5 Simple Steps to a Successful DIY Project

Since DIY is obvs one of my very favorite things ever, and I’ve definitely had my share of successes and failures, how about a few things I’ve learned to insure a successful project!

Hot off the heels of our biggest DIY to date, the master bathroom and bedroom renovation, I want you to know that you, (yes you!) can take on a DIY project.

Were we daunted at this one?  Yes!  Were there many moments we questioned whether DIY’ing this was a good idea?  Yes!  Did I have massive anxiety for months leading up to it?  Yes!  But a few things helped to boost us in the right direction for a positive outcome that we could be proud of.

After all, no one wants to end up in one of those awful DIY fail articles amiright?!

 Step 1: 

RESEARCH!  I can’t stress this one enough and it’s probably the single most important step.  I ate, slept and breathed everything bathroom I could find.  From watching tiling videos, to reading everything about the differences in mortar and grout to how to install a shower pan.

You name it I read up on it, remember the months I mentioned above full of anxiety?  I spent those months researching, probably too extensively, but I would rather know too much than not enough!

I spent a few weeks working out how to do this project recently.  New stairs + Rainbow here

Step 2:

Preparation!  Collect all necessary materials, and spend that extra couple of dollars on the better quality than the cheapest.  The research part also plays into this.   Once you have your project and you know what you want/need to do you know what you need to purchase to make this epic DIY happen.

And whether you should splurge on the better quality materials.  When in doubt, my rule of thumb is pick the middle of the road pricing option!

You definitely want to have stacks and stacks of materials at the ready when you begin.  Then you don’t have to stop mid project and make 100 trips to the store.  (Which is THE worst trust me ugh)

 Step 3:

Begin DIY but give yourself grace.  Especially if this is your first ever DIY project or you are embarking on a massive reno like we did, it’s always good to practice patience with yourself.

I had a strict schedule I wanted to stick to for the bathroom/bedroom but as we got into it, it became clear that taking the extra time to do it right was way better than pushing through with a less than stellar outcome.

We spent longer than anticipated on the entire project but it was so worth the extra time! (see it here)

 Step 4:

Know Your Strengths and Limits.   Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you run into a problem that you just aren’t sure how to handle.  Call in a pro, better to be done right than have a big leak or other issue later.

We had planned to install the glass panels in our shower but when we got to that point, we realized it would be much tougher for us to transport 9 ft pieces of glass, get them in the house and installed properly.  We chose to have the glass company do it for us.  Totally worth the money!

Here are those 2 huge glass panels we opted to have the company install.  All I could see was broken glass if we did it haha.

 Step 5:

Step back and be incredibly proud of yourself for having accomplished what you set out to do!  This is definitely the best part of DIY.  The sense of having completed something with your own hands.

We did this wall of 3D panels and stained the concrete floor! (peep those projects here)

 I’m a believer that anyone can DIY, you just need a big sense of determination and make sure to follow the steps above.  If you do you can have a project done in front of you that you can tell everyone you did yourself!

Are you a DIY’er?  Are you afraid of DIY?  I always love to hear from ya so hit me up in the comments with your experiences!

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PSSTTT…just between us I’ve got 2 spaces I’m currently working on  wink-y wink