Shopgirl

Meredith’s Faux-Paneled Doors

Written on February 3, 2010 at 8:43 am, by Shopgirl

If you read Do It Yourself magazine, you probably know Shopgirl. She’s our go-to gal for tips, tricks, tools, projects, and hefty doses of DIY inspiration. Meredith Ladik is one of our creative lasses behind Shopgirl, and here, she shares a beautiful repurposing project she did in her own home. Enjoy! – Team DIY

To lighten the look of my 1930s cottage, I’ve brushed many a gallon of crisp white and soft neutral paint on cabinetry, furniture, trim, picture frames, and floors. Chairs and sofas, too, were slipcovered in downy white canvas. Nevertheless, something dark and unnerving remained, lurking throughout my house’s corridors: dark-brown varnished slab doors!

Rather than replace these original, nothing-wrong-with-them doors with beyond-my-budget raised-paneled doors, I decided a fresh facelift with leftover paints mixed with a little creativity was a fun and affordable solution.

Here’s what I did:

For ease, remove your door from its hinges, placing it atop a pair of sawhorses. Remove varnish using a methylene-chloride-free citrus-gel paint remover, followed by a light sanding. Prime then paint door (I used a pale-gray color in a satin-finish), allowing it to dry and cure thoroughly. (I’d recommend a week.) Rehang door.

Plot out the size of your door’s “panels” using a tape measure; a T-square or carpenter’s ruler for straight lines and corners; a pencil; and easy-release painter’s tape.

Essentially you are taping up pairs of parallel lines that become individual “frames.” The “channel” between the two pieces of tape is where you brush on paint in a lighter color such as white and in several light coats. I used leftover high-gloss white paint that surprisingly catches light for nice highlights.

When the white paint is thoroughly dry, carefully remove the painter’s tape.

DIY Tip: As you pull off the paint, slowly and gently pull it up vertically, keeping your fingers—and force of motion—close to the door’s surface. This will hopefully prevent pulling up the paint you want left on the door.

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Shopgirl’s Product Friday

Written on October 23, 2009 at 11:51 am, by Shopgirl

OK, totally digging this new rotary tool kit. It’s like the Dremel I already have and cherish—except better. The new kit (Dremel 4000-3/34) comes with a ton of fun stuff. And really, it’s all about the accessories, right?

Inside the super-handy storage case you’ll find a high-performance rotary tool and three different attachments—a cutting guide, a sanding/grinding guide, and a detailer’s grip. You’ll also get an accessory case to hold—and this is the best part—34 different accessories!

That means you have 34 options for carving, engraving, routing, grinding, sharpening, cleaning, polishing, cutting, and sanding. Seriously, think of the possibilities: cutting floor tile, drilling, etching glass, decorating pumpkins, and way more. (Find step-by-step project videos here.) There are also other Dremel 4000 kits on the market so you can find the one that best suits your creative needs.

If you already own one, think about an upgrade. The Dremel 4000 is the only rotary tool that works with all other Dremel accessories and attachments.

Available at hardware stores and home improvement centers; $79-$149

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ShopGirl’s Fave New DIY Products

Written on October 8, 2009 at 8:16 am, by Shopgirl

Here’s what’s ShopGirl’s adding to her tool and garden sheds this season.

1.    If Victoria Beckham decided to stop, strike a pose, then strike a hammer, these are surely the safety glasses she’d wear. With tortoise shell styling and oversized, Jackie O-like lenses, the Icon Safe & Sophisticated Safety Sun Glasses ($16) with UVA protection from MSA Safety Works pass the fashionista style test. Even better: The high-impact-resistant lenses pass the strict government OSHA safety testing standards, so the lenses won’t shatter or crack when your mower kicks up a pebble, or you pry a tack out of an old upholstered ottoman and it flies through the air. msasafetyworks.com

2.    I’m a lazy—and a fearful—painter. All those precarious ups and downs on the ladder to reload my paintbrush—I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Not anymore. The Belt Bucket ($25) makes painting a room faster and safer. Strap on the belt—it’s equipped with a quart-size bucket and a handy clip for your paintbrush—and you’re ready to climb the ladder using both hands. Disposable bucket liners and lids also available. thebeltbucket.com

3.    15-Ounce Aggressive Tooth Handsaw—That’s a mouthful. With specially angled and chiseled teeth and a cushion-grip handle, this new handsaw from Sheffield Tools promises less fatigue and a more efficient cut on the pull and push strokes. Perfect for us do-it-yourselfers who don’t have the greatest arm strength. Other favorites from their new line of pro-quality hand tools with nice price tags: A tape measure marked with fractional increments for quick, easy, exact measuring; and utility knives with easy to change blades (no screwdriver—or BandAids—required). sheffield-tools.com

