I am a DIY optimist. I am always buying something in the hope that I can fix it up to make it look better or repurpose it into something different. Take note of the optimist bit though, as nothing ever really goes to plan. I'm pretty nifty when it comes to a sewing machine and have made everything from a play tent to cushions for Max. But when it comes to hammers and nails I'm a bit of a disaster.


Some things work really well, like this DIY art display I made from bits I found around the house. It's something that we use on a weekly basis and hasn't fallen down. And the DIY dog house for Max's soft toy that lasted a good 6 months before it collapsed on me. Give me fabric or cardboard and I'm fine. But anything else and it's definitely a bad idea!

I normally set out with the best intentions for big DIY projects. We don't have much space in our flat so my main aim was to try and find a way to maximise that space. Max was desperate for some book storage and he has a floor to ceiling window that I wanted to introduce a bit of privacy too. Cue the bookcase bench idea, something similar to the pin below.



I measured between the windows and found a bookcase that fit almost exactly that was for sale on a local selling site. I got it home, rubbed it down and started painting it a bright white. I hit a snag when the paint wasn't applying as good as I hoped it would. I assumed it was because it was coated chipboard and it's not the best surface to paint on. All was going well until I had a brainwave. Instead of popping it on legs (it was quite a heavy unit) I would just pop it on the floor. I got Scott to move it into the bedroom to put down and it didn't fit. After all the perfect measuring and triple checking, I forgot to account for the skirting boards. Even with legs on the unit, it wouldn't fit. I just hadn't measured the unit properly at all. And to make matters worse, I had a badly painted bookcase and paint everywhere. I wish I had taken a photo but at the time I was way too mortified that I'd so badly failed.



Fortunately I managed to sell the unit to someone that wanted it and assured me they were painting it a different colour. I couldn't have cut off an edge as the chipboard was the wrong type of wood to cut through. In the end I spent some money and invested in a toy box/ottoman like the ones from Oak Furniture and I'm in the process of topping it with a cushion so Max can sit and read on it.

As I said before, give me a sewing machine and I can make anything. Give me a hammer and nails and I think you might need to have a backup plan! I don't think I'm cut out for big DIY projects just yet.