Our favourite DIY hacks

There’s nothing like getting stuck into a spot of do-it-yourself to make you feel empowered! Here are a few simple yet essential life hacks to help you feel like the king or queen of your castle

1 Holding nails while hammering them can be risky. Use a clothes peg to secure the nail in place and keep your fingertips safe from harm.

2 The next time you’re drilling a small hole, place a sticky note directly under the drill and fold it upwards. This will catch most of the dust and keep the floor clean.

3 Prepping for a big paint job only to find your old brushes are rigid with dry paint? Boil them in vinegar. Hot vinegar will disperse the paint, leaving the bristles soft and ready for use.

4 Wrap a rubber band around the paint tin lengthways and wipe excess paint from the brush against the band – this keeps paint from running down the sides of the tin onto the floor.

5 If the headlights of your car are a bit dull, try this easy trick: smear a little toothpaste on a rag and give the headlight covers a wipe. They’ll be sparkling clean in no time.

6 Tired of your garden shed or garage looking a mess? Cut up PVC piping and attach pieces to the walls to create holsters for rakes, brooms and spades.

7 Hanging a picture on a nail can be difficult because you can’t see the nail to make sure the string has caught on it. Grab a fork from the kitchen, position it on the nail and slip the string over the fork. Simply tilt the fork until the string slips over the nail then pull the fork out.

8 Trying to remove a stripped screw? Placing a rubber band over a screw head that’s been worn down helps the screwdriver to grip onto it.

9 Bathroom desperately in need of a fresh coat of paint but you can’t stand the smell? Simply add one teaspoon of vanilla essence to every litre of paint to help neutralise the strong odour. It won’t affect the colour of the paint and will make your home smell wonderful.

10 Magnets to the rescue! Slide a magnet along the wall to detect hidden studs or nails.

11 You can also glue a small magnet to the bottom of your hammer and let it do the nail-holding for you.