Authors: Jennie Bentley

Flipped Out (38 page)

BOOK: Flipped Out

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3. Invest in some cool house numbers

Switch out those tired old digits and give your address a makeover. House numbers can be screwed in or easily glued on with adhesive—and there’s a vast array of styles and materials available. For even more oomph, paint or stain a tall newel post the same color as your front door or shutters, then attach some new, stylized numbers and sink it into the ground either at the end of your driveway or near your home’s entry. (Best to expect some neighborly copycatting on that one.)

4. Upgrade the mailbox

Wobbly, dented mailboxes are unsightly. Changing the box is a great way to add personality. Installation of a bold door-side mailbox requires only some simple drilling. A good-looking, durable freestanding mailbox just needs a hole dug for the post. Or if your existing mailbox is serviceable but drab, you can paint it or buy a seasonal wrap.

5. Repaint or stain a wood door

If you’re not ready to spring for a new door, this is the way to go. There’s no excuse for the front door looking anything but shipshape because paint and stain are so inexpensive (and potentially free if you have some paint or stain sitting around from another job). Remove any hardware first (or you can tape around hinges and knobs if you’re feeling confident and have a steady hand). Surfaces need sanding (fine, 180-grit sandpaper should suffice), dusting, priming, and two to three coats of paint. Go with the grain; follow the same procedure with stain and varnish.

6. Upgrade the front door hardware

Basic front door hardware is easy to replace. You’ll find a wide array of bells, door knockers, and escutcheons (plates surrounding bells, keyholes, knobs) at hardware stores and flea markets. A doorbell upgrade is also easy, as there’s often no need to replace the actual chime, just the hardware surrounding it. (If you do want to switch out the entire doorbell, there’s minor rewiring involved.) A kick plate, typically made of polished metals like rustic pewter, aged bronze, or satin nickel, boosts a door’s wow factor while shielding it from stains and scuff marks. Switching the lock set is the most costly change you’ll make to the entry. Protection is your first priority: Choose a lock set that isn’t just pretty, but that will protect your home from intruders. For a cohesive, stylized look, choose accents with the same finishes, and be sure they’re stylistically similar to your home’s design.

7. Replace old light fixtures

Match the style and finish of new lights to other elements in your entry and you’re generally good to go. For lighting the yard, you can opt for solar-powered lights, which have three significant advantages over their hardwired electric counterparts: there’s no assembly required, they save energy, and you can move them around with little effort. Sink a few attractive lantern-style lights into the soil that flanks walkways and the driveway. You’ll be amazed at how good this actually makes a home look.

8. Clean and dress up windows

Mullions, moldings, and decorative brackets can really make your exterior pop, and installation is as easy as clicking in a PVC grid over existing windows, or screwing wooden brackets into existing structures. Sometimes, the act of simply cleaning the windows—inside and out—is all you’ll need to massively improve the view. Dish detergent (or plain old vinegar) and a microfiber rag (or a piece of newspaper!) should do the trick. For hard-to-reach windows, use a cleaner formulated for outdoor use that attaches to your garden hose. It should dry to a smudge-free finish, and there’s no need to remove screens. Just wash on a cloudy, nonwindy day, as breezes and sunlight dry panes too quickly, leaving unsightly streaks behind.

And on that note:

Make Your Own Batten Board Shutters

Shutters are available in several different styles and one of the most popular is batten board, which is sometimes referred to as board-and-batten. Typically, these shutters consist of three vertical boards held in place by two horizontal boards. They’re one of the easiest types of shutters to build on your own.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Tape measure

• Wood

• Waterproof wood glue

• Nail gun or a hammer and nails

• Wood stain or paint

DIRECTIONS

1. Measure the height and width of your windows with a tape measure. Your shutters should be as tall as the window, but half as wide as the window.

2. Purchase the wood. You can choose any type of wood you like, but cedar is a popular choice because it is durable. Each shutter will usually consist of three vertical pieces and two horizontal pieces, for a total of six vertical pieces and four horizontal pieces per window. If you have larger-than-normal windows, you might need additional pieces. Use the measurements of your windows as a guide. You can get the wood cut to the appropriate size at a home-improvement store or do it yourself.

3. Lay out your boards, the vertical pieces, next to each other on a flat surface. Only put the boards together for one shutter at a time, not the entire set. Lay them side by side so that they are even and together. Connect them to each other with waterproof wood glue.

4. Attach the battens. Measure between 8 and 12 inches from the top and bottom to place your battens on the boards. Apply some waterproof wood glue to secure the battens to the boards. Then use a nail gun to attach the battens more securely. Be sure to drive the nails through the outward-facing side of the shutter. Apply nails every 4 to 6 inches.

