The following is a list of useful DIY (do-it-yourself) terms used throughout the decorating industry.

A  |  B  |  C  |  D  |  E  |  F  |  G  |  H  |  I  |  J  |  K  |  L  |  M  |  N  |  O  |  P  |  Q  |  R  |  S  |  T  |  U  |  V  |  W  |  X  |  Y  |  Z

-A-
Architrave: The molding around a door or window.

Artist's size: A gelatinous solution normally used for preparing plastered walls for decoration or in stiffening textiles.

-B-
Batten: A thin narrow strip of lumber used especially to seal or reinforce a joint, also used to secure lumber, MDF, or fabric onto a wall.

Beading: A narrow (usually wooden) decorative edging strip; molding.

Bevel: A slanting edge, such as the shape of a chisel.

Bouclé: A fabric of uneven yarn. The yarn has three plies, one of which forms a loop, creating an uneven knobby effect on the fabric

Butt joint: Where two edges touch without overlapping.

-C-
Calico: A plain white cotton fabric that is heavier than muslin.

Chalkline: A piece of string coated with chalk which is snapped onto a surface to leave a precise line.

Coir: A stiff coarse fiber made from the husk of a coconut.

Corbel: A piece of stone or wood that projects from within a wall to support beams and cornices.

Cornice: A decorative molding covering the join between the ceiling and wall.

Countersink: To widen the outer edge of a drilled hole into a cone shape to allow a screw head to be sunk below the surface.

Crewelwork: Embroidery work with crewel, a slackly twisted worsted yarn.

-D-
Dado rail: A rail fused to the lower half of the wall above the skirting board.

Damask: A rich fabric, usually of linen, cotton, or silk, made with flat patterns in a satin weave.

Decoupage: Colored or black-and-white cut-out images, cut from their background paper, pasted onto a surface for decoration and then sealed with varnish.

Downlighters: Recessed lighting; Lighting placed in a ceiling to cast light in a downwards direction.

-E-
Emulsion: Latex paint. Generally, a paint having a latex or rubber binder.

-F-
Finial: A decorative attachment placed at each end of a curtain pole to prevent the rings from falling off.

Flock, Flocking: A soft material especially used to create velvet-like patterns on cloth, paper, or curtains.

Fretwork: Intricate, decoratively-shaped wood or MDF.

-G-
Gilding: The art of applying gold paint or gold leaf to furniture or a wooden frame.

Gingham: Fabric usually of yarn-dyed cotton in plain weave which derives its color and pattern from carded or combed yarns.

Gold Size: An adhesive layer that is used to bond gold leaf or metal leaf onto a surface.

Grouting: A thin mortar used to seal the joints between tiles.

-H-
Heritage Paint Color: New paint created to match antique or vintage paint colors.

Hessian: A finer quality jute fabric, also called sacking cloth.

-J-
Jute: Glossy fiber made from one of two East Indian plants (Corchorus olitorius and C. capsularis) used chiefly for sacking, burlap, and twine.

-K-
Key: To roughen a surface to improve adhesion before painting.

-L-
Laminate: Layers of different substances pressed together and strengthened to make a tough surface material.

Leatherette: Synthetic leather.

Lime Wax: Also called liming wax. A smooth paste wax formulation to produce a white grained finish to bare or stained wood. Even when dry, the white liming wax contrasts with the darker wood, emphasizing the grain pattern. Liming wax can be applied directly to bare wood and onto sealed surfaces.

-M-
Marquetry: Wood, ivory, or other material inlaid piece by piece into a wood surface in an elaborate pattern and then veneered to another surface as decoration. Used mainly on furniture.

Matte: A flat (non-glossy) paint finish.

MDF: Medium-density fiberboard, a waste-wood product that is made with fine wood fiber. It is available in sheet form for cutting or as precut molding and shelving. In the USA it comes in laminate, veneer, and paint finishes.

Melamine: A sprayed-on plastic coating usually applied to chipboard.

Miter: To trim the ends of wood, plaster ,or fabric to form a 45-degree angle so that when two ends are joined together they form a perfect right angle.

Mod Rock: A sack fabric dowsed in plaster and then dried. When wet, can be molded to any shape. Similar to plaster of Paris.

Moire: A patterned surface rather like rippled silk.

Molding: A length of wood shaped to form a decorative strip.

-P-
Pelmet: Shaped and stiffened drapery fitted across the top of a window, used ornamentally to hide curtain rails; A valance.

Pelmet Board: A horizontal board used to support the pelmet and sometimes used as a base to support swags and tails.

Perspex : Brand-name. Cast acrylic sold in sheets. Similar to Lucite.

Piping Cord: Soft cotton cord used to finish a seamed edge.

Photo Transfer Paper: A type of paper that allows transfer of photos to fabric. Available at Joann.com

Plumb Line: A string for testing the verticality of a line.

Polystyrene: A polymer of styrene used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials.

Polyurethane: A plastic resin made to strengthen varnishes.

Puffa paint: 3D paint which puffs up when dried.

-R-
Return: The part of a curtain or pelmet (valance) that turns around the sides.

Roundel: A round shape that is constructed or drawn onto a wall or ceiling.

-S-
Sanding: Smoothing with rough sandpaper.

Scumble: Acrylic glaze. Scumbling: A broken paintwork effect for walls and furniture.

Spirit Level: A glass tube which is partly filled with spirit (distillate) used to test whether a surface is horizontal; A level.

Sugar soap: Soap or cleanser used to clean laminate surfaces before painting. Also known as Easy Surface Preparation (ESP) in the UK. Similar to the brand-name product, TSP, in the USA. You can find sugar soap in the USA under the brand name B&Q.

Swag: A generous scoop of fabric that hangs from two fixed points over a window or bed.

-T-
Template: A pattern cut to a specific dimension and used as an outline for cutting the same shape from another material.

Tie Back: A sharpened and stiffened band, tasseled cord or ribbon used to hold back curtains.

Tongue-and-Groove: Wooden boards with a groove along one edge and a protruding tongue down the other. The tongue slots into the groove of an adjacent piece for a secure fixing.

Trompe l'oeil: Decorative painting style in which objects are depicted with photographically realistic detail; the use of similar technique in interior decorating.

-V-
Voile: A fine, soft, sheer fabric (usually of silk, cotton, rayon, or wool) used especially for making dresses and curtains.

-W-
Wadding: A soft, bulky material used for stuffing shapes; Padding.

Wall Plug or Rawlplug: An expandable plastic encasement for a screw. A plus is inserted into a pre-drilled hole to provide a gripping surface for the screw.