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13 Pantry Door DIY Makeover Ideas Under $150
While it might not be at the top of the renovation list, don’t underestimate the impact of a pantry door makeover. Be...
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Solved! How Long Does Primer Take to Dry?
Q: I am planning to paint the living room and recently found out that it’s recommended to use a primer before paintin...
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Udemy vs. Coursera: Which Online Course Platform Should You Choose in 2023?
Online courses have exploded in popularity in recent years, and for good reason—when compared to in-person classes, o...
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The Best Outdoor Projector Screens of 2023
Once you have an outdoor movie projector, you can throw a watch party using the garage door or a wall as a screen. Bu...
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15 As-Seen-on-TV Products That Are Actually Worth Buying
Have you ever been tempted to buy one of those products you see advertised on TV infomercials? Sure, the spokesperson...
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This Heavy-Duty Cutting Mat is Worth Every Penny for DIY Projects
Self-healing cutting mats protect table surfaces without dulling cutting blades. The Dahle Vantage 10693 Self-Healing...
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We Went the Distance to Bring You the Straight Scoop on the Bosch Blaze GLM 50 C Laser Distance Measure
Whether it’s because you’re working by yourself, need to make a quick (and accurate) calculation, or you’re working o...
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Lose the Drapes: 17 Ways to Dress a Window Without Curtains
Most people choose to decorate their windows with traditional curtains, blinds, or fabric valances. But finding the p...
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DeWalt Rotary Hammer Drill Review: Is it Worth It? We Tested it to Find Out!
Standard drill drivers can handle most hole-drilling tasks in wood, but they don’t do so well when used to drill hole...
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The Best Udemy Alternatives of 2023
Of all the online learning platforms out there, few offer the selection of classes and affordability of Udemy. But wh...
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Klein Hard Hat Review: Is this Vented Hard Hat Worth It?
When it comes to jobsite safety, a hard hat is one of the most important tools one can own. These devices sit suspend...
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Is This Stanley Tool Set Able to Meet Your Home’s Maintenance Needs?
The Stanley 65-Piece Homeowner’s Tool Kit has that just-right lineup of tools for handling an assortment of odd jobs ...
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12 Birdhouse Plans for Building Homes for Your Feathered Friends
Birdhouses provide shelter for certain types of cavity-nesting birds, offering up a safe space for them to rest. Whil...
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How to Knit for Beginners: 6 Key Stitches to Know
Knitting is a fun and productive pastime—not only is the process itself meditative, but when done right, it should en...
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How to Clean Battery Terminals for At-Home Auto Maintenance
At some point or other, most car owners will need to learn how to clean battery terminals if they don’t already know ...
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15 Knitting Patterns for Beginners
A few good knitting patterns for beginners are essential for building a repertoire of knitting skills and finished pr...
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We Tested the 36-Volt Makita Cordless Circular Saw: Did It Make the Cut?
Circular saws are among the last handheld power tools to go cordless, likely because they require immense power to su...
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Kreg Pocket Hole Jig 320 Review: Does it Work?
Pocket hole jigs make wood joinery faster and easier than traditional methods. Cabinetmakers pioneered the use of the...
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How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve
Typically, toilet fill valves last about 5 years without any issues, depending on the quality of the valve, hard wate...
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5 Udemy and MasterClass Classes To Help You Learn a New Skill This Year
If your New Year's resolution included picking up a new skill, there's still plenty of time to make it happen. One of...
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5 Important Things to Know When Insulating Basement Walls
One of the most important steps to finishing a basement is installing basement wall insulation and basement ceiling i...
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The Best Portable Sawmills of 2023
Sooner or later, homesteaders and folks who regularly convert trees into usable (and valuable) lumber may wish to own...
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Bosch StarlockPlus Oscillating Tool Review: Is it Worth it?
Oscillating tools, sometimes called multi-tools because they accomplish a variety of tasks, are relatively new to the...
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15 Crochet Patterns for Beginners
Learning to crochet is a rewarding hobby—there’s an infinite number of items that can be made with just a crochet hoo...
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12 Storage Hacks for a More Organized Kitchen
It seems as though there’s never quite enough space to store all of a home's dry goods, pots and pans, and dishware. ...
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9 Types of Welds and When to Use Them
When learning how to weld, it’s important to research the best welder for your needs. Another essential element of th...
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This One Repair Can Extend the Life of Your Water Heater
A water heater is an essential part of most homes, providing hot water for cooking, cleaning, and personal care. With...
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The Best Online Candle-Making Classes of 2023
There’s nothing like a candle's warm light and calming fragrance to add ambience to a home. But keeping that flame li...
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The Best Home Essentials Products Tested in 2022
Home is where the heart is—and where your stuff is! We spent nearly 300 hours testing the 129 products that make up e...
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19 Kit Homes You Can Buy and Build Yourself
Kit homes, also called catalog or mail-order homes, come shipped to your door in flat-packs with precut (and often pa...
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How to Glue a Puzzle
Seeing the finished product after spending hours putting the pieces together over a puzzle table can feel quite rewar...
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The Best Online Wreath-Making Classes of 2023
A wreath can make a home’s exterior look joyful. While it’s possible to purchase an evergreen or artificial Christmas...
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The Best Power Tools and DIY Products Tested in 2022
Whether you need to upgrade some tools in your workshop or have some upcoming projects that require new gear, this li...
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How to Sew Curtains
Curtains do more than just block light and offer privacy. A stylish window covering can bring color, texture, and cha...
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The 33 Best Cyber Monday Tool Deals to Shop Before They're Gone
Cyber Monday deals end in hours, so your time is running out to act on the biggest tool deals of the year. Chain home...
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Solved! Can You Reuse Potting Soil?
Q: I have a few planters that still have potting soil from last year. Can you reuse potting soil? Does potting soil g...
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25 Christmas Tree Alternatives to Try This Year
For many, getting ready for Christmas typically involves cutting down a fir or spruce tree or unpacking an artificial...
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How to Hang a Chair From the Ceiling Securely and Safely
Hanging chairs are a staple of retro and modern interior design aesthetics and common on traditional porches. They of...
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These DIY Upholstery Cleaners Work as Well as Store-Bought Options
Even the most careful among us can get dirt and stains on our furniture upholstery, but store-bought chemicals aren’t...
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13 Frighteningly Creative Ideas for DIY Halloween Yard Decorations
Spooky season is upon us, and with it comes the fun of decorating with creations that will get the neighborhood talki...
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How to Remove Heat Stains From Wood: 7 Methods That Work
Heat stains are an enduring concern for both seasoned homeowners and those who have just made their first furniture p...
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How to Replace a Circuit Breaker
A home’s entire electrical system runs through one distribution hub: the electrical panel. The electrical panel, or b...
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The Best Online Welding Courses of 2023
Like many jobs in the trades, there is an increased demand for welders in a broad range of industries. Although other...
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12 Cool Things You Can Make for Your Home With a Cricut
Whether you’re new to crafting and designing or have years of experience under your belt, you may be wondering whethe...
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The Best Transfer Tapes for Vinyl of 2023
Crafting with vinyl has become increasingly popular since the introduction of accessible home cutting machines like t...
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The Best Railing Planters of 2023
An easy way to add greenery to an outdoor space is with a railing planter. They can house colorful flowers, herbs, or...
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What Is Permaculture and How Can I Use It in My Home Garden?
Q: I have been hearing a lot about permaculture lately. How can I implement permaculture principles in my own garden?...
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How to Host the Ultimate Backyard Movie Night
Is there anything better than watching your favorite stars under the stars? While the drive-in theater experience mig...
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How to Flip a House
Welcome to Bob Vila’s Guide to House Flipping in 2022, a month-long series dedicated to showing you the best places f...
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The Best Plastic Welders of 2023
Plastic welders can fix broken garden furniture, toys, kayaks, car bumpers, and a whole host of other items. In many ...
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The 20 Best Labor Day Tool Deals at Home Depot, Lowe's, and More
Labor Day is just days away now—Monday, September 5—and home improvement retailers are currently cutting prices on al...
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How to Turn Wood Accessories for Your Home
Woodturning is a fascinating hobby and not quite like any other kind of woodworking. Even though it involves a machin...
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How to Protect Your Windows From Hurricane Damage
Those who live in coastal regions in the Southern U. S. know all too well about the damage and destruction a hurrican...
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10 Simple Solutions for the Most Stressful DIY Projects
From fixing leaky pipes to unclogging a toilet, some DIY repairs can make you sweat bullets when they go wrong. And, ...
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How to Hack a Wheeled Cooler—for Less than $250
Coolers make it possible to keep food and beverages fresh on long days without refrigeration. But when packed full an...
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The Best Pressure Washer Soaps of 2023
It’s possible to clean driveways, siding, grills, or automobiles by hand, but a better option is to use a pressure wa...
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12 Modern Homesteading Ideas for a More Self-Sufficient Life
Homesteading as a term can be derived from the Homestead Act of 1862, in which eligible adults who had not taken arms...
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The Best Vinyl for Cricuts of 2023
Cricut machines, which let users design and precisely cut out images for projects, have exploded in popularity in rec...
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The Best Heat Transfer Vinyl of 2023
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) used to be relegated to commercial use, but with the increased popularity of at-home cuttin...
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9 Genius Ways to Upcycle Old Bricks
Is that old pile of bricks leftover from a previous project creating an eyesore on your property? While you can certa...
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How to Fix a Bathroom Sink Stopper
One of the most overlooked parts of a bathroom sink is the sink plug; this is because many people don’t understand th...
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What Is Banana Water and Is it Actually Good for Plants?
Q: I recently saw a viral video recommending that gardeners make banana water for plants. Is banana water an effectiv...
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9 Brilliant Ways to Upcycle Material Samples From Your Renovation Projects
Whether you’re redoing your floors, installing new counters, or reupholstering the couch, it’s likely you’ve amassed ...
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MasterClass’s Roster of Celebrity Teachers Is Any Student’s Dream, but Is It Worth the $200 Price Tag?
Between ubiquitous online ads, high-profile celebrity instructors, and word-of-mouth hype, MasterClass has become one...
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15 Outdoor Bench Plans You Can Build This Weekend
Whether you’re an experienced woodworker or just looking for the right weekend project to get your feet wet, building...
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The Best Online Sewing Classes of 2023
Learning how to sew or nailing a new technique is easier than ever thanks to sewing videos. From apparel to embroider...
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Tim Allen and Richard Karn’s Show is Back With a New Name—and Home Improvement Fans Will Love It
 It’s Tool Time… again!It’s been more than two decades since the television series “Home Improvement” left the airwav...
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What is a Gabion Wall and How Do You Use It in Your Home Landscape?
A gabion wall offers numerous home landscaping possibilities: They can serve as a budget-friendly retaining wall, enh...
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7 Important Things to Know About Growing Herbs Outdoors
Growing herbs outdoors is much easier than growing them indoors since the outdoors is their natural milieu. Outdoor h...
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How to Keep Your Garden Happy While You Are on Vacation
There are few things as satisfying as watching your garden change through the growing season and enjoying the literal...
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10 Ways to Reduce Construction Costs for Your Bathroom Renovation
Bathrooms can be one of the most expensive rooms to refinish within a home. But a bathroom renovation can also be one...
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50 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do
While certain home repairs require a professional, many maintenance tasks can be handled on your own. Learning these basic skills will help you become a more self...
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Lumber Prices Are Falling—What That Means for Your Summer Projects and the Real Estate Market
The Covid-19 pandemic affected countless industries worldwide, but the rising cost of lumber had to be one of the mos...
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Here’s Why Home Buyers and Sellers Love a Kitchen Remodel—and Where to Start
This is the first installment of Bob Vila’s Most Valuable Projects of 2022, a month-long series featuring high-ROI ho...
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Bob Vila's 10 “Must Do” Projects for June
The first day of summer is almost here, and memories of the long, cruel winter have all but left our collective consc...
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DIY Disasters: 9 Homeowner "Fixes" That Can Mess Up Your House
DIY projects can keep home maintenance costs low, but it’s important to only tackle jobs you have the knowledge, expe...
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28 Flower Bed Ideas Perfect for Big or Small Yards
Flower beds can completely transform an outdoor space when used correctly. Putting careful thought into how your flow...
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The Best Glues for Rubber of 2023
When it comes to gluing rubber to rubber or a variety of diverse substrates, the project’s success depends on selecti...
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The Best Glues for Felt of 2023
Felt is a thick and warm material made from matted or compressed fibers. These may be natural wool, synthetic fibers,...
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The Best Glues for Cardboard of 2023
Creative art-and-craft projects as well as utilitarian home repairs sometimes call for gluing cardboard to cardboard ...
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The Best Electric Hand Planers of 2023
Despite painstakingly perfect measurements and perfect cuts, there are times when wood just doesn’t cooperate. Whethe...
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10 Sustainable Gardening Trends to Try in 2022
Gardening is an excellent way to spend time outside, grow your own food, and even reduce your environmental impact. I...
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9 Cabin Plans for Building Your Dream Home Away From Home
Home kits that include all the plans and materials needed to build your own home are an economical solution for many ...
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The Best Glues for Styrofoam of 2023
Using the correct glue for styrofoam makes it easier to create crafts and hobby projects. The wrong glue on styrofoam...
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The Best Online Floral Design Classes of 2023
Flower arrangements can transform any space with the beauty of nature, but buying premade arrangements can be expensi...
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Bob Vila's 10 "Must Do" Projects for May
May is a month worth celebrating. As the days become warmer and sunnier, seasonal to-dos both inside and outside the ...
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This Is the Correct Way to Dust Your Home
Have you ever wondered what dust is made of? Skin cells, animal dander, pollen, and lint are some of the more commonl...
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How to Get Candle Wax Out of a Jar: 4 Effective Methods
Candle jars come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Once the candle has finished burning, the glass container lends it...
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How to DIY the Terrazzo Tile Trend
Terrazzo is everywhere in home decor, from coffee tables to wallpaper to pet food bowls. But the price tags for these...
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Taking Down a Tree in Your Yard? Here Are 12 Things You Can Do With the Wood
Tree work can get messy. Whether you’re handling tree removal yourself or paying a tree service to tackle the job, th...
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The Best Paints for Wood Crafts of 2023
Paint is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to add color and style to any surface. Wood is a versatile crafting med...
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The Best Online Fabric Stores of 2023
When it’s inconvenient to get to a fabric store to make in-person purchases—or the local sewing shop has a limited se...
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How to Dry Flowers: 5 Easy DIY Methods
Dried flowers provide colorful, long-lasting, low-maintenance floral arrangements without the need for watering. Beca...
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Want a Bountiful Summer Garden? Do These 3 Quick Things to Your Soil This Weekend
It happens to all of us: In no time flat, winter has slipped away and it’s suddenly time to get spring vegetables and...
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The Best Heat-Press Machines of 2023
Heat-press machines allow users to transfer custom designs to accessories, including hats, shirts, mugs, throw pillow...
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This Guide to Alocasia Care Grows Stunning Elephant Ear Houseplants
The genus Alocasia contains at least 80 species of tuberous, herbaceous perennials that originate from South Asian tr...
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18 Home Improvement Projects You Can Tackle with Your Tax Refund
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make updates to your home, and even an arrival of a small amount of cash from a ...
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Mid-Century Modern Style: 5 Things All DIY Designers Should Know
Contemporary interior design isn’t dominated by a singular look, but one style that has prevailed for nearly 100 year...
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9 Deck Plans for Extending Your Outdoor Living Space
Adding a deck to your home is perhaps the best way to maximize your outdoor space for entertaining, relaxing, playing...
