storage Archives - Pretty Handy Girl

DIY, Do It Yourself, Electrical, energy conservation, Home Maintenance, light fixture, Tutorial

How to Update Ugly Recessed Can Lights with Energy Efficient LED Lights

Do you have those old discolored recessed can lights in your home that use big hot flood bulbs? If so, it’s time for an upgrade!

How to Update Ugly Recessed Can Lights with Energy Efficient LED Lights

Today I want to show you how to update ugly recessed can lights with energy saving LED recessed lights. This process is quick and easy, not to mention the new lights will look better, last longer, and save you money on your energy bill! What more could you want? Change out all your ugly recessed lights in no time by following this simple tutorial.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

6″ LED Recessed Dimmable Retrofit Downlights
Ladder or step stool
X-acto knife (optional)

Instructions:

Here is what my old lights look like. Not only are they ugly, but they use the large flood light bulbs that use too much energy, radiate heat, and burn out quickly. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of changing these burned out bulbs.

Want to see how quickly you can change out your lights? Here’s a one minute video (that’s how fast you can do it):

The first step to replacing these recessed lights is to remove the light bulb by simply unscrewing it from the socket. Unless you’re extraordinarily tall, you’ll probably need a step ladder for this project.

Next, find two small springs inside the baffle, as shown in photo below. They look like a wire with a loop in the center. Pull up and out on the springs to release the baffle inside your can light.

Remove the trim by simply pulling it off the ceiling.

Grab your new retrofit LED recessed light and screw the adapter into the light bulb socket, exactly as you would screw in a light bulb. It’s that easy!

Inside the opening, find two metal clips. Squeeze the spring hinges on your LED light and insert them into the clips inside the old recessed can. These will hold the light in place.

Finally, gently push your light up into the ceiling. Believe it or not, you’re done!

Now you have a beautiful, white, and energy-efficient LED recessed light. Take some time to admire it.

Now you can easily change out all the can lights in the room and voila, your lighting is upgraded! This is such a quick, easy, and inexpensive project. There is no point in putting it off any longer.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Feel free to share any questions or thoughts in the comment section below. Thank you for reading!

Liked this project? I know you’ll love these other lighting upgrades:

Change Out a Dated Hollywood Strip Light

How to Convert a Recessed Can Light to Accept a Hard-Wired Light

September 24, 2018/27 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Decorating, DIY, organizational tips

16 DIY Built In Storage and Shelving Ideas

Built in storage and shelves are a great way to create an attractive home that is as functional as it is beautiful. Built-ins maximize the space you can use in your home and make it easier to keep organized and clutter free. Here is a collection of 16 DIY Built In Storage and Shelving Ideas to help you come up with ways you can upgrade your home this year with built in storage!

16 DIY Built In Storage and Shelving Ideas:

Learn to build this modern and sleek a floating TV shelf that doesn’t take up much space but offers great storage.

Add some beautiful hanging storage to your wall by building this Coat Rack made from an Old Door.

Add warmth, character and display space by building this Scrap Wood Wall with built-in ledges.

Upgrade and organize your laundry or storage room with a Flow Wall cabinets and slat wall.

Add storage without sacrificing sunlight by building some Glass Window Shelves.

Organize kids books and keep them in view by installing these simple and functional Rain Gutter Bookshelves.

Add some small decor features to your room by installing these Industrial Display Shelves.

Repurpose your space and turn a Spare Closet into a Reading Nook.

For a quiet kid zone, build this Children’s Closet Library to make great use of unused wall space.

Tackle your sports equipment by building this Sports Gear Storage Shelf within a small unused space.

Build full Chalkboard Front Storage drawers for your pantry to organize and easily find any item you need.

Add some simple elegance to a room by building this Built-In Decorative Shelf.

Take your decor up a notch by adding gorgeous Shelves Using Corbel Brackets for storage. Don’t let a tile wall stop you!

Don’t search for missing shoes any longer, organize your closets by building these DIY Built-In Shoe Shelves.

Upgrade your office or kitchen storage by building a beautiful Wall-Mounted Hutch.

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Make great use of small space by building these Narrow Pantry Shelves with vintage ruler stops.

I hope these DIY built-in storage and shelving ideas inspire you to maximize the space you have available in your home and create a more organized and clutter free space for your family to enjoy!

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I ~~like~~ love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

August 13, 2018/3 Comments/by Sheri

Build It, organizational tips, storage, Uncategorized

29 Hacks to Help You Get More Organized

January is the time of year where we focus on making the next year better than the last. Often that involves new workout goals or resolutions. Other times it means getting more organized. There is something intensely motivating about being organized and saving yourself small bits of time. With that in mind, here are 29 hacks to help you get more organized for the coming year! Learn how to make your own bins, trays, and more to complete those organizational projects! I hope this helps you start your year off on the right foot.

Not enough closet storage? Consider building a Personalized Wall Shelf for jackets, backpacks, and knick knacks.

Keep your jewelry sorted and easy to find with this simple DIY Jewelry Organizer.

Having your morning coffee supplies on a tray like this Rustic Map Serving Tray keeps them looking less cluttered and easy to find even on those mornings that come a little too early.

