March 30th, 2020 by Sarah Miles

When we are busy with our everyday lives, there are so many jobs that we have really good intentions of doing but that we never quite seem to make the time for – life just gets in the way. Now, things for most are very different. Unless you are deemed a key or essential worker, chances are you are social distancing at home. If you are not able to work at this time, you will suddenly find that you have a huge amount of time on your hands that you never had before. Even if you are still working, you may be able to be more flexible with your work schedule and no doubt are saving some time on the commute to and from work plus the time when you would usually be out socialising, shopping or exercising. In short, we all have extra time on our hands.

As stressful as this situation is, there is also an opportunity here to use our extra time productively. Something like a DIY project, not only gives us something to do with our time but achieves a positive outcome as well and, let’s face it, if not now then when?

If you feel like applying yourself to something, here are 5 DIY jobs you can do while social distancing:

1. Indoor Painting Projects

When we live our day to day lives, we often become oblivious to our décor getting a bit shabby or even dated because we see if every day. Take a good look around and see whether any areas of our homes could do with a little sprucing up. That could be something as simple as a fresh coat of paint, even if it’s the same colour, or a complete re-design. Many paints can be ordered online if you’re worried about being able to go out to a shop to buy some.

Now that you have plenty of time on your hands, pledge to do everything properly. Where before you may have skipped some of the prep stages for the sake of expediency, tend to the finer details now: filling cracks or sanding doors down before painting for example.

2. Outdoor Painting Projects

Spring is the perfect time to get some jobs done in the garden and has the bonus of some sun and fresh air which is more important than you may realise in these challenging times. How about painting the fence panels or shed – you could even make a feature of them with some bold colour choices. Garden furniture can always benefit from being sanded down and repainted or varnished, especially if it’s been left out in the garden over the winter.

3. Upcycling Projects

Do you have a creative spark just waiting to ignite? How about an upcycling project? Take an old piece of furniture and transform it into something lovely. You can do it with almost anything; chests of drawers, dressers, bureaus, coffee tables, sideboards, and more. Give them a sand down to remove any existing varnish or paint and then be as creative as you like: paint them, varnish them, decoupage them, stain them. You can incorporate geometric patterns into your designs or combine different finishes. You will create a unique piece of furniture for your home and you may even discover a whole new hobby!

4. Woodwork Projects

Have you ever thought “I could make that” when looking at an overpriced piece of furniture or shed? Making something yourself can be extremely rewarding so why not give it a go? If your skills are limited perhaps make a planter for the garden or a simple outdoor table. If you’re feeling quite confident how about a bird table or pergola for the garden and if you’re quite handy you could try your luck with a shed or summer house.

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5. A Deconstruction Project

If destruction is more your idea of fun than construction, instead of building something why not take something apart and have a good clear out? Do you have a shed that’s on its last legs or a climbing frame that the kids have outgrown and is cluttering up the garden? It can feel just as satisfying to get rid of what you don’t need as it can to create something that you do.

What might you need?

Aside from the materials for these projects, such as paint and wood, you really ought to have a decent basic set of tools that will help you complete all these DIY jobs and more. As a basic starting point, we’d really recommend a cordless drill, such as this MYLEK Compakt+ Fast Charge 18v Cordless Drill, and a multi-tool like this one from MYLEK. For outdoor painting projects, you can do them by hand but an electric paint sprayer kit like this one from MYLEK can really make short work of the job.

Remember, these times are unprecedented and history will remember this period. Do you want to look back it as the time you sat watching TV for weeks or do you want something to show for it?