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How to Make Chalk Paint: 4 Super-Simple DIY Recipes
Chalk paint creates a soft, chalky patina that gives furniture an antique look and it makes refinishing furniture and...
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12 Porch Swing Plans for Building the Ultimate Outdoor Siesta Spot
A porch swing is a great place to relax on a balmy evening while sipping something cool and refreshing—what’s not to ...
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How to Make a DIY Fly Trap
When warm weather rolls around, so does an annoying houseguest: flies. Houseflies are a nuisance at best and a vehicl...
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The Best Sewing Machines for Beginners of 2023
Sewing machines can look intimidating to novice crafters, but with the right sewing machine for beginners, anyone can...
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10 DIY Bar Plans for Building Indoor and Outdoor Home Bars
Adding a wine or coffee bar to an indoor or outdoor living space is a great way to enhance your ability to entertain....
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14 Invaluable Tools to Have on Hand When DIY-ing Alone 
DIY projects big and small are often solitary tasks. Sometimes there’s nobody around to lend a hand and other times, ...
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The Best Hard Hats Tested in 2023
The jobsite can be a danger zone, and various home improvement projects come with their share of injury risks as well...
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5 Ways to Do Projects When You Don’t Have a Full-Fledged Workshop
When we are first learning how to fix and build things for ourselves, few of us have a fully stocked workshop up and ...
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Power Tools Substitutions: What to Do When You Don't Have Just the Right Tool for the Job
Most folks are familiar with the phrase, “the right tool for the right job. ” While there’s good reason for that adag...
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Make This DIY Accent Wall in a Day
Instead of trying to decorate a blank wall with pictures and other decor, consider creating a modern wood accent wall...
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14 Picnic Table Plans for Building the Perfect Backyard Dining Area
A nice picnic table is a desirable piece of furniture for many backyards and gardens. It isn’t just a great place to ...
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How to Sew Your Own Stuff
Sewing is a useful skill to have in your back pocket, especially if that pocket tears. Not only can it save you money...
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Make a Zippered Tote Bag Out of Leftover Fabric Scraps
You can never have too many tote bags, especially ones with zippers. They’re a great alternative to plastic while sho...
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How to Sew a Zipper in 6 Zippy Steps
For new seamsters, learning how to sew a zipper can be intimidating, but it’s a must-know skill for many projects. Zi...
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14 Raised Garden Bed Plans for Building the Perfect Plot
Elevating a garden solves numerous problems. Raised garden beds warm up faster in spring for an earlier start to the ...
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How to Change a Bike Tire
Experienced cyclists know punctures occur frequently, so it’s important to learn how to change a bike tire even if yo...
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How to Sew on a Patch in 5 Easy Steps
A patch can add personality to your closet staples or give a well-loved garment new life. Patches can be used to cust...
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How to Sew by Hand: 7 Key Stitches to Know
Knowing how to sew by hand is a versatile skill, and once you know the basics, you can build on your knowledge to cre...
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15 Things to Stop Paying For in 2023
Times change, and so do our budgets. As we enter a new year, it makes sense to evaluate automatic payments and other purchases we make without thinking, such as t...
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How to Sew a Hole in 5 Quick Steps
You can fix small tears in just about any fabric once you know how to sew a hole. Armed with a needle and thread, it’...
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This Color-Sensing Tool is a DIY Designer’s Dream
Color matching in interior design is relatively subjective, but a groundbreaking innovation from a Canadian brand cal...
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How to Sew a Button in 5 Easy Steps
Knowing how to sew on a button is a useful skill for everyone. It’s an easy-to-do task once you get the hang of it, a...
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13 Essential Tools for DIY Auto Maintenance
Before starting any new maintenance work or repairs on the vehicle, you will need to know the types of tools that are...
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Made to Last: 8 Creative Ideas for Building Sturdy Furniture and Accents with Concrete
Fitting your home with new furniture and decor can be a tedious endeavor. It seems like you either have to splurge fo...
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The 5 Shows We're Most Excited to See When Magnolia Network Debuts
On January 5, 2022, Discovery’s DIY Network is being rebranded as the Magnolia Network, with home improvement persona...
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12 Gardening and DIY Camps and Workshops for Adults
Taking up a new hobby like gardening or woodworking ought to be an exciting challenge, but it can be tough to know wh...
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How to Change Windshield Wipers Yourself
In order to drive safely it’s necessary to be able to see where you are going, which is why learning how to change wi...
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Before & After: A Small Galley Kitchen Becomes Bright and Spacious—Without Knocking Down Walls
When we moved into our current home we sacrificed space for the opportunity to live by the sea. Having smaller rooms ...
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The Best Chainsaw Mills of 2023
Store-bought lumber is expensive, and it can vary in quality considerably. For those who have access to a supply of l...
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30 DIY Home Projects Absolutely Anyone Can Do
Every home can use a little sprucing up. If you’ve been overwhelmed by a list of needed house projects in the past, t...
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The Best Anti-Fog Safety Glasses of 2023
Safety gear is required on job sites for a variety of professions, and DIYers are strongly advised to follow that lea...
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How to Make Foaming Hand Soap in 5 Easy Steps
Did you know that individuals use less water when they wash their hands using foaming soap instead of liquid soap? Wh...
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The Best Puzzle Glue of 2023
The best puzzle glue transfigures a pile of separate pieces into a one-piece work of art, suitable for hanging on a w...
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12 DIY Greenhouse Plans for Gardeners on a Budget 
Greenhouses, sometimes referred to as glasshouses, hothouses, or conservatories, create a sanctuary where temperature...
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14 Chicken Coop Plans Perfect for Big or Small Homesteads
If you’re wondering how to build a chicken coop and feel like it may be too big of an undertaking, finding the right ...
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The Best Electric Scissors of 2023
Electric scissors may be one of the lesser-known power tools, but for those who spend a lot of time crafting or sewin...
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14 Adirondack Chair Plans You Can Download and DIY This Weekend
Adirondack chairs feature high backs and wide arms with seats that slant towards the back. Their design makes them id...
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The 11 Most Expensive Appliance Parts to Replace
When replacement parts are this costly, you're often better off replacing a failing appliance altogether.
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10 DIY Sauna Kits You Can Assemble Yourself at Home
Relax, loosen your joints, open your sinuses, recover from a workout, and even improve your health with your own DIY home sauna.
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Brad Nailer vs. Finish Nailer: Which Power Tool is Best for Your Project?
Put a brad nailer and a finish nailer side by side, and it might be difficult to tell one from the other. Plus, when ...
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How To Dry Peppers for a Kick of Spice All Year Long
Drying is the oldest and most common method of food preservation around the world. Any type of pepper—spicy or sweet—...
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Expanding Foam vs. Concrete Fence Post: Which Option is Best for Your Project?
Concrete in some form or another has been around for thousands of years. The modern cement-based version first appear...
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Putting Your Home on the Market? Make These 10 Fixes First
Want top dollar when selling your home? It's a good idea to make these changes before the photographer—and home inspector—show up.
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Add Fun (and Valuable Floor Space) to Your Child's Bedroom With This Loft Bed
One of the realizations we came to when our kids began attending school from home was that my son didn’t have enough ...
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Before & After: A Drab Concrete Patio Becomes a Chic Outdoor Living Space
Like many homes built on a slab foundation, ours has a standard concrete patio that extends from the back of the hous...
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How to Create Indoor Decor From Your Outdoor Garden
Your garden is the perfect source for botanical decor. Not only does it provide you with edible bounty, colorful foli...
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Small Ways to Spruce up Your Deck That Will Make a Big Difference
Showing your deck a little love (and perhaps buying a few new things) can turn this outdoor space into your new favorite “room.”
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How To: Remove Hot Glue
A glue gun is a versatile tool that can bond just about any two items together. The adhesive strength is effective, b...
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How to DIY Built-In Shelves Like a Pro
Sometimes a home’s natural architectural features offer a place to get creative, allowing you to make use of what wou...
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How to Protect Your Property From Wildfires
The damage caused by wildfires can be absolutely devastating. According to a 2020 study by the nonprofit research gro...
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12 Unique Treehouse Ideas for Your Backyard
Innovative treehouse ideas—porches, themes, and elaborate expansions—can transform a simple platform into a magical adventure. Let your creativity flow so your ki...
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Solved! How to Find a Hole in an Air Mattress
Q: My husband and I have bought our two children inflatable air mattresses that they can take to slumber parties and ...
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Types of Gourds All DIYers Should Know
Like squash, gourds are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also comprises cucumbers and pumpkins. With so many d...
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The Best Glues for MDF Projects Around the House
If you’re tackling woodworking projects using medium-density fiberboard (MDF), it doesn’t take long to realize the di...
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The Best Tub Refinishing Kits of 2023
Though bathtubs are made from durable glazes, after years of being subjected to hard water, abrasive soaps, dirt and ...
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The Dos and Don'ts of DIY Potting Soil
The soil in which you grow flowers and food is an essential part of the garden’s success. If you need just a small am...
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Bob Vila's 75 Best Tips for Homeowners
Whether you’re looking to learn about lawn care or tool maintenance, DIY fixes or safety reminders, we know a guy who knows a few things about home care and repai...
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Why You Should Stock Up for Your Fall Painting Projects Now—and How to Make Every Drop Count
With people spending so much more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, home renovation projects have been on th...
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The Best Bathroom Vanities of 2023
Bathroom vanities come in various materials, styles, and sizes, allowing users to add storage beneath sinks and compl...
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Lumber-Cost Lunacy: Clever Ways to Save Money on Wood for Your DIY Projects
If you haven’t shopped for lumber recently, you’re in for a shock at how expensive a board is these days. According t...
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5 Things to Know Before Covering Countertops with Contact Paper
Contact paper countertops—also known as peel-and-stick countertops—have gained popularity in recent years because the...
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Maximize Your At-Home Workouts with This Minimal Piece of Equipment
Over the past couple of years, my calf muscles have been overly tight. I stretch them and have even purchased calf co...
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3 Simple DIYs to Transform Your Kitchen
When a total kitchen overhaul isn’t an option, some simple DIY projects can have a big effect on refreshing the look ...
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The Best Heat Transfer Paper for DIY Projects
Made of a thin piece of paper coated with a polymer, heat transfer paper lets you take any image on your computer and...
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7 Quick and Easy DIYs to Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal
Adding interest and value to the landscape doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. These seven concrete projects will create a fresh new look to your yard—and ...
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15 Outdoor Entertaining Tips for Stress-Free Summer Hosting
A little planning will make for a lot of relaxing.
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The Best Brushes for Polyurethane of 2023
The best polyurethane provides a durable, attractive finish that comes in several formulas, including oil-based, wate...
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The Best Glue for Particle Board Projects
Although particle board can be one of the more affordable materials to use for making furniture and even countertops,...
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10 Types of Rope All DIYers Should Know
A good length of rope has plenty of uses, and experienced DIYers know you can never have too much of it. From tying u...
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9 Home Improvements Your Neighbors Will Probably Hate
Here’s how to make nice with the rest of your block while your project is underway, or rethink a job that will cause perpetual neighborly strife.
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How to Destroy a Hard Drive
Our computers are treasure troves of personal information, including social security numbers, credit card numbers, ba...
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This LinkedIn Hack Makes it a Breeze to Work Outside in the Sun
After a year of working from home, it’s easy to go a bit stir-crazy staring at the same office or living room walls. ...
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The Best Wax Melts of 2023
Relax and let the soothing scents of wax melts create an alluring ambiance. Heat fragrant wax melts in a candle warme...
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How To: Build a Yurt
The yurt is one of the oldest forms of nomadic shelter in history, spanning at least 3,000 years. And while it’s a ti...
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3-Way Switch Wiring: A Step-by-Step Guide
In a standard, single-pole switch, one light switch controls one light fixture—on/off. Things get a bit trickier with...
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The Best Pool Test Kits Tested in 2023
Pool water should be clean, clear, and safe to swim in, but without checking the content of the water with a pool wat...
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The Best Tie-Dye Kits for Your DIY Projects
Tie-dyeing may have reached peak popularity in the 1960s and ’70s, but it has been a popular activity at summer camps...
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The Best Mini Sewing Machines for Your DIY Projects
Perfect for adults or kids interested in learning how to sew or who find themselves short on space, mini sewing machi...
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The Best Car Waxes of 2023
There’s something eye-catching about a perfectly polished car or truck. The way the light hits the vehicle’s curves, ...
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The Best DIY Projects to Complete on a Sunny Weekend
If this weekend’s forecast looks favorable and you’re itching to get outside for some DIY, consider conquering one of these 10 projects.
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The Best Fabric Dyes of 2023
DIYers who engage in fabric crafts, sewing, quilting, costume-making, and fashion design use fabric dyes to achieve d...
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7 Cool Concrete Planters That You Can DIY
Showcase your plants in one of these concrete containers that you can make in a weekend. <br> <i>This content is paid advertising created in partnership with Qu...
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The Best Shoe Protector Sprays to Keep Your Footwear Looking New
Is there any better feeling than putting on a brand-new pair of shoes? The pristine look you love will be short-lived...
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The Best Crochet Hooks for Your DIY Projects
Crocheting is fun and easy to learn, and it can be a relaxing, creative hobby. Fabricate an heirloom blanket for a ne...
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13 DIY Summer Wreath Ideas to Spruce Up Your Front Door
Craft your own seasonal wreath to boost curb appeal and bring happiness to all who enter.
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The Best Paint for Glass of 2023
Painting on glass can be hugely satisfying, easy to use, and versatile. With a little imagination, all kinds of every...
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How to Make a Carpenter Bee Trap
Bees are wonderful insects that help create healthy, abundant gardens. What’s not so wonderful is when carpenter bees...
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The Best Seedling Heat Mats of 2023
For many gardeners, browsing through plants in a garden center is a favorite spring pastime, but some folks can be pu...
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The Best Rotary Cutters for Your DIY Projects
A high-quality store-bought quilt can bring beauty and comfort to any bedroom, but there’s something very special abo...
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The Best Cordless Glue Guns of 2023
Cordless hot glue guns provide a quick and convenient way to create adhesive bonds between surfaces such as paper, wo...
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The Best Wax Warmers of 2023
Offering a flameless and safe alternative to burning scented candles, wax warmers allow captivating fragrances to per...
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10 Types of Knots All DIYers Should Know
Whether you’re tying down a large item to your vehicle in a store parking lot or relying on a rope in a survival situ...
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The Best Permanent Markers for Your DIY Projects
Look in most kitchen junk drawers, office desktop containers, workshops, or crafting spaces, and you’ll find an assor...
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The Best Water Heater Blankets of 2023
Traditional tank-style water heaters typically store between 40 and 60 gallons of water, heating and reheating them a...
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The Best Carpet Tiles of 2023
Like traditional carpet, carpet tiles can offer a comfortable, padded feel underfoot. But unlike conventional carpet,...
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This New App Is Designed to Predict Which Reno Projects Will Improve Your Home’s Value
Are you hoping to make some home improvements soon, but don't know what projects will actually increase your home’s v...
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Proof That Bob Vila Still Lives in Tim Allen's Head Rent-Free After All These Years
Fans hoping for a reboot of the ’90s hit sitcom Home Improvement may be disappointed to learn that Tim Allen and his ...
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8 Creative Uses for Castor Oil Around the House
Castor oil may be known for its health and beauty benefits, but it also has a number of surprising uses in the home and garden.
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The Best Candle Wax for Your DIY Projects
Candle making is a popular hobby that DIYers have elevated to an art form. Employing various waxes and processes, the...
