The Greek God(zilla)’s Guide to DIY

The Greek God(zilla)’s Guide to DIY

I grew up in a house where if a curtain rail fell down, my Dad would simply pull out his tool box, climb up his trusty old step-ladder and re-fix the rail to the wall.

If a lightbulb needed changing, the step-ladder would come out again and within a few minutes, light would be restored!

Pictures were hung perfectly in line on walls, washing machines were expertly plumbed, carpets were neatly fitted – all by his own fair hands.

If I got a flat tyre, my Dad would be there in a jiffy with a jack and a spare.

He has decorated many rooms, in many of the houses I have lived.

He even plastered our bathroom wall.

More so, he made it all look SO easy.

The Greek God(zilla) has his own way of doing things, which he makes look pretty easy too.

Unsightly telephone wires that keep coming away from the walls?

No problem!

Simply tuck them away inside a door frame and secure with parcel tape.

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Lost the instructions on how to correctly fix a child’s stairgate?

No problem!

Simply find a plank of wood from the garden – any old bit will do – then wrap an entire roll of parcel tape tightly around the banister, being sure to connect both the plank of wood AND the stair gate, until all elements are held firmly in place.

IMG_2165Repeat at the top of the stairs.

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Do you sometimes struggle to close the bottom humidity drawer of your fridge properly?  Or force it shut with your foot, resulting in the white plastic frame snapping off beneath your toes?

No problem!  Liberally apply parcel tape to this area too and voila, it looks as good as new.

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There are obviously other household calamities where the administration of parcel tape will be aesthetically unsuitable.

For example, when wallpaper peels away from the walls.

In these instances, it is perfectly acceptable to space pea-sized balls of blue-tack 2cms apart along the entire length of the wall.

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So there you have it folks. Some great tips for you that are not only time savers, but incredibly cost efficient too.

YOU ARE WELCOME!

23 Comments

  1. February 20, 2014 / 5:07 PM

    ROFL. I thought this was going to be a general complaint about lack of diy skills that I could join in with, but no. Parcel tape man! Bless him. Sorry x

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 3:01 PM

      He will now be known as parcel tape man forever more!

  2. February 20, 2014 / 8:18 PM

    Makes perfect sense to me! Maybe it’s a Greek thing?

  3. February 20, 2014 / 9:45 PM

    oh this has made me laugh like #skinnyarmgate! you two are SO funny, LOVE YOU!

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 3:00 PM

      I am funny. He is silly.
      Sx

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 2:59 PM

      Yes, I every time I pass it I am in tears…

  4. Alex Johnson
    February 21, 2014 / 10:34 AM

    Love it! Has he considered the white version? More aesthetically pleasing but with the same benefits as your standard variety ( he could even use it on the wallpaper…)

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 2:59 PM

      I think the original ‘vintage’ brown brings a little something extra though, don’t you?

  5. February 21, 2014 / 11:57 AM

    haha and I thought my husband’s diy was bad. I have a microwave and a curtain rail on a considerable angle here.
    Like you, I had a very competent dad. He build aeroplanes, kitchens, pergolas, greenhouses (from scratch), stables, cars, flooring, paving…I don’t think there was anything he couldn’t do.
    The thing is, I love trying to figure out how to do things. If I had more time, i’d do all the jobs.
    Really hoping I pass this need to my son and daughter.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 2:58 PM

      I am quite handy with a hammer too… although enjoying it is another matter 🙂

  6. February 21, 2014 / 7:05 PM

    This is the funniest thing. EVER. The things you can do with parcel tape; I never knew! X

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 2:56 PM

      I am sure there are even more ways! Watch this space…

  7. February 22, 2014 / 12:45 PM

    This is just too good as it sounds scarily like our house – I still get my dad to come and do our DIY as Hubs is useless at it – our husbands obviously have something in common 😉

    • Grenglish
      Author
      April 7, 2014 / 2:55 PM

      Ha! I’d have my dad do all our DIY if I could! Sadly he is not as enthusiastic about the idea as I am…

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