5. To complete your batten board shutters, apply some waterproof outdoor wood stain or paint. Once they are dry you can attach the shutters to your home with four 2.75-inches-long screws, one in each corner, and a drill. Attach with screws no matter what the exterior of the home is, such as brick or siding.

Make Your Own Window Boxes

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Wood in appropriate lengths, widths, and heights for project

• Table saw or manual saw

• Tape measure

• Paper and pencil

• Clamps

• Drill

• 16 3-inch wood screws

• Screwdriver

• Wood putty

• Putty knife

• Sandpaper

• Paint

• Paintbrush

DIRECTIONS

1. Decide on the dimensions of the flower box. A hanging box is typically as long as the window it hangs below, including the window frame.

2. Draw your flower box, labeling the size of each board. The longest piece will be the front piece. The two end pieces will be much smaller and will both measure the same length. These will be set to the inside of the long piece. The last side piece (back) will take the dimension of the longest piece minus the two widths of the side pieces. Finally, the bottom will be as long as the front piece and as wide as the sides.

3. Cut all pieces according to your dimensions using the table saw or manual saw. You can make the sides square or angled; if this is your first time, square is much easier. Alternatively, give only the front piece angled sides, and hide the square box behind.

4. Clamp the boards together. Do this for all the sides but not the bottom piece.

5. Screw each board to the adjoining board with 3-inch wood screws. Put a screw at the top and bottom of the adjoining board.

6. Unclamp the four sides that are now screwed together.

7. Turn the box upside down, place the bottom piece on, and screw in with 2 screws per board (8 screws total). This might be a good time to drill holes through the bottom of the flower box to allow water to drain.

8. Make sure to subset the screws into the wood, or, in other words, screw the screws below the wood surface.

9. Putty over the screw holes and allow the wood putty to dry according to package directions.

10. Sand the putty after it has dried. Sand any rough edges as well.

11. Paint the flower box. For a little extra oomph, you can decorate the box with ornate trim pieces or wood cuts of animals, hearts, or flowers, or paint it in a pattern.

Make Your Own Stenciled Doormat

Welcome guests—and let them know they’re at the right house—with a custom stenciled doormat that displays your monogram, name, or street number, or one that says anything else your heart desires.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Acrylic or house paint in your colors of choice

• Round stencil paint brush

• 2- and 3-inch paintbrushes

• Painters tape in various widths

• Stenciled numbers or letters (or any other kind of stencil you’d like)

• Store-bought doormat (those stiff fiber mats work well)

• Craft knife (if making your own stencils)

• Tacks

DIRECTIONS

1. Decide on the width of the border you want and where you want it to be, and then measure and lay tape on both sides of the area you want to paint. You can be as creative as you want with this, and make any kind of pattern or border by using tape of various lengths in various directions.

2. Use the straight paintbrush to brush paint between the lines of tape.

3. Let the border dry thoroughly—at least two hours—before carefully removing tape.

4. Pin the stencil—your own or store-bought—to the center of the mat with large tacks, and then paint the stencil using the round stencil brush.

5. If you want to give your stenciled numbers or letters a three-dimensional look, wait for the first coat of paint to dry, then put the same (washed) stencils down, a little to the right or left, and paint with a lighter or darker complementary color to give the letters or numbers a shadowed look.

Make Your Own Twine-Pendant Light Fixture

These are great for parties, as well, hung on a string with a temporary light stick inside. They don’t cost much and are easy to make and use until the light stick runs out of juice.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Thin rubber gloves

• Pendant light kit (available from home improvement stores)

• Lightbulb

• Balloon(s)

• Twine

• Elmer’s glue

• Water

• Bowl for glue mixture

• Needle (to pop balloon)

DIRECTIONS

1. Hang one or more pendant light kit(s) and oversize bulb(s) from the porch ceiling.

2. Blow up a round or oblong balloon to the size you want your twine pendant to be, and attach it to the light kit assembly.

3. Fill a bowl with Elmer’s glue and a few drops of water.

4. Coat long lengths of twine in the glue mixture.

5. Guide twine around the circumference of the balloon.

6. Be sure to apply twine to every area of the balloon, leaving enough spaces for light to shine through, and ensure that the pendant is securely fastened around the cord.

7. Make sure to leave enough room on the bottom of the pendant to allow for hand and bulb to pass through when bulb needs to be replaced.

8. When dry, pop and remove the balloon, and turn on the light.