We are huge fans of composting! We have large bins in the back of our yard for leaves and yard waste—I shared those in my post about How to Make Leaf Compost. We also have a compost tumbler and an electric countertop kitchen composter we use in the winter when it’s freezing out. Today we’re …
Outdoor Projects
Bamboo is one of my favorite things to use in the garden. It is prolific and very sustainable, meaning I don’t feel bad cutting it down and using it. I just don’t want it in my yard since it spreads so fast…but the good news for me is that my uncle’s yard is teeming with …
I love a simple salad with olive oil as the dressing. And although I really enjoy infused olive oils from a fancy place near where I live, it can get expensive! So sometimes I like to make my own infused olive oil at home. Especially rosemary-infused olive oil. I love the taste and smell of …
My wife has been putting in lots of new garden beds, so we’ve been thinking through how to best and most efficiently water them. Cue: irrigation! She sent me down a rabbit hole for today’s project—our DIY solar-powered rain barrel irrigation system. Last summer my big project was setting up our DIY Smokeless Fire Pit. …
If you’ve been hanging around to witness my plant adventures over the years, you probably know that building a greenhouse is truly a dream come true for me. That’s right—we bought the 9×6 Willow model greenhouse from Backyard Discovery! It’s perfect for us, our needs, and our space. And I did a ton of research …
Hi all! Today I’ve got an outdoor build for you—I’m sharing the steps for how I made an outdoor console table using a combination of wood and concrete pavers. I love using concrete pavers for outdoor builds to help keep them sturdy and to keep costs down. I did a DIY Patio Coffee Table Made …
It’s been a while since I have designed something from scratch myself and made it! I am not terribly great at using the 3D modeling software SketchUp, but I am trying to get better at it. So I thought a potting bench would be the perfect project to practice on. It might have taken me …
Hey all—today’s post is one that has been frustratingly a few months in the making. Why? Because it’s one of those projects that I thought would be easy but actually took a while to get right. We’re talking about making seed paper. Seed paper uses moistened and pulverized (or blended) paper. While the paper is …
Wondering how to make a DIY smokeless fire pit? We were too! Learn how we used a battery-operated blower to dramatically decrease the amount of smoke our fire pit produces—no engineering degrees required. This is a guest post from my husband Mike. He does a lot of projects that don’t make it to the blog, …
Elevate your plants with my small outdoor plant stand build plans! These plans use 2×2 lumber and easy pocket hole joinery construction with a cheap painted concrete paver to top things off. See the full free plans here! Check out my small outdoor plant stand build plans! I’m not sure about where you live, but …
If you have a laser cutting machine and want to make something for the plant lovers in your life, download my free test tube propagation SVG files! For personal use only. Free test tube propagation SVG files for laser cutting machines! Hey all! If you recently saw my xTool S1 review post, you already know …
Want to make a DIY moss pole for plants but think they are messy and difficult? Check out my DIY moss pole alternative using jute instead! DIY moss pole alternative using jute Alright so I might be one of the only plant people who hasn’t had a moss pole for a plant until now. I …
Learn how to make a DIY planter box with hidden hose storage! This is the perfect DIY for small porches with only limited space. Hide an expandable hose underneath the planter when it isn’t in use and cover it all using a removable panel. This plan was sponsored by Kreg Tool. DIY planter box with …
Wondering how to hang multiple plants from the ceiling? Learn how to set up a DIY hanging plant rod to avoid drilling lots of hole in your ceiling—it requires only two! How to set up a DIY hanging plant rod to hang lots of plants Hey guys! Quick and pretty simple DIY today that I …
Wondering how to waterproof fabric? Whether you want to protect patio furniture cushions, an outdoor pillow, a rope swing, tents, boat upholstery, or something else, you can do it with a simple spray. Here’s how. How to Easily Waterproof Fabric With a Simple Water Shield Spray I feel a little dumb writing this post, I …
Learn how to sew outdoor pillow covers for your patio furniture! This easy-to-follow tutorial is designed specifically for beginners. How to sew outdoor pillow covers We have a little loveseat on the patio, and this time of year I like to park it right there and occasionally take a nap while R has her afternoon …
This post shares how we stained our deck and fence to make them look brand new again! I’m sharing a detailed ready seal fence stain review, including why we chose it over the Behr Waterproofing Exterior Wood Finish that we used for the deck. Affiliate links below; read more about those here. Part 2: Fence and Deck …
This post shares all about how to pressure wash a fence and deck. Pressure washing is a simple way to make outdoor wood surfaces look new again. Learn how I used a Ryobi electric pressure washer to clean my wooden fence and deck posts with no extra cleaners or tools. Affiliate links below; read more …
Wondering how to preserve leaves? This post shares all about preserving leaves in resin, which is a beautiful and fairly straightforward way to do it. See how I preserved evergreen leaves (from arborvitae trees, to be exact) in resin to make beautiful holiday decor. This post is sponsored by Wagner Spray Tech. Preserving Leaves in …
Wondering how to build a rock box or pebble pit play area? This post shares how we made ours, which started off as a DIY sandbox and ended up being a DIY rock box! I’m also sharing why we used rocks instead of sand. How to build a rock box or pebble play pit for …
