung on the wall and spans the length of at least 2 studs in the wall that the item will be secured to.

Step 2:

Adjust your table saw or circular saw to a 30°-45° bevel and rip your board along the center. (For tips on using a table saw safely, read this article.)

Step 3:

Secure the top piece of the cleat to the item to be hung (see diagram shown below). This can be done with pocket-holes, glued under a shelf, or with screws to the back of the item. (You may want to pre-drill your holes to avoid splitting the wood.)

Step 4:

Choose the height at which you want to hang the item on the wall and mark where the bottom cleat will be placed. Mark the studs that the cleat will be screwed into and secure the cleat to the wall using wood screws and a level in the orientation shown above. (Again, you may want to pre-drill your holes to avoid splitting the wood.)

Step 5:

Gently place the object above the wall cleat and lower until the two pieces are securely nested together.

Often times the weight of the object and the angle of the beveled cleat is enough to keep the object securely in place. But, if you’re worried about children lifting the item, you can add a screw through the hanging object into the cleat or a wall stud for peace of mind.

And if you’re excited about using a French Cleat, you might like to make a headboard that is hung on the wall using a French Cleat!

This is a great tip for hanging cabinets on the wall as well. I hope you try your hand at making and using a French Cleat soon. Let me know how it goes!

Hi! I’m Kristen, from In Her Garage, and I am a self-taught woodworker and DIY fanatic from Minnesota where I live with my husband and our two daughters. Between being a wife, mom and, registered nurse, I try to make as much time for DIY as possible. My love for building came after our family built our current home in 2015. After we moved in, we needed furniture and instead of spending massive amounts of money to order the pieces we wanted I decided that I would build them myself. I started with a buffet table plan from the fabulous Ana-white and quickly set out to remodel my entire home office.

Since then I have started a side business building furniture for the people in my community. I love hearing my clients talk about the pieces they wish they had whether it be a rustic buffet table, a one drawer side table, or a toy box and then making it a reality for them. While starting my small business it made perfect sense that I would document my building journey so I simultaneously launched the In Her Garage blog and I love sharing my plans, tips and tricks.

Making something beautiful with your own two hands through a little preparation and determination is an amazing feeling and I hope to bring inspiration and know-how to those looking to tackle a big or small project.
I am so glad that you found me here and please feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to see what I am working on right now.

December 16, 2020/0 Comments/by In Her Garage