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The Best Cutting Mats Tested in 2023
Accidental gouges and scratches on kitchen counters and dining tables are the occasional byproducts of crafting and s...
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The Best Automatic Gate Openers of 2023
While outdoor security cameras and driveway alarms alert you to the presence of visitors on your property, they won’t...
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The Best Carpenter Ant Killers of 2023
Although many ant varieties can cause problems in a home, few are as potentially damaging as the carpenter ant. This ...
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The Best Waterproof Tape to Use Around Your Home
Waterproof tape is a large product category that includes several tape types with distinct designs and purposes, incl...
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The Best Scorpion Killers of 2023
Across the country, many people contend with common pests such as mice, roaches, and ants, but those who live in hot ...
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How To: Make a Simple Macramé Plant Hanger
Macramé is a trendy craft often seen in plant hangers, wall hangings, and other decorative items. The technique invol...
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10 Ways to Decorate With Floor Mirrors That Are Right on Trend
Indispensable for creating ornate entryways, faux windows, and other decorative effects, floor mirrors are essential pieces of home design.
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The Best Yarn for Your DIY Projects
Yarn is a versatile material used in knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, embroidery, and weaving, among other crafts, ...
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Home Improvement Fans React to Tim Allen and Richard Karn’s New Show
“If there’s one thing I love, it’s people who build things,” says Tim Allen in the introduction of the History Channe...
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Before & After: A Breakfast Nook Goes from Dated and Drab to Modern and Cozy
Who doesn’t love a cozy breakfast nook? I dreamt of having one in my home since my days of living in cramped New York...
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The Best Compact Circular Saws Tested in 2023
The best compact circular saws have balance, output, and ergonomics that match the work being performed, whether it's...
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The Best Drawing Books to Add to Your Home Studio
Whether you’re a novice or an accomplished artist, drawing books can help you learn new skills and perfect your techn...
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9 Reasons Why DIY is Good for Your Well-Being, According to Science
Taking on home projects is not only good for your budget, it can also have lasting positive effects on your mental health.
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The First Power Saw New DIYers Should Buy, According to Experts
Shopping for a power saw can be intimidating. Somebody who’s new to DIY projects might not have the experience to kno...
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Before & After: An Old Home Bar Gets a Budget Mudroom Makeover
The first time I stepped through the door of our home, I immediately noticed the wood-paneled bar off the entrance. I...
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The Best AeroGarden to Bring Your Garden Indoors
Not everyone who wants a garden can grow one. Apartment dwellers without access to outdoor space might feel limited t...
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The Best Easel for Your Art Projects
Whether you’re in the early stages of an art hobby or you’re a professional artist mounting impressive gallery exhibi...
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How To: Make a Homemade Deck Cleaner That Works Like a Charm
An outdoor deck sees lots of traffic. Muddy shoes, spilled food, and wet dogs can leave it dirty, stained, and smelly...
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The Best Shower Doors of 2023
Shower curtains might be perfectly functional, but when it comes to visual appeal, nothing is more modern and elegant...
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4 Things to Know About the Faux Marble Paint Effect That’s Gone Viral
Hacks for transforming an old, outdated item into something stylish and sleek always piques the interest of home impr...
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The Best Chainsaw for Cutting Firewood for Your Home
Whether for cutting up downed trees for firewood, cleaning up after a bad storm, or doing some pruning around the yar...
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The Best Titanium Hammer to Add to Your Tool Box
Hammers have been an essential carpentry tool for centuries and are found in practically every household tool chest. ...
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The Best Milling Machine for Your Workshop
During the milling process, metal, wood, or plastic is fed through a rotating, multipoint cutter on a table that move...
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The Best Soils for Growing Vegetables in 2023
The most common spot for growing vegetables is outdoors during warm weather, where the plants can soak up long days o...
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The Best Copper Spray Paint for Your DIY Projects
Copper spray paint is a top choice of home decor enthusiasts, DIYers, and crafters who love to transform furniture an...
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The Best Fabric Spray Paint for Your DIY Projects
Whether you're refurbishing upholstered furniture, updating throw rugs, adding pizzazz to a pair of canvas shoes, or ...
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The Best Industrial Sewing Machine for Your DIY Projects
Quilts, clothing, upholstery, oh my! Sewing projects are fun and rewarding, but it can be intimidating to take the le...
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The Best Soft Pastels of 2023
Artists of all skill levels use soft pastels to create works of art that have a painterly quality—but without the mes...
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The Best Eraser for Your Art and DIY Projects
Artists, DIY enthusiasts, students, and office workers use pencils and other writing and drawing instruments on a dai...
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12 Practical Ways to Make Your DIY Projects More Environmentally Friendly
Have fun, save money, and be sustainably sound.
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Before & After: An Unused Storage Space Becomes a Secret Playroom Hideout
What kid wouldn’t love a secret playroom off his bedroom? From the first time we toured our house, I knew the extra s...
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3 Good Reasons to Watch Tim Allen and Richard Karn’s New Show
The History Channel’s newest competition series is a must-watch for DIY enthusiasts. Home Improvement co-stars Tim Al...
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The Best Acrylic Paint Brushes for Your DIY Project
Artists and crafters favor acrylic paint for its versatility. It is used not only on canvas, but also on glass, wood,...
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The Best Gel Pens for Coloring and DIY Projects
In years gone by, coloring books were found mainly in children’s playrooms and kindergarten classrooms. Today, adult ...
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The Best Cook Books to Add to Your Kitchen
There are so many options when it comes to choosing a cook book, from diet-specific selections to cook books about ba...
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The Surprising Reason It’s So Difficult to Complete a Kitchen Renovation Right Now—and How to Get Around It
 While being confined to their homes due to COVID-19, many people planned renovation projects—only to encounter issue...
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The Top 5 DIY Trends, According to Michaels
DIYing is a journey that offers homeowners and renters alike plentiful opportunities to fix, update, and decorate. As...
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The Best Candle-Making Kits of 2023
The convenience and superior illumination that electric lights provide can’t replace a flickering candle’s warm glow ...
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The Best Electric Pencil Sharpeners of 2023
There once was a time when many of us would draw, doodle, scribble, and write with pencils, and sharpening our pencil...
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The Best Sewing Tables for Fabric DIY Projects
Any project around the home is easier to tackle with the proper tools to get the job done. When working on larger fab...
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The Best Epoxy Resins of 2023
Epoxy resin is highly durable and nonporous, making it an ideal choice for a variety of projects. Sealing floors or c...
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The Best Shoe Glues of 2023
Shoes, like many common clothing items, can range widely in price, durability, and purpose, but when you find a pair ...
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The Best Self-Watering Planters for Low-Maintenance Gardens
Self-watering planters offer a convenient way to have an indoor garden with little maintenance. If you’re a plant-lov...
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The Best Impact Sockets for Your Toolbox
If you’ve spent any length of time working on automobiles, you’ve likely come across the benefits an impact wrench of...
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The Best Gold Spray Paints of 2023
There aren’t many finishes that make an impression quite like gold. From picture frames to furniture legs, the best g...
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9 Building Materials with the Biggest Pandemic Price Increase—and What That Means for DIYers
No, it’s not your imagination. You’re paying more for some home improvement building materials these days, and you have the pandemic to blame.
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The Best Drawing Pencils for Artists and Designers
For many artists, their first drawing experiences were with pencils, and they fell in love with creating art through ...
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The Best Roofing Nailers for Shingle Repair
While replacing or repairing a roof can save you hundreds in labor costs, attempting a complete roofing job with a ha...
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The Best EDC Knives for Everyday Use
It's rare for a farmer, DIYer, or camper to go without a small knife. A knife is essential for performing many everyd...
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10 Lowe’s Shopping Secrets All DIYers Should Know About
You can save big bucks on your next visit to Lowe’s—if you know where to look.
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The Best Laminating Machines of 2023
By encasing important items in plastic, laminating machines, or “laminators,” can preserve important items. Many peop...
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The Best Sewing Scissors for Fabric Projects
A sharp pair of sewing scissors is a key tool in any sewer’s arsenal. Hacking away at fabric with a pair of kitchen o...
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The Best Planners of 2023
One of the highlights of ringing in the new year, starting a new school year, or simply getting a new calendar is the...
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The Best Paper Cutters Tested in 2023
A paper cutter can cleanly cut paper, photographs, and other items more quickly and accurately than a pair of scissor...
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The Best Sewing Kits for Patches and Repairs
Sewing kits allow you to quickly and conveniently mend, hem, patch, and otherwise complete minor sewing projects at h...
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6 Quirky Home Trends Only Etsy Could Predict for 2021
The pandemic has changed our lives in so many ways. And while there may be a lot of grim details to discuss, there’s ...
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The Best Glass Cutters for Your Projects
Whether you’re trying your hand at stained glass crafts or a pro glazier, you need the right tools for the job. And o...
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The Best Fabric Markers for Your DIY Project
The possibilities are endless for DIY fabric art projects. You can personalize, decorate, and embellish T-shirts, jea...
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Divide and Conquer: 10 Room Dividers to Bring Order to Your Space
Create a sense of peace and balance with the right spatial flow. Just make or buy one of these beautiful room dividers, and find a layout that works for you.
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The Best Chalk Lines for Project Planning
Every amateur renovator knows straight lines are grueling to draw. Thankfully, with the simple addition of a chalk li...
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The Best Coping Saws for Cutting Molding
A coping saw is a handy tool for DIY woodworkers and professional carpenters alike. The standard coping saw employs a...
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13 DIY Squirrel Feeder Ideas for Your Yard
Move over, birds! These feeders are for your bushy-tailed backyard friends.
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21 Home Improvement Projects to Put on Your To-Do List for 2021
It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on selling your home in the coming months or looking to stay put for years to come, there are plenty of projects you can do i...
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The Best Cricut Machines for Your Craft Projects
Considering a Cricut machine? These handy devices are a crafter’s best friend. The cutting machines act like a printe...
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How To Get the Industrial-Farmhouse Look on a Budget
Achieve the rustic home aesthetic with these affordable DIY furniture and décor ideas. <br> <br> <i>This content is paid advertising created in partnership wit...
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The Best Pencils for Writing, Sketching, and More
In a world where we spend much of our time looking at screens and typing on keyboards or smartphones, there’s somethi...
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The Best Step Ladders Tested in 2023
From tucking away totes on top shelves in the closet to cutting in paint edges along the top of a wall, a step ladder...
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The Best Watercolor Brushes of 2023
When it comes to art projects, successful results depend on the quality of your materials and equipment. Perhaps you ...
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The Best Home-Brewing Kits for Beer Lovers
Take your love of beer to the next level by learning how to craft your own brew. Home-brewing kits streamline the bee...
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The Best Pencil Sharpeners for Your Office and Craft Supplies
In the age of email and text messaging, it might seem that pencils are tools of the past. Thankfully, there’s still a...
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The Best Fabric Glues of 2023
Sewing is a skill that takes time, patience, and dedication to master. When you're in a pinch and a thread and needle...
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The Best Silicone Sprays of 2023
Silicone spray is typically seen as a lubricant for noisy door hinges. But users can also use silicone spray on car h...
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The Best Watercolor Paints for Artists and Designers
Whether you’re enrolling in your very first art class or selling your watercolor paintings in galleries, you know tha...
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The Best Glues for Ceramic Repairs Tested in 2023
Breaking a ceramic household item is frustrating, but most can be repaired—so long as you have all the pieces and a h...
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The Best Band Saws of 2023
A sturdy band saw makes rip cuts like a table saw, crosscuts like a miter saw, and reduces the thickness of a board l...
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The Best Hand Planes Tested in 2023
Whether shaving down a wood door that’s sticking or smoothing the surface of a wavy board, no tool works quite as wel...
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The Best Sergers of 2023
The best sergers machines offer a few key advantages over conventional sewing machines. They create stronger, more du...
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The Best Notebooks and Notepads for Memos and More
Notebooks are incredibly versatile products typically used for taking school notes, journaling, or a wide variety of ...
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The Best Lego Sets of 2023
Creating structures and imaginary worlds with Lego building bricks can be fun at every age. An abbreviation of two Da...
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The Best Scissors for Everyday Use
Believe it or not, scissors are one of the most important tools in your home. Although scissors can be used to cut a ...
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The Best Sketchbooks for Artists and Designers
Sure, you can draw on any blank piece of paper that’s handy, but treating yourself to a quality sketchbook will give ...
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DIY Lite: Set Up a S'mores Station Anywhere with This Tabletop Fire Pit
What's summer without s'mores? Even if your outdoor living space is limited to a small side yard, you can still enjoy...
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20 Boredom-Busting DIY Projects You Can Do at Home This Fall
Take a break from your screen for an afternoon to make holiday gifts and autumnal decor.
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35 Easy Painted Pumpkins to Perk Up Your Halloween
Feeling festive but don't want to deal with the mess of carving pumpkins? Then these painted pumpkins, from striped to marbled, will help you get in the Halloween...
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The Best Fountain Pens for Your Desk
Fountain pens have been popular writing tools for years, with avid supporters preferring not to write at all than use...
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The Best Chalk Paints for Home Decor Projects
Chalk paint is a favorite decorative finish of home decor enthusiasts, DIYers, and pros. It goes on easily, adheres t...
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The Best Sewing Machines for Beginners and Beyond
Sewing machines are great for hemming pants and curtains and making other minor alterations. With a good machine, you...
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The Best Colored Pencils for Beginner to Professional Artists
A new set of freshly sharpened colored pencils is a great addition to an artist’s tool kit. Colored pencils come in a...
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35 Ways to Decorate for Fall When You’re Sick of Pumpkins
Beautify your autumn home, with nary an orange gourd in sight.
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The Best Fabric Scissors For Crafters
Anyone who sews knows that a quality pair of scissors will ensure the precision shaping of fabric pieces. Crafters an...
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The Best Cornhole Boards of 2023
Cornhole is a popular outdoor game for good reason. It’s fast to set up, easy to learn, and fun for kids and adults a...
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9 Things You Never Thought You Could DIY—But Definitely Can
Add an element of surprise and industrial chic style to your home with these practical DIY projects. <br> <br> <i>This content is paid advertising created in p...
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8 Reasons Steel Pipes Are the Most Fun to Build With
If you’ve crossed some tedious tasks off your to-do list, you’re probably ready put the delight back in DIY. That means taking on projects that are a blast to bui...
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The Best Carpenter Pencils for Your Projects
A carpenter pencil may just look like an odd-shaped regular pencil, but it’s so much more than that. These precision ...
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10 Types of Router Bits Every DIYer Should Know
Handy homeowners and do-it-yourselfers who have spent any time on improvement projects have encountered situations wh...
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These Creative Outdoor DIYs Have One Thing in Common
Get busy building beautiful, functional items to upgrade your front and backyard. <br> <br> <i>This content is paid advertising created in partnership with Ste...
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10 No-Contact Ways to Shop for Home Improvement Supplies
Protect your health while buying DIY project materials with these no-contact shopping strategies. Whether or not you live in an area that’s been hit hard by Covid...
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6 Ways You Can Get a Better Backyard in Just One Weekend
Update your landscape and enhance your outdoor experience with these durable and long-lasting DIY concrete projects. <br> <br> <i>This content has been brough...
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The Best Acrylic Paints of 2023
Whether you plan to dabble in fine art or need a trusty set to add a splash of color to your art supplies, it’s alway...
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Boredom Busters: These 7 Fun Projects Require Just 1 Thing
Stop yawning and get crafty with these cool, easy DIY projects all made from a ruggedly beautiful material sure to surprise you. This content is paid advertisi...