Build these DIY Rolling Storage Stools for extra seating and hidden storage! They can be useful in any room!

This rustic Ladder Display Shelf is perfect for organizing and displaying keepsakes or supplies. (Not to mention taking advantage of vertical storage.)

Turn a spare Closet into a Reading Nook with some under seat storage to keep your child’s room neat, organized, and adventurous!

Make this DIY Produce Rack to keep fruits and veggies fresh, accessible, and off your counter.

Improve the space in your bathroom drawers with these DIY Drawer Dividers. They’d work beautifully in the kitchen as well!

Make this rustic DIY Decorative Ammo box to add a cool conversation piece to your room with bonus hidden storage inside.

Encourage those little readers by keeping kids books in sight and organized with this DIY Wall Bookrack.

This Industrial Charging Station and Lock Box is the perfect solution for managing devices and screen time in a busy household.

Make this DIY Cell Phone holder and Charging Station to prop up your phone and charge it as you sleep.

Need some laundry room organization? This Scrap Wood Iron Board Rack is perfect for holding those ironing items in a small space yet easy to use!

Turn a galvanized tub into a Storage Bench for your child’s room. It’s a step stool, kid bench, and hidden storage all in one.

Ever lose track of library books? This DIY Library Book Box is a perfect solution to that constant struggle!

Another solution for book storage would be to repurpose Rain Gutter into Bookshelves.

Build a DIY Tray Box to keep small items corralled in one place and looking less cluttered.

Garage or shop organization is crucial, and this Cordless Drill and Circular Saw Storage Center is a perfect solution for a garage workshop!

Build some Rustic Wooden Box Crates to store your paperwork, magazines, or anything you want to store out of sight.

Don’t throw it away! Turn a Cardboard Box into A Decorative Bin to store anything you like. This has to be the most economical storage solution ever.

Build this Tall and Skinny Storage Cabinet to solve storage problems in a small space. Imagine the storage possibilities in a bathroom, guest room, or kitchen!

Gain some easy toss in and take out storage with these DIY Stacking Storage Cubbies.

There are so many awesome garage storage ideas in this one post, like this Outdoor Tool Organizer. Be sure to open this article to see them all!

Organize your pantry with these DIY Pull Out Drawers with Chalkboard Fronts. Now there is no excuse for your spouse putting away the groceries in the wrong spot.

Make a new and unique Cork Jewelry Holder to organize all your necklaces. This little holder is perfect for the back of a door or a small spot between doorways.

Build this Cedar Underbed Storage to make great use of that otherwise empty space.

One board is all you need to make this DIY Storage Organizer that can be used in many different ways.

Build a Scrap Wood Caddy for any supplies you need to keep organized and transportable. Think cleaning supplies, art & craft supplies, office supplies and much more.

This Scrap Moulding Tray is one way to use up those casing and trim scraps. Plus, it’s an attractive way to corral and store project supplies.

I hope this helped give you some more organization ideas! Do you have any great organizational hacks? Share them in the comments please!

If you like this post, you’ll love learning how to build this hallway storage cubes and shoe bench:

January 5, 2018/4 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, organizational tips

Cordless Drill Storage Center

This cordless drill storage, together with the circular saw stand, make it easy to find the tools I need.

Cordless Drill Storage Center

Keep your tools contained and extra batteries close at hand with this cordless drill storage center! It provides space for three drills, batteries and a charging station, so you can keep everything powered up and ready to go.

Hi there, Pretty Handy Girl readers! I’m Vineta from The Handyman’s Daughter, back with another tutorial for you! I have a series on my blog called Workshop Wednesday, where I share ways to make your workshop more organized and efficient. This month I’m bringing Workshop Wednesday over to Pretty Handy Girl with this Cordless Drill Storage Center!

I’ve found the best way to keep track of tools is to give each their own home. So far, I’ve built a circular saw stand and a sandpaper and sander storage unit, both of which have done wonders for my workshop’s organization.

Now it’s time to give my cordless drills and batteries a home of their own!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Cut list:

To save money, I used a melamine shelf left over from a previous project. It wasn’t pretty, but workshop storage doesn’t need to be! The shelf was 9 ¼” wide, making it the perfect size for my drills. Feel free to substitute your own 3/4″ material.

1 – 9 ¼” x 17 ¾”
1 – 9 ¼” x 16 ¼”
2 – 9 ¼” x 12″
2 – 9 ¼” x 8″
Cut a piece of 1/4″ plywood to 17 ¾” x 12 ¾” for the back.

Instructions:

Before starting this project, I drew a quick sketch on the whiteboard wall in my workshop. This is handy to have as reference during the building process! The back of the box is taller than the front in my original plan, but that detail isn’t necessary.

Drill pocket holes along one 9 ¼” side of the 8″ and 12″ pieces.

Attach the two 12″ pieces to the ends of the 17 ¾” piece with pocket hole screws. The two 8″ pieces should be spaced about 5″ apart in between the two 12″ pieces.

Drill three pocket holes into each end of the 16 ¼” piece. Set this piece on top of the 8″ center pieces with the holes facing up and attach it to the sides with pocket hole screws.

