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Put your basic DIY skills to use by making this wood cutting board or cheese board. If you can get your hands on a nice piece of hardwood, this cutting board will last a lifetime. Teak is the best hardwood to use for a cutting board as the wood contains tectoquinones - components of natural oily resins that repel moisture, fungi, warping, rot and microbes. |
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I was lucky enough to uncover a whole pile of Rhodesian Teak railways sleepers that someone had been using for garden steps and was throwing away. Throwing away - who throws away Rhodesian Teak...! Having now seen this project I so wish I had put them aside to make this coffee table. |
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It's not only timber pallets that come in handy as a source of reclaimed timber. You can also find packing crates, wine crates, old flooring, timber fencing and other sources of reclaimed timber that are an excellent source of wood for DIY projects. Here are a few stunning projects using reclaimed timber... |
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I just love these large clocks. They make an instant feature on any wall and especially when combined with Shabby Chic or cottage decor. I made a large clock in the Feb 12 issue of Home-Dzine Online, but this one by has much nicer numbers and clock hands. |
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I love these coat racks or hangers with wood slices. They look rustic and contemporary at the same time. Unfortunately I used up all my supply of branches for other projects, so will have to wait for winter before I can chop off some more. Here's how to make your own coat rack with wood slices... |
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I love making these candle holders at our DIY Divas workshops. All you need is a length of PAR pine or meranti and a spade bit to create a wonderful display that looks amazing on a mantelpiece during the festive season, or as a table centrepiece. The display tapers from the sides to the centre. |
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Here's a gift you can make for the 'Man who has everything!' Make a DIY beer caddy and then fill it up with his favourite beer! The beer caddy features a vintage bottle opening on one side and you might be lucky to find one of these at your local secondhand or antique shops, or leave it off. |
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Some scrap pieces of wood, a stencil, and acrylic paint in plain and metallic colours are all that you need to create this stunning wall art. |
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There are so many finishing techniques that you can use for wood, whether you are starting a project with new wood, or giving old wood furniture a revamp. Techniques for finishing wood can range from a high-gloss painted finish to a finish that is more rustic or natural. |
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You can use any box to make a portable toybox. All you need are four castor wheels and some Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint and you have a portable toybox that can go anywhere! Designed by Erin Loechner at Design for Minikind. |
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These wooden owls would look gorgeous on top of a bookshelf, or on display in a child's bedroom or nursery. You can so easily decorate the wooden owls with any fabric or wrapping paper to coordinate and match existing decor. |
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Just to show you how easy it is to make basic garden furniture using a timber pallet, here is how Paola made her chairs for entry into our Craft Challenge. |
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For the series earlier this year I made a chunky floating shelf using PAR pine and laminated pine shelving that I bought from Builders Warehouse. |
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With so many projects under the belt, it's not difficult to accumulate quite a stockpile of timber and board offcuts. Rather than throw these away, use them for creative home decor. Here are some inspiring home decor projects that use timber and board offcuts |
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A cake stand comes in very useful for putting cupcakes and desserts on display, especially for special events such as parties and weddings. |
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If you live close to a timber or wood merchant, you may be lucky to be able to pick up a burl for this project. Burls are abnormal growths on trees, usually eucalypts, that develop when they experience environmental stress such as fungal or insect attack. They're sought after by woodworkers for the tangled-grain pattern and hardwood durability. |
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I have always wanted to try this as a project and finally found the time to do it. In this project I will show you how to make the steamer trunk and will follow on in the near future as to adding decoration to reproduce a vintage steamer trunk yourself. |
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Recycling an old stepladder is a great storage idea for a bathroom towel hanging rack, or for having a few decor accessories on display, or even a decorative shelf for your lounge or bedroom. Now all you have to do is find an old stepladder! |
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I'm always looking for ways to use my tools and decided to give wood burning a try. In this project you will make and decorate a coffee tray with a woodburnt design using a Dremel Versatip - soldering iron. |
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Love this project. The nice thing about this shelf is that you can easily hang in a rental home. Just use a couple of picture hanging nails to mount onto the wall. When you move out, fill in the holes with a bit of Polyfilla! |
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An upholstered ottoman is wonderful to have in a lounge or living area. They not only provide additional seating when required, but can also serve as an extra table if needed (with the addition of a glass top). These cubed ottomans are given a tufted and upholstered top. |
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I love browsing through second hand shops. It's a fun way to find furniture and decor accessories that you wouldn't find in your local shopping mall. Buying second hand furniture is also the perfect way to find affordable bargains for decorating a home, whether indoors or outdoors. |
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While you may not be putting up a 'real' Christimas tree this year, there's no reason why it can't at least be partly real.
