The changing of the seasons is coming soon, leaves are turning and the days are getting shorter. Fall is a great time to do DIY projects, the days are still long and the weather hasn’t gotten really cold yet with rain or snow. We suggest some really good weekend fall DIY projects that are inexpensive and easy to do in a weekend or only a couple of hours.

Most everyone has a running repair list for their home, but we also wanted to add some fun DIY projects to your fall to-do list. We believe that having a home shouldn’t just be a chore or another job. So, get out your tools and maybe include your children in some of these projects and have fun with our suggestions below.

Entry Way Shoe Storage

Your house stays cleaner when people take their shoes off before entering your home. An entry hall or mud room shoe storage stool only takes s small sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, finishing nails, and some paint to create a great place to take off your shoes before entering the house. The beauty of making a handy stool to take off your shoes and store them is it can be multi-purpose. If you can sit down to take off your shoes you are much more likely to do so. Building a two-shelf shoe storage rack with a place to sit takes less than an hour to cut, nail, and paint.

Build a Boot or Shoe Scraper

Building a shoe or boot scrapper for your front porch is a simple and easy two-hour project that will help your house stay clean and keep your shoes and boots in better condition. Making a boot scraper just takes 2 x 2’s, we used redwood and a friend used pine, using whatever wood is easy to source in 2 x 2’s will do.

You will decide how wide you want to make your boot scraper, ours is 3 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. We first cut the horizontal 2 x 2’s and then we used a radial arm saw or if you are handy you could also use a circular saw to cut triangles into the length-wise pieces of wood. You want to make sure that the 2 x 2 slats are on end so the sharp edge is up, so it can scrap your boots or shoes. Pre-drill your horizontal slats and use screws to attach them from underneath. Once your project to put together we suggest finishing the wood with a good satin varnish so it looks good and wears well.

Time to Fix Loose Hinges

The most common reason interior doors or entry doors stick is with repeated opening and closing the hinges loosen up. Usually, the top hinge is the trouble since it bears most of the weight. It is very easy to tighten your hinge screws. If you have tightened them many times before they can tend to loosen up even quicker. The solution is one I learned from a friend that owned an old home. She would unscrew the screws for the hinge and then use part of a wooden toothpick inserted into the screw hole and then replace the screws, it’s a fast fix and works well.

Solving Sticking Sliding Patio Doors

As for those sliding patio doors that can seem to stick and you think you need a guerilla to open and close them, we have a solution for those too! Sometimes it is as simple as cleaning the sliding door track. We use a glass cleaner and we cut the sponge to fit the tracks to clean the track and then an old wire coat hanger is inserted under the sliding door to help pull out any dirt, debris, or dog hair. If you do this on both sides of the sliding glass door it works well.

If you have a more stubborn problem that isn’t resolved with this method you may want to adjust your sliding glass door. This takes an Allen wrench or screwdriver and some patience. First, lift or lower the door on the track with your tools, raise it enough to clear the track, and roll smoothly. Then locate your two adjusting screws at the bottom of the door and pry off the trim caps that cover the screws. If one side looks lower, raise it until the door looks even in the tracks. If the door still sticks, turn both screws a quarter turn to raise the entire sliding glass door. Make sure your door is even and rolling smoothly and then replace the caps.

Create A Dried Leaf Fence

This is a great project that serves many purposes. It’s a great use of fall’s dried leaves and field fencing. A simple task of using two pieces of field fencing about two-four inches apart horizontally, stretching them between fence stakes, and then filling them with dried leaves. It recycles dried leaves and provides a great privacy barrier between neighbors or the street and your house. I have seen this between neighbors at 6 feet tall and as a low fence for decorative purposes in the front yard at 3-4 feet tall. It’s beautiful, economical, and a simple way to add an environmentally positive fence to your yard.

Create A Fall Wreath

Making a fall wreath is a wonderful project to do with your children. Gathering fall leaves, dried twigs, and fall dried flowers and fashioning them into a beautiful wreath for your front door is a fun project. You can dry hydrangeas, roses, sunflowers, or statice, or go to a craft store and buy dried or artificial flowers.

The easiest way for the beginner is to use a dried mesh wreath and a cold glue gun to attach the flowers and leaves to the mesh wreath. If you want to see what it will look like before you glue everything together, you can use large dressmaker pins to attach a sample of dried materials to the wreath. When you are happy with the look you have achieved you can then glue gun the leaves, flowers, and dried fruit to the mesh wreath. Fall wreaths make for a beautiful entrance door and a wonderful way to welcome friends and family to your home in the fall.

Have a fabulous fall and enjoy the cooler weather for getting projects done. We are here for you for all your small building needs, from windows to cupolas, flower boxes to hinges, with a selection of products for small outdoor buildings you won’t find anywhere else at prices that beat many big box stores.

The post 6 Easy Weekend Fall DIY Projects first appeared on Door.

