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 …
Outdoors
My outdoor console table made using 2x4s and pavers! 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 …
I usually do a yearly yard update post closer to the end of the growing season—usually in late August or early September when the garden has really filled in and there’s lots to look at. This will be our second full growing season in our current yard. The first year we focused on putting in …
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 …
All about caring for Meyer lemon trees in pots Growing a Meyer lemon tree in our garden is something I’d wanted to do for years before finally getting one. Because it gets very cold where we live, we can’t have certain fruit trees in the ground. So this guide focuses on growing Meyer lemon trees …
Zinnias are some of my favorite annual flowers. They make great cut flowers, and I’ve grown them in containers for several years now. But in the new house, I was finally able to put them in the ground. And man did they take off! (See my post on how to grow beautiful zinnia flowers for …
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 …
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 …
Hey all! If you’re new around here, once upon a time I did a ton of DIY stuff. We’re luckily in a spot now that there isn’t really much left to do in our house…so I’ve done mostly smaller projects and plant care posts lately. This post isn’t about plant care specifically, but here’s something …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Learn how to care for a banana plant, including how to help it winter over! How to grow gorgeous banana plants! I’m excited to be writing about caring for banana plants today because it is one of the plants that first piqued my interest in gardening. My parents have always grown banana plants in their …
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 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 …
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 …
I have been excited to write this post all summer! A few months ago I shared a spring update on what we were doing to clean up and prep our small backyard for spring and summer. If you’re new around here, we completely redid our backyard in April and May of 2018 for the One …
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 …
Today I am sharing all about how to decorate a small outdoor space, including beautiful patios, balconies, decks, porches, and backyards in a variety of styles. You’ll surely find something to inspire you! 1. Small Front Porch budget makeover by Cassie Bustamante My friend Cassie just moved away (*tear*)—she used to live quite close to …
If you’re looking for a kids water table you can DIY, these free build plans for a DIY water table for toddlers are for you! This wooden water table is finished to hold up to the elements and look nice. Free plans to build a DIY water table! Hey all! I’m back at it with …
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 …
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 …
Hi there! I’ve been sharing sporadically these days. But rest assured, we are keeping as busy as ever with projects around the house. I wanted to pop in today to share an update on my tiny backyard (which you may remember me making over for the Spring 2018 One Room Challenge) and our garden. We …
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 …
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 …
I’m not sure if this is a faux pas or not, but I’m doing my backyard for the spring One Room Challenge 🙂 I really wanted to participate as a guest participant again because I love the extra motivation and camaraderie, but I really just don’t have a space that needs works in the house …
Looking for a Ready Seal review? I’ll tell you what you need to know! This article contains affiliate links. My unbiased review of Ready Seal Stain and Sealer I’m going to kick things off here with a product review of Ready Seal Wood Stain and Sealer. I want to try to do more of these …