Improve your DIY skills with these top tips, tricks and crafty shortcuts for the home that you'll wish you had known sooner. From simple paint tips for touch up jobs to more in-depth skills from the professionals, check out these genius DIY hacks that will change your decorating life forever. You can thank us later!

When it comes to furniture upcycling, our go-to paint has to be chalk paint. There's no need to prime or sand, meaning you can get straight down to the creative stuff! But, while chalk paint can create stunning results it can be expensive. DIY blogger The Carpenter's Daughter has an effective formula to make your own at a fraction of the price of well-known brands. Vikki Lee mixes regular emulsion paint, calcium carbonate and water to make homemade chalk paint, and promises the quality will be just as good as your favourites. Why not give it a try?

Fancy adding some new wallpaper to your walls? Make the job easier by taking the wallpaper out of its roll a few days before installation and re-roll it the opposite way. The paper will then lie flat as you work. Top tip: before you begin, make sure all the rolls have the same batch number printed on the label, as colours can vary. This floral wallpaper used by View Along The Way is divine and pre-pasted so makes hanging up even easier! 

When applying adhesive to your wallpaper use a paint roller instead of a sponge or brush. The paste will spread more evenly and consistently. Some papers now require you to paste the wall before hanging which means the paper weighs less and is not soggy, so there's less chance of tearing! So again use the roller, only this time on the wall!

Fed up with messy paint tins and paint dripping on the floor? A simple rubber band stretched across the middle of the paint can will allow you to wipe excess paint off the brush so it falls back into the container and not down the sides. This DIY decorating hack is so simple yet so effective! 

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Question: How do you paint a room while keeping your paint tray like new? Answer: Simply cover the tray with a plastic bag before you pour in the paint. When you are finished just remove the bag and throw it away. You can also use heavy-duty cling film or foil. Your paint tray will remain as clean as a whistle underneath, and you won't need to wash out any more paint trays!

The next time you need to drill holes in any wall or surface stick a folded sticky note underneath. The fold will catch the dust before it falls onto the floor. For bigger jobs tape a cut cardboard cereal box to the wall or ask someone to hold a dustpan underneath as you drill. Simple!

Remember that sawdust you saved on the sticky note? Use it to make your own wood filler to smooth out any annoying gaps. All you'll need is some wood or craft glue to work as a binder. If the sawdust comes from the same workpiece, the colour with be similar to the original surface. Take a look at the Instructables tutorial by Astuces de Trente Secondes for a full guide.

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Solid wood furniture is so appealing but over time warping and wear and tear can take its toll and make drawers hard to open. There is however an easy solution to get them running smoothly again. Pull out the drawer and using a clean cloth apply a thin layer of wax to the glide tracks. You can buy specially formulated furniture wax or for a quick-fix candle wax will do. For a more in-depth how-to check out The Real Milk Paint Co's blog.

If you're not a pro, using your hand to steady nails can lead to hammer injuries. Keep your fingers safe by holding the nail in place with a wooden peg. That way your hand will remain well clear of any knocks and the nail stays in place as NZ Eco Chick demonstrates here. This trick also works with a comb in place of a peg.

DIY jobs often need water but how do you fit a large bucket into a small sink? Those clever DIYers at Instructables have a smart idea involving a swimming aid! Avoid having to lift the heavy water-filled bucket using a pool noodle as a hose. Slide one end over the tap and point the other end into the bucket and turn the tap on - it's that simple!

Using your mouth to keep nails and screws within reach is unhygienic and a tad dangerous! Why not hot glue a magnet to your drill handle and stick your nails on there? Or, better still make a magnetic wrist band like this grey version by My Altered State that fits perfectly.

DIY jobs can often feel like you need two pairs of hands to get the job done. So, when working alone hacks to help multi-task are the key to success. Look out for a tape measure that has a pencil holder attached so you can measure and mark with ease. Or, clamp a small pencil or piece of chalk into the belt clip.

We've all come across a dreaded stripped screw ( where a screw head is damaged so much that it is impossible to remove with a screwdriver). A simple way to remove one is to use a rubber band. Lay the band over the screw and insert the screwdriver on top. The rubber acts as a grip and fills the damaged void. The RTA Cabinet Store goes into more detail on their blog.

Take the headache out of mounting a piece of wall art with everyday toothpaste. To find the perfect spot to drill in the wall, dab a blob of toothpaste on the frame where the nail needs to go, and then hold it up to touch the wall. Toothpaste will transfer onto the wall exactly where you need it. Then just wipe off the toothpaste when the nail is in place. Loving Here has used this DIY hack for creating many gorgeous gallery walls in her home. 

