Quick tips help avoid do-it-yourself pitfalls

(The following tips are excepted from the book "HandyMa'am" by Beverly DeJulio, Dearborn Publishing)

Although you're excited and anxious to get started on a new project, spend some time in the planning and organizing phase.

Have patience and pay attention to detail.

Eighty percent of any good homemaking project will be spent preparing the 20 percent that shows.

?Anytime you are working with small parts like screws, bolts, etc., keep them on a piece of masking tape to keep them from getting lost while working.

?Keep all your owner's manuals for appliances and tools in one place for easy access (a three-ring binder works great).

?Installing a new appliance, but stumped on how to remove the old one? Simply follow the installation directions backwards.

?Save an old leather belt or rubber glove for lining the jaws of pliers when you need to protect the finish of a surface from the pliers' teeth.

?When measuring, live by the old saying, "Measure twice, cut once."

?When patching walls, be sure to prime the area before painting or hanging wall covering. Otherwise, the patched area will dry a different shade, or if you are hanging wallpaper, it won't stick.

?If you need to fill some nail holes but don't have putty, mix some cornstarch with water until you have a smooth paste.

?Stains on walls (especially water stains) should be primed and sealed before painting to prevent bleeding through fresh paint and wall covering.

?To protect against paint splatters and drips, tie large plastic bags around chandeliers, ceiling fans and lighting fixtures.

?Keep new walls from getting scratched by putting peel-and-stick felt pads on the back side corners of wall hangings. Or squeeze a bead of silicone adhesive onto the corners. It dries into a rubbery material which will protect your walls.

?When covering all the walls in a room, start in a hidden area (behind a door or big wall unit), because as you work your way around the room, chances are you are going to have a mismatched pattern at that last corner.

?When purchasing wallpaper, make sure all rolls have the same run number. This means they were all printed the same day and that dye will be exactly the same in every roll. Keep that run number on file in case you need to buy more later.

?The easiest way to clean windows is using a solution that's one part water and three parts vinegar, using coffee filters or newspapers to wipe the glass.

?Dust your blinds with a paintbrush or by slipping an old sock over your hand.

?Always turn the power off for the circuit where you will be working at the main power box. Put masking tape over the circuit breaker switch so no one will accidentally switch it back on.

?To freshen kitchen drains, pour 3/4 cup baking soda in the drain, followed by 1 cup of hot white vinegar and let it sit overnight. (Not recommended if you have a septic tank.)

?Even if you never touch a plumbing project, find your home's main water supply shut-off valve and make sure it's working.

?When taking apart a faucet, place the parts down in the same order as you're taking them off. This makes it much easier to put it back together.

?If the scent of your cedar closet is starting to fade, simply sand lightly with a fine sand paper to renew the aroma.

?If dresser drawers don't open and close easily, remove the drawer and wipe and dust dirt off tracks and wheels, and apply some penetrating oil.

?Need more space for your work-at-home office? Convert unused closets into working space by installing cabinets.

?For minor scratches on wood surfaces, scratch removers (available at hardware stores and home centers) can make it look like the scratch disappeared. For water rings, sprinkle some baking soda on the stain and buff with a damp cloth, wipe the baking soda residue with a fresh cloth and apply lemon oil furniture treatment

(Beverly DeJulio is host of the new PBS series, "HandyMa'am¨ with Beverly DeJulio." She was previously host of The Discovery Channel's "Easy Does It," and hosts "HomeWise with Beverly DeJulio" on the Home and Garden Television Network. She is a columnist with Good Housekeeping Do It Yourself, and is a radio personality on WBBM-AM in Chicago.)

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