Dusty from the office

Spring is officially here (despite the weather indications to the contrary…) and we all know the drill. It’s time for some Spring Cleaning. As you’re polishing your faucets to glimmer like a disco ball, you realize that the tarnish just isn’t lifting like it used to. Maybe it’s time to replace it, but… hire a handy man to install a new faucet?! No way! Nerd Chicks are here to help you to find the best resources to do-it-yourself on the cheap and get in touch with your inner DIY Master!

There are hundreds of websites dedicated to DIY projects. You could spend hours just perusing the search results, so we’ve weeded out the best and are here to serve them up on a shiny silver platter. Get started at http://www.diyideas.com, with simple step-by-step directions, tool guides and videos showing how to accomplish quick projects. There’s even a room-by-room guide to help you spiff up your pad from top to bottom. The “How To” tab will walk you through anything from how to safely install shelves, to how to prepare a project and budget plan. Not only will your house be up to code, but your friends may be jealous of how fabulous your newly tiled floor looks.

We love the DIY Network, even if it’s just to dream about projects we’ll probably never get to. At http://www.diynetwork.com, there are so many great ideas it has our heads spinning! Plus it complements the DIY Network on cable TV, so if you happen to miss an episode of “Bathtastic!” you can watch it on the website. From turning your cluttered garage into the at-home casino you’ve always dreamed of, to how to strip & reseal your deck, this site will help you with any DIY project you can imagine. We also love the great giveaways, from “Tuesday’s Toolsday” to a full yard makeover, we want it all! If you’re not quite sure what you want to do but you feel the need to do something, there is an easy project finder where a little effort will go a long way.

Better Homes and Gardens is a classic for a reason. With http://www.bhg.com, you can accomplish almost anything for your home and yard. Find a way to organize that crowded closet with the “closet capacity calculator”, or create your own personal Botanical Garden in your back yard with their tool to customize a landscape and garden plan. This site teaches you how to do everything better, period!

Is it not enough to be the king or queen of your castle’s home improvement? Want to master the art of (not) matching your pillows to your paint color? There are some great sites to help you learn all the ins and outs of home décor. Affiliated with GeekSugar (one of our favorite go-to sites for what’s fun in tech), http://www.casasugar.com has a wealth of great ideas. Decorator spotlights give insights on how the pros are decorating their homes. The community section links you in with other readers with great and unique home improvement ideas. They also regularly search out cool links to other websites to help you easily find out more about hot home design topics.

Finally, http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com is our newest obsession. Not only is this site full of tips and tricks, but the author, Karen, is all about doing everything as inexpensively as possible. She even makes over furniture that she’s found on the side of the road! Even if that isn’t your style, you’ll appreciate all of her low cost projects. With her clever, no-apologies writing style, she keeps you thoroughly entertained and eager to get crackin’.

Whether you want to fix your faucet or make a side table from a wooden stump in your back yard, these websites will give you enough ideas to keep you busy well beyond spring! Still struggling to change out the plate covers on your electrical outlets? Send us a note on Facebook facebook.com/nerdsoncall.

Photo thanks to smokeghost

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