12 DIY projects you can do in a weekend

Bank holiday weekends are a great time to get stuck into those jobs you've been putting off. 

Painting, cleaning your carpets or creating a gallery wall are just some of the jobs you can easily tackle in a weekend – read on for more DIY inspiration.  

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1. Paint a room

Repainting will give any room an instant lift, whether it's refreshing tired walls or transforming your space with a completely different colour. Tiled bathrooms with relatively few painted surfaces are quicker to do (but more fiddly) than rooms with large expanses of wall.

The paint you'll need depends on which room you're tackling. For example, you can buy special mould-resistant emulsions for bathrooms, or harder-wearing emulsions for heavily used rooms, such as hallways. 

Allow enough time to prep your room before you start painting. Ensuring any holes are filled, and walls sanded and washed down, will make a big difference to how neat the completed job looks.

For detailed guidance, read how to paint a room and check out the best washable paint according to our testing

2. Put up some shelves

Shelves are a great way to use the vertical space in your home, creating space for books and displays of wall art, treasured vases, heirlooms and knick-knacks.

Options range from picture shelves, which include a lip to keep your prints from slipping, to corner shelves, floating shelves, shelves with brackets, decorative shelving and wall-mounted units. 

Decide what you wish to display before choosing your shelves – if you have lots of heavy books to display, opt for shelves with brackets, which will bear heavier loads than floating shelves. 

Make sure you have the appropriate fixtures for the type of wall too, ie plasterboard, brick or concrete. Seek advice from staff at your local DIY store if you're not sure. 

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3. Put up new curtains or blinds

Controlling the level of light in different rooms is important for ensuring comfort for sleeping and using computer screens. If too much light enters your home at night from streetlights or other sources, curtains with a blackout lining will reduce the light, making sleep easier.

Measure carefully to ensure new curtains or blinds will fit correctly. You can find measuring guides on websites like Blinds Direct. You can even get no-drill blinds from online retailers like Blinds2Go.

Decide if you want eyelet curtains on a pole or a curtain track that uses hooks, or alternatively blinds, or a mixture depending on the rooms. New blinds for a bathroom can be moistureproof to ensure they don't suffer from being damp.

Make sure you have the toolbox essentials that every homeowner needs, and discover the best cordless drills

4. Deal with damp

While it might not sound like the most exciting task to tackle, getting to the bottom of problem damp or condensation might help save you money in the long term. The worse the situation gets, the more time consuming and costly it will be to resolve in future.

There are three main types of damp – condensation, rising damp and penetrating damp. Condensation is the most common type. It occurs when warm moist air condenses on cool walls or windows. It's common in rooms where lots of moisture is produced - usually bathrooms and kitchens - and tends to be more of a problem in winter.

If you notice water droplets on your windows or walls, dark mould near windows and a musty smell, this is probably what you're dealing with.

Wipe up condensation with a cloth in the first instance. If lack of ventilation is the problem, make sure that you open windows or use an extractor fan where possible. A dehumidifier can help in some situations.

Read how to stop condensation and how to get rid of damp for further advice 

5. Draughtproof your home

Draughtproofing doors and windows is a quick, cheap way to make your home feel cosier and cut your heating bills – by around £20 per year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Start by looking for the sources of the draughts, which are usually windows, doors, keyholes, letterboxes, chimneys, fireplaces and loft hatches.

Once you've found them, draughtproofing is fairly straightforward. Depending on where your draughts are coming from, you have various options including:

• Sash windows Sealants and metallic or plastic brush strips can help fill gaps around windows.
• External doors Fit a weather bar or door brush strip, or use a draught excluder.
• Letterboxes Draught excluders or plates cover the opening without blocking your post.
• Keyhole cover Stops draughts and slides to the side when you insert your key.
• Loft hatch Foam strips around the edge of the hatch can help block draughts.
• Chimneys and fireplaces If you don't use the fireplace, you could fit a chimney draught excluder.

Draughtproofing products are available from most DIY shops.

Find out more about how to draughtproof your home, including when to call in a professional

6. Clean and regrout your bathroom

Limescale, grime and mould building up over time can make your bathroom look grubby and tired.

You can buy specialist limescale-shifting and mould-removal products from supermarkets and DIY stores. If those don't do the trick, try an anti-mould grout-reviving pen. They come in different colours to match the colour of your grout (or the colour you'd like it to be). 

If you have more time on your hands, you could redo the grouting entirely. Look for a product that will help prevent staining and mould growth in future, so your bathroom looks its best for longer.

For more ideas on how to improve your bathroom, read our guide to updating a bathroom on a budget

7. Clean your carpet

You could give your carpets a whole new lease of life with a carpet cleaner. Just bear in mind that they're not cheap, and you'll need to find space to store it. You can often hire them from larger DIY stores and some supermarkets, though.

You can usually tackle small stains with a good carpet stain remover. The sooner you tackle it, the better the chance of removing it. Follow these steps:

• Scrape, remove and blot as much of the stain or spill as you can.
• Test any carpet shampoo or stain remover on an inconspicuous area first to check it won't damage or discolour your carpet.
• Avoid using hot water, as it can make some stains worse.
• Don't rub too hard, as this can damage the carpet fibres.

