Serena- guess this is the "voice of experience" ... there are lots of other DIY "incidents" I'll try to share. I've always puttered around the house and yard and have learned a bit over the years - mostly: don't do anything you don't have to do, and secondly, if the neighbors can't see it, don't fix it. Here's a few more:
Tip for replacing glass panel in a 70-year-old garage window: since I work for a publishing company I have access to discarded vinyl coated book covers - cut it to size, glaze it in, and paint it white like the rest of the glass to keep nosy eyes out. Can't tell that there's no "real" glass. Any vinyl [waterproof] board will work. BTW, it also fools the city "code compliance cops"
Tip for putting together anything from a carton: be sure the instructions are written by someone who speaks English [if you speak English of course] because I've found people unfamiliar with the language will have you building something that doesn't look at all like the item you purchased.
Tip for cleaning the deck of a second-story porch - drag the water hose around, be sure you have enough hose, then wrangle it into a nice loop and toss it up onto the porch [don't turn the water on yet!] ... the neighbors will think you're practicing for the roof-roping contest at the county fair.
Tip for doing ceiling work in a room with an 7-foot ceiling: don't use an 8-foot step ladder.
Tip for washing old pillows with loose stitching - forget it ... unless you want to spend half an hour cleaning feathers out of the washing machine.
Tip for painting those strips of wood for a metal rocker chair - they already have pre-drilled holes - simply hang them on nails on a horizontal piece of wood and paint or varnish all sides. The key is, of course, not to bend forward to pick up the paint brush when your head is in line with the big nails holding the strips of wood and "hammering" the nail with your forehead ...
Tip for feeding the kids after a hard days work and realizing you're flat broke and the only thing in the cupboard is pizza mix, tuna, and lima beans. They didn't like it much, and still refuse to eat pizza here.
Tip for replacing bathroom fixture faucets - make sure your faucets are "universal", or the new replacement will "work" but it keeps turning forever - there's no "off" stop, just a point where the water doesn't come out anymore and a point when it does. Not sure what universe the company that designed the universal replacements is in.