The Handygirl's Guide to Doing Home Projects Yourself

Ladies, when something breaks or when you want to improve your space, don’t call a handyman. You’re no damsel in distress, after all! You just need the know-how to get those jobs done. That's why we teamed up with Sherwin-Williams® to create the Handygirl's Guide.

Part-life hack, part-adulting manual, we're here to arm you with the steps to completing household DIY projects all on your own. Our projects will help you fix up and level up your living room, bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom. Follow along and then conquer your home to-dos just like the capable, empowered woman you are.

Living Room

We’re giving your most lived-in room a practical and trendy upgrade. Scroll on to learn the basics of patching and painting your own walls, mounting an egg chair, and installing a hanging gallery. These projects came beautifully together in a living room, but you can literally do these projects in any room in your home.

Living Room: Patch and Paint a Statement Wall

Learn how to patch pesky holes *and* give the room a vibrant, multi-colored effect. Why stop at just one shade when two will do?

Living Room: Mount a Hanging Chair

Living Room: Install a Hanging Picture Gallery

Get The Look from Our Living Room: UO Lazro Printed Rug, UO Cappa Curtain Rod, UO Tufted Yoursa Pillow, UO Marisol Pillow, Frametory Gallery Wall Frames, Umbra Conceal Floating Shelf, Bayou Breeze Julissa Swing Chair, Arbor Hammocks Ultimate Hanging Kit, eborder Macrame Rope, Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon.

Now, let's get cookin' in the kitchen!

Kitchen

No matter what you use your kitchen for — making toast, practicing for Top Chef, or a mix of the two — it’s truly the heart of the home. Give it some love by elevating your cabinets with colorful, two-tone paint, adding a bold tiled backsplash, and upgrading your old faucet with a chic new fixture.

Kitchen: Revive Old Cabinets with a Two-Toned Facelift

Don't replace your old cabinets, refresh them. This straightforward, two-toned painting project breathes life back into your old cupboards to make it a space you'll love entertaining in again.

Kitchen: Apply a Peel-and-Stick Tile Backsplash

Kitchen: Upgrade to a Fancy Faucet

Get The Look of Our Kitchen: Smart Tile Metro Ava, Anthropologie San Sola Dish Towel, Cost Plus World Market Marble Pattern Ceramic Canister, Anthropologie Soren Small Planter, UO Leera Linework Printed Rug, Anthropologie Luna Ceramic Knob.

Next up — let's work on that bedroom!

Bedroom

There’s nothing sleepy about these projects that will leave you with a striking ceiling, a new headboard, and colorful curtains. Scroll below to see the dramatic difference a few updates can make.

Bedroom: Add Trim and Paint a Drop Ceiling

Elevate your bedroom's vibe by adding custom trim and eye-catching paint color to the walls and ceiling. The final product promises to deliver twice as much character as your typical one-coat paint job.

Bedroom: Create an Upholstered Headboard

Bedroom: Hang Colorful Curtains

Get The Look of Our Bedroom: VClife Checkered Duvet Cover, UO Rainbow Airbrush Border Window Curtain, UO Luna Chenille Stripe Rug, UO Jasa Ceramic Arc Pendant Light, UO Shelly Round Velvet Pillow, IKEA Sanela Cushion Cover, UO Chenille Sweater Throw Blanket, UO Modern Berber Rug, Sykting Purple Couch Pillow Covers, Cost Plus World Market French Yellow Taryn Chair, Anthropologie Embroidered Rue Pillow, UO Velvet Body Pillow, UO Elle Side Table, Langley Street Phoebe End Table.

And now, it's time to step up your bathroom game.

Bathroom

A girl's bathroom is all about morning routines, quick afternoon zhushes, and evening relaxation. Give it a sparkling makeover by installing decorative wall shelves, replacing your showerhead, and revamping an outdated apothecary cabinet.

Bathroom: Refinish an Apothecary Cabinet

Your useful yet unremarkable apothecary cabinet deserves a dazzling new look. Add a vivacious pop of color and a decorative knob for a complete DIY transformation.

Bathroom: Install Floating Shelves

Bathroom: Replace and Extend a Shower Head

Get The Look of Our Bathroom: IKEA Ekby Hemnes Shelf, IKEA Ekby Bjarnum Brackets, Anthropologie Ceramic Toothbrush Holder, Anthropologie Totemic Trinket Stand, Ebern Designs Aryanna Contemporary Country Linen Tower, UO High Pile Shag Bath Mat, Anthropologie Plusso Knob, UO Himalayan Salt Lamp, UO Hilde Tower Vase, Hotel Spa Chrome Extension Arm, Moen Adler Chrome Four-Function Spray Head Standard, UO Peaches Shower Curtain.

Expert panel: Matt Fraser, Carpenter at Wine Country Builders, Holly Huntley, Contractor at Environs, Chip Wade, HGTV Home Expert and Liberty Mutual Insurance Consultant, and Jason Pickens, DIY Expert for HGTV.com.

Production + Styling: Cassidy Miller, Alonna Morrison, and Kayla Haykin

Authors: Lindsey Graham-Jones and Sarah Koller

Video: Michael Sullivan, Ryan Shelley, and Trevor Tillman

Photography: Brittany Griffin + Chris Andre

Design: Torii Burnett

* Please note: WARNING! Removal of old paint by sanding, scraping or other means may generate dust or fumes that contain lead. Exposure to lead dust or fumes may cause brain damage or other adverse health effects, especially in children or pregnant women. Controlling exposure to lead or other hazardous substances requires the use of proper protective equipment, such as a properly fitted respirator (NIOSH approved) and proper containment and cleanup. For more information, call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (in US) or contact your local health authority.

This post was paid for by Sherwin-Williams®