What DIY project are you most proud of?

I wanted a little more character in my foyer, so I made stained-glass windows using metal strips, glass paint, and patience. The light splashes color onto the walls each morning and makes me happy.

- SUSAN SMITH

As a retirement project, I waterproofed my entire basement myself. My husband was really impressed! MICHELE SAGE COLUMBUS, OHIO

I hated my red brick fireplace and decided to do something about it. I found stacked slates at Lowe's and got some good advice on adhesives. I've done a fair amount of tile work and own a wet saw, so I felt brave enough to tackle it. It took three days, and I love the results! I've gotten lots of compliments. ALLISON KORN COLUMBIA, MARYLAND My wife scored a set of wooden cubbies when a local water park went out of business. Sanded and painted, they are amazing bookshelves that almost match the expensive ones on the opposite wall!

AMANDA HARRIS GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK In my closet, I converted a builtin shelf into an awesome jewelry cabinet. I hung cute decorative racks and added a three-tier tray and a spinning earring stand. It fits all my jewelry. DENISE PRATHER BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Painting all the rooms in our house ourselves! It was a lot of work but so satisfying to cover our not-so-favorite colors from the previous owners. MARIA.LYNN.S.Y

Our home has a large east-facing window, so I sewed my own Roman shades to block out the bright sunshine in the morning. DIANA O'BRIEN FULTON, MISSOURI