Ty Pennington Home Fixes: 15 Carpenter Tricks to Finish Before Holiday Guests Arrive

Ty Pennington Home Fixes are all about one happy moment: the door opens, your people walk in, and the house feels fresh and ready for them. Ty Pennington got his start swinging a hammer as the carpenter on TLC’s Trading Spaces, then spent years building dream homes for families on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. His secret was never a giant budget. It was bold color, honest wood and small carpentry tricks that change how a room feels. With holiday guests on the way, there is still time for a few of those wins. Every project below fits into an evening or a weekend, uses simple tools, and makes a real difference the minute someone steps inside. Grab your tape measure and a cup of coffee, and let’s get the house ready..

Ty Pennington Home Fixes Start at the Entry: A Bench and Hook Rail

The entry is the first thing guests see, and it is the spot where coats, bags and boots pile up in seconds. That is why our Ty Pennington Home Fixes start right here. A simple hook rail made from one painted board and a few sturdy hooks gives every coat a home, and a plain wooden bench below gives people a place to sit and pull off wet boots. Add a soft rug and a little garland and the whole space says welcome. It is the kind of warm, family first welcome Ty built his shows around..

You will need: a 1×6 pine board, 5 brass coat hooks, wood screws, wall anchors, paint, a level, a drill, a simple wooden bench or a bench kit.

How to make it: 1. Cut the board to the width you want and paint it. 2. Screw the hooks on 8 to 10 inches apart. 3. With an adult handling the drill, mount the board into studs or anchors at about 60 inches high, check it with a level, and set the bench below.

Paint the Front Door a Bold Welcome Color

If Ty Pennington taught a whole generation anything, it is that paint is brave and cheap. A front door in a deep teal, cranberry red or rich navy turns a plain house into the one everybody notices on the street. One quart of exterior paint covers most doors, and a new brass knocker or kick plate makes it look like a pricey upgrade. Pick a calm, dry day, take your time with thin coats, and hang a fresh wreath once it is fully dry. Which bold color would you try first?

You will need: exterior door paint, a small foam roller, an angled brush, painter’s tape, fine sandpaper, a brass knocker (optional).

How to make it: 1. Clean the door, sand it lightly and tape off the hardware and glass. 2. Brush the panels first, then roll the flat parts in thin coats. 3. Let it dry with the door open a crack, add a second coat, then add the knocker and wreath.

Ty Pennington Home Fixes for Curb Appeal: New House Numbers

Holiday guests, food deliveries and the friend who always gets lost all need to find your house in the dark. Big, clear house numbers are one of the quickest Ty Pennington Home Fixes for curb appeal. Mount modern metal numbers on a painted wood plaque, or straight onto the siding beside the door, so they can be read from the street. Line them up with a level and a strip of painter’s tape, and the front of the house suddenly looks finished. When did you last look at your house from the curb?

You will need: metal house numbers, a wood plank or plaque (optional), outdoor paint or stain, a level, painter’s tape, a drill with screws.

How to make it: 1. Paint or stain the plaque and let it dry. 2. Lay the numbers out on a strip of tape so the spacing is even. 3. With adult help on the drill, screw the numbers to the plaque and mount it near the door where a porch light hits it.

Build a Cedar Window Box Full of Winter Greens

A window box is a little carpentry project that pays off all winter. Five cedar boards and a box of screws become a planter that makes the front of the house look cared for, even when the garden is asleep. Instead of flowers, tuck in cut pine, cedar and red winterberry stems pushed into soil or floral foam. They stay fresh in cold weather for weeks and look like they came from a fancy garden shop. Want a tip? Snip greens from your own yard for a free fill.

You will need: cedar boards, exterior wood screws, a drill, sturdy brackets, soil or floral foam, pine and cedar boughs, winterberry stems, pine cones.

How to make it: 1. Cut a bottom, two long sides and two ends, and drill a few drain holes in the bottom. 2. Screw the box together and mount it under the window on strong brackets (adult help for drilling and ladders). 3. Fill with soil and push in the greens tallest at the back.

Board and Batten in the Hallway

A long, plain hallway is the spot guests walk through over and over, and it often gets no love at all. Board and batten fixes that. Thin strips of wood nailed to the wall in a simple grid, painted the same white as the trim, make a builder grade hall look like it belongs in an old farmhouse. It also hides scuffs from bags and kids. This is the kind of weekend job Ty would knock out with a nail gun and a big grin. Ready to give your hallway some character?