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The Most Beautiful Chicken Coops We've Ever Seen
As backyard poultry farms gain in popularity, find the coop that works for you, whether you live in the country or in tighter, urban spaces.
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The Best Home Tool Kits Tested in 2023
Whether one owns or rents, a home repair tool kit is essential for inevitable fixes and projects around the house, fr...
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The Best Electric Chainsaws Tested in 2023
The best electric chainsaws allow for quick and easy cutting. Just plug the saw in or snap in a battery and you're re...
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The 11 Handiest Ways to Use a Hot Glue Gun
You’ll be surprised at what you can make, fix, and restore with a little hot glue. Save money and time with these helpful DIY ideas!
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13 DIY Projects You Can Do with Supplies You Already Have
Getting your house shipshape doesn’t always mean running to the home improvement center to load up on supplies. Many DIY maintenance tasks, home repairs, and othe...
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10 Ways to Get Money Back from Home Improvement Projects
Learn how to recoup some cash from your next renovation project.
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10 Bad Habits That Every DIYer Needs to Break
Avoid safety hazards and subpar results by improving your approach to home improvement with these tips.
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The Best Ant Killers of 2023
The earth is home to some 20 quadrillion ants, according to a recent study, so folks shouldn’t be surprised if an ant...
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The Best Scroll Saws of 2023
If you're needing to make intricate cuts for projects like jewelry boxes, wood signs, or birdhouses, your go-to carpe...
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9 Things About Your Home That You’ll Probably Hate in a Decade
Don’t get stuck with an interior style or unique addition that won’t pay off in the long run.
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35 Things You Didn’t Know Your Home Appliances Can Do
Believe it or not, your appliances can do more than their intended purposes. Check out the surprising ways you can use your big and small appliances around the ho...
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Entertain the Whole Family at Home with 10 DIY Lawn Games
Ring toss, tetherball, lawn bowling—these outdoor games are not only fun to play, they're super easy to make.
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The Best Glue Guns Tested in 2023
A versatile glue gun comes in handy for creating everything from kid-friendly crafts and seasonal decorative items to...
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15 Projects You Should Always Take Outside
Keep yourself and your home safe and looking great by moving these projects outside.
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These 17 Stone Walkways are Simple to DIY
When it comes to garden paths, the possibilities are endless. Here are 17 examples to help you get inspired to build your own.
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How To: Use a Tape Measure
You’ve no doubt heard the carpentry proverb “Measure twice, cut once” and may even have made it a mantra for your own...
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The Best Safety Glasses Tested in 2023
Many common DIY projects around the home, and in professional trades as well, require the use of safety glasses. Whet...
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Cure Your Cabin Fever with 20 Easy Paint Projects
Going stir-crazy indoors? Stir up some paint, whip out that paint brush, and put on your painter’s hat! Then, get started on these 20 DIY paint projects around th...
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5 Things to Know When Making DIY Hand Sanitizer
Amidst the current Coronavirus pandemic, many people throughout the world are taking steps to protect against infecti...
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The Best Duct Tapes of 2023
If you’ve heard the expression “like water off a duck’s back,” you may be surprised to learn that it was the original...
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The Best Super Glues Tested in 2023
 A handy tube of super glue can quickly turn complicated home repairs into quick fixes—if you have the right product....
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The Best Tool Bags Tested in 2023
There comes a point when collecting a complete DIY set of tools starts causing storage issues. A tool box might do th...
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11 Easy DIY Fixes for Annoying House Problems 
Don't procrastinate any longer. The annoying house problems you live with are easier to fix than you realize. After you cross these repairs off your to-do list yo...
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The Best Multi-Tools Tested in 2023
A twist on the tried-and-true Swiss Army knife, the aptly named multi-tool offers a number of DIY-friendly functions ...
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13 Maintenance Mistakes That Will Cost You the Most Money
Many homeowners jump at the chance to do their own home maintenance and repairs—after all, who doesn’t want to save money? While plenty of projects are DIY-friend...
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12 Painted Walls That Look Like Wallpaper
The walls of your house should be sturdy, but they don’t have to be boring. Amp up the appeal of your interior walls with a little painter’s tape and some bright ...
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Here’s How Building a Cold Frame Can Extend Your Gardening Season
A cold frame is one of the most valuable accessories for the northern or mountain gardener. With a cold frame, garden...
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35 Ways to Use Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways
When used imaginatively, ordinary items can have practical magic. Here’s some inspiration for employing everyday household goods in unusual—and helpful—ways.
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The Best Wood Glues Tested in 2023
With its unique grain patterns and natural tones, thick and thin wood earns praise for being a beautiful building mat...
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The Appeal of a Burnt Wood Finish
Whether you’re ready to build a new wood deck, furniture, or wood wall paneling—or aim to spruce up existing ones—you...
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50 Insanely Easy-to-Make Holiday Ornaments
With some common tools, scrap supplies, and a little know-how, you can transform just about anything into a decorative accent for your holiday tree. Here's proof!
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Countdown to Christmas: 30 Projects to Do Now to Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays
Taking care of these around-the-house tasks now will have you ready for guests, merriment, and even a little relaxation by the time the holidays arrive.
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30 Vintage Christmas Ideas Worth Bringing Back
Done with Christmas commercialism? Revisiting Yuletide ideas from days gone by may lead to new family traditions, and your jolliest holiday season yet.
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5 Ways to Remove Rust From Metal Using Kitchen Ingredients
Rust is a common household enemy, rearing its ugly orange-brown head anywhere from the kitchen utensil drawer to the ...
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40 DIY Advent Calendars to Help You Count Down to Christmas
Build up excitement as you count down to Christmas with an Advent calendar that offers a fun surprise on each of the 24 days leading up to the big event. One of t...
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Is Prefinished Hardwood Flooring Right for Your Home?
Hardwood floors add natural warmth to any room, but the traditional method of installing hardwood is time consuming a...
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10 Sober Alternative Uses for Alcohol at Home
It's the perfect accompaniment for an exquisite meal and close friends, but drink too much of it, and you may find yourself slipping and stumbling into a heap of ...
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14 House Problems That Don't Require a General Contractor
As most homeowners are well aware, problems can strike a house suddenly and without warning: a leaky roof or a fallen tree, a burst pipe in the basement or a boil...
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13 Other Things You Can Do with a Pumpkin
A few pumpkins and a jack-o-lantern on the porch are all well and good, but why not stretch your imagination a little further? We rounded up our favorite—and most...
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18 Ways to Make Your New House Look Old
Do you live in a 1980s ranch, but wish it were a stately Colonial or a quirky Victorian? These DIY updates will make your cookie-cutter home look like a charming ...
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The Most Popular Home Improvement Projects in America
Few homeowners have the money or time to quiet every noise, seal every crack, and upgrade every appliance. So how do you decide which home improvement projects to...
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The Cheapest Ways to Make Your Home Look Brand-New Again
Hardly anyone’s home looks magazine-worthy all the time, but if you’ve noticed that your home is looking a little dingy or rough around the edges, it may be time ...
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25 DIY Projects That Don't Use Any Power Tools
While it's no big deal for a pro to grab a power drill to make a quick, precise hole, or to cut lengths of wood with a circular saw, some DIYers lack the skill, c...
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These Companies Want to Make Your Home Improvement Projects Easier
Are you moving into a new place and need help getting things done? Or maybe you’re ready for a design refresh, but you’re not sure where to start? These 10 compan...
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Chalk and 19 Other Things You Don't Keep in Your Toolbox—But Should
Every homeowner knows the importance of having a good toolbox stocked with all the basics—screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and the like. But there are a few, more ...
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The Most Important Outdoor Tasks You Can Complete This Summer
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy! But don't let the days just drift by. Now that the sun is shining, home improvement projects beckon. How many of these tasks a...
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The Best Ways to Dress Up a Drop Ceiling
Pretty up a drab drop ceiling with any of these unexpected, inexpensive decor ideas.
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10 House Projects You Can Still Complete on a Rainy Day
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a homeowner who wants to get a home project done will inevitably encounter storm clouds and rainy days. But just becaus...
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35 Tips for Easy Cleanup After Every DIY Project
If you’re like most homeowners, you probably have a bucket list of repairs, maintenance tasks, or DIY projects you’d like to tackle around the house one of these ...
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Tough Choice, Easy DIY: 2 Projects to Rescue a Worn-Out Patio
As the weather warms up, patios take center stage for entertaining. But alfresco meals with friends and family lose a...
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12 Times Goo Gone Saves the Day
DIYers looking for that perfect go-to gunk, glop, spill, and stain remover for the home, laundry, workshop, and garage need look no further than Goo Gone, an amaz...
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8 Times to Never, Ever Skip Paint Primer
Is it really worth the effort and expense to prime before you paint? Absolutely. A primer preps the painting surface and seals any stains so that the paint adhere...
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25 Insanely Easy 60-Minute Home Improvements
On television, home improvement projects go from start to finish in 60 minutes or less. The good news is, you don’t need to spend a lot of time to spruce up your ...
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10 Tips for Planning a Raised Garden Bed
Grow a bountiful garden without a lot of effort or space with these raised garden bed success secrets.
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7 Pro-Approved Shortcuts for Nearly Any Home Improvement Project
Tackle paint jobs, prep work, maintenance, and repairs quickly and easily with these expert tips and tools. The following content is paid advertising create...
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12 Painted Floors You Need to See to Believe
Does your floor need a new look? Instead of replacing it with costly broadloom or hardwood, consider painting it for a fraction of the cost. These painted floors ...
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What's the Difference? Grout vs. Caulk
Novice DIYers eager to get started repairing, replacing, or installing new tile may wonder about the differences betw...
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Made from Scratch: 25 DIY Dining Tables
It’s the spot where family gathers for holiday meals, birthday cake, and after-dinner chats. The dining table is the center of so many happy memories, why not tai...
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For the Dogs: 11 Crazy Home Upgrades Made by Pet Owners
Most pet parents make a few changes to their dwelling when they welcome a new four-legged friend, maybe fencing in the yard, installing a dog door, or putting up ...
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20 Incredible Ideas for a DIY Storage Bench
Whether your digs are cramped or palatial, a storage bench provides both extra seating and another place to stash your stuff. Click through for 20 benches you can...
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30 Coffee Bars to Put Pep in Your Home Design
The explosion in popularity of single-serve coffeemakers like the Keurig has given rise to a new home design trend: the coffee bar. Making a cup of coffee now req...
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Make Your Own Vanity: 12 Inventive Bathroom Rehabs
The centerpiece of any bathroom is the vanity. It not only holds the sink, but it also provides valuable storage. Its finish and style often help set the palette ...
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19 Budget-Friendly Home Upgrades to Make in 2019
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look great. If you think it's time for a few improvements but you’re not prepared to pay thousands of dollars ...
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12 Things You Never Thought to Do With Packing Peanuts
Loose-fill packaging materials like polystyrene packing peanuts do a great job of protecting fragile items during transport. But what to do with them once you’ve ...
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23 Brilliant Hacks to Help You Weather Winter
Preparing for winter doesn’t have to be a chore! Read on for 23 fun and fast DIY ways to keep your home warm and weatherproof, no matter what the season brings.
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15 Imaginative Garlands to Add Charm and Whimsy to Your Holiday Home
Why settle for just beads when you can dress your tree with stringed-decorations made from felt, corks, bells and more. Check out these imaginative Christmas gar...
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11 DIY Christmas Gifts That Only Look Expensive
Create beautiful, functional holiday presents that look like a million bucks, but cost next to nothing. This content has been brought to you by Quikrete. Its...
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Bob Vila Radio: Picking the Right Poly: Polycrylic vs Polyurethane
Don’t let their names confuse you: Though polycrylic and polyurethane may sit on the same shelf at the store, they ar...
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8 Clever Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality Without a Humidifier
Winter doesn’t just bring colder temperatures outdoors; in most areas, it also means bone-dry air inside your home, a...
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10 Things to Do with Cross-Cut Trees
Cross-sections of a tree branch are all that keep you away from a house full of one-of-a-kind rustic, woodsy decor.
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10 DIYs for a Frightfully Fun Halloween
These ghoulishly inventive DIY Halloween decorations prove that you don't have to break the bank to scare the pants off of treat-seeking visitors.
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These 10 Sturdy Furniture DIYs All Share 1 Secret Ingredient
You can build seating, storage, accent pieces, and more with a little ingenuity and a bag of concrete. This content has been brought to you by Quikrete. Its ...
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How to Make a Homemade Degreaser to Conquer Kitchen Grime
Defy the sticking power of grease kicked up from cooking by making your own degreaser at home. Cooking oil can cling ...
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12 DIY Step Stool Designs You Can Make
A step stool is the perfect tool for helping the short and tall alike to access those hard-to-reach places like the highest shelf of the kitchen cabinet, the top ...
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8 Things to Know Before Installing Recessed Lighting in Your Home
Unobtrusive illumination installed flush with the ceiling, recessed lighting can be found in virtually all types of h...
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Draft Dodgers: 8 DIY Creations to Keep Out the Cold
Even when the weather outside gets frightful, wind-blocking draft dodgers are delightful... and wonderfully simple to make. Just as we lose body heat through our ...
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12 DIY Ways to Dress Up Your House for Fall
It’s here—crisp, cozy, colorful autumn. Celebrate the season with some of these fall DIY accents for your home.
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7 Secrets of Assembling IKEA Furniture
It’s no secret why IKEA has become one of the most successful furniture companies in the world. Its flat-pack furniture is affordable and can be delivered to your...
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How to Etch Glass—and How to Fake the Look Using Spray Paint
If you’re someone who keeps jars and canisters because “you never know, they could come in handy,” this project is fo...
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Backyard Makeover: DIY a Patio Table with a Built-In Cooler for Drinks
Has a relatively empty patio left you uninspired to head outdoors?When it comes to setting up the deck or balcony, yo...
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All You Need to Know About Beadboard Ceilings
Prominent in the trim aisles of home improvement stores and popular on home remodeling shows, beadboard offers a grea...
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9 DIY Lanterns to Illuminate Your Porch, Patio, or Garden
When the weather gets warm, outdoor living heats up, and porches and patios become the place to be. As your sunny days shift to balmy nights, add some atmosphere ...
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Wing It: 14 Approaches to a DIY Birdbath
Welcome feathered friends to your backyard with a DIY birdbath modeled after any of the following inspiring designs.
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15 Surprisingly Simple Woodworking Projects for Beginners
Woodworking doesn’t have to be daunting! Most of these fun, novice-friendly projects use scrap lumber and require just basic tools and some simple instructions. T...
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10 Classic DIY Projects for the Outdoors
It's time to embrace the warmer weather by tackling a couple of outdoor DIY home improvements. There's so much to be done, where do you start? How about right her...
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10 Doable Designs for a DIY Rug
Though not always considered essential, area rugs provide comfort and warmth for hard floor surfaces, while adding aesthetics to a room’s design. But the hunt for...
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Makeover an Ordinary Outdoor Space with a Wall-Mounted Trellis
It's not news: You don’t need to have a huge backyard to enjoy greenery. The key is to embrace your vertical space, a...
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7 Best Garage Sale Buys for DIY Projects
Hit local sales for stuff you can upcycle with concrete to create the coolest home goods ever! This content has been brought to you by Quikrete. Its facts an...
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How To: Build a Better-Looking Baby Gate
A lot of lifestyle adjustments need to be made when a baby comes along, and the house is no exception. In addition to...
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The Best Homemade Stainless Steel Cleaner
Longevity and luster make stainless steel a popular choice material for appliances, countertops, and other fixtures. ...
