PLENTY of homeowners and renters approach DIY projects as a way of saving time and money, only to find their hopes – and their confidence – dashed when their idea doesn't turn out quite right.
Luckily, when do-it-yourself turns into call-someone-for-help, there's usually a clear misstep where things went wrong, a DIY expert says.
Caroline Mullen is an interiors expert and home stylist with a special interest in recreating trendy and sophisticated looks on a budget.
In her decor work and her role at Home 52, Mullen formulates and tests dozens of new DIY ideas, then troubleshoots popular home projects to see where people go wrong.
Speaking exclusively to The US Sun, Mullen talked about her own journey from home-decor amateur to circular-saw-wielding DIY pro.
She shared the most common mistakes consumers make in their own home projects, and the easy ways to avoid frustrating failures.
YOU OWN THE WRONG TOOLS
Even if they're pretty to look at, Mullen has serious problems with pastel-pink toolkits marketed at women.
"I have a personal vendetta against those pink tool kits 'for women' you can buy," she said.
Flimsy tools are the root of much DIY strife, and solid tools don't need to blow your budget.
"My first tool kit was $15. It had a wrench, and a hammer, and a screwdriver with several heads, and it lasted me for years," she continued.
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"Buy a good hammer at Home Depot and get rid of the pink thing that was marketed to your little dainty lady hands."
Along with a standard toolkit, Mullen recommends buying one tool that intimidates many people, but that she uses "at least twice a week."
"The first tool that anyone should get, especially anyone who lives on their own, is a drill," Mullen said. "If you're not going to have any other tools – get a drill."
Though it strikes a lot of people as "overkill," a drill can be used in a wide array of home projects.
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"Even when you're putting together IKEA furniture, it's so much easier to quickly put all the pieces together using your drill instead of the tiny wrench they give you to put things together," Mullen said.
"It's great for putting things up on the walls and putting up curtain rods, too," she added.
Especially because Mullen loves reclaiming and refreshing older furniture, being handy with a drill saves her time and stress.
"Whenever I pick something up from Facebook marketplace and I have to shove it in a car or an Uber, I bring my drill with me, so I can disassemble it quickly and bring it home," the expert revealed.
"Don't go picking up furniture without a drill."
YOU AREN'T PREPPING YOUR PAINT
When home painting projects go wrong, it's usually due to a lack of proper prep.
First and foremost: mix your paint more than you think you need to, especially when you're doing repairs.
"When you're painting, make sure the paint is mixed really well before you put it on the wall," Mullen said.
"If sediment settles to the bottom, you can end up having a totally different color than what's on the wall. That's a problem if you go to patch something with leftover paint."
And just like when you buy a toolkit, don't settle for painting tools just because they're cheap and nearby.
"Get a brush that feels good in your hands and is going to give you crisp lines," Mullen said.
"I've used a million cheap paintbrushes for projects, and everything just looks so much better with a good brush."
Mullen's favorite paintbrush was only $10, a small price to pay for a tool that gives a professional finish again and again.
"It improves the look of your home projects substantially," she said.
Mullen also puts a tarp down, even for small projects, because she's "learned her lesson" about leaving a mess.
"Take time to do prep work. It's the worst part of painting, by far," Mullen admitted.
"But taking off the outlet covers and the switchplates, taking things down off the walls that you're going to paint behind, doing a little sanding and patching…it goes a long way," she said.
The paint pro also shared a sneaky hack for painting smaller items around the house.
"Any kind of acrylic or household latex paint sticks so much better if you add baking soda," Mullen said. "Whether you're painting plastic, glass, or metal, it sticks so well."
"Household paint will peel right off, or chip easily," she added, but adding baking soda will "change the course of your DIY."
The addition gives paint a matte finish, and when Mullen needs a satin or semi-gloss look, she just grabs Mod Podge to apply as a sealant.
YOU'RE TOO SCARED OF DAMAGE
One of the things Mullen wishes she began doing sooner is properly anchoring her wall decor – something she avoided doing because, ironically, she was afraid of causing too much damage.
But many people assume that a nail or screw will be enough to hold wall decor, only to face a rude awakening when their art comes tumbling down.
It's better to affix something securely and fix a small hole later, Mullen said, than do heavy damage with a creative workaround.
"Patching holes in the wall is probably the easiest thing you can do," Mullen added.
Using a repair putty or spackle then touching up the paint is enough for most small holes.
"It's easier than hanging a picture, honestly," Mullen said.
"It takes five seconds…people are so nervous to put holes in their wall, especially in a rental, but fixing them is so simple."
YOU AREN'T READING THE INSTRUCTIONS
When using store-bought DIY solutions, "It's as simple as reading the back of the package, which a lot of people don't," Mullen said.
She used Command strips as an example. "People think, 'Oh, it's a sticker, you stick it on the wall,'" Mullen said.
But if you read the instructions on the package, you'll realize it's actually a bit more complicated than that.
"You definitely have to wipe the wall with rubbing alcohol first," Mullen explained. "Walls get kind of oily, actually, which is disgusting."
"The other thing is you have to press and hold it on the wall for thirty seconds, and leave it for an hour before you put anything on it," she continued.
Because people want "instant gratification" from their DIY products, they often treat Command strips more like double-sided tape and don't give the adhesive time to bond.
"That's a disaster waiting to happen," Mullen said.
Removing the strips also becomes a sore spot when users try to pry their art from the wall instead of stretching the Command strip against the wall and breaking the seal.
Consumers effectively nullify the benefits of the product when they don't follow the included removal instructions.
"It will rip off the paint or the drywall," Mullen warned. "That's exactly what you're trying to avoid with a Command strip."
YOU WANT TO EYEBALL EVERYTHING
Mullen admitted that as her confidence has grown, she's become more of an "eyeball it" person.
But when she's not certain about a new piece of decor, she enlists help from her boyfriend.
"When I am not sure where I want something to go, I have him hold it up on the wall," Mullen explained.
"Then I take a picture, and I can step back, and sit with it for a second."
She said this tactic allows you to try multiple locations around your home or apartment before committing the art to one spot.
Since your phone is out anyway, go ahead and open the level app before you place an anchor or Command strip.
"I just stick my phone on top of the frame, level it, and draw with a pencil," Mullen explained.
Remember, if you're using a Command strip, you need to adhere it to the wall, press hard, and then walk away before you come back to hang the art.
If you're hanging a heavier frame with a built-in hook, it can be challenging to gauge where it should rest.
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"I'll often put a piece of tape on the back of a frame to mark where the hook is," Mullen advised.
"Then it sticks to the wall, and this way I know where that anchor or nail needs to land when I put the frame up."
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