Do-It-Yourself Kitchen Cabinets

When remodeling the heart of your home, you may want to consider cutting costs by looking into do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet projects instead of hiring someone to replace them. It might be better to reuse the cupboards you have and instead spend the bulk of your budget on elements of the room that need to be upgraded in order to change the style, such as appliances, flooring and countertops. There are quite a few ways to refurbish cabinetry with DIY tips and make whatever you have fit any decor.

The easiest and most inexpensive do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet project is to roll up your sleeves and bring out the roller. A fresh coat of color can make the oldest cabinets look new and all it takes is a little sanding, priming and brush work. A bright white can make the dullest cabinetry fresh and new and a slick back ??? can turn decades old cupboards into something modern and contemporary. This also gives you the option of trying something bold and daring because if the end product isn't to your satisfaction, you can always put on a different coat. Other painting options include using stencils to add some detail if you already like the base color of the wood and you just want some extra detail.

Another great DIY option for solid wood cupboards is to stain them so they match the newer woodwork you put in your home while remodeling. This takes longer than painting because of having to strip the cabinetry down to the bare wood. It takes more sanding and prep but, if the rest of your house leans toward this style, it is worth it in the end. There are chemical stain mixtures that you can just brush on that cut the work in half, or you can grab a hand sander and use some good old elbow grease to get the job done.

Stick-on sheet metal is another great do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet project if you are looking for a contemporary upgrade. It can be cut to the size of the door inlays and put on after painting or staining. You could even have it cut so it covers the whole front of the cupboard doors.

If your cabinetry has glass panels, these are also easy DIY ways to upgrade it. There are many glass paints available where you can create any design you want to hide the insides of your cupboards from view without having to replace the whole door. Another option can be to decoupage some favorite photos, postcards or prints to the back of the panel. You could also glue fabric to the backs of the doors, or add Velcro tabs where you can change out the fabric with different seasons or just for whenever the mood strikes.

One of the fastest do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet projects, which offer a big impact for little time and investment, is to change out all the hardware. Every shape, color and material imaginable can be found, or made custom. Upgrading the handles, pulls and hinges can make a world of difference in any remodeling design.