This post is sponsored by Lowes. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever worked on a DIY project and found yourself stuck on a step? Or maybe there was a tool necessary to complete your project, but you were just too intimidated to use it? I can speak from personal experience that many of my DIY skills have been self-taught over the years using the good old trial and error method; some with triumphant completions and some others…well, not so much. Those times when I’m a bit stumped, I’ve always wished I had a professional around to ask my DIY questions. Well folks, that glorious day finally arrived!
The UpSkill Project crew took over the Lowe’s in Hamburg, NY on June 16 to host The UpSkill Project Community Workshop for the greater Buffalo area. While not everyone in Buffalo was able to be an UpSkiller (like the UpSkiller I covered in a previous blog post), everyone was able to get in on The UpSkill Project Workshop fun, to learn new skills from Red Vests, and to gain confidence to tackle their own DIY projects! Free and open to the public, the workshop offered teaching opportunities for obtaining skills in four key areas: painting, tiling, plumbing and general tools.
I joined the Buffalo community for the day to learn, put some extra DIY feathers in my cap, and had an absolute blast in the process! As an added bonus, all five of the local residents who participated in The UpSkill Project Contest were also at the workshop to learn and show off their finished projects to fellow Lowe’s customers! It was so incredible to see all the transformations of their spaces in the before and after photos. The UpSkillers left everyone feeling really inspired.
While the four workshop areas covered during the Community Workshop (painting, tiling, plumbing and general tools) are skills needed for some of the most common home improvement projects, I would argue that they are also some of the most rewarding DIY skills to be armed with. Having the knowledge and skills to fix the hole in your drywall or install a new bathroom sink is extra money in your pocket, not requiring you to pay a handy-man or woman! I also think that having this knowledge crowns you DIY king or queen, granting you that extra confidence to tackle your next DIY project with no fear.
Let’s take a closer look at The UpSkill Project Community Workshop stations…shall we?
Jerry from Lowe’s covered a step-by-step lesson on patching drywall. He made it so simple and easy to understand. First, use a blade and your putty knife to remove any of the wall that is crumbled or broken. Next, add a drywall patch, and evenly apply putty over it. Finally, sand the area down so it’s even with the rest of the wall and paint. It’s as easy as one, two, three! Thanks, Jerry!
Tom from Sherwin Williams paint covered tips on painting furniture and cabinets. He taught us that you should always prime unfinished wood before adding your finished paint coat. If your furniture or cabinets already have a finish on them and you don’t want to go through the hassle of meticulously sanding everything down, use bonding primer before painting. Also, he highly recommends using a nappy roller versus a smooth foam roller for a better finish. Oh, and his favorite brush to help eliminate brush strokes? The Purdy! (It also happens to be my favorite too!)
Participants even got to practice tiling with the pro. This was my favorite station because I’m going to be doing some tiling in my own home soon. I captured all the tiling steps to share with you! Watch the step-by-step video on the haus2home Instagram page (@haus2home) in the highlights section.
The final station led us to plumbing. Our friends from Lowe’s did a beautiful job at breaking down the steps to teach everyone how to install a brand new faucet in a vanity. It was something I had never done before and much like all the other workshop stations presentations, I now 100% feel like it’s something I could do on my own in the future!
And that’s a wrap! I had such an amazing time at The UpSkill Project Community Workshop. For a closer look from the entire day, visit the haus2home Instagram page (@haus2home) and view the highlights section!
Curious if The UpSkill Project is coming to a city near you? Don’t miss out! Check out upcoming community workshops in your area and learn more about The UpSkill Project.
What an awesome event!! I hope they come back so I can attend one in the future. These skills will be really helpful when we get a house.