Hi, I’m Brittany Bailey (aka Pretty Handy Girl).
I am a licensed general contractor, artist, graphic designer, web designer, photographer, and lover of doing everything myself. I’m also a night owl who likes to sleep in on the weekends.
I despise stereotypes and am working hard to break down the stereotype that women aren’t handy. This site is for anyone who wishes they were handy and could make their own repairs, upgrades, or become a true do-it-yourselfer. You’ll find detailed tutorials (about home improvement, home repair, decor, craft, and sewing) to help you over the newbie hump. I’m also taking you along for the ride as I flip and renovate houses for fun.
How the heck did I get to be handy?
I grew up in Northern Virginia, the oldest of three daughters. My parents added onto our home three times during my childhood. During renovations, my mom and dad let me swing hammers and “help” them build. They instilled in me a belief that I could do anything a boy could do — if not better.
In 2001, my husband and I bought our first house in Raleigh, NC. Money was tight, so I learned how to fix things — one broken toilet at a time. In 2013, a leaky pipe turned into a major kitchen renovation. We fired the contractors and I took over the task of building back our kitchen from bare studs by myself.
Over the years I’ve amassed quite a few power tools. I enjoy the surprised look on faces when I explain that they are actually my power tools and I don’t usually let my husband (affectionately referred to as Pretty Handsome Guy) touch them.
Want to know more about me? Read this post filled with oodles of mundane facts about the girl behind the blog.
A wish to empower
My mantra is that if someone can do it, then there is a 95% chance that I can do it too! Join me as I show you some of the accomplishments and pitfalls of doing it yourself!
I love to hear from my readers
I enjoy answering questions, comments or getting feedback! I love getting random sweet notes in my inbox letting me know if I’ve encouraged you. Please, feel free to send me an email.
Brand Awareness Campaigns
I DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR LINKS. I DO NOT ACCEPT GUEST POSTS. I WON’T PUT YOUR LINK ON MY BLOG FOR FREE. Are you still reading? Do you want your product mentioned on my blog? Great! Let me ask you a few questions first. Is it DIY or home-related? Can I write a valuable post or tutorial around your product? Do you have a budget for sponsored posts? If the answer to all of these is YES, feel free to contact my agent: whileyouwriteagent (at) gmail.com.
You can also find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
You May Have Seen My Work In:
Can this mask be made out of stretchable knit as well
It can, but it’s a lot harder to sew.
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The ceiling fan install was a great introduction to your site. One of three in our home has a Ching sound as the blade spins, sounds like something is hitting the chain. I’ve taken it apart, put back together and is quiet for about 2 minutes. Would like your advice on how to approach this very annoying issue.
That would be hard for me to diagnose. Maybe try calling the manufacturer? I just added you to the newsletter list. Enjoy!
I love the drop leaf table you have, what color did you use on the top? I am in the end stage of sanding mine and love yours. Any advise would be greatly appreciated
Michelle, which drop table?
Agree with all the positive comments. I have tried a number of patterns and watched countless videos. Your process and results are the clearest and most rewarding. The nose wire adds comfort and keeps the mask in place. Especially important for those of us who are dependent on eyeglasses. I used silk cord or paracord with a small bead for adjustable ear placement. We were able to make four masks with materials we had in the house. I haven’t sewn with my machine in years but the clear directions make it easy. Now I am confident enough to make these comfortable masks for friends. Thanks so much, Pretty Handy Girl!
Hi Brittney, I’m pretty handy myself. I do have a question about the kind o paint the you use for your interior doors and trim. I’m replacing my trim/baseboards and want to paint them correctly. I would like your recommendations.
Hi! Is there a child size template for the best fit mask? I would love to make this style for my children, too. They are 7, 5, and 3.
Please read the FAQs on this page: https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/best-fit-facemask/
Hi Brittany,
Love your mask! Great fit and by far the best! I would really appreciate getting patterns for
Kids (7 – 12 yrs) & Smaller Kids (3 – 6 yrs.)
Thank you so much!
Aloha, Mabel Asato
I will try to work on it, but I don’t have any little kids to test the fit. Look at the top of the comment thread on the YouTube video (https://youtu.be/-t_Gz3lGwF8) for my FAQ comment which answers your question about a small pattern. You can also get answer directly on this page which was linked in the video description, but here it is again: https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/best-fit-facemask/
Thank you Brittany! Love your mask tutorial and instructions! Started yesterday to make a lot of masks for my large family. However, I am having trouble threading the two ends of the 1/8″ elastic cord into the craft bead (my granddaughter’s supply). Perhaps the hole in these particular beads is too small. I tried filing the hole but still took me about an hour to thread them for two masks. Is there a trick? Thanks! Didi
Didi, this was mentioned in the FAQs at the end of the page with the tutorial. https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/best-fit-facemask/
• Can’t thread your straps through the bead? Try using fishing line folded in half and feed through the bead loop first. Put strap material through the fishing line loop and pull it back through the bead. You can see a video of this process at the end of my Instagram stories here
Thank you so much for your excellent instructions and video on how to make a face mask. Yours is by far the best out there!
I just viewed your “Best mask” I look forward to doing it tomorrow. It looks good. Thank you. MamasGuardian
Please add me to your newsletter
Done, you should get an email soon.
I would also love to be added to your news letter
Done, check your email.
Hi there,
I’m looking for the pattern for the BEST FIT FACE MASK .is there someway you can email it to me please.
Thank you so so much….GOD BLESS !
You can get to it here: https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/best-fit-facemask/
Love the DIY!! Would like to be signed up for news letter. Is there a link?
I tried to add you, but you unsubscribed at some point so I can’t manually add you. You can add yourself back in by going to this address: http://eepurl.com/1ayz5
Do you have an email or newsletter list I can be add to to get your stories and projects
I just added you to the email newsletter.