When your house or the items in it fall into disrepair, do you call in a tradesperson and/or replace old with new?
Or instead, do you make and mend do to save money and learn new skills along the way?
As TV hits like The Repair Shop prove, more of us are choosing the latter option these days and rediscovering the joys of overcoming challenges and fixing things we would never have had the nerve to attempt in the past.
While it’s always best leaving complex repairs on electrics and plumbing to experts, there are many areas in and around the home where a can-do attitude combined with the right tools and materials will work wonders.
But having a few insider sources always helps – so here are five make do and mend websites which will soon become your very own trade secrets!
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Haberdashery
If you like to create and repair your own clothes, quilts and soft furnishings but don’t have a good old-fashioned haberdashery on your high street, help is at hand.
The wonderfully named Sew Yarn Crafty in Dunfermline, Fife has every type of high-quality fabric, button and dressmaking pattern you can think of – and it ships across the country from its online store.
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Furniture restoration
Fond of a bit of French polishing and restoring everything from brass goods to clocks, barometers and writing desks to their former glory?
Then you’ll absolutely love a rake around the Restoration Materials website – from gilding materials to desktop leathers, this site is an absolute treasure trove for this particular DIY niche.
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External rendering
Want to refurbish your home exterior so that it looks fresh and fabulous? With an established trade site like Direct Building Products you can choose from a range of quality renders and have it looking like new in no time.
And with nationwide next day delivery, you won’t need to wait long to get your hard hat on and start the transformation. Can you fix it? Yes, you can!
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Stencilling
Stencilling is an accessible way to reinvigorate your home interiors without having to call in a professional painter. But it’s tough finding stencil kits that don’t look generic and samey.
Until now that is – Stencil Up has a vast range of craft stencils that cover everything from classical Oriental design to Art Deco. Get online, get ordering and eagerly anticipate that satisfying feeling when you peel off the stencil to reveal the sublime design underneath. Job done.
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Shoe repair
So many of us are guilty of throwing perfectly good shoes in the bin the minute they become a little worn or tired looking.
What a lot of cobblers – grab some heels, rubber, leather, fastenings and adhesives from the Charles Birch online shoe repair emporium and give your favourite pair of heels or loafers a new lease of life.
There you have it – a quintet of quality make do and mend websites that will save you money and make you more self-sufficient.
Have fun with your projects!
