diy Archives - Page 6 of 9 - A Dabbled Dwelling

I Easily Added a DIY Arch to My Bathroom

June 29, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I am finally remodeling my primary bathroom! This is a super exciting project because I have just been waiting for the chance to do it. I had very big plans for this space including new vanities, classic decor choices, a window to bring some natural light, and best of all, an arched doorway for my shower. Arches can be such a classy and easy element to make any space feel so glam.

A DIY Arch is Easier Than it Seems

I started with demo of the shower and the rest of the bathroom. I took that shower down to the studs. Then I added new framing in the doorway. The framing was built out from the wall a little to provide some shape for the arch. Once the door was framed I searched for the perfect window to add to the shower. Imagine my surprise when I found the perfect window on Facebook Marketplace! My husband and I installed the window and it is so nice having some natural light in the bathroom.

Woman shows off new window by sitting on the sill

I moved on to starting the arch. Using my jigsaw I cut an arch out of particle board and attached it to the framing that I had already installed. This arch was used for the front of the doorway, I added some blocking to it for stability using cut 2x4s. The other side of the doorway was created with an arch I cut out of cement board since it was inside the shower. That was attached to the framing and blocking.

Woman measure cement board for an arch in a shower

Woman installs cement board inside shower

With the skeleton of the arch up I needed to finish it with drywall on the parts that didn’t get cements board. For the front I just cut an arch out of drywall. Then I screwed that into the blocking and 2x4s, then taped and mudded it. On the inside of the arch I used drywall. I added relief cuts to the drywall for the top so that it would bend with the curve of the arch. The cement board and inside of the arch was painted with Red Guard to help make it waterproof. After the Red Guard the inside was plastered using drywall mud.

Not Quite Done, But I’m in Love

I’m still mid renovation on the bathroom, so the shower isn’t quite done. This arch was so easy to create, I love the look it gives the shower and the timeless feel of it. I can’t wait to get the bathroom finished and add a gorgeous glass door to my shower. Follow along to see how the bathroom turns out!

How to DIY a Home Gym Storage Peg Board

June 25, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

There is a room in my upstairs hall that until now has been ignored. I have sort of just been throwing extra decor and home goods in there and shutting the door. Out of sight out of mind… Finally, I decided that it was time to give that room a purpose. I’ve been in the market to start working out, but I really don’t want to pay for a gym membership. So, I figured, why not make that room a home gym? One thing about home gyms is that they require a lot of stuff! I wanted to create storage that stood out and was different. For all of the bands, jump ropes, and other strappy things I wanted to DIY a home gym storage peg board.

DIY A Storage Peg Board

I started with 3/4 plywood and cut it into an arch using my jigsaw. Next I used my 1 inch drill bit to drill holes in a grid pattern. I cut 1 inch dowels to size for the pegs, and thensanded everything including the inside edges of the holes and the pegs. Once it was all sanded I used Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain in Sunbleached followed by Western Oak. It was all sealed using Varathane’s Polyurethane coating and I gave the edges a more finished look using iron on edge banding. Then I moved it all upstairs and loaded it up. Easy peasy.

A drill is being used to create 1 inch holes in plywood.

Sanding block is used to sand arch with one inch holes

An arch with one inch holes is being sealed with polyurethane

Woman uses iron to apply edge banding to plywood arch

It’s a Great Storage Solution

This was seriously an easy and adorable storage project. It came together quickly and is super versatile and adjustable. The DIY peg board is the perfect addition to my home gym. It holds all of the necessary equipment and looks great doing it!

How To Finish DIY Arches by Using Flexible Trim

May 31, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I recently tore out my wet bar because it never got used. My objective was that I would get more use out of that space being a wide hallway and butler pantry/wine bar area. I included cabinets, a wine fridge, and a wine rack, but one other thing I really wanted was arches. After we tore out the wet bar we built in DIY arches. That was easy compared to doing the finishing work on them.

Trial and Error to Finish the DIY Arches

On one side of the butler pantry/wine bar the arch will be finished with drywall. That is easy peasy. On the other side our living room has paneling that I would like to preserve. In order to do that I needed to do my best to match the trim on that arch to the paneling. At first I tried PVC trim, I figured that if I heated it up, I could get it to bend.

Woman heats PVC trim in an attempt to bend it

I was so wrong! Nothing I tried worked to get the PVC trim to bend the right way to finish off my arch without breaking. Relief cuts weren’t an option, and it would have been A LOT of relief cuts. After a lot of trial and error, and maybe a little swearing, I gave up on the PVC trim. I had heard about flexible trim, but hadn’t tried using it yet. Amazon to the rescue. I hopped on and ordered some flexible trim hoping to put this ordeal behind me.

Woman is frustrated with broken PVC trim

Finally the flexible trim came, but… they sent the wrong kind. At this point I wanted to bang my head on the wall. I informed Amazon and they shipped out the correct one, but I still had to wait for it. While I was waiting I used my time to match the other trim that I couldn’t use flexible trim for. Once the flexible trim came I was so ready to get going. It’s super easy to install, I just used my nail gun. I filled in gaps and cracks with caulk. After everything was all buttoned up I painted the arch to match the surrounding paneling.

Woman nails trim on a diy arch to match the paneling

DIY Arches Success!

This was a heck of a learning curve. Honestly, with all of the time I wasted trying the PVC I should have just started out with the flexible trim. It turned out so well, and I am very happy with the look of the arch in the paneling. I love a challenge and learning new things and this was a good way to do it.