Category Archives: DIY

If you’re looking for DIY inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

Find DIY projects and craft ideas that will make your house a home. With step-by-step projects, tutorials, and how-to’s we’ve got everything you need! And if there’s something we’ve missed, just ask us! We’d love to help.

DIY encompasses all our projects here at Birdz of a Feather. You’ll find home improvements, home decor and crafts, furniture projects, outdoor projects, free pattern & printables and upcycling.

Here are a few of our DIY projects to check out:

Home Improvements

Under home improvements, we’ve got ideas for renovating and storage solutions plus maintenance and repair.

Home Decor and Crafts

Home decor and crafts has projects like fibre crafts (crochet, needle felting, sewing and window treatments) planters and lighting.

Furniture Projects

This is where we show you how we transformed our favourite finds. We’ve also got IKEA hacks and will show you paint techniques, such as how to milk paint for beginners and stencilling projects.

Outdoor Projects

Here you’ll find water features, landscaping ideas and garden decor projects such as trellises and privacy screens.

Upcycling

We like to think we’re making the world a better place one upcycle at a time. After all, good planets are hard to find!

Free Pattern and Printables

All our project patterns are free with your subscription.

Engineered Hardwood vs. Hardwood – Shopping (Pt. 1)

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Some people are confused about engineered hardwood vs. hardwood. Are you thinking about installing flooring? Whether it’s below grade or above, an engineered wood floating floor is the way to go. Especially so if you’re planning on installing it over a concrete slab, like in a basement.

Nothing adds beauty and warmth to a home like hardwood. In this first of our series on how we installed engineered hardwood flooring in our basement, we’re exploring how to shop for it. We wondered if engineered hardwood would be as good as solid wood and were surprised to learn that neither one is better. Only by weighing the pros and cons of each can you determine which one is a better fit for your own situation. Continue reading →

Water Leak Repair (Part 1) – Frost Proof Faucet

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Water leak repair is something we all hope will never be on the to-do list. While water leaks and burst pipes can be a huge problem, we’re showing you how to tackle the repair in two parts. Today we’re showing you how to install a frost proof faucet. In part 2, we’re showing you how to prevent mold growth after water damage.  Continue reading →

A TV Remote Control Caddy Worthy of the Mancave!

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Revamped just in time for Christmas, if you know someone with an abundance of TV remotes, a TV remote control caddy worthy of the mancave should be on your gift giving list! It has been totally re-written with better step-by-steps, a supply list, new pictures and variations on the original project. Continue reading →

Ugly Christmas Socks: X-mas Sweater Twist

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Whenever my brother-and-sister-in-law host a Christmas party, it’s always a hoot. They go out of their way to make it interesting with games and competitions – for the little kids and big ones (aka the adults) alike. This year, my B-I-L and S-I-L introduced an ‘ugly Christmas socks contest’ to the festivities – a twist on ugly Christmas sweaters. How they ever came up with the idea I don’t know, but I’m always up to a fun challenge so was eager to get started. Continue reading →

Shot Glasses DIY – Glam for the Holidays!

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This shot glasses DIY is a case of thinking outside the box. An entire box of one dozen to be exact! I was so excited when Hubs found an entire box of shot glasses in the garbage. But he was going to donate them because they had a branded logo printed on them. Consequently, he didn’t think I could do anything with them. Boy was he wrong! And given the time of year, of course I found a way to make them look festive for the season! Continue reading →

CO Detector Wall Safe: Hidden in Plain Sight!

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Our CO detector wall safe is a great way to hide your valuable in plain sight!

In addition to turning back the clock an hour during daylight saving time, it’s a great time to change the batteries on your smoke alarms. And of course check to see if the carbon monoxide detectors need to be replaced! Since our CO detector was getting close to 10 years old, we replaced it with a new one. But what to do with the old? Continue reading →

DIY Wine Bag – Wine Gift Bag

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A DIY wine bag is always a welcome hostess gift to show up with something in hand or even at Christmas. In under an hour, you can easily make this last minute in a pinch!

We always seem to have more reusable shopping bags than we know what to do with. So why not upcycle them into a wine gift bag? With the holidays right around the corner, it’s handy to have a wine tote to carry some spirits to get into the spirit. Of course, it goes without saying that it could also carry a non-alcoholic drink instead; don’t forget about those designated drivers!
Continue reading →

DIY Man Cave Transformation

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Our DIY man cave project was a long time coming. Hubs spent over 2 years renovating our basement in his spare time. Being that our basement is small, we split up the basement between three functions: a craft studio, laundry room and a mancave. However, I took the majority of the space for my studio. Not very magnanimous of me given that he built every single bit of it himself – single handedly (with the exception of pouring a new basement floor). Continue reading →

Shrink Plastic Art from Recycled Plastic

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Did you know that you can make shrink plastic art from a recycled clamshell bearing the number 6? Yes, that’s right! You can recycle a #6 plastic container to make all sorts of cool shrink art. And to think I used to toss them in the blue bin until I discovered this fun fact. I had to try it for myself! Just for fun, I personalized my shrink art by converting a real picture; you’ll see how that looks in the reveal.

Continue reading →

How to Paint Vinyl – Vintage Steno Chair

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Have you ever wondered how to paint vinyl? A few years ago, we were at an outdoor antique market in Aberfoyle, Ontario looking at these funky metal lamps wondering if we could find space for them. As the story goes, they were originally from a psychiatric hospital. What we loved about them were the curvy lines and retro look. Continue reading →

Upcycled Kitchen Cabinets – VW Desk!

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Today we’re showing you how to turn upcycled kitchen cabinets into a unique VW desk. You know how they say that necessity is the mother of invention? This upcycle is a prime example. After we renovated our kitchen, the craft room was next on the list and I needed a storage solution, stat! Luckily we saved a bank of cabinets from our reno to create a one-of-a-kind desk for the office area.

Continue reading →

Medicine Cabinet DIY – Decoupaged Bathroom Decor

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Our decoupaged medicine cabinet DIY is the jewel in the crown in our little powder room. It’s a striking decor piece that acts like artwork. But while it adds beauty, it’s also a functional way to add more storage in a small space.

You may have seen the powder room makeover we posted last year. Today we’re focusing on how to build just one of the elements, the decoupaged medicine cabinet, right into a wall. At Birdz of a Feather, we’re all about upcycling so when it came time to renovate our small powder room, we wanted to do it as sustainably as possible. Continue reading →

Laminate Countertop Installation

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I didn’t think we’d ever do a laminate countertop installation because I’ve always wanted ‘real’ stone. However, installing a laminate countertop without a backsplash turns out to be the best compromise and is the finishing touch in our laundry room!  Our laundry room started out like so many other builder spaces: dark, dank and in the basement.

There’s nothing much we could do about the location. Our house is too small to relocate it, but we can certainly remodel it with beautiful finishes to make it a pleasant space to do laundry in!  Continue reading →