Building a multi-purpose shed has many advantages. One of the first benefits is lowering building costs. If an outdoor shed can serve many purposes instead of building an outdoor building for each purpose you have cut your building costs drastically. Having a multi-purpose shed in your backyard gives you many options for use and expands your outdoor space. Think of an office shed that also doubles as a guest shed, a tool shed that can double as a greenhouse shed, or a pool cabana that can double as both an office shed and a guest shed. All it takes is a little pre-planning if you are building from scratch or even if your outdoor shed is already built it’s possible to create a multi-purpose shed with a few strategic changes.

Give Yourself Options When Building

Giving yourself options when building your outdoor building saves you money down the road and allows you to build for multi-purpose uses from the beginning. I like to suggest installing rough plumbing and electrical when building your outdoor building no matter what its intended use from the beginning. Having rough plumbing and electrical in place will save you so much money down the road if you consider using your outdoor building for anything other than a tool shed. It’s a wise investment that will pay dividends in possible resale value too.

Expand Interior Shed Space with Wall Height

This suggestion only works if you are building an outdoor shed, but it creates so many more possibilities we want to mention it here. Instead of 8-foot ceilings, go for 10-12-foot ceilings. The difference that 2-4 feet of wall space can make is tremendous in a small space. With 12-foot ceilings, you can also install a loft for storage or sleeping which opens up other possibilities for your outdoor shed. Also, having 12-foot ceilings makes your small space seem so much roomy and gives you lots of storage options at the same time.

Expand Shed Space with Window Placement

If you are building from scratch and not remodeling an outdoor shed, window placement is an easy way to expand the interior space of your outdoor shed. Since space inside a 10 x 12-foot shed is limited, you want to make the most use of the space you have and window placement is a great way to achieve this. If you place your windows to start at the 5-foot height you have gained wall space on that wall. In tiny spaces, if you put one traditional window placement at 3 feet to see outside and your view but then place your other windows at 5 feet and above, you have gained a lot of valuable wall space in a small area.

Building An Office Shed and Guest Shed Building

An office shed and guest shed build is probably one of the easiest multi-purpose builds to achieve. Take advantage of our wall height ideas and window placement ideas to start with and then expand your space with these ideas. The first piece of furniture I would buy for an office shed/guest shed building would be a convertible couch that could double as a bed. If you don’t want to take up the space with a couch for your office think of buying a Murphy wall bed with bookcases on each side or above to save even more space. A Murphy bed takes up minimal space and gives you great options for storage at the same time.

Building A Pool Cabana and Guest Shed Building

When building your pool cabana keep in mind both wall height and window placement if you are using it as a guest shed also. We suggest making the wall facing the pool either a slider barn door or using a large patio sliding door to open up the space while making use of the view of the pool. If you want your cabana to double as an entertainment room, cabana, and guest house, you can install a Murphy bed, so the space can accommodate a pool table, foosball, or an air hockey table with room to spare.

Building a Greenhouse and Tool Shed Building

Converting or building a multi-purpose greenhouse and tool shed is a simple build or conversion. If building from scratch installing glass inserts on one side of the roof will allow for a great greenhouse with ample room on the other side for tool storage.  If you are converting a tool shed to double as a greenhouse you can install multiple skylights on one side of the roof to provide ample light for your plant starts. If you are using a tool shed as a greenhouse be sure to install gable louver vents that open and close to help regulate the temperature. We have shade cloth on suction cups that we put up on the greenhouse side when the weather gets too hot to help regulate the indoor temperature of the greenhouse. Installing windows in your tool shed from the beginning on facing walls helps you ventilate your tool shed but also allows for ventilation if you decide to multi-purpose your tool shed for a greenhouse.

Building Storage Into Your Multi-Purpose Shed

Starting with the end in mind when building your outdoor building saves money in the long run. In a small space, storage is king, and finding ways to incorporate extra storage into your build no matter what purpose you choose to build for is good planning. Making good use of wall space without infringing on floor space helps maximize storage in a small space. So, we advocate for tall ceilings so you can build in a loft for storage or sleeping if your multi-purpose shed is to be used as a guest shed too! Secondly, putting your shelving up high near the top of your wall helps free up wall space and creates a cottage look that can store everything from books to extra bedding.

Additional Tips for Maximizing Space

Also, to maximize space keep your lighting in the ceiling and off the floor. Can lights work, but LED directional ceiling lighting helps you get light where you need it most and it’s versatile and easy to install. Keep your flooring choice in mind when building a multi-purpose shed, lean towards what use your shed will have most and above all else keep it easy to clean. Tile works well for office sheds, guest sheds, and cabana builds multi-purpose sheds because it can take lots of traffic and cleans up well.

If you are wanting a mini kitchen in your office shed or guest shed, keep in mind a rolling multi-level cart that can handle multiple small appliances. Also, for all the multi-purpose builds except a tool shed we suggest a mini-refrigerator or mobile bar, now both of these items come on wheels and are portable. The beauty of a mobile refrigerator is it can be a great fit for your guest shed but can also go camping with you since vehicle charging compatible.