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These photo frames are cheap and don't require mats. The pictures were printed off and glue sticked them onto chipboard. I don't have to worry about ruining a nice photo without any glass.
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Take a look around your neighbourhood to see who is having trees trimmed or felled and you'll be able to grab a tree stump or two, or some larger branches, to add unique wood decor accessories to your home.
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Since pruning some of the larger shrubs and cutting off overhanging trees limbs in the garden, I've found lots of interesting ways to use the wood. |
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When pruning bushes and trees, look for nice branches that you can turn into your own wood buttons. |
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Homemade soap is good clean fun and more popular than ever. Start by building these super-simple soap moulds! |
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Use scrap pieces of supawood and paint to craft these adorable coat hangers for a children's bedroom. We've made a selection of animal designs for you to copy. |
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If you ever come across the opportunity to pick up a few pallets take a look at some of the ideas I have come across for recycling old pallets into furniture and other practical and decorative pieces. |
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I might not live by the coast, in fact Joburg couldn't be further away, but I still love the beauty of driftwood crafted into unique decor for a home. It's soft and rustic and oh so unique. |
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I was shopping for fabric the other day and stumbled upon some carved furniture legs in different shapes and sizes. Perfect for lamp bases! |
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Create wonderful candle holders with some pine offcuts, Woodoc gel stain and tealight candles as home decor or gifts for family and friends. |
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Get crafty with wood, paper and paper - and your power tools - to create fun decor accessories for any occasion. |
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Corbels or decorative brackets are perfect for making a pair of vintage topiary shelves. |
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Get creative and start making your own wall clocks.
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You don't need to spend a fortune or hunt high and low to find artwork that you like. In this project we show you just how easy it is to create your own unique art. |
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Self-adhesive vinyl is a fun way to add detail to a plain coffee or side table. And when you want a change you can simply peel it off and stick on another design. |
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Can’t find the perfect headboard or don’t want to spend the cash? Follow these steps and design a shabby chic headboard for a more casual look. |
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We chicks are always looking for new ways to get our jewellery organised and I really like the idea of hanging my necklaces up so that they don't get tangled. Here's a jewellery organised that you can make. |
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If you don't have a full-length mirror in your bedroom, here's an opportunity to make one in a day using a ready-made drawer unit - available at your local Builder's Warehouse. |
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Here's a new funky and fun way to hang stuff ... J-hooks are so easy to make. |
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Knock a couple of chips off the old block and create your own unique docking pad for your cellphone or ipod. Great gift idea for Father's Day, a Christmas gift or your dad's birthday - get crafting! |
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Add a fresh design to a plain headboard. Cut out a decorative headboard and finish off with a decorative painted design. |
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The project itself is extremely simple and all you need is 4 pine sides and a base for the block, plus plenty of wooden skewers. |
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Whether you want to create and paint your own works of art, or hang fabric as decorative works, here's how to create your own canvas frames. |
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This DIY craft station will have your hobbies organised in no time. |
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Download the PDF to make a shoji screen for your home |
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If you're still wondering what to make with a scrollsaw, we're going to show you how to make a simple chandelier. |
"Launched in 2005, Home-Dzine was created to realise a dream; to express my love of home DIY and decor and share with other South Africans. As a non-commercial website I am free to express my own opinions and pass on valuable information to readers.
I feel that more people can benefit by being able to DIY home improvement and home repairs. And we're not talking about major DIY home repairs, but those that anyone with a bit of DIY savvy can do themselves."