Read how to clean a carpet for further advice on tackling blood, paint and wax, and check out the best carpet cleaners according to our tests

8. Create a gallery wall

A gallery wall is a collection of framed pictures, artwork, prints and posters that cover an expanse of wall. Gathering enough suitable pieces and framing them is a small investment of time and money, but it's a great way to show off your favourite prints and family photos. It's also easier to update than wallpaper. 

Arrange your collection on the floor to figure out the best configuration – a mix of large and small pictures in landscape and portrait usually works best. Try to keep the distances between the frames consistent for a professional finish. It's up to you whether you want matching, coordinated or an eclectic collection of frames.

Hanging them requires time and patience. You could create a paper template. Otherwise, start from the centre, marking the top corners of the frames on the wall with a light pencil mark, add a mark where you want the nail hole to go, then hammer in the nails or picture hooks.

You can also buy a curated set of wall art prints from online specialists such as Desenio, and even Ikea or Amazon, so you don't have to spend ages building a collection and working out where to hang each piece. 

Discover the best photo printers to find one that produces superb results without high printing costs

9. Improve your wi-fi signal and speed

Slow or patchy wi-fi can be incredibly frustrating. If yours frequently lets you down during video calls or when streaming the latest boxset, it's time to boost your connection.

The solution could be as simple as moving your wi-fi router to a more central, unobstructed position in your home.

If you need a bigger performance boost, consider buying an upgraded router or a wi-fi extender. 

Discover the best wi-fi routers and best wi-fi extenders according to our tests

10. Boost your bathroom storage

Bathrooms can overflow with bottles, containers and toothbrushes. Improving your bathroom storage will help free you from the clutter. Keeping surfaces clear can also help you spot mould, so you can tackle it quickly.  

Freestanding cabinets and shelving units are usually easy to assemble and slot into any gaps, whereas wall-mounted cabinets require a bit more planning and effort to hang but will keep your floorspace free. A vanity unit that fits around the base of the sink is an efficient way to use this tricky space.

There are plenty of smart shower storage solutions available that hang over a shower screen, attach to bathroom tiles via suction cups, or are corner shelves mounted on a spring-loaded pole that slots into a shower cubicle. Towel racks can be hung over the bathroom door.

Read our guide to choosing the best bathroom storage and cabinets

11. Paint kitchen cupboards and cabinets

If your kitchen cupboards and cabinets have seen better days, try reinvigorating them with a new coat of paint.

Cabinets will need several coats of paint, plus you'll need to prepare them beforehand (usually by sanding them down, washing to remove dust and grime, and then using a primer or undercoat).

Check the type of paint you use is suitable for kitchen cabinets, and that it's the correct paint for the material. 

You can even use vinyl wallpaper or vinyl wrap to give tired old kitchen appliances a new lease of life in keeping with your freshly painted cabinets. 

Follow our expert advice on how to paint kitchen cabinets, or discover more ways to renovate your kitchen on a budget

12. Convert your shed into a pub shed

Pub sheds became a popular trend on social media during the Covid lockdowns. Some conversions include a full corner bar with working taps and optics. 

But it doesn't have to be a drinking den – shed conversions can create space for an art studio, workshop, reading nook, yoga studio, meditation space or simply a resting spot for busy gardeners. 

Those feeling particularly inspired could enter Readersheds' Shed of the Year competition, which has been recognising impressive shed conversions since 2007.

If you don't have a shed but love the idea of creating a garden escape, read our guide to buying the best shed or check out our garden room ideas

Find a reliable tradesperson

If you decide you'd rather hire a professional, or your DIY project doesn't go to plan, use Which? Trusted Traders to find a reliable professional near you:

Which? Limited is registered in England and Wales to 2 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4DF, company number 00677665  and is an Introducer Appointed Representative (FRN 610689) of the following:

1. Inspop.com Ltd for the introduction of non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide advice and arrange non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance products (FRN310635). Inspop.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide advice and arrange non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance products (FRN310635) and is registered in England and Wales to Greyfriars House, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, South Wales, CF10 3AL, company number 03857130. Confused.com is a trading name of Inspop.com Ltd. 

2. LifeSearch Partners Limited (FRN656479), for the introduction of Pure Protection Contracts and Private Health Insurance, who are authorised and regulated by the FCA to provide advice and arrange Pure Protection Contracts and Private Health Insurance Contracts.  LifeSearch Partners Ltd is registered in England and Wales to 3000a Parkway, Whiteley, Hampshire, PO15 7FX, company number 03412386.

3. HUB Financial Solutions, for the introduction of equity release advice, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) to provide advice and guidance on financial products for those who have retired or are approaching retirement (FCA Firm Reference Number: 455713). HUB Financial Solutions is registered in England and Wales to 

Enterprise House, Bancroft Road, Reigate, Surrey RH12 7RP, company number 05125701.

4. Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Ltd (FRN 301), for the introduction of non-investment landlord insurances, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide advice and arrange insurance contracts. Alan Boswell insurance brokers Ltd is registered in England at Prospect House, Rouen Rd, Norwich NR1 1RE, company number 02591252.