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14 Things You Never Realized Are Reusable
These days, it seems everything is made to be thrown away. Disposables litter our kitchens, closets, laundry rooms, and bathrooms, and the barrage of trash shows ...
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15 Doable Designs for DIY Outdoor Furniture
The weather is warm—it’s finally time to start making the most of your outdoor space. You can transform your yard, deck, or patio into a true extension of your ho...
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14 Cheap DIYs for a Better Backyard
Most homeowners are eager to improve their outdoor living space, but professional landscaping services and patio furniture cost a pretty penny these days. Don’t g...
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The Perfect DIY Plant Stand for Any Empty Corner
‘Tis the season to celebrate your green thumb! If you enjoy afternoons tending colorful blooms, then you understand h...
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All You Need to Know About Loamy Soil
While you may be concerned with watering or fertilizing during the growing season, are you giving your soil considera...
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A Dozen Projects You Never Knew You Could Do with 1 Bag of Concrete
Take your do-it-yourself talents to a new level of cool with any of these fun, functional pieces. There's something here for every skill level, and each project t...
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12 Genius Ways to Reuse Your Plastic Bottles
We all know that plastic isn't exactly eco-friendly, so if you want to do your part to protect the planet, the best course of action is to reduce the amount of pl...
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What's the Difference? MDF vs. Plywood
While it’s hard to match the natural beauty of solid wood, it’s an undeniably pricey option. Fortunately, for many pr...
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Board and Batten Siding and Trim: All You Need to Know
Wood siding that consists of narrow vertical strips or battens installed over a flat base or board is known, logicall...
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All You Need to Know About Cerused Wood
While some prefer to disguise the patina of their wood furniture with paint or contact paper, a growing number of hom...
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7 Types of Homeowners Who Can Benefit from a Backyard Shed
A backyard shed is great</em> for all-purpose storage, but it can be so much more than just a place to stash landscaping tools. Today, folks of all stripes are di...
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The 8 Most Common Reasons DIYers End Up in the ER
Your home is a refuge from the dangers and anxieties of the outside world—or is it? Statistics indicate that Americans are more likely to be injured at home than ...
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All You Need to Know About Fabric Wallpaper
Fabric wallpaper is the perfect option for renters and homeowners who want a temporary solution to blah bare walls. S...
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14 DIY Project Materials Hiding in Your Backyard
Sometimes you don’t need to go much farther than your back door to find the supplies you need for your DIY projects. Check out these ingenious creations for the h...
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10 Clever Ways to Hack Your Kitchen Appliances
Each kitchen appliance has a designated purpose, whether it’s toasting bread, making coffee, heating up food, or mixing ingredients. But clever homeowners can thi...
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How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets
Whether your bathroom vanity has gone dingy with heavy use and exposure to moisture, or it’s just looking dated, pain...
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Grout Paint: The Backsplash Remedy You Never Knew You Needed
Tile backsplashes defend kitchen and bathroom walls from moisture, collecting dirt, grime, mildew, and mold in the pr...
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How To: Connect PEX to Copper or PVC
Today, with the help of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe, plumbing work has become more efficient for professiona...
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How To: Frame a Bathroom Mirror
The bathroom mirror is essential, but "essential" doesn't have to be synonymous with "boring. " Is yours plain and wi...
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All You Need to Know About Knockdown Texture
The knockdown drywall finish, an early 1990s successor to popcorn and orange peel textures, has remained a hit with h...
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9 Smart Uses for Dusty Old Books
While the thought of destroying a hardcover tome might make some book lovers squirm, there does come a time when an old, musty, or damaged book may have outlived ...
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DIY Lite: A Narrow Nightstand that Fits into Any Bedroom Layout
Whether you can't wind down without a book or you simply like to check your email on your phone before falling asleep...
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14 Brilliant Ideas for Removable Backsplashes
You can paint it, tile it, or cover it in wallpaper, but the day may eventually come when you’ll want to remove or re...
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Solved! Why Is My Toilet Bubbling, and How Can I Fix It?
Q: Sometimes, my toilet makes a gurgling noise for no apparent reason—not when I flush it, but rather at random inter...
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19 Cool Projects You Can Do with Leftover Paint
A gallon of gas? It won't get you too far. A gallon of milk? If you have a big family, it can be gone in a day. But a gallon of paint? It can go a long way, meani...
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Why Didn't I Think of That? 18 Clever Tricks to Simplify Your Life
We get it. Life can be hard. The to-do list never ends, no task is without complication, and of course, there is never enough money. But fortunately, some of the ...
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11 Weird Ways to Use a Bobby Pin
Bobby pins are the unsung heroes of beauty tools. The tiny clips can hold braids, pin back bangs, and give extra lift to a ponytail, but did you know that they ha...
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14 New IKEA Hacks to Try in 2018
Unassuming looks and versatile construction make IKEA furniture the perfect foundation for creating one-of-a-kind accents that cost considerably less than you mig...
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8 Tiny Projects to Try in 2018
Is your New Year's resolution to get your house in order? Or maybe you'd like to stretch your DIY skills this year? If self-improvement or household-improvement i...
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All You Need to Know About Limewashed Brick
Despite being one of the most durable materials around, brick very visibly ages.  Its crisp square edges can soften, ...
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This DIY Christmas Tree Stand Makes Your Fake Fir Look Real (and Taller!)
You've adorned every limb with baubles, tinsel, and ribbon, but what's a fully decorated tree if its base remains bar...
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How To: Make Your Own All-Natural Granite Cleaner
Homeowners gush over granite for kitchen counters, bathroom vanity tops, and other surfaces for its ability to handle...
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A Dozen Clever Hacks for Your DIY Holiday Home
You don't have to shop 'til you drop to make things merry and bright this season. We've scoured the Web for 18 resourceful hacks to make your home—and your holida...
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Video: Turn Pipe and Fittings into a DIY Magazine Rack
Before you can build functional, stylish furniture for your home, you need a truckload of power tools and a craftsman...
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Video: 10 Household Products You Never Need to Buy
Homeownership brings a lot of hidden costs, especially when it comes to the daily cleaning and maintenance that's req...
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10 DIY Countertops That You (and Your Wallet) Will Love
No matter where you live, a Chicago apartment or a rural Montana ranch, kitchen counters see a great deal of wear and...
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How To: Make Your Own Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Whether newly installed or more than a hundred years old, hardwood floors are a striking feature in many homes. Wood ...
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DIY Lite: Store Winter Footwear on an Indoor Boot Rack
Keeping an organized home is no small task. Entryway clutter alone can be particularly overwhelming, as the space by ...
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Video: 7 Genius Ways to Use Ice Cubes
You reach for it when you need to relax with a cold beverage or soothe a bruise, but ice has many unusual uses that g...
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15 Brilliant Hacks for a Cleaner Home in 2018
Great news, neat freaks! Home cleaning just got a little easier. Try one of these unusual but genius cleaning tricks for faster cleanup and a sparkling home.
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How To: Make Concrete Pumpkins
This content has been brought to you by Quikrete. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. If you love havin...
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12 Seriously Doable Ways to DIY a Kitchen Table
The kitchen table is the hub of the home, serving as a family gathering spot for more than just dining. But many mode...
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Bob Vila Radio: Picking the Right Polyurethane
Trying to decide which polyurethane is right for your DIY project? Here are some points to consider. CM_BVNOTES-1744-...
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Solved! What 12 Different Electrical Wire Colors Actually Mean
Q: I’m replacing the heating element in my electric water heater. The wires running to the element are black and whit...
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12 Secret Uses for Dr. Bronner's Soap
By now maybe you've seen Dr. Bronner's Castile soap in the personal hygiene aisle at your local grocery or health food store. While Castile soap isn't new—it's be...
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DIY Lite: A Beginner-Friendly Build for a Rustic Wooden Lantern
Wooden lanterns placed throughout the home—on the window sill, fireplace hearth, dining table, or the steps up to the...
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How To: Cut Plastic
There’s little debate over the proper methods to cut wood. However, cutting plastic—particularly acrylic and polycarb...
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15 Genius Tricks for Keeping Your Car Clean
Whether you drive a family-friendly SUV, an oh-so-professional sedan, or an economy-minded compact, it can be tough to keep your ride looking its best. To the res...
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16 Insanely Clever Ways to Reuse Household Junk
Don't trash that dead telephone, scrap that torn sweater, or haul that lifeless bed frame to the junkyard just yet! As these functional and fanciful projects prov...
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Bob Vila Radio: Say Goodbye to Fruit Flies with This 3-Step DIY
Fruit flies may be tiny, but they can be a huge pain. If your arms are tired from all that swatting, here's a homemad...
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The Best (and Weirdest) Things You Can Do with a Tree Stump
Their majestic boughs offer shade on a hot day and their leaves turn brilliant colors in the autumn months, and they become so much a part of our home that we wis...
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The 4 Messiest DIY Projects—And How to Make Cleanup a Breeze
Do-it-yourself projects around the house can be very rewarding, not least because they give you greater control over the final product and save you money on labor...
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The 20 Weirdest Things You Can Do With Duct Tape
More than simply a quick fix for leaky pipes, cracked windows, or torn fabric, duct tape can also lend its versatility and durability to your original DIY creatio...
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Make Your Great Outdoors Even Better with 6 Easy, Clever Yard Hacks
Most of the year, you practically ignore the backyard, choosing instead to focus your repair and improvement efforts inside your home. Then, ironically enough, wh...
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These 10 Everyday Items Create Unbelievable Concrete Designs
Want to make your own concrete decor and furnishings but have no idea how to get started? Sure, you can buy concrete-specific molds from the hardware store, but y...
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The 9 Most Unconventional Ways to Use an IKEA Shelf
Who doesn't like a good IKEA hack? If you've got an IKEA hack itch to scratch, take a look at these brilliant if unorthodox uses for IKEA shelves. They might just...
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Video: 8 Renovations That Pay You Back
Which projects are on your home improvement wish list? A modern kitchen? Maybe bathroom update or a basement remodel?...
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8 Backyard Projects That Start with a Bag of Concrete
Now that the mercury's rising—but not yet too high—it's the perfect time to amp up the landscaping and spruce up the patio in preparation for a summer filled with...
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13 Projects that Prove Why DIYers Love Cinder Blocks
Cinder blocks may used as the material for load-bearing walls or in the foundation of a house, but their sturdy, heavy composition and stackable design also make ...
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15 Doable Designs for a DIY Patio Table
Adding a chic coffee table, an elegant end table, or a rustic dining table to your patio or porch is a must if you want to stretch your living space into the outd...
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10 Smart Ways to Snag Free Stuff for Your Home
Maintaining a home can be pricey. Between furnishing the interior, keeping up with regular maintenance, and improving curb appeal, costs can skyrocket. But there’...
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10 Surprising Things You Can Do with a Plastic Straw
Drinking straws seem to have only one purpose, but they have become a DIY darling. It’s not hard to see why: They’re produced in an endless range of fun colors an...
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Video: What to Do If You've Been Skunked
 Find yourself in a stinky situation? If a skunk strikes close to home (or in your home!), take action against the un...
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13 Hacks Every Car Owner Should Know
Your car is an extension of your home, but how often do you treat it with the same TLC you give your house? Keep your wheels in good condition with these simple-b...
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Video: 7 Unusual Uses for Beer
Many people reach for a bottle of brew to refresh themselves on a hot day. Fewer will crack open a cold one to clean ...
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13 Creative Designs for Easy DIY Planters
From vertically sprouting succulent gardens to converted colanders that bloom with living greens, these unconventional homemade planter projects require only a ca...
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DIY Lite: A Space-Saving Solution for Any Indoor Garden
While houseplants look simply lovely on a window ledge, the space available there can be fairly limiting—you might fi...
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9 Ways to Crank Up Curb Appeal with Nothing But Paint
You don't need a professional landscaper or construction crew to make your house the envy of the block. Borrow inspiration from these colorful curb appeal ideas t...
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14 Easy DIY Living Room Updates Anyone Can Do in a Day
Is your living room languishing because you think you just don't have the time to spruce it up? Well, think again! If you have a day—and a design dream—you alread...
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DIY Lite: Make This Clever Catchall with Nothing But Rope
Available in all shapes and sizes, baskets are often the simplest way to store anything from your soap collection to ...
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11 Unusual Uses for a Bungee Cord
Bungee cords aren’t just for securing luggage and equipment. Bungees—those stretchy elastic bands covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath, with metal ho...
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12 Ways You Never Thought to Use a Paper Clip
Most homeowners’ desk drawers conceal dozens of paper clips in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Fortunately, you can put these tiny metal fasteners to work...
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Video: How to Find a Wall Stud
There's a reason they make stud finders. These tiny tools come in handy when you need to find a wall stud, usually wh...
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Wood Filler: Your Secret Weapon for Fast and Easy Furniture Fixes
In the above photo, you're seeing what used to be a playroom for my two daughters. For years, the space contained the...
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8 Weirdly Effective Ways to Treat a Bug Bite
When the weather warms up, people spend more time outside. Unfortunately, mosquitoes, flies, and other biting insects have the same idea. These winged pests see y...
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16 Brilliant Lighting Ideas You Can DIY on a Dime
Stylish lighting is key to a truly finished room. The right lighting fixture adds drama, creates a focal point, establishes a cohesive style for your space—and gi...
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10 Easy Concrete Projects You Can Do in a Day
Stylish, strong, and versatile, concrete excels in household projects ranging from exterior walkways to sleek, modern furnishings. And yet, even handy homeowners ...
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All You Need to Know About Insecticidal Soap
Are aphids gnawing on the heirloom roses? Are spider mites munching on the tomato plants? If garden pests are bugging...
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How to Install a Doorbell
Ever since we’ve had doors, we’ve been reinventing ways to be alerted to a visitor’s arrival. Hefty iron knockers gav...
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12 Doable Designs for a DIY Bench
An entryway bench can go a long way toward making your home more welcoming. Even better, a bench provides a designated place to remove shoes and put down bags, pr...
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DIY Lite: This Curtain Rod Only Costs $12 to Make
While often initially installed for privacy, window treatments do a lot to improve a space's interior design. Curtain...
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Genius! This Bed Lifts and Lowers at the Push of a Button
Downsizing from a sprawling abode to a tiny home requires sacrifices of space and comfort—especially when it comes to...
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Bob Vila Radio: The Brick Treatment You Should Try
Looking for a way to improve the look of a brick exterior, interior wall, or fireplace surround? Consider German smea...
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Get a Grip: Choosing the Right Wrench for the Job
If you’ve ever tried to remove a stuck nut with a pair of pliers in a pinch, you know how easy it is to scrape and da...
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Genius! This Mirror Hides a Whole Gun Collection
Gun cabinets have long been the storage option of choice for responsible firearm owners looking to securely stash wea...
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Seat Yourself: 11 Ways to DIY Your Own Chair
A lot of our lives are spent sitting down, so you might as well do it in style! When the stores don’t have what you like—or what you can afford—use your DIY skill...
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DIY Lite: The Easiest Way to Upholster a Headboard
Whether sleek or tufted, upholstered headboards consistently complete the look and feel of the basic bedroom. The sha...
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15 Unexpected Household Uses for Table Salt
With so many useful applications both indoors and out, there should be a whole lot of (salt) shaking going on at your place.
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Genius! Cozy Up Without a Space Heater
With the cold season in full swing, many heat-starved homeowners crank up the thermostat, sending their energy bill s...
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10 Brilliant Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags
Despite our greatest efforts to minimize our use of plastic grocery bags by opting for reusable shopping bags, that pesky plastic always has a way of ending up in...
