Winning Home Improvement Tip Earns $2,500 Grand Prize
What is the most clever, fun and useful DIY project around? According to Darin Burrell of Boise, Idaho, the answer is replacing a cracked front door pane just minutes before a dinner party – good enough to take first place in a search by the Dremel brand for 30-minute home improvement miracles. Burrell out-skilled hundreds of other do-it-yourself enthusiasts to claim the grand prize of a $2,500 American Express® gift card and DIY bragging rights as winner of the national “30 Minute Miracles” contest.
“Our front door had a cracked pane for six months and just 30 minutes before our party began, my wife mentioned how nice it would be if our guests were greeted at a front door that didn’t look like it was the set for a horror movie,” said Burrell. “I turned to my Dremel rotary tool and it was the perfect solution.”
Burrell used his Dremel rotary tool, a veteran of his workbench, and Detail Abrasive Brush accessory to clean out the old window pane glaze and chipping paint. After replacing the glass and reglazing, he buffed off extra peeling paint before priming and painting bare areas. Burrell finished with time to spare, and while waiting for the paint to dry, took a few minutes to further impress his wife by using his Dremel rotary tool and a polishing brush to polish the door knobs until they shone.
“Darin’s story is a great example of how homeowners across the country are getting creative by using their Dremel tools to fix up their home without breaking the bank,” said Andrea Ash, vice president of marketing, Dremel. “Our goal has always been to give aspiring DIYers the solutions – and confidence – they need to tackle almost any job, and so we’re thrilled with the hundreds of tips we’ve uncovered as part of the ’30 Minute Miracles’ contest.”
The second place winner was Wendy Ballog of Parma, Ohio, who added curb appeal to her home by engraving her address into a large sandstone rock on her lawn. Ballog’s “30 Minute Miracle” idea won her a $1,000 American Express gift card. The third place winner, Brian Darnell of Heltonville, Ind., won a $500 American Express gift card for his tip, using a Dremel rotary tool to remove old, rusted bolts from outdoor objects.
The Dremel brand’s “30 Minute Miracles” contest kicked off on Nov. 2 and ran through Dec. 31, 2009. Participants were asked to share a home improvement or remodeling tip that can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less using Dremel tools. Entries were judged on creativity, originality and level of difficulty by the Dremel brand and home improvement expert Paul Ryan, host of DIY Network’s popular “Kitchen Renovations” series.
To view step-by-step project tips from each of the “30 Minute Miracles” contest winners, along with downloadable images, visit www.dremelepk.com. For more DIY tips, detailed project instructions, and tool recommendations visit www.dremel.com.