To fasten or close something, such as buttons, zippers, or straps on clothes or bags.
It's cold outside, so make sure you do up your jacket.
A: Can you help me do up this bracelet? B: Sure, just hold still for a second.
Before leaving the house in winter, I always do up my coat to keep warm.
Common mistake
✗Do up it before you go out.
✓Do it up before you go out.
With a pronoun the object goes in the middle — 'do it up', never 'do up it'.
Tell it apart
Do your coat up, it's cold.
fasten it
Undo the top button.
unfasten it
Use 'do up' when talking about fastening clothes or bags, especially with buttons, zippers, or ties.'Do up' (fasten) is different from 'put on' (to wear) and 'take off' (to remove).
To repair, decorate, or improve a building, room, or object to make it look better or work better.
They bought an old house and spent months doing it up.
A: Wow, your kitchen looks amazing! B: Thanks, we did it up last summer.
If I had more money, I would do up my apartment to make it more comfortable and modern.
Common mistake
✗They did up with the kitchen.
✓They did up the kitchen.
'Do up + place' — no 'with'.
Tell it apart
They did up the old cottage.
renovated it
Do your coat up, it's cold.
fasten it — sense 1
'Do up' is often used for houses, rooms, or old furniture when you want to make them look new or attractive again.'Do up' (renovate) is broader than 'repair', which only means to fix something that is broken.