Get DIY Crafty With Builders Warehouse In Lockdown

Builders Warehouse Is Open!

Under level 4 lockdown regulations, Builders Warehouse has been able to open their doors once again. All customers are welcome to visit their nearest store for the best in homeware and garden equipment. There will be a strict one metre rule between customers and a limited amount of people allowed into the store at a time. Furthermore, all customers must wear cloth face masks. Staff have also been provided with masks to protect both themselves and you. However, if you aren't quite ready to venture out into the world yet, you can shop online or click and collect. For the full Builders Warehouse lockdown lowdown and frequently asked questions,  click here.

DIY Projects To Keep You Busy 

If you weren't already aware, Builders Warehouse has a blog dedicated to DIY ideas, tutorials and design. Each week they post a new DIY project to try out, ranging from super quick and easy to advanced. With almost everyone taking on lockdown challenges, you may consider getting stuck into a project of this kind to keep you entertained and to learn something new. Here are our top DIY picks featured on the Builders Warehouse blog:

Indoor Zen Garden

These are stressful times. So, why not create your very own indoor zen garden to help you practice mindfulness while under lockdown? You will need:

• Spray paint
• Old oven tray
• Sand
• Rocks
• Pebbles
• Skewers to make the rake
• Glue gun

Instructions:

1. Paint your oven tray.
2. Fill the tray with sand.
3. Place rocks where you desire. Fill with groups of pebbles or wood.
4. To make the rake: cut off 5 sharp ends of a skewer and “sandwich” between 2 short lengths of skewer. Glue down and add handle.
5. Rake away and relax.

[embed]https://youtu.be/DdUKt6Fbk48[/embed]

Hanging Coffee Cup Rack

We don't know about you, but coffee has been vital to getting us through lockdown. With all the extra household chores, homeschooling and work, we need an energy boost every now and then. Build yourself a handy coffee cup rack to make mornings go a whole lot smoother and to keep your kitchen neat and tidy. You will need: 

• 1 piece of 94 x 20mm pine
• 1 piece of 44 x 22mm pine
• 30 mm cut screws
• Coat hooks
• Wood glue
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Drill driver with screw pilots
• Jigsaw
• Sander
• Fired Earth Wood Works stainer and sealer
• Paintbrush

Watch the video below for instructions by DIY guru, Zak Myeza: [embed]https://youtu.be/JO6l00B00Ng[/embed]

Couch Reading Table

With nothing much to do during lockdown, we've been reading up a storm. If you aren't lucky enough to have a dedicated reading chair, turn your couch into a book nook with this cool couch arm table. It's just big enough to fit your book, a cup of soothing tea and reading glasses (if you need them), but what more do you really need? You will need:

• 1.8m x 305mm x 19mm laminated pine panel
• 32mm Kreg pocket screws
• Wood glue
• Wood stain and sealer
• Kreg pocket jig
• Cordless drill
• Sander
• Pencil
• Clamps
• Paintbrush

Instructions:

1. Begin by measuring the arm of your couch. Measure at the widest point of the couch's arm, and add 38mm to this measurement to take into account the two 19mm legs. Measure the desired length of the table legs.
2. Use a mitre saw to cut the timber, or alternatively get Builders to cut the timber for you!
3. Use the Kreg jig and a drill to drill three pocket holes into each of the legs. Do this by securing the legs to the jig and drilling down into the timber.
4. Clamp the leg piece to the underside of the table top, using wood glue between the mating surfaces to ensure a tight bond. Screw in the screws and remove the clamp. Repeat the process for the second leg.
5. Fill the holes using wood filler or Kreg pocket hole plug inserts, or you can make your own using the Kreg pocket hole cutter. Alternatively, leave the holes as they won’t be visible beneath the table top.
6. Sand the timber to remove any splinters or sharp edges.
7. Stain the couch table. Use at least 2 – 3 coats of wood sealer to protect the timber, allowing it to dry between coats. Once dry, your couch table is ready to use!

[embed]https://youtu.be/mbpwu07d6nY[/embed]

Revamp Your Sneakers

Upcycling is all the rage at the moment, as people are becoming more conscious about the impact their fashion buys have on the environment. This fun upcycling project is a great one to get the kids involved in, as not only will they be learning about slow fashion, but they also get to colour in their shoes! You will need:

• An old pair of shoes (preferably white)
• Wax crayons
• Painters tape
• Heat gun or hairdryer

Instructions:

1. Start by masking off the sections to be dyed with the wax. Each colour should be masked and done individually.
2. Heat the wax crayon with the heat gun and apply soft wax to the shoe. Repeat until masked area is fully coloured in.
3. Now apply focused hot air to the area and allow wax to melt and soak into the material.
4. Repeat these steps for each colour of your design.
5. Lace up your new one-of-a-kind shoes and show them off to the world!

[embed]https://youtu.be/8xKJhb1iKxg[/embed]

Water-Wise Hanging Veggie Garden

The drought crisis may seem like a distant memory amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is a reality that many South Africans are still facing on a daily basis. Rather than plant a water-guzzling veggie patch while under lockdown, try your hand at this smart hanging veggie garden. You will need:

• A-frame greenhouse
• An old plastic bucket
• 45mm hole saw
• Potting soil
• Seedlings of your choice
• Hessian
• 30cm x 15cm sheet of chicken wire
• An old bottle, cut in half
• An old tire

Instructions:

1. Find an old plastic bucket and drill two growing holes at the bottom on opposite sides, about 1 third of the way up, using a 45mm hole saw. Then drill drainage holes at the bottom of the bucket using a 3mm bit.
2. Fill the bucket with a rich growing medium to the ¼ mark, below the holes. Then carefully take seedlings and thread their leaves through the growing holes, so the roots are left inside.
3. Take a piece of hessian, cut a slit in it, and then cover the inside of the hole with the seeding stalk in the slit. Fill the bucket with soil to the ¾ mark.
4. Fold a 30cm x 15cm sheet of chicken wire into a harness, pinching the sides together. Then insert an old bottle cut in half. Fill it with growing medium and plant up.
5. Hang the bucket from one of the cross-beams of the A-frame greenhouse, and then make a wire handle for the bottle harness, and hang it directly beneath the bucket.
6. Now place an old tire on the ground, directly beneath the suspended containers above, fill it with rich growing medium and plant up. To irrigate, pour water into the bucket above, let it trickle into the bottle below, and then down into the tire garden on the ground. This hanging garden reduces water wastage to virtually nil, while the A-frame greenhouse keeps the environment humid and safe from sunburn.

Watch the video below to learn how to grow your own veggies from seedlings: [embed]https://youtu.be/zGfsL7XanZY[/embed]

For More Information

Visit the Builders Warehouse blog for more DIY inspiration, or subscribe to their YouTube channel for guided tutorials. Shop online for all your DIY tools and gadgets at www.builders.co.za or download the Builders Warehouse app for the latest updates on in-store specials and news.