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 …
DIY Home
Hey all! A few months ago I wrote about choosing a vinyl privacy fence over a standard wooden privacy fence. The fence is gorgeous, easy to keep clean, and doesn’t have any gaps between the slats. But one thing I do miss about having a wooden fence is being able to easily drill into the …
Hi all! It’s been about 8 months since our sunroom project finished up. And I finally feel ready to share it. It’s been slow-going in our new house…but all in all, I think we’ve made some great progress in the year we’ve been here! Here are a few home-related projects I’ve shared about the new …
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. …
Here’s what we’ve done in the garden this season! Every year I do an update about the changes we’ve made in the garden. This is our third update for this house—here are the first two: And for year 3…well, we really went off the deep end. I thought it was going to be a chill …
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 …
Our DIY behind-the-sofa skinny console table…with power! I have yet to share a full post documenting the basement finishing project we took on. I have a lot of photos and content to sift through first! I did share a post on Our Review of the Flooret Modin Flooring we put in the basement, and that …
This post was sponsored by Cricut. I’ll be honest—I have traditionally not loved working with stencils because I find it super hard to get clean paint lines. No matter how hard I try to paint carefully and how much tape I use to hold them in place, there is always paint bleeding and smudging. However, …
We installed Flooret’s luxury vinyl plank flooring! I’ve been sharing progress on our partial basement finishing project via my Instagram stories for a few months now. After getting a quote for $57k to hire everything out, we decided to project manage it ourselves instead to save some money. And to do a lot of the …
Can you paint vent covers so that they complement your wall colors better? Yes, you can! And it makes a huge difference. Learn the easy steps in this post. How to paint vent covers to match your walls Hey everyone! Today we’re getting back to some DIY basics with an easy project I just completed. …
Hey all! Today’s article is all about a quick thrifty win we had recently. And it’s also the story of a couch. A once beloved couch turned old, stained, and ratty—but that I was able to transform into a brand new piece quickly and easily. When a couch get old, I think the first thing …
Hey all! I figured for today’s article I would take it back to some basics. Since we moved, I’ve been doing some thrifting and acquiring some new pieces for the house. And because this house was built in the 60s, it is perfect for older pieces. I found the table I’m working on in this …
One of my most popular posts is one about how to strip and finish tree branches to bring inside for decor. I did this post as a complement to my larger DIY cat tree made out of real branches project. Our cat tree is still going strong, so I’m pretty confident with my process of …
This post shares my DIY above the door plant shelf as a solution to increase my space for plants and help to disguise a doorway without trim. I’m also sharing a few other updates we’ve made in the space, including replacing the bifold closet doors, painting the Tricorn Black accent wall, and added a mirror …
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 …
Don’t overlook a peel and stick subway tile backsplash for a quick improvement to your home! I’m reviewing Smart Tiles and sharing installation tips. This post contains affiliate links. Peel and stick subway tile backsplash: Smart Tiles review It’s been a while since a good DIY…trust me, I’ve been doing them. But we have been …
One of the biggest draws for our new house was the yard. It’s big, flat, and pretty blank. Just a lot of grass. Which means endless possibilities (especially with no home owner’s association here!). And A LOT of work. I mean, looking at these before pictures, I truly cannot believe where we’re at now. So …
If you’re wondering how to paint a stone fireplace, check out my tutorial! It’s somewhat tedious but not hard. Learn how I gave my ugly stone fireplace a makeover by painting it and replacing the mantel. Learn how to paint a clunky stone fireplace! Before I get started on this tutorial, first let me acknowledge …
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, …
Learn how to make a simple window perch for kitties! How I made our DIY cat window perch Hey all! One last DIY for a little while…I’m starting a new job, but I wanted to eek in one last project! It’s a DIY cat window perch. If you’re just finding my website, I have two …
I have some gorgeous DIY indoor plant stand plans to share today! I built this wooden plant stand out of scrap wood, and it’s an easy woodworking project you can replicate today. Learn how to create more room for plants! DIY indoor plant stand plans—tiered stand with plenty of room! It’s a DIY! I know! …
Are you new to painting and are wondering which painter’s tape is best? I’m outlining the two main types of painter’s tape and talking FrogTape vs Scotch Blue, as well as which I prefer for my projects. Affiliate links below; read more about those here. FrogTape vs Scotch Blue…which painter’s tape is best? I have done a …
