Whether your feelings about your kitchen cabinets are close to “I can live with them” or if they’re more like “I downright dislike them,” this DIY Magazine article found on Apartment Therapy should be of some help.

DIY lists ten thrifty do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet projects step-by-step and are rather creative in their suggestions. They may be good options for those who want to give their cabinets some more life but don’t necessarily want to invest in new ones.

Here are a few ideas off that list:

• Antique cabinet: Give your cabinet an antique look with country blue paint topped with a burnt umber glaze. Gingerbread appliqués found in the woodworking aisle of a home center add extra character. DIY tip: We love applying glaze over painted cabinets and furniture for a classic look without the antiques-store price. What you’ll need: Cornflower blue paint, paint brushes, gingerbread cutouts, cream paint, wood glue, burnt umber glaze, rag.
• Screen cabinet: Even though this modern-feel cabinet front looks spendy, it’s light on the budget. We found the radiator screen at a home center. (Stroll the aisles of your local store and find all sorts of modern treasures like it.) DIY tip: Removing the cabinet door’s center panel yields plenty of replacement possibilities — glass, metal, fabric or beaded board. What you’ll need: Drill and 1/2-inch bit, jigsaw, white paint, paint brushes, 1-inch wood strips, black paint, wood glue.
• Say it with stencils: Simple-color cabinets with a daring design put a little punch into your kitchen. What you’ll need: white paint, paint brush, stencil adhesive, damask stencil (from modernmasters.com), stencil brush, aqua metallic crafts paint.

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy

I have had a chance to digest some of the stimulus money that is out there as it pertains to your home, and the more I read, the more I realize that you should not be talking to a builder or architect but rather your accountant.

I am actually half kidding. The basics: The credit is for products “only” that apply, and there is a 30 percent kicker on your taxes, up to $1,500 maximum. That number is good for high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, insulation, windows and doors, even some appliances. Now, in my last post, I wrote about the average cost of replacing all the windows in your entire home, which would be around $20,000-$30,000. The maximum tax credit on that number is $1,500, but you can stretch that money out.

Here’s how: The windows that qualify need to be rated to a certain standard — a 0.30 U factor and 0.30 Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHG). But you do not need that on every window on your home. So depending on how your home is situated you may choose to put these higher-efficiency windows on a side that gets more sun or wind. Areas of your home that do not get blasted with harsh weather do not need the added upgrade and cost.

Then even with all that you still need to consult an accountant to make sure you qualify. Tax laws can be confusing. The fact is, new windows will lower your energy bills and add value to your home. And now you can even get a tax credit.

[Editor's note: Marvin.com has a page of information and resources about the $1,500 energy-efficiency tax credit here.]

Photo courtesy of RogueSun Media on Flickr