Mom’s been the queen of the castle your whole life. It’s time to relieve her and put the rest of the family’s hands-on-deck. Literally.
Calling all adult children! It’s true what they say. With every year older, you’re another year wiser and your wisdom’s saying it’s time to give back.
The DIY home improvement phenomenon has spread like wildfire for homeowners everywhere. Not only are easy home upgrades fun and creative, but they’re also empowering. The do-it-yourself movement has even spread from homeowners to all family members as a great excuse to connect.
Want to show Mom how much you love her? If it’s for Mother’s Day, a birthday, or just to say thanks, consider these next DIY projects to show your mom she’s the real MVP.
The DIY Home Improvement Movement
Beyond saving money, the DIY movement instills a deeper value into a family: self-sufficiency. Maybe you grew up with a home improvement mom who knew all the house hacks or was raised on easy home upgrades for economic reasons. Either way, doing it yourself is a great practice to have.
Now you’re ready for the head honcho to step aside and to take on a project or two without her. You rally up your siblings, gather the tools in the shed and prep yourself for some house upgrades. You turn to look at each other with only one remaining question: So, what exactly are we doing?
Read on to DIY like pros and make Mama proud.
Do It Right Doing-It-Yourself
Before committing to one or twelve tasks in the home, it’s important to get focused. There are certain questions to ask yourselves before you take the deep dive into DIY home improvements. Before starting a project, you might want to know:
- Am I working on this project alone, or with other family members?
- How much time do I have to invest in a project?
- How long might this project take?
- How much money (if any) am I willing to invest in it?
- What needs upgrading?
- Should we focus inside the house, or outside? If both, how do we prioritize?
- Should we focus on detailing and refurbishing, or new construction?
- Should we go for decor and aesthetic, or practical improvements?
- What would Mom appreciate the most?
If you’re looking to surprise Mom, that could add a (literal) wrench in things. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you take inventory of the right DIY projects to invest in. Fixing a doorknob may not be the biggest surprise to Mom if you’re going for a big reveal, but causing a ruckus in the garage may ruin your surprise!
Easy Do-It-Yourself Home Improvements
Now that your wheels are turning, the next best way to take inventory is to peruse the house. Whether you’re living in it or doing this for Mom’s home, it’s time to get your HGTV on.
Learning the style of Mom’s house will help you decide how to DIY. What kind of home does she have? If you’re changing up the aesthetic, it might not look right to upgrade a midcentury modern home with southwestern style cabinets.
Yikes. Sorry, Mom. Knowing the home will guide you in your DIY pursuits.
Once you’ve done these mental and physical assessments, you can decide from the following project ideas what might need doing.
- Structural work on the interior doors, cabinets, windows, and vents
- Structural work on the outside of the home with the patio, gardening, and landscaping
- Beautifying the inside by painting, organizing, de-cluttering or feng shui
- Tiling a new kitchen backsplash or countertop
- Building a new storage space or creative space for Mom’s things
Your decision will be intuitive. The greatest DIY gift for Mom will be the one you care the most about. Whether you’re going for easy home upgrades Marie Kondo style or prefer getting dirty with brick and mortar, doing it yourself well is about knowing yourself well.
What are you ready to tackle?
Go Big for Your Home
Maybe you’ve waited your whole life for this. You’ve waited until you were finally old enough to use Dad’s power tools unsupervised.
If you’re doing the heavy-duty DIY deep dive, there’s one tool you can’t go without; the water cutter. This is usually the moment where people might say, Don’t try this at home, but you can. With proper judgment.
If you’re new to the DIY game, the water cutter is the ultimate adult toy. It’s a technology that uses a highly pressurized water stream to cut materials like carpet, foam, metal, ceramic, wood, stone, and cement. For bulky and thick materials, it ensures a precise cut for sharp and clean results.
If you consider yourself a devoted DIY-er, a waterjet machine is a smart investment for your projects. Whether you’re making steel garden decor cutouts, a firepit, marble coasters or personalized silverware, this machine is sure to make you a DIY expert.
Worst case scenario, if it’s your first go-round with a waterjet, consider that to be your gift to mom. Putting it together will be its own unique DIY project!
Passing the Baton
There’s nothing more impactful than kids showing Mom what she means to them. Giving back to Mom with a house upgrade is profound. It shows that you also value what she stands for — maintaining a safe, welcoming and peaceful space.
DIY home improvement projects foster quality time, connection, empowerment, creativity, fun and ultimately, self-reliance. Easy do-it-yourself home improvements don’t only look good in the home, but they’re what make it feel truly home-y.
DIY projects are like arts and crafts for adults. It’s in our blood to create. Speak Mom’s love language by tending to her home, then go give her a hug.
For more on navigating the home, check out our other blog posts!
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