A long holiday weekend means different things to different people. For you, it could be more quality time with family, a quick getaway or, perhaps, a DIY project or two. If you count yourself among the latter, we have three potential home improvement undertakings for your choosing: one that could take an afternoon, one for the better part of a day and one that might require a couple of days’ work. Which will you tackle?

A few hours

Chances are your pantry and kitchen cabinets have become disheveled during the school year or because of your hectic life in general. When the kids want to grab a snack or you need to throw together a quick dinner after work, an organized system will make life easier.

The good news is that rearranging your kitchen storage doesn’t have to eat up your whole weekend or your budget. You can probably complete this project in a few hours without spending a lot of money.

Start by cleaning out your selected problem area. You’ll want to toss out expired items and nearly empty containers and sort the remaining products into groupings that make sense to you – like pastas and grains, snacks, canned vegetables and so on.

An adjustable, multi-tiered rack that hangs on the back of a door can expand your pantry’s available storage space easily.

If you find that you could use a little help fitting everything where you think it should go (like maybe some of your herbs were living in a different cabinet from others), try installing a spice rack on the inside of a cabinet door or adding a no-tools-needed under shelf storage bin to a pantry.

After devoting just a morning or afternoon to it, you’ll have a kitchen that’s ready to lend you a hand to whip up a Memorial Day picnic or prepare for your backyard barbecue.

Want more tips? Read this blog post for five ideas on how to organize your pantry.

A day

Not moving anytime soon but feel like it’s time for a refresh? Give a room a makeover by repainting or adding new storage pieces. The living room or your kids’ bedroom are prime choices for a spring redo. Get the kids’ input if you’re redecorating their bedrooms – and have them participate if they’re old enough.

If you need some guidance on the best layout, download a free app or try an online tool to test ideas without the physical effort of moving items around your space.

Update your living room in a day with a Modular Closet kit.

Once you’ve decided on the placement, recruit family members or friends to put together any storage systems that require assembly. Be sure to follow all the instructions to ensure you’ve built everything properly and safely.

Schedule the project early in the weekend so you can sit back and enjoy the results of your labor before it’s time to return to the daily grind.

A full weekend

Many of us have dreams of a drool-worthy new closet. Does this sound like you? It’s doable in two days (or maybe fewer), depending on a number of factors, such as the size of your closet, your DIY skills, the system you choose and whether you have to remove an existing system.

The first step is to measure your space, including the width, depth and any unusual architecture like a sloped ceiling.

The next step is to decide which system to use, based on your budget, taste and the limitations – or opportunities – of your new closet area. If you need help designing your system, take advantage of our online tools or professional designers. Tip: ClosetMaid wire kits are generally the easiest to install, especially if your closet space closely matches the dimensions of one of our kits.

A ShelfTrack wire kit makes redesigning your closet achievable in just a weekend.

You’ll then order your products to outfit your new closet. These first three steps should be done before you plan to begin your project so that you can focus your time on installing over the two days you set aside.

Empty out your closet and, if it’s been a while since you sorted through your clothes, decide what you’ll keep and what you’ll give away or toss.

If necessary, take out your old closet system and make any repairs (see how to accomplish this in a previous blog post).

Now you’re ready to build your new closet. Get your top installation questions answered and other instructions on our blog or our YouTube channel.

No matter which project you select, it will bring you satisfaction and a more functional home for years to come.