How to Organize Your DIY Projects
As the saying goes, “Getting started is the hardest part.” This is certainly true when contemplating a DIY project. But don’t be overwhelmed; with some preparation and planning, home improvement can be fun and rewarding. Here are four tips that will help you organize your project and get started.
1. Plan
Having a solid plan is the key to any project. This is not to say that things will go flawlessly just because you planned everything out, but it certainly helps give you a road map to work from. Research online, in books, or with a seasoned DIY friend to know what to expect with your particular project. While watching hours of video on how to install an irrigation system might seem like a waste of time, it’s much better to have an idea of what you’re in for than to rip apart the turf and find yourself figuring it out after your yard becomes a fountain.
2. Collect Supplies
Part of the planning process is figuring out which supplies you will need. Start with tools. Do you already have everything you need? If not, are they within your budget to purchase them? Or could you borrow a particular item from a neighbor or family member? Can you rent one locally or even check one out from a business? Sometimes it may not be a necessary investment to purchase a tool if you don't plan on using it frequently. In addition to tools, what other supplies will you need? This list might include sandpaper, glue, grommets, bolts or other hardware, cleaners, paints, stains, plastic sheets to protect your work area, dust masks, gloves, and other safety items. If you have to order any of these items online or within a store, be sure to check the timeline on their delivery. There are few things more frustrating than dismantling part of the house and having to live in it that way for two weeks until your flooring/faucet/oven part arrives.
Once you've gathered all of your tools and supplies, find a way to keep track of them so you don’t waste time hunting them down during the construction process. Remember to bring them in out of the rain or other weather, unplug any tools at the end of your work session, and label all hardware so you know where it goes when it’s time to put things back together.
3. Think Ahead
It’s great to jump into a project with nothing more than enthusiasm in your tool belt, but you need to be prepared to tackle the realities of home improvement. As the rule goes, it will cost twice as much and take three times as long to complete as you think it will. Mitigate that frustration by creating a backup plan (or several). Let’s say you’re replacing a stove and things don’t go as planned. What’s for dinner? For that matter, after swinging a hammer or ripping out old flooring, you probably won’t feel much like cooking, so set your slow cooker in the morning, plan on pizza delivery, or go out to dinner (budget in the extra costs). Along with how you will maintain daily life during a home improvement project, make sure you understand your home. Where is the electrical panel? Are the circuits accurately marked? Do you have extension cords to run the length to the next outlet? Where is your main water shut-off valve along with the ones under each sink?
4. Know You’re Not Alone
Modern technology has made the world a much smaller place, allowing you to quickly find information when things don’t go quite as planned. From the home improvement store to the library, you have resources all around to help get back on track. The important thing to remember is that this project will end at some point—really, it will! So be patient with yourself during the process.
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![Dawn Hammon]()
Dawn Hammon has thrived in freelance writing and editor roles for nearly a decade. She has lived, worked, and attended school in Oregon for many years. Dawn currently spends her days convincing her children she is still smarter than them while creating new experiences with her husband of 24 years.  Her multiple interests have led her to frequently undergo home improvement projects. She enjoys sharing the hard-earned knowledge that comes with it with the audience of DoItYourself.com. Dawn and her sister make up a power-tool loving duo that teaches classes to local women with the goal of empowering them to tackle their fears and become comfortable with power tools. Tapping into her enthusiasm for saving money and devotion to sustainable practices, Dawn has recently launched a passion project aimed at connecting eco-friendly products and socially-responsible companies with consumers interested in making conscientious purchases, better informing themselves about products on the market, and taking a stand in favor of helping to save the planet. When she is not providing stellar online content for local, national, and international businesses or trolling the internet for organic cotton clothing, you might find her backpacking nearby hills and valleys, traveling to remote parts of the globe, or expanding her vocabulary in a competitive game of Scrabble. Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, which these days she mostly uses to provide therapy for her kids and spouse. Most recently, I worked for a small local professional organizing and estate sale company for four years where I learned a ton about organizing and/or disposing of just about anything. She was raised in a tool-oriented, hands-on, DIY family. Her dad worked in the floor covering business and owned local floor covering businesses, so of course selling floor covering was one of her first jobs. Her brother was a contractor for about 30 years and site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity. I worked with him often, building decks, painting houses, framing in buildings, etc. With her sister, she holds power tool classes to empower women who are scared or have never used them. Not quite homesteaders, she did grow up with a farm, tractors, motorcycles, expansive gardens, hay fields, barns, and lots of repairs to do. Plus she and her family preserved foods, raised cattle and pigs, chopped and hauled firewood, and performed regular maintenance on two households, outbuildings, fencing, etc. As an adult, she has owned two houses. The first one she personally ripped out a galley kitchen and opened it up to the living area, plus updated every door, floor covering, and piece of trim in the place. In her current home, she's tackled everything from installing real hardwood flooring to revamping the landscape.![H.R. Helm]()
H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
