The 42 best decorating tips of all time (part one)

Before you re-stain any floorboards, grab some talc and sprinkle it on squeaky boards. Silence is golden!

They don't need washing after every coat of paint so chill out, wrap them tightly in a plastic bag and they'll be ready to use when you need them.

If you fancy making some new curtains, make the cutting part easy by pulling a horizontal thread in your material to give you a straight edge to work to.

While you're in the bathroom getting the talc, also grab some baby oil because after a messy upcycling project is completed, it will slide excess paint off your skin with ease.

No, we're not going mad. If you add a few drops of vanilla essence to your paint, the fumes will be far more bearable. Try it, you'll be shocked!

Before you sit down to do some sewing, grab some hairspray. Give your thread a quick spritz, let it dry, then it will glide through your needle.

Don't cry over spilt paint. Instead, soften it with some linseed oil, then gently scrape it off. Easy!

When you finally remember you keep meaning to grab a rug gripper so you can lay a fresh textural delight, don't spend more than you have to… use double-sided tape.

Need to cut some delicate fabric? If you're making new textiles for your home, boil some water, dip your scissor blades in for a few seconds and then cut. 

It'll be much smoother and you'll have less wastage.

If you fancy changing up your bathroom taps but find you have a drip afterwards, tie some dental floss around the faucet and lay it down into the plughole. 

You won't get annoyed by a dripping sound while you figure out what the issue is!

If you have some paper plates, or even old chipped plates laying around, use them to stand your paint cans on. You'll be delighted with how much clean up time this saves you.

For any dark wood items that have scratches ruining their appearance, make up some strong coffee and gently wipe it into the scuffs. They'll disappear like magic!

Grab your nail polish, but don't sit down to give yourself a mani/pedi just yet. Apply clear nail polish to screw heads to make sure they never come loose. 

Do you play golf? Then you must have some super handy wooden gold tees kicking around somewhere. They're perfect for pressing into holes in your woodwork, cutting off flush and painting over.

Grab any leftover plumbing sundries you have and make a pretty towel rail. We think cheap copper pipe and fittings look super!

Add some practicality to your hallway with a simple key hook… but go the extra mile.

While you're tackling this project, notch a little cut-out into the key you use the most so you'll be able to locate it in your pocket in lightning quick time!

If you have any copper wire laying around, take some inspiration from this super light. Wrap it around a torch and create a little stand so you can have light even in the most awkward of places, such as under the sink!

It can be tricky if you want to enjoy some loud music whilst decorating as you don't want to get paint on your stereo. So, use Kilner jars or glasses as a handy amplifier for your phone instead.

To prevent too much paint wastage, drill holes around the lip of your tins so excess paint can drain back in.

While you're decorating, you might notice certain tools need new handles. Rather than throwing them out and buying new ones, set yourself a little repair project. 

It'll be fun and rewarding!

If you have an old oven or gardening glove hanging around, don't just throw it away as it can be a really handy tool belt! Simply thread onto a belt, cut holes in the tip and poke tools through.

Come back tomorrow to discover lots of great extra tips! Until then, take a look at this Ideabook: 20 cheap and easy garden DIY projects you can manage.