This post shares a wooden porch planter box DIY. The plans were designed from scratch by Tool Box Divas, and I’m sharing the step-by-step! Hey all! Today I’m sharing a fun project with Timisha from Tool Box Divas. I’m going to be doing a few contributing posts for her blog in the coming months, which …
Wondering how to clean an outdoor rug? Cleaning a dirty outdoor rug, including one with grass stains, is easy. See how I took mine from dingy to crisp and clean in about 15 minutes. How to Clean an Outdoor Rug Alright, I know the best time to publish a post about how to clean an …
This post shares my slatted outdoor dining table build. DIY 2×4 patio furniture is an easy way to make affordable yet stylish pieces for your home, and customizing them with wood like ipe is a nice way to make them unique. Slatted Outdoor Dining Table Build: DIY 2×4 Patio Furniture It’s time for the August …
This post shares my modern outdoor kids chairs tutorial, including free printable build plans. These chairs are easy to make and look like something bought in a store for a lot more than I spent on lumber. Modern Outdoor Kids Chairs Tutorial Hey all, if you caught my modern outdoor kids table build last week, …
This KidKraft-inspired modern outdoor kids table build easily replicates the popular modern kids furniture style fur under $25! KidKraft-inspired modern outdoor kids table build A few weeks ago, our neighbor gave us her old play house. We’re the third owners in the neighborhood to have it, and Ramona loves it. We have it on the …
This post shares a tutorial to teach you how to build a trellis for vines. Making a modern garden trellis is easy and can add something extra to your outdoor space without spending a lot. How to build a trellis for vines and my modern DIY trellis! Sharing a quick but high-impact DIY today as …
This post shares how to remove paint from clay pots, specifically how to remove old peeling paint from a large terracotta clay pot and repaint the pot. Removing Paint From Terracotta Pots and Repainting Them Hey all! It’s time for May’s issue of the At Home DIY challenge, and this month’s theme is making something …
How to make holiday potpourri with pine cones My aunt recently sent me some amazing large pine cones from her yard. This shady package just showed up one day with a return address of “THE SHORE,” and since my aunt lives on the eastern shore of Maryland, I knew it had to be her. When …
How to make a small rosemary wreath for the holidays I had a magical day off of work recently…and by that I mean Mike was at work and Ramona was at daycare. I rarely have the house to myself these days, so what did I do? Crafted. I decided to experiment with a little rosemary …
This post shares my concrete outdoor side table made from pavers. This post was sponsored by Kreg Tool. I love working with Kreg because I love their products! Concrete Outdoor Side Table Made From Pavers Did you catch my post a few weeks (or months, I can’t remember!) ago about the outdoor coffee table I …
Terracotta pots are cheap but make excellent planters. They are so easy to customize using paint and are a great way to make a statement on your front porch. Plus, painting them is so easy. All you need are a few supplies and the right paint. So let’s jump in. Here’s what I used: How …
This post will show you how to hang globe string lights under a deck. Hanging outdoor globe lights is an easy upgrade to any patio or outdoor space. This post also contains affiliate links. You can read more about that here. How to Hang Gorgeous Globe String Lights Under a Deck This is one of those posts …
This post will show you how I made a DIY patio coffee table with a concrete top, except you don’t have to pour any concrete! I used concrete pavers and 2×2 as a much simpler approach. How to make a DIY patio coffee table with 2×2 and pavers! I first made over our tiny backyard …
This post shares free build plans for you to build your own outdoor dining table and was sponsored by Kreg Tool. I love working with Kreg because I love their products! Build Your Own Modern Outdoor Dining Table Hi everyone! Today I’m popping in to share some build plans I’ve partnered up with Kreg Tool …
This post shares tips about how to seal clay pots for painting. If you’re wondering if waterproofing clay pots is an effective way to preserve a paint job, it is! I’ll walk you through using Thompson’s Water Seal on terracotta pots. How to seal clay pots for painting & using Thompson’s Water Seal on terracotta! …
Hiya! It’s the last week of the One Room Challenge—reveal week! I must admit, I am quite proud of what our tiny backyard has become. And I am going to put an extra feather in my cap since we did all of this with a 5-month-old baby who wasn’t much help. So let’s jump right …
Hey ladies and gents! Our tiny backyard is coming along nicely, and I’m starting to fall in love with it. For last week’s update, we built some raised garden beds. So this is one of those weeks where I don’t feel like there is much visible progress. We finally discovered the location of not one…but …
This post shares all about how to build a raised garden bed with wood. Small raised garden beds help us maximize our small backyard. How to Build a Raised Garden Bed With Wood Hey all, it’s week 3 of the One Room Challenge, and I’m sharing more progress on our tiny backyard. Here’s week 2 if you …
Want to hide your AC unit outside? Learn how to hide an HVAC unit in your backyard with an easy removable DIY air conditioner screen. Hide your HVAC unit with a DIY air conditioner screen! Hi guys, it’s week 3 of the One Room Challenge, and I’m sharing the full post on the utilities area …
Hey all, I’m back for week 2 of the One Room Challenge and sharing the progress we’ve made on our tiny backyard. Here’s week 1 if you missed it. Let’s jump right in. One of the main projects we wanted to do in the backyard was clean up the area around the house with a platform …