Adding a painted accent wall is the perfect way to dress up a plain room without too much effort. Learn how to paint a rainbow striped wall to bring some cheer to any room! Learn how to paint a rainbow striped wall! It’s been a while since I’ve done a paint project. That’s what being …
A tutorial for sewing a double-sided baby blanket I made my first baby blanket back in 2015 or so. And it really kicked off my obsession with making double-sided baby blankets for my friends! I have now made many baby blankets over the years, including one for my own daughter. I don’t claim to be …
This post shares my DIY resin and wood serving tray tutorial. You’ve probably seen beautiful resin and wood serving tray tutorials around the web. This tutorial will show you an easy way to make a DIY resin and wood serving tray with a faux-marbled effect. No woodworking skills or tools required! DIY Resin and Wood …
How to revive faded black clothing Today I am sharing a project I’ve been meaning to do for a LONG time. I have actually had the bottle of dye in my closet for a few months, I just haven’t gotten around to it. I have a favorite dress from Boden, my favorite place to shop …
I added DIY window trim to our builder-grade bare living room windows. See how I decided to add the trim, as well as all of the steps I took to ensure a professional-looking finished product! Adding DIY window trim on builder-grade windows Man, it’s been a while since I’ve done a home DIY, hasn’t it? …
Learn how to sew a custom sewing machine cover! Since I inherited my grandmother’s old sewing machine and have been sewing a lot more, I’ve been keeping the machine out between projects. I want to protect it from dust (and cats), so I usually just pop the hard cover it came with over it and …
Looking for high-quality items you can use to engrave with your laser machine? I’m testing out 4 cheap things to laser engrave from Ikea, including a bamboo cutting board, cork trivet trays, a wireless cell phone charger, and more. 4 cheap, high-quality things to laser engrave from Ikea! Hey all! Recently we were visiting a …
Today I am sharing test tube propagation stations I made using my laser cutting machine. I designed these for a material thickness of 1/4-inch or 6-mm, and they are meant for hanging on the wall. 5 test tube propagation stations made with a laser cutting machine! Hey all! Today I am sharing something pretty exciting. …
Wondering if air assist on an xTool M1 is worth it? So was I! So I made identical projects using the same project, material, and settings with and without air assist. Here are the results. Air assist on an xTool M1…worth it? See my comparison! If you have an xTool M1 machine and haven’t yet …
Are you looking for 18″ doll bunk beds and thinking about making your own? This post outlines my tutorial for making your own DIY 18″ doll bunk beds, perfect for any dolls this size—including American Girl dolls! How to build your own DIY 18″ doll bunk beds Today I’m sharing a project I spent A …
I’m sharing a roundup of great laser craft ideas to help you diversify your lineup of product offerings! This post was sponsored by xTool and contains affiliate links. 9 laser craft ideas for your small business Are you looking for laser craft ideas to expand your small business offerings? I have had a ton of …
Today I’m sharing three projects to walk you through cutting acrylic with the xTool M1 machine! I used opaque black acrylic to make a cat decoration, a houseplant trellis, and cute little mushroom plant stakes. Here’s what you need to know about cutting acrylic on the M1. My adventures in cutting acrylic with the xTool …
Looking for free houseplant trellis SVG files to use with laser cutting machines? I put together 16 different options you can download and use! These files are for personal use only; they are not for commercial use. Thanks! 16 free houseplant trellis SVG files for laser cutter machines! Hey everyone! I am super excited to …
Looking for a fun way to spoil your rodents? Here are five laser cutter hidey houses I’ve made for hamsters, guinea pigs, and mice. Affiliate links below; read more about those here. 5 laser cutter hidey houses for guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, & rats! If you’re not new around here, you might be surprised to see me …
See how I made laser-engraved bamboo plant stakes with my xTool M1 machine, including the best fonts to use and how to seal the stakes for help protect them from water. How to make laser-engraved bamboo plant stakes Hey all! I’m back today with another quick xTool M1 project. When xTool sent me my M1 …
I’ve completed a few projects on the xTool M1 and am sharing my thoughts on the setup, capabilities, ease of use, and more. This review contains affiliate links. My xTool M1 review—what can this machine do? Hey all! Today I am super excited to share a review of my very first laser cutting machine. I …
I finally built my DIY tiered plant stand with room for hanging plants, and it’s the perfect way to maximize space in your home for houseplants! It’s an impressive-looking but simple build with grow lights incorporated as well. DIY tiered plant stand with room for hanging plants After all of life’s craziness during quarantine and …
I didn’t know if I’d actually get around to doing a backyard post this year, but here I am! I decided last night to grab my camera and take a few shots. We didn’t put nearly as much work into the yard this year as we did last year or the year before—but I suppose …