I created them with Crossword Compiler, a nifty software for puzzle creators focusing on all things related to houses – building, decorating, remodeling, gardening and real estate so they’re all about your house and and garden and enjoying them.

Here’s the link to take you to our list of 39 interactive puzzles – you need JavaScript – for playing online, or you can print them out and sharpen your pencil http://www.diyornot.com/PuzzleList.aspx?ndx1=9

When we were restoring an old house we wanted to reuse the wonderful window moldings after stripping off the layers of paint. The best advice we got was this tip: The easiest way I have found to remove nails from woodwork that you want to reuse is to use a bench vise. Tighten the vise on the nails and using the woodwork as a lever slowly pull the nails on through and out the back of the board. Most of the time this will leave the original wood putty intact and if the piece splinters it will be on the back of the board. A lot easier on the hands too.

An inventive visitor has this advice for solo moving: Ever try to move a heavy object alone? I have found a way to move almost anything alone. Use a skateboard on one end. Then all you have to do is lift one end and guide it where you want it. I have used this to move even a freezer by myself.

Here’s another idea we’ve used in the backyard: Use a garden hose to mark off an area to create a new landscaping bed. The garden hose is flexible enough for form long looping curves and straight runs and it is easy to work with.

After refinishing several pieces of furniture here’s a tip we added to the database: To sand in tight spots and round spindles I make sanding strips with sandpaper and masking tape. Cut the sandpaper to the desired width, usually 1/2-inch or 1-inch wide, and put masking tape on both ends to act as handles. Work the strip around the object like you’re using dental floss until the wood surface has the desired smoothness. To read more of these useful hints and tips and find the cost of hundreds of home improvement projects visit us http://www.diyornot.com

A house is timeless when it is usable by most of the people most of the time. It is family-friendly and can be lived in and enjoyed by people regardless of their age or physical limitations. To make your home timeless consider these simple improvements, which will increase its value while making it more livable. For each improvement you’ll find price information: the DIY Cost is for doing it yourself and the PRO Cost is for hiring a contractor. Click on the links for more information.

A house rarely has enough lighting, yet good lighting is important for just about everything you do there. A kitchen needs plenty of general illumination for all the tasks performed there and a single fixture in the ceiling is never enough. Consider upgrading the fixture to a large fluorescent unit that will increase the lighting, and at the same time, be energy-efficient. INSTALL A FLUORESCENT FIXTURE DIY $95 PRO $179

Older eyes need increased lighting, especially when working at a kitchen counter. Thin strips of under-cabinet lighting installed on the underside of cabinets provide an important light source for counter work. Just install them underneath the cabinet, plug in and they’ll make chopping vegetables or reading a recipe an easy chore. INSTALL UNDER CABINET LIGHTS DIY $72 PRO $201

To get more control of lighting within a room, replace a standard light switch with an occupancy sensor that turns on the light when someone enters and turns it off when they leave. This upgrades gives a custom-touch to a home, yet it’s easy and inexpensive and requires only simple wiring. INSTALL AN OCCUPANCY SENSOR DIY $40 PRO $105

Another wiring upgrade that goes a long way to improve a house is replacing an old thermostat with a new programmable device. The unit automatically raises or lowers the heat or air conditioning to match your lifestyle. Choose one with large controls and numbers that’s easy to read and you’ll enjoy using it for years to come, not to mention the energy dollars you’ll save. INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT DIY $100 PRO $144

Opening and closing a door should be easy for everyone, but most round doorknobs are difficult to grasp, especially if you have tennis elbow or arthritis. Even a not-so-handy homeowner can replace an old door knob with a new lever style handle and transform the appearance of the door and make it more user-friendly. REPLACE A LEVER DOOR HANDLE DIY $75 PRO $114

Save energy, save water

Occupy your house and save money by saving water.Try these easy ways to conserve water http://ow.ly/8Khf9

Romance is in the air with Valentine’s Day coming up on the calendar. Makes me remember that there is romance in remodeling. Are the words “romance in remodeling” an oxymornon?  Can those two words be in the same sentence?  Isn’t it a contradiction to say there’s anything remotely endearing about renovating a house?  I remember one incident which felt very romantic. We were doing a major remodel of a Cape Cod in the Chicago area and were behind schedule getting new insulation installed in the crawl space.  An unexpected cold front rolled in and was dumping piles of snow.  When the wind shifted to the north the pressure was on because we knew the lack of insulation and wind direction could freeze the pipes.

It was getting dark outside and we found ourselves crawling around on the gravel in the frigid confines of the 3 ½ foot crawl space with only a work light to guide us.  Gene cut the batts and secured the pink insulation batts in between the floor joists and I followed with a staple gun to fasten the batts to the wood joists .   We didn’t stop, we didn’t talk, we just moved as quickly as we could in the uncomfortable and frigid conditions.  As the last staple went in we just sprawled out on our backs on the gravel, noses running, near frozen to the bone and laughed at the absurdity of the situation.  But the good feeling of completing the task, beating the odds, and doing it together, was so real and intense it was a moment I’ll never forget.  If that ain’t romance, I don’t know what is. Katie Hamilton

Visit us at www.diyornot.com or www.m.diyornot.com on your smartphone.

Spend a lot of time doing preliminary footwork. Go to home centers and kitchen design shops and take pictures of what you like with your phone or camera. Keep a digital or paper list of features that are “nice to have” and “need to have.” Keep notes in your smartphone or a notebook of the room with dimensions of your walls and where windows and doors are located. Talk to salespeople about the cost of different materials to keep you within your budget. Tear out pictures in magazines with cabinets you like. Print out Web site pages with the kind of appliances you want. Collect samples of wallpaper, cabinets, countertop and flooring materials and store them in one place – a folder, a box, a crate in your car – whatever works for you. Then over time take a second look and review what you have. Keep what you like and toss what you don’t.

This doesn’t happen overnight. Plan to spend a few months absorbing all these ideas and somewhere along the line you’ll be able to focus on exactly what you want and how much you can afford. It’s not easy, but all your preliminary work will help you create the kitchen you want within the budget that you have.

For a quick overview of what should be on your planning radar go to an article on DIYORNOT Kitchen Design Basics and pick up some pointers on creating a floorplan with all the elements to make a perfect new kitchen. And for specific costs of all the projects involved in remodeling visit us at www.diyornot.com or www.m.diyornot.com on your smartphone.

I always laugh when I think of a woman I met on AOL years ago when we ran HouseNet, their home improvement channel. We were chatting on one of our message boards about the agony and ecstasy of remodeling a kitchen. I remember her saying it was a lot like childbirth – the pain and struggle seemed to last forever, but all was forgotten when it was over.