Decorators caulk makes grouted tiles fully water-resistant around the edges. Keep the caulk line perfectly straight and clean by marking out a straight margin with your trusty painter's tape. Squeeze the caulk along the centre of the tracks and smooth it out with your finger. Allow to dry for 10 minutes and peel off the tape for a smooth crisp waterproof sealant. Check out this method from start to finish by How To Nest For Less who's caulks like a pro.

Sealant is vital when installing a bath to keep the area water-tight. However, DIYers can often make a big mistake when caulking the bath edge. Luckily Jon Cooper, owner of BC Profiles has given us this tip for new and replacement sealant jobs. "When the old sealant has been removed, fill the bath with water (before laying the new). This added weight will ensure that the sealant won’t crack when the bath is used later.' Great advice!

Tile spacers are little plastic crosses, wedges or sticks that are inserted between tiles (when being laid) to keep them an equal distance apart. Once removed they leave behind a narrow trough in which to apply grout. If you don't have any to hand matchsticks work too and are an effective go-to for small tile jobs like this splashback by Mamas Mercantile.

Remember the names of paint colours for each room in your home by making a handy keyring of colours. Cut out small squares of relevant paint chips and glue them onto key tags then write the paint name and room on the back. Keep them together on a keyring. This idea comes from Live Love DIY. Virginia takes hers out when shopping for matching fabrics, furniture and decorative accents, too.

Make sandpaper work twice as hard by backing it up with duct tape. Whether you are sanding freehand or using a sanding block, reinforcing the back stops the paper from tearing and the grits last longer. Add the tape to the back in strips to make sure the sandpaper is still flexible. 

Spruce up natural but tired floorboards with an eco-friendly apple cider vinegar solution. Lead interior designer, David Ewart from Pavilion Broadway explains: "It offers an all-natural cleaner that will also protect the finish or varnish on your flooring". Sweep or vacuum your floor, then mix one full cup of apple cider vinegar for every five litres of warm water in a bucket. Mop or clean the floor by hand with a cloth, and make sure not to leave any excess dampness on the floorboards by gently wiping it down after.

Changes of temperature can spoil leftover paint, so if you have any surplus after your latest project, pop it in a mason jar, rather than in the garden shed. Let's face it, paint cans take up a lot of space in the home, so this is the ideal way to keep paints handy for touchups but without cluttering up your home.

Have you got a few light scratches on wooden furniture? Take the natural approach and erase them with walnuts. According to wikiHow, rub the raw nut over the affected area and let the nut oil absorb into the wood. Buff with a soft clean cloth and the scratches will be sealed and gone! 

No matter how many times you put out coasters, there's always someone who accidentally leaves a glass directly on the wood furniture, right? Stay calm as you can eliminate those water rings with regular toothpaste. Using white paste (not gel) dab a small blob on the area and rub gently with a cloth. Charles + Hudson have a detailed tutorial for this hack and tries other household staples such as mayonnaise too!

Need to peel off that pricing label without leaving a sticky residue? Use the hot air from a hairdryer to melt and lift the glue. Salvaged Inspirations removed packing tape with this method when upcycling a dresser. This DIY hack also works wonders on children's stickers that may have been 'creatively' added to bedroom doors or furniture without parental permission. 

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Clean up after DIY jobs by making a natural cleaning solution that is kind to your skin. Mom4real uses coconut oil, baking soda and lemon essential oil to clean spray paint off hands in a jiffy. Take a look at her blog for the full recipe and method. 

Drilling onto slippery ceramic tiles can be tricky. If it goes wrong the tiles will crack and replacing one tile in a pattern is not a fun task. Ask The Builder recommends using a brand-new carbide-tipped masonry drill bit, low speed and light pressure. But first, mark the area you want to drill onto duct tape over the tile as the matt surface will help control the wandering drill bit and stop it from sliding.

There is a reason the phrase 'watching paint dry' came about: DIY paint jobs can take a while. Stop paintbrushes and rollers from drying out in between coats by popping them in plastic bags or wrapping them in cling film to keep them moist. 

There's no need for that large, chunky spirit level. Did you know an iPhone can act as a substitute level? If you have an updated IOS go to the apps section and look for the measure app, click on the level tab and hey presto - when the phone is level on a surface the screen turns green! If you don't have an iPhone there are many spirit level and measuring apps such as Precise Level, that can be downloaded onto other smartphones too. 

Masking tape is a decorator's toolbox essential. However, a poor quality tape can let paint seep through leaving jagged edges. Ensure a professional finish every time by using a quality painter's tape such as Frog Tape or Ambro Professional. They are so much more effective at reducing paint bleed and will not mar the surface when you remove it to reveal that oh-so satisfying clean-lined finish. For freshly painted surfaces, opt for a tape designed for delicate surfaces.

Read more: How to decorate a buy-to-let property