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Bob Vila Radio: Melt Driveway Ice the DIY Way
Winter storms sometimes have a way of sneaking up on us. If that happens, and you get another surprise—no ice melt on...
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Genius! An Invention to End Smashed Groceries
If you’re regularly tagged with grocery duty, you know that the most perilous part of a trip to the supermarket is th...
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11 Renter-Friendly Ideas for a Reversible Remodel
Just because you rent doesn’t mean you should be left out of all the home decorating fun. This is where semi-permanent—and inventive—solutions come in. These 11 d...
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All You Need to Know About Shiplap
Shiplap has been popping up everywhere lately. The rough-sawn wooden planks arranged as horizontal panels can take an...
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9 Ways to DIY a Dresser on a Dime
Dressers do a lot more than just hold our T-shirts and workout pants—they can also add character to the bedroom. If you just can’t find what you’re looking for in...
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DIY Lite: An Easy Hiding Spot for Bathroom Cleaning Supplies
When you've already filled your bathroom's medicine cabinet and limited under-sink space with extra toiletries, a sur...
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Genius! This Door DIY Doubles as an Indoor Gate
Homeowners with furry friends know that you only have to take your eye off the pets for a minute before they wander o...
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How To: Make Scented Candles
Sure you can stock up on a basket's worth when they go on sale at a home goods store, but scented candles actually ma...
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Genius! Put Your Favorite Drinks on Tap at Home
The lack of storage space in small kitchens constantly forces homeowners to make sacrifices. For Reddit user averagej...
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The 21 Best IKEA Hacks of 2016
In 2016, inventive DIYers around the Web showed us that you no longer have to hit the showroom floor to snag showstopping furniture and accents for your humble ho...
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Genius! How to Disguise an Ugly Thermostat
Megan Pflug's gallery wall was a near masterpiece except for one niggling imperfection. A glaring white programmable ...
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10 Things You Didn't Know Chapstick Can Do
Though small and unassuming, a tiny tube of Chapstick packs a lot of utility into its minuscule proportions. Whether brand-name or generic, lip balm can do so muc...
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DIY Lite: Make a Stunning Serving Tray from Scrap Wood
End of the year celebrations are just around the corner, and—no matter whether your plans include hosting an intimate...
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14 Clever New Uses for Old Newspapers
Reading the morning newspaper is a relaxing ritual for many people, but unfortunately, this admirable habit results in the waste of a lot of paper. Rather than si...
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Is It Wise to DIY? A New Survey Says, Not Always
We Americans are a can-do crowd, particularly when it comes to maintaining and improving our homes. Need proof? Look ...
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14 Things You Never Thought to Keep in Your Car
We all know to carry jumper cables, some extra blankets, and a few bottles of water in our cars in case of an emergency, but what are some other items that can he...
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Weekend Projects: 7 Designs for a DIY Chair
Whether you're preparing to entertain a crowd or just looking to fill a sparse corner of your living room, a spare ch...
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10 Sneaky Ways to Store Winter Gear
Winter weather lovers make the most of the season with outdoor activities like sledding and snowboarding. It’s all fun and games—if you have the right gear. But o...
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Genius! Chop Down Heating Bills with This Fireplace Hack
As temperatures dip, nothing feels better than thick fleece socks and a seat next to the fire. But, between uses, an ...
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DIY Lite: Build a Clock that Displays the Time—and Your Plants
Clocks may be less a necessity than they were in the days before cell phones remained attached to consumers' hips and...
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All You Need to Know About Plywood Floors
Once reserved for subfloors and sheathing, construction-grade plywood is now making a splash as affordable residentia...
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10 Things You Should Never Paint
Painting furniture and other household items is an inexpensive way to make over a space, but are there things in your home that you shouldn’t paint? Step away fro...
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The Dos and Don’ts of Bleaching Wood
When debating whether to stain or paint an old piece of wood furniture, consider this third, often overlooked alterna...
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Stop! Don't Toss These 13 Secretly Handy Disposables
Why doom single-use cooking utensils, cleaning supplies, and grooming essentials to the trash? With inspiration from these 13 DIYs, you can repurpose everyday dis...
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DIY Lite: Make Graveyard-Inspired Candle Holders from Concrete Mix
Looking to make your own creepy decor for October's main event? This easy DIY molds concrete into the shape of a cold...
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14 New Things You Can Do with an Old Sweater
Before sending a bag of old sweaters to the thrift store, try repurposing them in creative new ways.
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Genius! Give Your Appliances a Stainless Steel Makeover
Stainless steel automatically free from dirt and grime, but it's durability and beauty sure make it popular. It’s now...
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DIY Lite: This Stunning Room Divider Looks Better than Real Walls
No matter whether you live in a large house with an open-concept floor plan or a small condo wherein your living room...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for a DIY Hanging Planter
‘Tis the season for winterizing your garden, a task that gives you the opportunity to bring your most beloved plants ...
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11 Different Ways to Use a Single Sock
Socks seem to just disappear in the dryer, leaving you with an ever-growing supply of unmatched socks. But there’s no need to despair when you're left with a sock...
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Genius! The Secret to This Modern Bed Is Hiding on Your Shelf
When it's time to settle into a new home or apartment, most people face a tough trade-off: Buying all of the furnitur...
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How To: Age Metal
Today, many homeowners strive to achieve a lived-in vibe with their interior design choices. Who wants furniture that...
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Say Hello to Fall with 21 Quick and Easy DIYs
No time for fall decorating? No problem! You can finish these 21 DIYs in mere minutes—and start receiving compliments on them in no time.
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7 Ways to Declutter Without Throwing Anything Away
Many professional organizers will tell you the best way to declutter is to trash your unused, unloved, or broken belongings. This is sound advice, provided you ac...
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Weekend Projects: 6 Designs for DIY Garden Furniture
With the right furniture, you can turn your garden into an outdoor reprieve for rest and relaxation. But, unfortunate...
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17 Home Lessons We've Learned from Dorm Rooms
If your local university doesn’t offer “DIY 101,” it’s probably because the dorm rooms already provide all the home design inspiration anyone could want. Read on ...
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DIY Lite: The Easy Way to Build Better Backyard Privacy
Are your neighbors so close that it feels like you practically share a backyard? There's no need to fence off your pr...
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15 Room Redos You Can Complete in a Day
Is an uninspired kitchen, bath, or living room cramping your home’s style? If you can reimagine it, you can redo it—often in very little time. Get inspired by the...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for a DIY Door
At its core, a door's construction is mostly the same; learn to build one, and you can fashion as many as your home h...
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DIY Lite: Easy Tiki Torches for a Bug-Free Backyard
Nothing spoils an outdoor gathering like unwanted guests, namely the buzzy ones. Enjoy summer nights free from the mo...
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How To: Custom-Build The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen
Whether you're accustomed to hosting the big barbecue or simply enjoy the occasional family dinner from the grill, yo...
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21 Home Hacks That Are Just Crazy Enough to Work
From smartphone movie projectors to toothbrush power sanders, these 21 artful, ambitious, and affordable DIYs can only be called sheer genius! Read on to catch a ...
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Genius! Hide a Litter Box (and Its Mess) in Plain Sight
Cat owners love to spoil their pets, and why wouldn’t they? These cuddly companions with big personalities won’t make...
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Solved! What to Do When Your Air Conditioner Is Leaking Water
Q: My central air conditioning system is leaking water. Any way I can DIY the repair and avoid an expensive repair bi...
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20 Summer Life Hacks Everyone Needs
As the mercury rises, so does the cost and effort of staying cool and comfortable indoors and out. This summer, escape the heat—and the high energy bills—with the...
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Genius! Kill Off Fruit Flies with 3 Kitchen Basics
When you get back from the grocery store with bags full of juicy strawberries, peaches, and cherries, your kids won’t...
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Genius! Raid Your Recycling Bin for Free Garden Tools
When A Farm of Your Home's blogger Melissa Barrett first moved to Australian city of Perth, her backyard was a tiny d...
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The Secret to Sanding Almost Anything—Without All the Dust
This post has been brought to you by Hyde Tools. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. If you’ve ever fin...
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6 Creative Things You Can DIY with Concrete
Everyone knows that few building materials are as strong or long-lasting as concrete. That durability makes it a go-to, cost-effective choice for hardscaping feat...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Designs for a DIY Chicken Coops
Scientific studies certainly support the nutritional benefits of the incredible egg, but what they don't detail is wh...
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18 Inspiring Ideas for Easy Outdoor Entertaining
Do you and your guests need a distraction from the heat this summer? These 18 DIY ideas for outdoor entertaining are high in crowd appeal and unbelievably low in ...
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20 Dollar-Store DIYs for Every Room of the House
From upcycling wastebaskets into hampers to transforming wine bottles into tiered serving pieces, these 20 project ideas turn bottom-dollar materials into top-dol...
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12 Backyard Updates You Can Do in a Day
Whether you’re looking to increase storage space, expand your patio, or add interest to your garden, upgrading your backyard can be as fast and easy as an afterno...
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How To: Make an LED Marquee Letter
Hunting for a statement piece that really speaks to you requires a certain amount of time and patience. Fortunately f...
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How To: Strip Wire
Whether you’re rewiring an old lamp, installing a new doorbell, or adding another outlet to a wall, the first step to...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Dreamy Designs for a DIY Crib
Whether you’re a parent-to-be or simply wish to give a new mom and dad something special, consider crafting a DIY cri...
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DIY Lite: These 1-Hour Wind Chimes Star a Few Surprise Materials
Looking to enhance your backyard escape with little more than an hour-long DIY project? Consider the charm of an acce...
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Genius! The Backyard Movie Theater You Can Build in a Day
A night at the movies doesn’t come cheap. With the steep price of tickets, not to mention the popcorn and M&amp;Ms, t...
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DIY Lite: A Modern Floor Lamp with a Most Unusual Shade
Any interior designer will recommend layering multiple light sources, from wall sconces to floor lamps, for both illu...
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Genius! The Easy Way to Add Privacy to a Chain-Link Fence
Chain-link fences have bordered American yards for more than a century, and with good reason—they're cheap, easy to i...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to DIY a Fence Gate
Adding a fence to your property provides a simple solution for shutting out unwanted animals and nosy neighbors from ...
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21 Clever Little Things to Do with Scrap Wood
Don't toss all that scrap wood left over from your last DIY adventure! Instead, put it to good use building one of these fun and functional projects for your home.
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Sofa, So Good: 10 Creative Ways to Revive a Tired Old Couch
It’s not surprising that the couch is the focal point of most living rooms. It’s often one of the largest pieces of furniture, and family and friends alike make a...
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10 Outdoor DIYs You Can Do for a Dollar
Now that the worst of winter is behind us, it’s time to set our sights on relaxing, entertaining, and eating alfresco. But outfitting these spaces with decorative...
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16 New Things You Can Do with Old Furniture
Before you drag those mismatched shelves, broken chairs, worn-out sofas, or just plain ugly eyesores to the curb, check out these creative examples of repurposed ...
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DIY Kids: Craft Your Own Tabletop Easel
Nothing makes a young, aspiring artist feel accomplished quite as much as having an easel to work on. But a tradition...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Ways to Set Up Garage Shelves
For handy homeowners, the garage isn’t simply a spot to park the car—it's a place to park everything, including garde...
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21 Totally Free Ways to Upgrade Your Home
The greatest things in life are free—and home design is no exception. From frugal furniture to discount decor, these 21 DIY projects are sure to transform your hu...
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DIY Lite: The Blanket Ladder You Can Build Without Any Nails
Between seasons of use, bulky blankets often take up valuable real estate in drawers, underbed bins, or the linen clo...
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The 15 Best Cheap Furniture Makeovers We've Ever Seen
Is your table, chair, or dresser on its last leg? Don’t haul it off to the junkyard! Instead, flip through our favorite affordable yet unforgettable furniture mak...
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3 Fixes for Popcorn Ceilings
While popcorn is almost always welcome during a trip to the movies or a viewing of your favorite TV show, there is on...
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DIY Lite: Declutter Your Kitchen with a Coffee Mug Tree
In a groggy morning, you want that first cup of coffee to be as accessible as possible. That means mugs at the ready ...
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3 Ways to Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew
It's an all-too-common occurrence: You pick up a fine bottle of wine to enjoy for dinner or to hand off as a hostess ...
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DIY Kids: Turn a Bookcase into a Dollhouse
Though they're growing up fast, my girls still love to play with a dollhouse—so much so that we needed to upgrade fro...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for a DIY Daybed
Among the everyday struggles of finding storage and squeezing in more workspace, entertaining—and housing—guests pose...
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3 Fixes for Bathroom Odor
Bathroom odors rank as some of the most unpleasant household scents you can encounter, and they are definitely not on...
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20 Insanely Easy Ways to Build Your Own Furniture
You don’t need to be a master craftsman to furnish your home with style. DIY your way to a dream furniture collection with these 20 stunningly simple projects for...
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All You Need to Know About Paper Bag Flooring
That humble brown kraft paper typically used for grocery bags has recently gained a surprising—and strikingly beautif...
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3 Fixes for Unsightly Cords
After you've spent years getting your living spaces in line, it can be almost maddening to walk into a room that has ...
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10 Household Headaches You Can Solve with Aspirin
From patching holes in drywall to removing bathtub rust spots, aspirin has some surprising household uses beyond the medicine cabinet. Next time you're looking to...
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Genius! A Sunnier Alternative to Window Blinds
In old homes, it’s the details that draw us in. While the intricate trim and sculpted ceiling medallions certainly cr...
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Style-Setting Sputnik Chandelier
Inspired by a fellow blogger’s hack on a popular IKEA lamp, Bethany of Dwellings by Devore decided to create her own ...
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3 Fixes for Unruly Drawers
Drawer dividers are often touted as an easy way to compartmentalize and corral all those loose knickknacks you hide d...
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17 Easy Fixes for a Botched Paint Job
Not every paint job ends with a perfect “after.” Here's how to fix the most glaring painting mistakes and achieve near perfection.
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DIY Lite: The Most Convenient Side Table Wood Can Build
Everyone has a favorite seat, a comfortable corner of the living room perfect for lounging, reading, working, snackin...
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18 Clever Storage Solutions You Can DIY for Free
Struggling to create order in the chaos of a full house? These 18 space-smart DIY furnishings and home accents will help you manage your humble home in an ultrafu...
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All You Need to Know About Painting Appliances
Wishing for a way to refresh a kitchen or laundry room without sinking thousands of dollars into a renovation? If you...
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DIY Kids: A Handmade Table with Hidden Toy Storage
The holidays always bring a fresh influx of toys, games, and craft sets into the home. Come January, we struggle with...
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Genius! Turn a Toothbrush into a Power Sander
Power sanders are incredibly useful—and incredibly expensive. The smallest versions, called detail sanders, allow you...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Doable Designs for a DIY Firewood Rack
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold winter's night than curling up in front of a crackling fire. But it takes f...
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How to Build a Minimalist DIY Coat Rack for the Entryway
In with the chill, out with the coats—and hats, scarves, mittens . . . you name it. With so much winter gear and so l...
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12 Clever Uses for a Hair Dryer That Will Blow You Away
We bet you didn't know that you have an incredibly versatile tool—cleverly disguised as a common hair-styling essential—hiding just under the bathroom sink. Learn...
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Bob Vila's Best DIY Projects of 2015
Home improvement is more than simply fixing sinks, refinishing floors, or patching drywall. While these tasks are important to the function and design of your hom...