At Shed Windows and More we have an amazing selection of shed windows, hardware, and shed accessories to help you create the DIY outdoor building of your dreams. Thinking multi-purpose when it comes to building your outdoor building gives it greater use for fewer dollars and extends its longevity while adding value to your home.

The post Benefits of Building A Multi-Purpose Shed first appeared on Door.

Summer is quickly approaching and temperatures are starting to rise. This is a great time to think about DIY projects that are easy, inexpensive, and add fun and relaxation to your backyard. We are sharing some of our favorite ideas that would only take a day to a weekend to complete that can add a lot to your outdoor pleasure this summer and year-round to your home and backyard!

Building Backyard Project that Provides Fun & Relaxation

We will give you some great DIY backyard building ideas to inspire you to have fun and relax in your own backyard. So many of our suggestions will make your home the destination place in the neighborhood for kids and adults alike! Each one of our suggestions we vetted with these things in mind: is it easy, does it create fun or relaxation, can it be built in a day or weekend, and is the project inexpensive to not too costly to build.

Add Solar or LED Lighting to Your Backyard

Solar lights are so convenient and have come so far over the last years. The cost has come down and lighting time has increased along with the intensity of light.

You can use solar outdoor lights to light a pathway, use solar lights as deck lights, or use solar lights as accent lights in your yard to highlight a beautiful tree or fountain.

There are so many ways to use outdoor lights that can totally transform a backyard into an oasis of calm and enjoyment. Whether you are using LED large bulb lights, mini-lights, or solar path lights, the options are amazing these days in selection and applications. In under an hour, you can transform the look of your patio, deck, or an entire backyard with the lighting options that are available today.

Stringing mini lights that are battery power under your patio umbrella creates a beautiful atmosphere to dine by or laze away in the evening. You can totally transform your backyard into a wonderland by stringing mini lights through the trees. Think of installing a swing in your trees that even adults can enjoy and looking up into the canopy to see the leaves and branches highlighted against the night sky.

Create Your Own Outdoor Movie Theatre

An outdoor movie theatre is something you wouldn’t have been able to build until a few years ago without a sizable investment. Technology has come so far along that this project is not only simple but is also pretty inexpensive for what you get. I think it would be so much fun sitting back on an outdoor sofa, eating popcorn with the kids, and watching some of our favorite movies this summer in our backyard. Roll down screens, outdoor speaker units, an outdoor sofa, and maybe a fire pit, and you instantly have transformed your backyard into a nighttime entertainment area!

Outdoor Showers & Bathtubs Are So Relaxing

Hot tubs can be expensive, but installing an outdoor shower is very simple and not costly. Erect a privacy screen out of latticework, plant some ivy, run your plumbing, and you have a wonderful outdoor shower. The first time I took a bath in an outdoor bathtub was up in mountains, the view was amazing, but being outdoor soaking in a tub was so relaxing and serene!

Some of the same preparation is needed, unless you live in an area where no neighbors can see your yard, you’ll want to erect a privacy screen, but the rewards of an outdoor tub are worth the work. The best tub for an outdoor bathtub is an old steel clawfoot tub which can be picked up at most antique stores or building salvage yards. You can also install a showerhead so that it serves as an outdoor shower and also a bathtub!

Build a Gazebo This Summer

There are so many different styles of gazebos, from rustic to very formal gazebos that would fit in an English tea garden. Gazebos can be very simple and a one-weekend project, to a more elaborate project that takes a few weekends. You can build bench seating into your gazebo, outfit it with a hammock, or hanging swing, or use it for a place to dine in the heat of the day and at night with lights strung from the rafters for a magical effect. Gazebos also add value to your home and make for an inviting backyard to enjoy any time of year.

Build a Tree Bench

Each day on my walk with my older dog we go by a property with towering trees and the most beautiful bench that is made out of two tree stumps and then a tree slab as the bench. The two stumps support the tree slab and the whole setting looks so relaxing and the best place to meditate or read a book. A simple and nearly no-cost project that you can add to your backyard landscaping to create a quiet spot to relax and enjoy your backyard.

Build an Outdoor Fire Pit

There is nothing like gathering around a fire as the evening cools down to enjoy the evening with family and friends. You can always buy a ready-made fire pit or outdoor fireplace, but it’s fun to repurpose items that can be used for an outdoor fire interest in your backyard also!  You can use an old fountain top, build your own with paver stones or bricks, old tire rims work, an old wheelbarrow bin, or a steel wok. a cast-iron pot, an old washing machine drum, and so many more items that can be used once again as the basis for your backyard fire pit. We suggest for any fire pit that you also have a heavy-duty wire that covers the fire so sparks are kept from causing a problem. Think of spending an evening at your fire pit roasting marshmallows with the kids and making smores. There’s no better fun to be had with your kids on a summer evening!

For shed accessories, gate hardware, and shed windows, look no further than Shed Windows and More for the best quality at competitive prices, in sizes that are hard to find at hardware stores. Have fun this summer building, we would love to see photos of your finished projects, you inspire us!

The post Adding Fun to Your Backyard with Summer DIY Projects first appeared on Door.