FIF Blog
FIF Blog
mobile logo How Do You Make Your Own Shoe Storage?

DIY Tag

How Do You Make Your Own Shoe Storage?
August 17, 2026

How Do You Make Your Own Shoe Storage?

Making your own shoe storage does not require joinery skills or a workshop, just a clear idea of how many pairs genuinely need to live by your front door. This guide starts with the sorting exercise that determines the size of what you build, then works through several practical approaches: wall fixed battens with loose boards for maximum capacity at minimum cost, a simple open bench that lets people sit while putting shoes on, and clever reuse of crates, blanket boxes and under stairs voids. We include the shelf spacings, seat heights and depths that suit real British hallways, along with the small details that separate a piece you keep from one you regret, including drip trays, ventilation, rounded edges and wall fixing. There is also honest advice on when building your own beats buying and when it does not....

Continue Reading
How Do You Anchor a Shoe Storage Bench to the Wall Safely?
August 17, 2026

How Do You Anchor a Shoe Storage Bench to the Wall Safely?

Anchoring a shoe storage bench is about getting the correct fixing into the correct material, and this guide walks through exactly how to do that in a British home. It explains how to identify whether you are dealing with solid brick, timber stud plasterboard, dot and dab, or fragile lath and plaster, and which fixing each of those walls actually requires. You will find guidance on locating studs, checking for cables and pipes before drilling, choosing between wall plugs, wood screws and metal spring toggles, and why fixing high up a tall back panel matters more than fixing low. It also covers the mistakes people make most often, from screwing into skirting board to overtightening plugs, plus how to position a bench sensibly and how often to check the restraint once it is in place....

Continue Reading
How Do You Make Bed Headboard?
August 17, 2026

How Do You Make Bed Headboard?

Making a bed headboard means cutting a board to the width of your bed, gluing on upholstery foam, adding a layer of wadding, then stretching fabric over the panel and stapling it to the back, a project that fits comfortably into an afternoon. This guide covers how to work out width and height so the panel suits your room rather than overwhelming it, which board thickness and foam depth to choose, and how much fabric to buy. It sets out the stapling sequence that keeps tension even and avoids diagonal creases, explains how to add buttons, channel panelling or piping, and details both fixing methods: a French cleat for wall mounting and timber struts for bolting to a divan base. A short FAQ answers the questions that come up mid project....

Continue Reading
How Do You Attach a Bed Headboard?
August 16, 2026

How Do You Attach a Bed Headboard?

Bed headboards attach in three main ways: bolted to the bed frame, bolted through a divan base, or mounted to the wall on brackets or a cleat. This guide starts by helping you identify which type you have, then walks through each method step by step, including the tools required and the order in which to tighten bolts so everything lines up. It covers choosing a sensible height and getting the panel level in older UK homes where skirting boards rarely are, plus fixes for the usual problems: misaligned bolts, stripped divan threads, missing hardware and headboards that knock against the wall. There is also guidance on when wall mounting is the safer option for heavier upholstered or solid timber panels....

Continue Reading
How Do You Upholster Bed Headboard?
August 16, 2026

How Do You Upholster Bed Headboard?

Upholstering a bed headboard is one of the most achievable bedroom projects you can take on at home, and the result changes the whole character of a room. This guide explains the process in the order it should be done: preparing a rigid backing board, bonding foam, adding a layer of wadding, then stretching and stapling fabric with even tension. We cover how much fabric to buy, how to cut foam cleanly, how to handle square and curved corners, and how to add buttoning or panel detailing without creating an uneven surface. There is practical advice on fixing the finished panel to a divan, a bed frame or the wall at the right height, along with fabric choices suited to British bedrooms and the common mistakes that give a homemade headboard away. Whether you are reviving a tired headboard or building one from scratch, the steps below will help you reach a tidy, considered finish....

Continue Reading
Can Bar Stools Be Shortened?
August 14, 2026

Can Bar Stools Be Shortened?

Bar stools can often be shortened, but only some types, and telling them apart is the most important part of the job. This guide sets out which stools take a cut well, including solid timber and tubular metal legs, and which must be left alone, such as pressurised gas lift columns, cantilever frames and moulded shell designs. It explains how much material can safely come off, how to work out the reduction from your worktop rather than a round number, and how to mark and cut accurately so the stool sits level afterwards. It also covers correcting a slight rock, sealing fresh end grain, and simpler alternatives that avoid cutting altogether....

Continue Reading
Can You Paint Wardrobes?
August 14, 2026

Can You Paint Wardrobes?

Almost any wardrobe can be painted, including melamine and high gloss faced units, but the finish depends far more on preparation than on the paint itself. This guide starts by identifying the surface, since solid timber, veneer, laminate and lacquered fronts each need a different approach, then works through removing doors and hardware, filling chips and washing away the grease that causes most paint failures. It explains how far to sand each material, why a bonding primer is essential on smooth non porous surfaces, and how two thin primer coats on a difficult substrate save trouble later. There is guidance on choosing between water based satin, eggshell, chalk paint and full gloss, applying thin coats with a foam roller without leaving brush marks, and allowing a proper cure before hardware and clothing return. The five mistakes that ruin a painted finish are listed at the end, with realistic expectations for how a repainted wardrobe wears over the following years....

Continue Reading
How Do You Build a Wardrobe from Scratch?
August 14, 2026

How Do You Build a Wardrobe from Scratch?

Building a wardrobe from scratch comes down to making an accurate box, fixing it securely and fitting it out well. This guide follows the full sequence for a UK home: measuring an out of square room and setting sensible dimensions, choosing between eighteen millimetre MDF and birch plywood, planning cuts from full sheets, and cutting straight over two metre lengths with a circular saw and a clamped straight edge. You will learn why the back panel is what keeps a carcass square for years, how to check squareness by measuring diagonals, why a full height unit must be fixed to the wall, and how to plan an interior that doubles hanging capacity with split rails. There is also guidance on supporting rails and shelves against sag, hinge counts for tall doors, clearance gaps, sliding door weight limits, and priming every face to prevent bowing....

Continue Reading
How Do You Measure up for Sliding Wardrobe Doors?
August 14, 2026

How Do You Measure up for Sliding Wardrobe Doors?

Measuring for sliding wardrobe doors is unforgiving work, because unlike hinged doors there is no hinge adjustment to hide an out of square opening. This guide sets out exactly what to record: three widths, three heights, both diagonals, and the front to back depth that most people forget, which is around 100mm for a two panel system. It explains why you always work to the smallest figure, how to allow for carpet and underlay before fitting, and how to check level, plumb and square with a long level rather than a short one. Panel counts by opening width, mirrored panel weight, and planning the interior layout before the doors go on are all covered, with UK homes and their uneven alcoves in mind....

Continue Reading
Can You Paint Mirrored Wardrobe Doors?
August 14, 2026

Can You Paint Mirrored Wardrobe Doors?

Mirrored wardrobe doors can be painted, but the answer depends on which part you mean. Refreshing the frame while keeping the glass is a manageable weekend job that updates a dated wardrobe without losing the light bouncing benefit that made a mirrored door useful in the first place. Painting over the mirror itself is a larger commitment, needing a primer made for non porous surfaces and an acceptance that the change cannot be undone. This guide covers both routes, from masking the glass so no paint bleeds under the tape to cleaning and priming a mirror properly, and explains why a replacement glass or solid panel is often the tougher long term finish. We also look at how removing reflection changes a small UK bedroom and when a new wardrobe is the better decision....

Continue Reading