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10 Kitchen Updates You Can Do in a Day
If you're feeling a little stir-crazy in your kitchen, you don't have to take on a complete overhaul to free yourself from its confining style. Instead, try one o...
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DIY Kids: Turn Your Christmas Tree into Its Own Ornaments
The holidays are all about making and enjoying memories. Almost every ornament on our Christmas tree holds a personal...
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How To: Make Your Own Drain Cleaner
When your sink or shower drain gets clogged, it's pretty easy to figure out the cause. The perp is usually a disgusti...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Style-Boosting Bar Stools You Can Build
Whether located indoors in the kitchen or outdoors on the patio, a home bar can be a scene of rest, relaxation, and r...
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DIY Lite: The One Christmas Tree That's Not a Pain to Store
Every December—occasionally as soon as the day after Thanksgiving—holiday-loving home decorators divide into two grou...
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3 Fixes for Tarnished Silver
There’s no place for tarnished silver on the holiday table, especially not when company is due for dinner. But if rem...
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15 Insanely Easy Ways to Decorate for the Holidays
'Tis the season for sparkling lights, beautiful trees, and garlands galore! Decking out your home for the holidays is always enjoyable, but it can also be time-co...
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Quick Tip: Detect Air Leaks for Only $1
When you've moved your plans indoors to escape the seasonal chill, a draft to send you back under the blankets is the...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Timeless DIY Advent Calendars
Every winter, children and adults from myriad cultures celebrate the Germanic tradition of the advent calendar—reveli...
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10 Weirdly Awesome New Uses for Old Appliances
Let’s face it, appliances don’t last forever. And when they bite the dust, we’re left wondering how to dispose of them. Here’s an idea: don’t! Instead, try one of...
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Genius! Speed-Sweep with a Remote Control Car
Who says you can't still be a kid if you're paying down a mortgage? Whether you're just starting out on your own, or ...
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14 Easy Ways to Make Your Own Headboard
Headboards can make a strong statement in a bedroom, adding color, pattern, and texture to the space above your pillows. But they can also cost a pretty penny, wh...
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Genius! The Trash Can Turkey Smoker
Just like us, our ancestors loved a good cookout. As early as 500,000 years ago, the earliest humans whipped up dinne...
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How to Build a LEGO Table with Your Kids This Weekend
My kids love LEGO so much that it borders on obsession. We have a lot of these plastic bricks and, until recently, no...
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16 Improvements Most Homeowners Get Wrong
Don't do what these homeowners did! Learn how to avoid costly mistakes and design disasters before you begin your next DIY renovation.
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to DIY a Folding Table
Folding tables are an elegant, economical, and effortless way to switch between an extra work surface and freed-up fl...
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Genius! The DIY Cure for a Crowded Table
Unplanned guests can throw off even the most seasoned holiday host or hostess. Between checking on the turkey, wiping...
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DIY Lite: Craft a Homemade Cutting Board
Family and food go hand in hand this time of year, and the kitchen is generally bustling with all of the action. If y...
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11 Budget DIYs for an Instantly Better Bedroom
The bedroom is a place for rest and relaxation, which is why it's so important that its overall look perfectly matches your idea of a restorative retreat. The hig...
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5 Things to Do with... Air-Dry Clay
Unlike its pricier, high-maintenance counterpart, polymer clay, air-dry clay requires neither baking nor extensive ha...
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11 Super Simple Ways to Make Your House Smell Fresh
Right up there with other factors like style and cleanliness, your home's scent makes a huge first impression to guests. While the smell of freshly baked bread or...
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Genius! Boost Your WiFi with a Soda Can
If you rely on Google to answer day-to-day questions or count on cat videos to pull you out of the post-lunch slump, ...
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6 Tempting Upgrades That Smart Homeowners Avoid
Not all home improvements are created equal. In fact, some so-called “upgrades” actually can decrease the value of your home, especially if you are planning on se...
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Quick Tip: How to Snag Shipping Pallets for Your Next Project
The foundation of many furniture projects—like crafty wine racks, whimsical swing chairs, and elegant daybeds—relies ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for an Easy DIY Storage Bench
When you're choosing functional furniture for your indoor or outdoor spaces, an ideal piece would feature three chara...
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Genius! Clean Your Gutters without a Ladder
We all start autumn bright-eyed and optimistic, eager to pick apples, gaze at the stars, or watch the leaves change c...
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15 Lazy Ways to Make a Big Change in Your Home
You don’t have to break a sweat or break the bank to create fabulous and functional interiors. Take small steps toward style with 15 DIYs that do most of the hard...
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3 Fixes for a Foul-Smelling Trash Can
The trash can doesn't have a lot of positive imagery associated with it, especially when it comes to the smell. But a...
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Genius! Spook Trick-or-Treaters with a DIY Fog Machine
There are certain things to expect in October: pumpkin picking, state fairs, an extra trip to the store when your can...
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DIY Kids: Measure the Years with a Growth Chart
Many of the clichés of parenthood hold true, but this one does especially: Kids grow up so fast! Before you know it, ...
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10 Ways to Fill a Blank Wall for Under $20
Nothing elevates and personalizes the look of your home more than one-of-a-kind works of art. You don't need to haggle with an art dealer to land something in you...
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9 Ways to Make a Half Bath Feel Whole
Half baths may be smaller than their full-fledged counterparts, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on storage or style. Learn how to make the most of eve...
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29 Bewitching Ways to Decorate a Pumpkin
Show off your Halloween spirit with these unique and one-of-a-kind ideas for designing and displaying your pumpkin throughout the home this season. The spooky, st...
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Genius! The Easy-as-Pie Way to Carve a Pumpkin
Celebrating Halloween with the kids seems like a great idea. . . until it gets scary. Pumpkin guts everywhere, kids e...
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DIY Lite: Modern Bookends on a Modest Budget
Wholly malleable yet still a sturdy project material, concrete mix has proven its worth outside of just lawn and gard...
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3 Fixes for Fur-Covered Furniture
If you're the proud companion of a four-legged friend, you understand the pain of finding pet hair everywhere—clothes...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for a DIY Console Table
Positioning a console table along a wall or sofa in the home can really reinvent the room, whether you use it as an a...
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Genius! The DIY Fire Pit You Can Bring Indoors
Camping season is nearly over, but the cozy season is only just beginning. Along with the urge to stockpile blankets ...
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10 Novel DIYs for a Better Bookshelf
Accumulated over time and filled with memories, your personal library is a lot like your circle of friends. So, to treat your favorite reads right, upgrade your b...
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5 Paints You Can Make Yourself
The next time you’re faced with a painting project, don’t head to the hardware store straight away. Whether you’re co...
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How To: Frame a Mirror
Done any shopping for your home recently? In perusing the aisles, you may have noticed that even a very simple mirror...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Hardworking DIY Computer Desks
It may not fall on the standard back-to-school supply checklist, but a simple and comfortable computer desk should de...
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Genius! The Custom Closet Solution That Costs Nearly Nothing
If you actually wear everything you own, you might be part of a growing trend: people paring down their possessions i...
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DIY Lite: Brighten Your Workday with an Easy-to-Build Desk Organizer
Finding a home for every single possession—and remembering to return them to their specified spots—is always a challe...
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5 Things to Do with... Brown Paper Bags
The brown paper bag is a highly underrated household standby. While its everyday uses range from toting groceries to ...
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Genius! Bring Gutters Indoors for Simple Storage
As the first leaves begin to litter the lawn, we're reminded that it's once again time to dig out the ladder from the...
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DIY Cornhole: How to Build Your Own Regulation Set
Nothing says family fun like a little bit of friendly competition! When the weather’s nice, there are many choices fo...
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A Swedish Fire Torch Turns One Log Into a Complete Campfire
What better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a good old-fashioned campfire, surrounded by friends and fam...
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Bob Vila's Best DIY Projects for Beginners
DIY projects are everywhere these days. More than ever before, a great home improvement can be just a pallet, can of spray paint, or 2x4 away. But if you're new t...
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Genius! The Easy (and Affordable) Recipe for a DIY Kitchen Countertop
This story starts at the curb, where people leave out the things that they no longer need. Between neighbors' recycli...
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Weekend Projects: Reboot with 5 DIY Charging Stations
Smartphones have become an everyday necessity—as have their chargers. It's easy for those cords to pile up (and tangl...
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11 Totally Unexpected Uses for IKEA Furniture
The best part about buying IKEA is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. Out of the box, each piece is wildly versatile and can often be used for multiple pur...
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Genius! The Emergency Essential You Can Make with Cardboard and a Can
No matter who you are—Boy Scout, first-time renter, or veteran homeowner—the small but mighty flashlight is an invalu...
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3 Fixes for a Hole in the Wall
While drywall is highly durable, it’s not indestructible.  Over the years, interior walls take a beating, speckled wi...
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Quick Tip: Clean Up After a Cookout... with an Onion
If cleaning your outdoor grill were just as easy as cleaning your household oven, it wouldn’t be so bad—but, alas, th...
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DIY Wood Slice Plant Stand
Trying to find a creative way to craft with wood slices left blogger Bre of Brepurposed in a funk. But then inspirati...
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Top-Secret Log Box
Jumping at any chance she gets to work with wood, blogger Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone was obviously enthused when ...
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Modern Wood Slice Shelves
After searching with no avail for modern accent shelves, Girl Loves Glam blogger, McKenzie, decided to take matters i...
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10 Ways to Make Office Supplies Work Overtime
If binder clips or Post-its have taken over your home office desk drawer, you're not alone. All too often, the very supplies designed to keep us organized can end...
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DIY Kids: Build a Backyard Tire Swing
There’s something so incredibly appealing about a simple tire swing. Whether it’s the freeing feeling of soaring thro...
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Quick Tip: Create Instant Heirloom Furniture with Vaseline
If you find yourself scouring the flea markets for that perfectly imperfect piece of painted furniture that's distres...
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Genius! This Hanger Hack Organizes More than Just Clothes
In most of the Western world, Sunday is the day of rest—and that means different things to different people. Do you s...
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8 "Zero Dollar" Laundry Room Hacks
Laundry rooms serve as a drop zone in the home, collecting clothes, shoes, cleaning products, and more—which can lead to a headache-inducing mess. Turn your clutt...
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10 Inventive Ways to Display Family Photos
In this age of endless photo-snapping, we all have a backlog of lovely and meaningful images languishing on hard drives or drifting unseen in the cloud. It’s time...
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Quick Tip: This Simple Trick Helps Plants Water Themselves
There are lots of household chores to take care of before going on a vacation: board the dog, clean the fridge, empty...
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11 Insanely Easy 60-Minute Paint DIYs
Paint offers DIYers of any skill level an opportunity to make over drab dwellings at the mere lift of a brush, roller, or sprayer. But homeowners often paint them...
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DIY Lite: Upgrade Simple String Lights on a Shoestring Budget
Thoughtful lighting is key to evoking a desired ambience in nearly any space. (They don't call it "mood lighting" for...
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Genius! The Clean, Green DIY Washing Machine
When a new washing machine can cost up to $1,000, there are plenty of reasons to consider a cheaper alternative befor...
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10 Easy Ways to Build Your Own TV Stand
For many, there's nothing more relaxing than curling up in the living room with a great TV show or movie. But are you tired of having to crane your neck to see th...
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Quick Tip: Use Vinegar to Give Wood a Weathered Look
A weathered finish on a beloved table or chair chronicles the story of a bygone era. But while authentic antique piec...
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Genius! Remix Your Backsplash with Old CDs
Remember when your biggest problem was keeping your favorite CD from skipping? Times were simpler before iPhones, Net...
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3 Fixes for a Stubborn Jar Lid
It’s an age-old quandary: You reach for a jar of pickles or tomato sauce but, try and try as you might, you cannot ge...
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9 Simple DIY Ways to Reinvent Your Kitchen Cabinets
Bad cabinetry is like bad pizza: it has no place in anyone's kitchen. Dark, dingy, and outdated cabinetry can age an otherwise attractive kitchen. And because cab...
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A Dozen 10-Minute DIYs for a Pest-Free Home
Nothing spoils a backyard barbecue faster than a swarm of bugs moving in on the food and beverage stations. For that matter, you probably don’t want creepy-crawli...
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Quick Tip: Use a Painting Tool for Easier Picture Hanging
It's no easy feat to master the art of hanging a picture on the wall.  Between marking the hole, hammering the nail, ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Ways to Make Your Own Birdhouse
For many, the ideal backyard consists of comfortable seating, picturesque landscaping, and the sights and sounds of c...
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9 "Zero Dollar" DIY Organizing Solutions
Buying stuff is fun—but spending money on items to sort and corral all that stuff? Less fun. The good news: Sturdy, useful, and very stylish storage can be yours ...
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Genius! Turn a Plastic Fork into a Tiny Screwdriver
Instructables user deluges, a self-described amateur tinkerer, has nothing against custom screws—just the added cost ...
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10 Good Uses for Charcoal Briquettes That Have Nothing to Do With Grilling
Like sunscreen and insect repellent, charcoal is a summer staple you don't want to be without. Come the weekend, when...
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Genius! Never Lose Your Keys Again with This Simple DIY
Tired of the frenzied search for your keys before leaving for work? You're not the only one. According to the Wall St...
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8 Things You Can Make with 2x4s
The first thing you need to know about 2x4s: They don’t actually measure two by four! These boards, which you can find in any lumberyard or home improvement store...
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8 Clever Ways to Use Post-It Notes
Sure, they come in bright colors and are handy for jotting down reminders, but there's more to the Post-it than meets the eye. Learn how you can use this standard...
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Genius! Make a Mini Greenhouse with Dollar-Store Photo Frames
Sure, your indoor plants might be doing just fine on their own with your current watering schedule and carefully sele...
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Weekend Projects: Get Cooking with a DIY Grill
For charring kebabs at afternoon barbecue or roasting s'mores at sunset, the grill is arguably the most classic—more ...
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Pro Tips: A Concrete Master Shares 5 Secrets to Success
The industrial vibe of concrete is currently in vogue in the design world, from sleek, austere countertops to geometr...
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10 Mini Makeovers You Can Do in Minutes
A little change can go a long way. If you’ve been searching for quick (and cheap!) ways to add fresh style to your spaces, look to these easy makeovers that will ...
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Quick Tip: Plant Your Garden in... Diapers?
Yes, we’re just as shocked as you! But anyone who lives in an area that’s incredibly dry or has serious water restric...
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DIY Ideas to Steal from 5 Easy Porch Makeovers
If you're lucky enough to have a porch to kick back and relax on, don't let it waste away in these precious warm months unused and unloved. Make it the place you ...
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10 Inventive Designs for a DIY Garden Fountain
The soothing sound of flowing water has long been a feature of celebrated gardens around the world. Not only does a fountain add welcome beauty to an outdoor spac...
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Genius! The Smartphone Speaker You Already Have in Your Kitchen
Everyone wants to be a DJ, but no one wants to buy the equipment—let alone figure out how to use it. This life hack w...
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DIY Lite: Turn Digital Photos into Wooden Coasters
Whether you're returning from a 12-day vacation on foreign soil or have just wrapped up a weekend by the pool with th...
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2 Ways to Make Your Own Wallpaper
Wallpaper is having its moment again—and we're not talking about the stuffy prints you remember seeing in your grandm...
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Buy or DIY: 8 Instant Seating Ideas for a Full House
When entertaining a crowd it's important to have plenty of snacks, lots of ice and, above all, ample seating. However, all those extra chairs can clutter your spa...
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9 Backyard Games to Make and Play This Summer
As temperatures warm up and we unglue ourselves from the television to head out into the yard, that hardly means we need to leave the fun inside. Before your next...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Teepees for Indoors and Out
With a design that evokes images of dream catchers and fort-like fabric walls, teepees have grown to be a favorite ha...