4.    A green thumb is only a mouse click away. The EasyBloom plant sensor ($50) monitors an area of your yard or container garden to determine the quality of its soil, sun, shade, humidity, and more. Simply place the flower-shaped sensor into the soil of an area you’d like to grow a plant. After 24 hours, remove the sensor and plug it into your computer’s USB port to upload data to the EasyBloom website. You’ll be shown a set of plants that will thrive in that location, or be given a diagnosis of what ails your plants with visual cues on how to fix it. plantsense.com

5.    I couldn’t resist this tool kit’s pink color. On closer inspection, I loved its sturdy, enameled-metal construction; its size that will slip nicely into my kitchen cabinets; and its compact, 4-oz hand-sized hammer—just the right size for most of my household chores, such as tapping in nails. The 20-piece Pink Tool Kit costs $50. Multi-drawer chests, rolling cabinets, and utility carts are also worthy of any girly yet gutsy garage. theoriginalpinkbox.com

6.    A green lawn mower and hedge trimmer? Sounds obvious, but it’s not. Typical power lawn care equipment either runs on gas—spewing lots of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, not to mention noise—or relies on electricity—plugging into the community power grid. The Worx line of cordless yard equipment utilizes either lightweight, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (for their hedge and grass trimmers; about $130 each), or a car-like battery (for their mowers; about $450 each). Bonus points: The lithium-ion batteries maintain their charge for up to a year when not operated. Trimmers weigh less than 5 pounds, great for us DIYer’s with wimpy biceps. worxyardtools.com

7.    With their simple yet innovative design, Deco Nails take the guesswork out of hanging pictures (Do I use a wall anchor that makes large holes? A simple nail that can pull out of the wall easily and leave my frame dangling, ready to drop?). Because of its screw-like shank, the Deco Nail ($7.50/6 pack) grabs into your wall surface—no stud needed—like an anchor, leaving only a small hole. Its double-decker head creates a secure gap for your frame’s sawtooth hook, keyhole, or picture wire to hang from, so artwork won’t slip off. Each nail supports 20 pounds. Coming soon to The Home Depot. undertheroofdecorating.com.

8.    Do you dread visits to your local home center? All of those exhaustive miles of wandering the aisles in high heels (ok, maybe that’s the problem!) in search of every little bit and piece you need for a home repair? Elmer’s Home Repair kits ($13 each) stopped me in my tracks. These resealable pouches contain all the parts and products you need for basic mending projects, including instructions and disposable gloves. There are kits for the bathroom, tub & shower, drywall, and renter’s. Elmers.com.

9.    For a clean, crisp edge while painting, I’m stuck on Frog Tape painter’s masking tape. A special paint blocker is applied along its edges to prevent latex paint from bleeding. Frog Tape ($7 and up/roll) comes in a variety of widths for a variety of surfaces. frogtape.com

10. But say you didn’t use FrogTape and need to remove seeped paint? Or you want to sand the hard-to-reach corners of your hutch makeover? Grab one of Red Devil’s SandFast line ($5 and up each) of hand sanders. Designed for accuracy and to speed the job, these SandFast-ers are shaped with petite triangular and square heads for detailed sanding, and with contoured handles for less fatigue. The peel-and-stick sandpaper sheets are easy to apply and remove. Palm, hand, and pole sanders are also available. reddevil.com

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Shopgirl: Product Friday!

Written on October 2, 2009 at 2:34 pm, by Shopgirl

Ever had your lights blink out when it wasn’t storming outside? I know: frustrating! With this new tool, I can turn on the flashlight to light my way to the problem, then use the testing device on the end to figure out where the electrical path is broken. Cool, right? The Megatester will be totally handy when I’m working on any new DIY lighting or electrical project. Its ingenious design (and $19.95 price tag) makes it a must-have around the house.

Here’s how it works: 1) Turn the Megatester on to create a path for three volts of battery power to the bulb and it will light up. 2) Pull the clip off. When you break the path the light goes off. 3) Use the clip and the end cap to divert the three-volt battery power in the tool to other circuits or paths to see if they are complete. Lights on: You’re good. Lights off: You’ve got a problem.

If you’re testing an 110V or fluorescent bulb and there seems to be a problem, think again. The reason your tester isn’t responding is because the tool won’t test these two types of bulbs. The Megatester tests 3V, 6V, 12V, 24V, and single or double filament bulbs.

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