DIY with Anja

DIY with Anja Women's DIY Tutor, Handywoman, Interior Designer and Soap Maker based in Manchester. I consider myself an expressionist craftswoman with a fine art sensibility.

Hi, I'm Anja,

I’m a freelance wood and interior designer based in Manchester. My working interests are broad and ever-evolving, including woodwork, furniture design and improvisation from reclaimed materials as well as designing and re-imagining interior spaces. I spent the first part of my professional life favouring the analytical side of my brain and personality. With a degree in Sociology, Me

dia Studies and English from Germany, I reported on British and American culture and society as a freelance journalist for German news outlets such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel, Die Welt und ZEIT Online. I published numerous peer-reviewed academic articles and book chapters in the field of popular music and fandom studies, and helped other scholars disseminate their work in the English-speaking scientific world in good English. In 2016, triggered in part by the death of my lifelong inspiration David Bowie, I began working creatively with tangible materials like wood, paints, stains and pieces of seemingly unsalvageable furniture. I have since designed my first series of coat racks which combine expressionist and abstract painting with a useful, but often bland piece of homeware. But don’t you let that put you off! To continuously add to my “vocabulary”, skill set and repertoire, I am attending courses at the Leeds College of Art and Design, Manchester DIY School, and soon the National Design Academy. When I’m not working in wood or breathing new life into sad and unimaginative spaces, I like to take long countryside walks with my dog Dixon, immerse myself in the Manchester jazz, art and theatre scene or travel to explore what other cities and cultures have to offer.

Before/AfterThis is from my last refurb project in Openshaw, Manchester. And I've got some exciting news in the pipeline...
01/09/2026

Before/After

This is from my last refurb project in Openshaw, Manchester. And I've got some exciting news in the pipeline. Can you guess? Stay tuned for more ;)

30/08/2026

Did you know you can use your combi drill to remove a bolt — without a socket or spanner?

In this quick DIY tip, I show you a surprisingly simple trick: put the bolt directly into the drill chuck, tighten it up, switch your drill to reverse and let the drill do the work.

A handy little combi drill trick that might save you time on your next DIY job!

Subscribe for more beginner-friendly DIY tips, tool skills and practical home improvement advice.

BeginnerDIY HomeImprovement

When you're doing a spontaneous tiling session and you don't have any spacers...
29/08/2026

When you're doing a spontaneous tiling session and you don't have any spacers...

Before and after // This is from my first refurbishment project in 2019 in Openshaw. Can you tell what my favorite colou...
29/08/2026

Before and after // This is from my first refurbishment project in 2019 in Openshaw. Can you tell what my favorite colour is?

Little update from my time in Germany making final tweaks to my refurb project here. I needed to do add a tiny bit of sp...
28/08/2026

Little update from my time in Germany making final tweaks to my refurb project here. I needed to do add a tiny bit of splashback tiling, because it turned out that the hob was too close to the side wall and grease stains wound up on that wall. I didn't have any spacers, so improvised with matchsticks, which was fun.
You may see in the picture that I'm only using a technique called 'backbuttering' the tiles. You're really supposed to put the adhesive on the wall, not just on the tiles. But it can be a bit messy and tricky if you're working in a small space. So, since this is my own house and I get to take little shortcuts, I gave myself permission to do it this way.

If you'd like to learn how to tile (properly), check out my upcoming tiling classes in November.

17/08/2026

I'm going to be in Germany for the next month, and I will take you with me. Not just for more DIY adventures, but for a look into German culture, architecture, tradespeople standards food and other nice things that cross my path. Come along for the journey!

15/08/2026

Got a loose or wobbly tap handle? Before you call a plumber, check whether it simply needs tightening!

In this quick DIY tutorial, I show you how to remove the small cover on a bath tap handle, find the hidden screw inside the lever mechanism, and tighten it up.

It’s a really simple fix that can make a wobbly tap handle feel secure again in just a couple of minutes.

🔧 In this video:
• How to remove the tap handle cover
• Where to find the hidden fixing screw
• How to tighten a loose bath tap lever
• A simple DIY fix you can do yourself

Subscribe for more straightforward DIY repairs, tips and tutorials.

Did you know I now have a YouTube channel with free DIY tips, How-to-videos and Can-I-fix-it challenges? Head over to "D...
12/08/2026

Did you know I now have a YouTube channel with free DIY tips, How-to-videos and Can-I-fix-it challenges? Head over to "DIY with Anja" on YouTube to have a little looksee!

☀️ SUMMER UPDATE!I’ve just finished my last odd jobs for a client this week and, all things being well, I’ll be heading ...
11/08/2026

☀️ SUMMER UPDATE!

I’ve just finished my last odd jobs for a client this week and, all things being well, I’ll be heading off to Germany for a month on Saturday.

While I’m away, the lovely Leona will be running five Basic Drill Skills classes at my workshop in Whalley Range at the end of August. The hands-on places are fully booked, but there are still observer tickets available if you fancy coming along to watch and learn with a cup of tea and some cookies – without getting your hands dirty!

When I get back, I’ll be embarking on another house refurbishment project, this time in Openshaw. That means I won’t be available for odd jobs for a little while.

BUT… I’m planning a couple of my famous Demolition Days! 😁

A bunch of DIY-loving women getting together to rip out carpets, strip wallpaper and generally take things apart. What could possibly go wrong? 😂 I’ll share more details when I know the dates.

If you need a tradesperson in the meantime, feel free to send me a DM. I have a few trusted people I’m happy to recommend for things such as plumbing and heating, plastering, wooden floor or worktop restoration and window replacements.

🎥 I’m also now on YouTube!

If you search for “DIY with Anja” and subscribe, you’ll find my DIY tips, tutorials and projects there. I’ll also be sharing some of the projects I get up to while I’m in Germany over the summer. I’m gradually making YouTube the main home for my DIY videos, so that’s the best place to follow along if you enjoy them.

And then… NOVEMBER! 🔨

I’ve planned a whole month of DIY classes and the dates are now live in my Box Office:

🔨 Basic Drill Skills
Learn to use a drill confidently and tackle everyday DIY jobs yourself.

Mon 2 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Tue 3 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Wed 4 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Thu 5 Nov — 6:00–8:00 PM
Fri 6 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Sat 7 Nov — 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

🛁 Siliconing & Caulking
Learn how to create neat, professional-looking silicone and caulk finishes.

Tue 10 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Wed 11 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Thu 12 Nov — 6:00–8:00 PM
Fri 13 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Sat 14 Nov — 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

🧱 Tiling
Learn the practical skills to tackle your own tiling projects with confidence.

Thu 19 Nov — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Sat 21 Nov — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Mon 23 Nov — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM

🧼 Soap-Making for Christmas
Make your own beautiful handmade soaps – perfect for Christmas gifts.

Wed 25 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Thu 26 Nov — 6:00–8:00 PM
Fri 27 Nov — 12:30–2:30 PM
Mon 30 Nov — 6:00–8:00 PM

That’s all from me for now. Have a lovely rest of your summer! ☀️

Happy DIY!

Anja 🔨

10/08/2026

Today I did a bit of re-siliconing at a client's house.

Remember, if you'd like to learn how to do this yourself and save yourself lots of money and hassle in the future, you can sign up to one of my upcoming siliconing and caulking classes. Classes are held in November in Whalley Range and cost £55 plus booking fee.

Just check my Linktree for details and dates.

Address

Manchester

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when DIY with Anja posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share