Step-by-step Guides
Wooden worktops are warm and welcoming, but they take a great deal of wear on a daily basis. Helaine Clare’s project shows how to revive a time-worn counter, removing any watermarks or unsightly cuts with this easy to follow step-by-step guide.
With a Bank Holiday weekend to take advantage of this month, why not decide to get to grips with those perennial little period house repairs such as fixing loose handles and silencing creaky stairs? DIY expert Helaine Clare demonstrates some tricks of the trade.
Paper magic: Corner cupboards are common features in old houses, but can be difficult to incorporate into a contemporary decorating scheme. Helaine Clare’s easy eight-step project uses wallpaper to transform the look of this fine Victorian example.
Go with the grain: Looking for a weekend project? Wooden doors and furniture can be transformed by the simple chalky tones of liming wax. Helaine Clare shows how to achieve a professional looking finish in eight simple steps.
With winter on the wane the weather should be ideal for tackling outdoor painting projects, such as transforming scruffy window frames on a conservatory. Helaine Clare shows how in her step-by-step guide, including a full list of tools and materials you will need.
A traditional screen can be an advantage in a period house, from dividing rooms to excluding draughts or hiding clutter. Helaine Clare shows how to re-upholster a cast-off in just eight simple steps, including a full list of tools and materials you will need.
Making a few repairs and painting this inexpensive bureau in an elegant colour combination has transformed its fortunes. Helaine Clare shows how to tackle the project, including a full list of the tools needed.
In preparation for spring, now’s the time to spruce up precious old iron railings that are worse for wear. Helaine Clare shows how to clean, repair and repaint in eight easy steps, including a full list of the tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Follow Helaine Clare’s eight-step plan to make a discarded dining chair look loved again. The simple project can be tackled over a weekend and will teach you basic upholstery techniques.
Give your front door a gentle makeover following Helaine Clare’s easy to follow eight-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment needed and a handy guide to suppliers and stockists.
Old windows are beautiful, but they can often allow in draughts, especially during the winter. Helaine Clare shows how to reduce any problems at once by installing secondary glazing. Plus a complete list of tools and equipment you will need for the job.
Clever customising: Take one worn-out footstool, stained and dog-eared, and transform it into an elegant piece of furniture for the fireside. Helaine Clare shows how in her simple eight-step guide, including a full list of tools and equipment needed for the job.
Chic antique: Here at PL, we are often asked how to give ‘brown’ furniture a French country look. In eight easy steps Helaine Clare works some paint effect magic on a plain console table, transforming it overnight into an elegant piece.
A smart gravel path will add value to your garden yet is an inexpensive feature to create. Helaine Clare shows how to lay out and edge a new path with professional looking results
Let it rain: For financial and ecological reasons it makes sense to have a rainwater butt for the watering of pots and flower beds. In her step-by-step guide, Helaine Clare plumps for a purpose-built oak butt to save up spare water and look the part.
Clear cut solution: Breaking a pane of glass is a hazard of restoration projects – if it happens, Helaine Clare shows how to replace a small pane safely and without too much trouble. Includes a full list of tools and equipment needed to do the job.
Sitting comfortably: Metal garden furniture kept outdoors will eventually succumb to the effects of the weather, with flaking paint and colonisation by algae. Helaine Clare shows how to spruce up chairs and a table over a weekend.
Devote a weekend to coaxing an old pine dresser back to health and reap the rewards for many months to come. Helaine Clare’s step-by-step guide starts with simple maintenance tasks and finishes by showing you how to rejuvenate tired, dry wood.
Don’t let wood rot ruin your decorating plans – using two separate cases Helaine Clare shows how to fix this common problem on a shed door post and on french doors and how to prevent it from happening again in the future. Plus a full list of tools and equipment needed.
The hearth of the matter: Sprucing up an old cast-iron fireplace is a relatively easy job as Helaine Clare shows in her 8-step rescue remedy. And if you don’t have one, some detective work might prove otherwise. Includes full list of tools and equipment needed for the job.
Lustrous results: Interior doors take a bashing over the years and if some of yours are a case in point, then follow Helaine Clare’s eight-point plan to deep clean the wood, revive the natural sheen and remove tarnish.
Get to grips with how a sash window is constructed and dismantled and you can consider fixing a broken example yourself, as Helaine Clare shows. Plus a full list of the tools and equipment you'll need to do the job.
