Tutorial Archives - Page 27 of 43

adfree, Do It Yourself, Electrical, Giveaway, light fixture, Rewiring outlet, Tutorial

How to Install a Lutron Maestro Occupancy Sensor on a 3-way Switch

Teaching kids to turn off the lights in a room they are no longer in is a tough job. No matter how many times I try to explain that leaving the lights on wastes electricity, it just doesn’t seem to sink in. In their defense, they are like little wind up tops flitting from room to room playing with trains in one; reading in another and barely stopping to use the toilet in the bathroom (putting the lid down is a whole other issue! Ugh.)

When Lutron approached me about giving my kids a helping hand with the lights, I was immediately intrigued. It turns out that Lutron has just introduced the Maestro occupancy sensor dimmer that can be easily installed in place of an existing light switch. (Single pole switches are easiest. Dual or Multi-location switches may require a little more wiring and programming to work properly.) After some thought, I decided to try the Maestro in our art & craft studio. This is the room that we least notice when the bulbs are burning (it is over the garage and is separated by our guest room from the rest of the house.)

Follow along to see how to install your own. Your attentive nature may be rewarded at the end. 😉 Read more

August 19, 2013/53 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

adfree, Build It, desk, DIY, hole repair, kitchen, Kitchen Renovation, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, ReNew, sander, staining vanity cabinet, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling, wood putty

How to Cut and Finish an Old Tabletop to Create a Wood Desk Top

Have you seen my command center in the kitchen? It’s a beauty to look at, don’t you think? Especially that gorgeous wood desk top.

Well, I have a secret! It’s actually an old kitchen table top that was given to me for FREE! Yup, zero dollars, no moolah, nothing! And this is what the table top looks like:

I actually flipped it upside down to refinish it. But, I’m jumping ahead of myself. Here are the details: Read more

August 16, 2013/14 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

chair re-upholster, DIY, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, repair, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling, Upholster Chair

Curbside Vintage Step Stool Makeover

A few years ago, while driving back to work from my lunch break, I spied a very cool but sad looking vintage step stool sitting at the end of someone’s driveway next to their trash. I passed by, but it didn’t take me long to circle around the block and come back to pick up the stool. Unfortunately the step stool stayed untouched for at least 4 years. This time it wasn’t in my garage, I left the sad step stool in the back room of my office. Good thing I’m the only one who goes back there! I finally decided it was time to show this little vintage step stool some love. Check out this step stool makeover.

The structure of the step stool was in fairly good condition, but COVERED in rust. In some areas thicker than others. I thought about using the old school method and hand sanding the stool like Jeff talked about a few weeks ago (Painting Metal Patio Chairs ) but decided if I tried this avenue I would be sanding for a few months. I also considered using a sand blaster to remove the rust. And while it is a fast effective method, it is not practical for everyone. After much thought I finally decided on a 3M sanding disk that attaches to any drill. Let’s get to it shall we? Read more

August 14, 2013/25 Comments/by Jacque Knowlton

Before and After, decor, Decorating, Furniture, Home Decor, Nail Head Trim, re-upholster, ReNew, Tutorial, Upholster Chair, Window

Easy Sofa Makeover and Living Room Mini-Makeover

Have you ever been bored with the way a room looks? For me, it was my living room. It houses the same sofa… The same lamps… The same golden frames surrounding the same prints we loved so much 13 years ago! I have a quick tutorial for giving your room a mini-makeover for not a lot of cash. This Easy Sofa Makeover will help you out.

How to Move a Floor Register in a Window Seat

Remember last month when I showed you how to build a window seat in a bay window? I had promised to share with you how to move the floor register. I’m true to my word and am back with the tutorial today.

When I built our kitchen window seat, I had two obstacles in my path. The first was moving the wiring for the outlet, the electrician and I simply pulled the wiring down from the outlet on the wall and re-routed it into the new outlet box in the front of the window seat. A relatively easy task. Moving the HVAC vent wasn’t very difficult, it just involved a little more cutting and measuring. But, this is a task you can handle!

I have seen some other methods for re-routing the floor vent. One such method involved building a wooden box to channel the air out the front. I caution you from doing this if you live in a humid climate. Mold can grow inside the wooden box. You could build a channel with HVAC rigid ductwork, but you’d be adding an extra turn which can cut down on the airflow. Another alternative would be to move the register to another location in the floor. I chose to move it to the front of the window seat.

How to Move a Floor Register Materials:

Carpenter’s Square
Pencil
90 degree Ductwork (if you can’t use the existing)
Wall register
Small level
Roofing nails
Zip tie
Foil duct tape
Dremel Multi-Max
Drill with bits

Instructions: Read more

July 22, 2013/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey