Home reno show House Rules makes DIY look pretty dramatic. There are paint-roller showdowns, couples breaking up, clique warfare, and snarky comments from judges. A tip we should all learn from the show is this: DRAMA and DIY should never go hand in hand. At least, not that kind of drama. You really need a cool head, plenty of time, and for things to go smoothly. Not that you won’t experience the occasional failure, everybody does.
Mistakes can be charming. For instance, people may look at an upside down light fitting and think artistic. But a gap where the newly laid carpet doesn’t reach the wall, well, isn’t. Here at Macquarie Community College, we’re all about helping people expand their knowledge and skill set so they can do their own household and garden fixer-uppers without too many of the wrong kind of mistakes.
Our wide variety of DIY courses include:
1.Secrets of a property stylist: You need to learn how to get a property ready for a fast sale for top dollar? These interior deign techniques will accentuate your home’s advantages. Even real estate agents are coming to this course!
2.Furniture restoration and French polishing: So you have a piece of furniture that you love but needs an authentic makeover? Our tutor is a specialist in repairing old and valuable furniture. Bring your item to class and learn how to strip, prepare, stain and fill it. You’ll soon be placing your beautiful piece of furniture in a pride of place.
3.Fine woodworking skills: You’ve always admired people who can make fine things using hand tools. Doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, this course teaches you how to use saws, planes and chisels. You’ll make a project under the guidance of someone who has years of experience.
4.Upholstery: You’ve been rummaging around car boot sales and have found the perfect dining chair, but the upholstery is entirely the wrong look for your beachside apartment. In this course, you’ll learn the pitfalls of selecting the wrong fabrics, and develop all the confidence and technique you need to complete any small project at home.
5.Sharpening edge tools (sharpening handsaws, sharpening planes and chisels) : You want to start a woodworking project after inheriting your dad’s old planes, chisels, gouges and drawknives. But how do you sharpen them without ruining them? In this one-day session, you learn how. You’ll also develop a basic understanding of elementary woodworking.
6.Decks and pergolas: You’ve always pictured having friends over for a barbie, but you have to build the deck first. In this course, you’ll find out how to design, set out and construct your new deck.
So if you’re planning a DIY project, here are a few tips we’ve learned along the way:
1. Learn as much as you can first
2. Start small
3. Do a project that gets you excited or you just won’t finish it
4. Measure twice, cut once
If you and a group of friends want to do a DIY course and experience your own ‘house rules’ drama, give us a call.
Call 1300 845 888 or scroll through our DIY courses and enrol online.