Blitz

Repainting my windowsill made it onto my to-do list during the January Cure, and I decided to tackle it this past weekend. After a couple of hours of scraping and painting, my windowsill looks good as new.

Repairing medium to larger-sized holes in plaster and drywall isn’t quite as difficult as one might think. Wall and ceiling repair patches made from fiberglass and perforated aluminum are excellent solutions that help to get the job done in just a few simple steps. Did I forget to mention how easy they are to use? So easy. Upon moving into our new (very old) home, we noticed that almost every wall had a dent or large hole in it from constant contact with a door knob.

Read up before you install one of these.

You keep hearing about it; find out what everyone's talking about.

So what’s the deal with vinyl spray paint: does it work, or is it a waste of time? I put three different paints to the test on three of the exact same chairs and was pretty surprised with the results. Hint: as it turns out, vinyl and fabric spray paint can actually work! There are some pretty impressive Before & Afters floating around of old, ugly vinyl furniture having been given new life with paint.

Yes, I'm giving you permission to play with your food.

You don't have to remove it to improve it.

Get more mileage out of your well-loved basics.

But which is better?

A cautionary tale.

Stuck with stubborn wallpaper? You don't have to rip it down to change the look.

You don't have to live with the splatter. We've got pro tricks for how to remove them, even if they're totally dry.

How to paint plastic without it chipping, cracking or flaking.

Let’s face it, baseboard radiators are ugly. They’re boxy, often institutional beige, and they tend to accumulate scuffs and splotches of rust. But baseboard radiators do serve an important purpose, and those of us who rely on them to heat our homes are more or less stuck with them. Fortunately, there are ways to work around these wall-space-hogging eyesores, and painting your baseboard heater covers to match your home’s walls or trim is a great place to start.

It’s hard to imagine how we did things before Amazon, which brings us anything we need in a very short timeframe. But there’s more to the site than super speedy delivery. For several years now, I’ve been indulging in my champagne taste on a beer budget, thanks to Amazon Warehouse and third-party sellers. See that price right next to the item you must have? That doesn’t have to be the price you pay.

A small investment that will make a big impact.

Because renters like nice things too!