You will need: 1×3 or 1×4 boards, a top ledge board, a stud finder, a level, a brad nailer or hammer and finishing nails, wood filler, caulk, paint.

How to make it: 1. Mark the height (about two thirds up the wall) and attach the top rail level. 2. Space the vertical battens evenly, 16 to 24 inches apart, and nail them in (adult help with nail guns). 3. Fill, caulk the edges and paint the wall and wood the same color.

Ty Pennington Home Fixes in the Kitchen: Shaker Trim on Flat Doors

Flat slab cabinet doors are the first thing that makes a kitchen look dated, and new cabinets cost a fortune. This is one of our favorite Ty Pennington Home Fixes because it is pure carpentry magic. Glue thin wood strips around the edge of each door to make a frame, fill the corners, and paint. Suddenly your doors look like classic Shaker style, the look you see in every magazine kitchen. Add new pulls and nobody will guess they are the same old cabinets. Which room would you start with?

You will need: thin flat trim strips (about 1/4 inch thick, 2 inches wide), a miter box and saw, wood glue, small brad nails, wood filler, primer, cabinet paint, new pulls.

How to make it: 1. Take the doors off and clean them well. 2. Cut four strips per door with mitered or straight corners, glue them on and pin them with brads. 3. Fill the seams, sand, prime and paint two thin coats, then add the pulls and rehang.

Crown Trim That Makes a Plain Bookcase Look Built In

That flat pack bookcase in the living room can look custom with a few pieces of trim. Add crown molding along the top, a baseboard along the bottom so it meets the floor, and paint it the same color as your walls or trim. The eye reads it as part of the house, like a built in a carpenter made just for that wall. Then style it with books laid both ways, a plant and a few pretty vases. Guests always end up standing in front of a good bookcase, so give them something to look at.

You will need: a sturdy bookcase, crown molding, baseboard trim, a miter saw or miter box, wood glue, brad nails, caulk, paint, furniture anchors.

How to make it: 1. Anchor the bookcase to the wall so it can never tip. 2. Cut and attach a flat board on top, then the crown molding, and add baseboard trim at the bottom (adult help with saws). 3. Caulk every gap and paint the whole piece.

A Picture Ledge Above the Guest Bed

Guest rooms often have a bare wall above the bed, and a picture ledge solves it in one afternoon. It is just a few boards screwed together with a little lip on the front so frames cannot slide off. The best part is that you can swap the art any time without putting new holes in the wall. Lean botanical prints, a family photo and a small plant, and the room feels like a cozy little inn. Keep everything light on a ledge over a bed, and your guests will sleep easy. What would you put on yours?

You will need: a 1×4 and a 1×3 board, a thin strip for the front lip, wood glue, screws, stain or paint, a level, wall anchors or a stud finder.

How to make it: 1. Glue and screw the boards into an L shape, then add the thin front lip. 2. Stain or paint it. 3. Mount it into studs or strong anchors with adult help, check that it is level, and lean only light frames on it.

Ty Pennington Home Fixes for the Guest Room: A Crate Nightstand

Nothing makes a guest feel more at home than a place to set down a glass of water, a book and their phone. If the guest room has no nightstand, this is one of the easiest Ty Pennington Home Fixes on the list. Turn a sturdy wooden crate on its side, sand it smooth, stain it a warm brown and add little feet or casters if you like. Fill the bottom with rolled towels and a couple of good books. It costs a few dollars and looks like a farmhouse find. Will your guests notice? Absolutely.

You will need: a sturdy wooden crate, sandpaper, wood stain, a rag, clear finish, 4 small furniture feet (optional).

How to make it: 1. Sand any rough edges and splinters. 2. Wipe on the stain, let it soak a few minutes, wipe off the extra and let it dry, then add a clear coat. 3. Screw on the feet, set it beside the bed and stock it with towels, books and a lamp.

A Floating Shelf Over the Guest Toilet

In a small guest bath there is never anywhere to put a spare roll, a hand towel or a little plant. One floating shelf over the toilet changes that. A thick piece of wood on hidden brackets looks clean and modern, and it gives you a spot for folded towels, a jar of cotton balls and a small plant. It is the kind of thoughtful touch that makes guests feel looked after. Keep it high enough that nobody bumps their head and low enough to reach easily. Isn’t it nice when a bathroom has just what you need?

You will need: a floating shelf kit or a thick wood board with hidden brackets, a stud finder, a level, a drill, wall anchors, sealer for damp rooms.