At this point, your cordless drill storage box should look like this…

Add the 1/4″ plywood back with 1 ½” brad nails. (I used leftover whiteboard on mine.)

To accommodate my two battery chargers, I attached an extension cord with two outlets to the back of the box.

Now the Cordless Drill Storage Center is ready to be loaded up! Two drills and an impact driver each have their own slot.

The top holds two battery chargers and at least two extra batteries. Plenty of power for my next project!

Now I can easily grab the tool I need and get to work!

The Cordless Drill Storage Center fits perfectly next to my circular saw stand. Much better than a jumble of tools on the shelf!

Don’t forget to check out my other Workshop Wednesday posts over at The Handyman’s Daughter!

Until next time!

~ view more of Vineta’s projects ~

September 6, 2017/3 Comments/by Vineta Jackson

Build It

How to Build a Tall & Skinny Storage Cabinet

Hey everyone!! It’s Shara from Woodshop Diaries back to show you How to Build a Tall & Skinny Storage Cabinet. This storage unit works perfectly as a bathroom linen cabinet. Of course, it could work elsewhere besides a bathroom. An entryway would make another perfect spot for it. I use mine in the bathroom because it is the perfect size for towels, toilet paper rolls, baskets, and cleaning supplies.

If you need something a bigger, you can check out this “whatchamacallit” cabinet that would be really cute for storing linens and such. Ready to learn How to Build a Tall & Skinny Storage Cabinet? Let’s gather a few items and get building.

Tools:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

(1) full sheet ¾” plywood
(1) ¼ sheet ¼” plywood
(1) 8’ stick cove molding
(1) 1”x 4”x 8’ board
(1) knob
Wood Glue
Wood Putty
1 ¼” pocket hole screws
1 ¼” nails for nail gun

Cut List:

For Cabinet:

(2) 3/4″ x 13″ x 40″ plywood
(5) 3/4″ x 13″ x 14½” plywood
(1) 3/4″ x 13″ x 16″ plywood
(2) 1″ x 4″ x 13″ (beveled 45 degrees on one end)
(1) 1″ x 4″ x 16″ (beveled on both ends)
Cove molding cut to fit

For Drawer:

(2) 3/4″ x 5½” x 12″ plywood (for drawer sides)
(1) 3/4″ x 5½” x 12¾” plywood (for drawer back)
(1) 3/4″ x 7″ x 14¼” plywood (for drawer front)
(1) 1/4″ x 12″ x 14¼” plywood (for drawer bottom)

Instructions:

Cut down your 3/4” plywood. I used a Kreg Rip Cut to help with this, but you could also use a straight edge with your circular saw, or skip the circular saw altogether and use a table saw.

Cut your plywood into two 13” wide strips. Then, cut two pieces at 40” long. You will also cut five pieces at 14 ½”. And finally, one piece at 16” long. Did you get all that?? Lots of cutting at first, but the rest is easy 🙂

Drill pocket holes into both ends of all five of the 14 ½” pieces…

…and into only ONE end of the 40” pieces.

Assemble the Cabinet

Attach the shelves between the two 40” boards using 1 ¼” pocket hole screws. Make sure you attach the bottom shelf on the opposite end from where you drilled the holes on the 40” boards. Those are for attaching the top later.

Space the shelves 7 ¼” apart. It helps to use a measuring tape and square to line them up.

Before you attach the last shelf, attach the top (the 16” long piece you cut in step 1 using 1 ¼” pocket hole screws.)

Then, attach the last shelf in place.

Add Trim:

Measure and cut the cove molding to fit along the top and bottom edges of the cabinet. Using wood glue and 1 ¼” brad nails, attach cove molding along the edges of the top and bottom.

Putty the nail holes and corners. Let the putty dry while you move on to the next steps.

Cut two pieces of your 1” x 4” board at 13” long and one piece at 16” long. Miter both corners of the 16” long piece at 45 degrees and miter one end of each 13” long piece.

Use a jig saw to cut out a decorative pattern in the pieces (if desired). I used a stain can to help me draw perfect curves.

Sand all the pieces, then glue them together at the corners and use 1 ¼” brad nails to hold them in place.

Flip your cabinet upside down and glue this piece onto the bottom making sure everything is square and lined up nicely. You can use a heavy object or clamps to hold it in place until the glue dries.

Construct Drawers:

You don’t necessarily have to add drawers. You could leave it open if you’d like. To see how to make drawers, check out my post about maknig drawers here.

You could cut a piece of ¾” plywood from the remaining sheet 5 ½” wide and then cut two pieces 12” long and one piece 12 ¾” long. Glue and nail the 12” long pieces onto the end of the 12 ¾” piece.

Cut a piece of 1/4” plywood to 12” x 14 ¼” and glue and nail it onto the bottom of the drawer box.

Then cut another small piece of 3/4” plywood 1/4” narrower and about 1/8 – 1/4” shorter. Making sure your box stays square, glue and nail this piece onto the front of the drawer. I added some thin wood strips to the front for decoration. That’s optional.

Finally, to keep the drawer in its place, glue and nail some small pieces of scrap wood onto the back to keep the drawer from sliding out the back side.