How to make it: 1. Seal the wood if it is bare, so steam does not swell it. 2. Mark the height about 2 feet above the toilet tank and find studs. 3. With adult help on the drill, screw in the hidden bracket, check it with a level, and slide the shelf on.

Hang Curtains High and Wide

Here is a designer trick that costs nothing extra. Move your curtain rod up close to the ceiling and out past the window frame by several inches on each side. The window suddenly looks bigger, the ceiling looks taller, and more daylight pours in because the curtains no longer cover the glass. Make sure the panels kiss the floor, and use a long rod so they can open wide. It is the fastest way to make a room look like it came out of a makeover show. Why not try it in just one room first?

You will need: a long curtain rod with brackets, floor length curtain panels, a tape measure, a level, a pencil, a drill and anchors, a sturdy step stool.

How to make it: 1. Mark the bracket spots 4 to 6 inches below the ceiling and 6 to 10 inches past each side of the frame. 2. With adult help, drill and mount the brackets level. 3. Hang the rod and panels, and steam out any creases.

Ty Pennington Home Fixes You Can Do With a Screwdriver: New Switch Plates

Yellowed, cracked or paint splattered switch plates make a whole room look tired, and guests see them every time they flip on a light. Swapping them is one of the quickest Ty Pennington Home Fixes in the whole house, because all you need is a screwdriver. Choose plain white, wood or brushed metal covers that match the room, and do every one in the house in one go for a clean, finished look. Only swap the cover itself, and never touch the wires behind it. How many tired plates are hiding in your house right now?

You will need: new switch and outlet cover plates, a flat screwdriver, a soft cloth.

How to make it: 1. Unscrew the old cover plate and lift it off, without touching anything behind it. 2. Wipe the wall around it. 3. Set the new plate on, screw it in snugly but not too tight, and move on to the next room.

Paint the Stair Risers a Crisp White

Stairs get walked on by every guest who comes to stay, and worn or scuffed risers show it. Painting just the risers a crisp white, while the treads stay a warm wood, is a classic look that makes a staircase look brand new. It is easy to do in stages: paint every other step, wait for it to dry, then do the rest, so the family can still get up and down. Finish with a simple garland on the rail and the stairs become a holiday photo spot. Who in your family would love this one?

You will need: fine sandpaper, a damp cloth, painter’s tape, primer, durable trim paint, a small brush and mini roller.

How to make it: 1. Sand the risers lightly and wipe them clean. 2. Tape off the treads and the side trim. 3. Prime, then paint two thin coats on every other step, let them dry, then paint the rest so the stairs stay usable.

Fill Nail Holes and Caulk the Trim Gaps

Old nail holes, cracks along the baseboards and gaps where the trim meets the wall all make a house look worn. A carpenter’s secret is that caulk and wood filler hide almost everything. A thin bead of paintable caulk smoothed with a wet finger closes every gap, and a dab of filler makes old picture hanger holes disappear. Touch it all up with paint and the walls look crisp and new. For more cold weather prep, our Mike Holmes Home Fixes cover drafts and pipes. Filling gaps is not glamorous, but it is the finishing work that makes every other project on this list shine. Are you ready to go hunting for gaps?

You will need: paintable acrylic caulk, a caulk gun, lightweight wood filler, a putty knife, fine sandpaper, a damp rag, touch up paint.

How to make it: 1. Press filler into holes with the putty knife, let it dry and sand it flush. 2. Run a thin bead of caulk along the gaps and smooth it with a wet finger or rag. 3. Let it dry and touch it up with matching paint.

Ty Pennington Home Fixes Finish in the Coat Closet

When a house full of guests arrives, the coat closet takes a beating. We saved this one for last because it is one of the most useful Ty Pennington Home Fixes of all. Add a sturdy shelf at the top for baskets of hats and gloves, a row of wooden pegs for coats and scarves, and a slim bench with a basket of cozy slippers for guests. A coat of fresh white paint makes it bright. Now when the doorbell rings, there is a place for everything. Which project will you tackle first?

You will need: a pine board for the shelf, shelf brackets, a peg rail or wooden pegs on a board, screws, anchors, white paint, baskets, a slim bench.

How to make it: 1. Empty the closet and paint it white. 2. With adult help on the drill, mount the shelf brackets and shelf into studs, then the peg rail at shoulder height. 3. Add baskets, the bench and a basket of slippers.