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Genius! Turn Your Phone into a Movie Projector
Having a TV is great—except when you're not using it. Then the box just sits in your living room, idle and unappealin...
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9 Creative Ways to Build a Backyard Hangout
There's no reason to settle for a barren backyard when there are seating options like these to inspire you. As this collection of DIY projects demonstrates, you c...
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5 Things to Do with… Newspaper
Besides keeping you up on all the need-to-know current events, a hefty newspaper is downright useful to have around t...
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Rustic Craft Room Island
Addicted 2 DIY mastermind, Katie, reimagined DIY island plans to create a focal-point storage spot for her craft room...
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DIY Outdoor Chaise
Inspired by a DIY conference, Amy of Her Tool Belt decided to try her hand at custom outdoor seating. After shopping ...
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DIY Farmhouse Bench
With a little help from Ana White and Shanty 2 Chic, Natalie at The Creative Mom crafted this stand out bench. What's...
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7 Ingenious IKEA Hacks for Your Backyard
Having a backyard is a luxury and lets face it, also a lot of work to keep it looking like the oasis you want it to be. You could spend a ton of money on planters...
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Buy or DIY: 10 Room Dividers to Remake Your Space
Practical, flexible, and customizable, the room divider is one of the unsung heroes of the home design toolkit. An attractive version can add textural interest to...
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12 "Zero Dollar" Home Decorating Hacks
Looking for ways to spruce up your home for little to no money at all? It's not as hard as you think! These smart decorating tricks show you how to transform your...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Stunning Stained Glass DIYs
Far from the old-fashioned colored glass familiar to church windows or your great-grandmother's living room, today's ...
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DIY Kids: Make a Garden Stepping Stone
Whether you're looking for a way to personalize the lawn and garden with mementos from the kids or you're on the hunt...
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Genius! Turn a Matchbook into a Mini Notepad
Known as phillumenists, or "lovers of light," matchbook collectors number about 7,000 worldwide—the population of a s...
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The Forgotten DIY Wisdom That Dads Know Best
Whether a pipe bursts or construction begins on a new home addition, we often call the handiest people we know for some sage advice: our dads. In honor of the fas...
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DIY Lite: A Wooden Bench That Anyone Can Build
As summer approaches, the growing number of sunny hours each day means that we have more time to spend out in the yar...
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Genius! DIY a Custom, Collapsible Sunshade
Some days, hanging out under an awning is the closest we can get to enjoying the breeze underneath a shady beach umbr...
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This 1 Clever Product Turns Anything into a Table
Got an old wood plank, used door, or slab of countertop sitting around? Well, then you're halfway to a truly one-of-a...
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5 Things to Do with… Pool Noodles
Brightly colored pool noodles usually evoke images of relaxing summer days spent lazily afloat, but these versatile w...
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Genius! This DIY Bottle Opener Catches Caps, Too
Hosting a summer party for family and friends is hardly a small task. Manning the grill, scrambling to set up seating...
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9 DIY Ideas for a Summery Backyard
The best way to truly enjoy the summer? Enhance your outdoor spaces to maximize your time in the fresh air. Any of these awesome projects will make your parties s...
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10 Artful Uses for Old Frames
An empty picture frame is the quintessential blank slate. Sure, you can fill it with a photo of your dog, a poster, or a drawing. But why not take it further? Wit...
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DIY Kids: Make Your Own Critter Keeper
'Tis the season when all the creepy, crawly, and buzzy things are waking up and starting to stir. The same goes for m...
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10 Backyard Wood Projects for Total Beginners
It’s amazingly gratifying to roll up your sleeves and build a piece of wooden furniture. Not only does doing it yourself save you money, it forges an emotional at...
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Genius! Grow a Garden on a Curtain Rod
"My mom once said she could only keep so many things alive at once," writes Jill Kurtz, photographer, architect, and ...
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How To: Make a Concrete Bowl Lamp
Everyone knows this about concrete: It's one of the most durable building materials on earth. What's not so widely re...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Fun DIY Swing Sets
The earliest swing sets, which date all the way back to the fifth century B. C. , were nothing more than slabs of woo...
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Genius! There's a Secret Hiding Behind This DIY Photo Frame
By the early 1990s, most middle-class homes had a VCR. Video rental stores sprouted up like dandelions, taking over s...
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Bob Vila's 13 Best Projects for a Long Weekend
Three cheers for the long weekend! A few times out of the year, we're blessed with a full extra day's worth of time to ourselves. It's the perfect opportunity to ...
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How To: Make a $5 Stool with Concrete
Do-it-yourselfers have a new favorite material: concrete. Inexpensive and versatile, it can be used in seemingly limi...
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Genius! Cool Off on the Cheap with a DIY Air Conditioner
We owe a lot to the humble air conditioner. Like most inventions, the idea came from a very real need: relief from ex...
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8 New Ideas for DIY Outdoor Lighting
Sure, days are longer in summer, but still not quite long enough to squeeze in all the seasonal fun. Stay out after dusk when you light the night with these 8 DIY...
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DIY Lite: Make a Wood-Slat Doormat for Almost No Money
The entrance to your home is the first impression that strikes visitors, so why don't you make it a friendly one with...
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5 Things to Do with... Sawdust
As an avid DIYer, chances are you have remnants from many projects lingering around the house—tools waiting to be sta...
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Genius! Turn Your Watermelon into a Drink Dispenser
There's more than one way to slice a watermelon, and more than one thing to do with it once you do! Sure, you can sna...
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Install Wood Paneling with Peel-and-Stick Ease
Want wood paneling without the hassle of nailing lumber to the walls? Meet Stikwood, the first peel-and-stick solid w...
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How To: Make a Concrete Planter
This post has been brought to you by QUIKRETE. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Everyone knows that ...
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8 DIY Pick-Me-Ups for a Plain Patio
Outdoor spaces extend our homes and make the time we spend outside more enjoyable. No matter how small your porch or patio, a few simple ideas can turn yours into...
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10 Ways to Go Crazy for Concrete
For 75 years now, QUIKRETE® has supplied homeowners with high-quality concrete mixes for a staggering variety of projects. Some things don't change, and concrete ...
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Genius! Prop Up a Pallet for Instant Shed Organization
Among shots of cats napping on windowsills and family vacations, there's a wealth of DIY ideas on Flickr. This one, s...
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9 Clever Things You Can Do with a Rubber Band
Rubber bands—those unassuming desk accessories—seem to multiply every time you turn around. If you’re like most people, you have a junk drawer and an office caddy...
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9 Insanely Easy 1-Hour Backyard Projects
Spring and summer bring longer days—but that doesn't mean it's much easier to squeeze in all the projects and repairs that you'd like to do. But when it comes to ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Designs for a DIY Rain Barrel
These days, it would be hard to ignore the need for water conservation. Due to drought conditions, California now enf...
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9 Lessons Learned from Tiny Backyards
It’s a basic human desire to own a little plot of land. But what if your plot is really, really little? With some clever planning and a few spatial and visual tri...
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Genius! Hack This Old Appliance for the Perfect Fire Pit
This story starts out like many other tales of DIY savvy. While browsing the a trendy retailer store, Sarah of House ...
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12 Ways to Hack Your Life Using Velcro
Sometimes the best things come in little packages. Take the fasteners that you may remember fondly from your childhood shoe straps. Their tiny hooks and loops wer...
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Refresh Your Home with 8 Easy Outdoor Paint Projects
If winter has left your outdoor spaces in need of a pick-me-up, let a can of paint come to the rescue. There's nothing a fresh coat of color can't fix! Click thro...
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Pro Tips: 6 Ways to Live with Less Waste
Americans generate a whopping 251 million tons of waste each year, according to the U. S. Environmental Protection Ag...
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Repurposed Door Toddler Bed
Gail from My Repurposed Life is no stranger to fantastic repurposing projects. But don't let her skills intimidate yo...
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Repurposed Door Beverage Bar
If you're like us, spring and summer can mean long, thirsty hours spent DIYing (or even relaxing!) in the sun. But th...
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Repurposed Door Coffee Table
After posting pictures of a DIY coffee table that she (and readers) loved, Sausha from Sweet Pickins decided to revis...
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DIY Bench From a Repurposed Door
One of the enjoyable things about reading Thistlewood Farms is the playful way that KariAnne puts things. But when sh...
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Genius! Unpack the Ultimate Picnic with This Suitcase Hack
A blanket works just fine for picnics—you know, in the way that candles worked just fine before electricity. But if y...
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7 Clever Ways for Hooks to Streamline Your Life
It seems like every week there's a new organizer out there, promising to simplify your life. But sometimes the best way is the simplest one—and the most versatile...
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DIY Lite: Make an Herb Garden from Kitchen Recyclables
As you welcome spring, bring a pop of the season into the house with a newly handmade vertical garden. This space-con...
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11 Easy DIY Projects to Declutter Your Home
Have you ever just looked at a messy drawer and felt overwhelmed? In most homes, there are too many cluttered zones to count—desk drawers, bathroom countertops, k...
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5 Things to Do with… Paint Chips
You agonized over choosing precisely the right color to paint the spare room. As part of your effort (and partly beca...
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Genius! Instant DIY Hammock
We're always choosing between saving time and saving money. So when a DIY comes along that's both quick and inexpensi...
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Before & After: This Tropical Patio Started as a Pile of Pallets
With the mercury rising and spring in full swing, we're ratcheting open the windows and stepping gratefully back outd...
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9 Ways to Use Cork Around the House
When you think of cork, your first thought might be of a bulletin board pinned with reminders, but cork's handiness knows no bounds. This renewable resource is ac...
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Reinvent Your Furniture with 9 Colorful DIYs
Who doesn’t love total transformations? As the furniture makeovers here prove, even an unloved hand-me-down or yard-sale find—the one that’s scarred, scratched, o...
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10 Extras to DIY for Your Kitchen
Want something special for the kitchen? You can buy, or you can DIY. The argument for the latter? You end up with exactly what you need, which makes preparing mou...
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Genius! Make a Candle with a Stick of Butter
Is it a MacGyver-style party trick or a practical skill for managing power-outtage emergencies? We're not positive, b...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Sunny DIY Window Seats
Seating and storage—is there ever enough of either? Enter the window seat, the dreamy solution that marries function ...
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Buy or DIY: 7 Hanging Planters for the Great Indoors
What brings more life and texture to a wall than any piece of art? A thing of natural beauty: the hanging planter. There are oodles of design ideas incorporating ...
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Genius! Shingles Made of Beer Cans
"Start drinking now if you plan to make this," writes Instructables user robbtoberfest, the genius behind this wonder...
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10 Totally Unexpected Things to Remake as Planters
Houseplants aren't particularly picky about the containers they reside in—so long as their roots have enough space and water can drain properly, they're set to be...
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Genius! Boards and Brackets Create a Window Haven
Last year, Tiffany left her roomy rental house for a compact apartment closer to downtown. Though ideally located, th...
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Before & After: The Bathroom a Whole-House Renovation Built
Husband and wife Michael and Laura Blough bought their home sweet Cape-style home in 2013. Formerly a rental property...
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Genius! VCR Turned Automatic Pet Feeder
Remember back when successfully programming the VCR felt like a minor triumph? Now imagine how James Larssen of Make ...
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Genius! DIY Portable Fire Pit
Karen loves fires—summer bonfires, barbecues, and winter evenings spent 'round the living room hearth. Even so, she'd...
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14 Surprising Ways to Use WD-40 Around the House
WD-40 is a workshop staple that's best known as the go-to solution for squeaky hinges and rust prevention, but it is also useful in ways you’ve never considered.
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9 DIYs to String Together with Twine
Twine may not evoke much excitement, but some of these incredibly clever twine-based projects just might. From quick-and-easy DIYs to more elaborate labors of lov...
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Organize Your Life with 12 Dollar-Store Buys
Often, a hefty price tag is what keeps us away from our organization potential. The image of an organized closet feels luxe, often custom-built. But with a little...
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DIY Concrete Wall Planters
These concrete modular wall planters made by Ananda at A Piece of Rainbow are the perfect geometric accent for the mo...
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DIY Concrete Planters
Large planters for your deck or patio can be very pricey, so it makes sense to build your own. If you like the look o...
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DIY Wine Cork Planters
By her own admission, Linda from It All Started With Paint isn't what you'd call a green thumb. But tiny low-maintena...
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DIY Hypertufa Planters
What's even better than making your own concrete planter? How about trying your hand at a hypertufa planter? If you'v...
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5 Things to Do with... Drop Cloths
With any number of do-it-yourself projects, be it wall painting or window replacement, a prudent first step is to spr...
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9 New Things to Do with Old Ladders
The thrift store, a neighbor's junk pile, Craigslist, or your own garage—just a few of the places where you can probably get your hands on an old ladder that’s do...
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Small Miracles: 9 Amazing Home Repair Products
Home maintenance is a constant reality for homeowners and renters alike, but it doesn’t have to be painful. If you keep the right products on hand, you can fix ju...
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5 Cheap and Easy DIY Fire Starters You Can Make in Minutes
If you love your fireplace and spending time in front of a cheery, crackling flame, you’re no doubt familiar with fir...
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7 New Projects for Your Old Bedsprings
Where do mattresses go to die? The landfill, most often. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s still life under what looks like old junk, if you’re willing ...
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11 Clever Other Uses for Plastic Wrap
Certain household items are so commonplace that we scarcely notice them anymore. But it may be time to take another look at some everyday household staples—like p...
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9 Smart Hacks for Laundry Day
Do you dread laundry day? Even if you love the smell of freshly cleaned clothes, chances are you could be working smarter—or cheaper. So if you need a little extr...
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15 Easy Designs for a DIY Desk
Long gone are the days when desks were reserved for the classroom or the office. Even if you don't work from home, chances are you have a computer there—and need ...
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Quick Tip: Make Your Candles Last Longer
To coax a candle into burning more slowly so that you can enjoy it for a longer period of time, try out one or all of...
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10 Quick and Easy DIYs to Do with a Sharpie
Everyone loves a Sharpie. Introduced in the '60s, Sharpies were the first pen-style permanent marker on the market—and have since become an iconic writing impleme...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Kid-Friendly DIY Forts
Remember your mom’s heavy sigh when you and your brother carried off the couch cushions, plundered all the blankets, ...
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Clean Your Floors with What's in the Pantry
Sweeping dirt under the rug: Tempting, sure, but it's no long-term solution. Different rooms in different houses requ...
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9 DIY Ways to Redo Your Wall—Without Paint
The walls of our homes have the power to speak volumes about our lives. Filled walls produce a lived-in look packed with personality, while blank walls suggest th...
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DIY Penny Vase
When Canada phased out the penny, Vone from Vone Inspired got to work on a DIY project—an ode to the penny. Because t...
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DIY Desk with a Penny Top
When Homeroad blogger Susan's daughter came to her with a project idea, she jumped at the chance to help. She provide...
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DIY Penny Top Tray
Meg from Happy Looks Good on You is no stranger to Bob Vila Thumbs Up—here's her great idea for a concrete lamp. But ...
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How to Make Your Own Letters—with Pennies!
When Rebecca at The Crafted Sparrow had a friend move into a new home, copper accents were on the ultimate kitchen wi...
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DIY Penny Countertops
Ashley from Domestic Imperfection had her work work cut out for her when she decided to create a DIY penny countertop...
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Genius! Copper Pendant Light
Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention—but so is thriftiness. When a $2,000 light fixture was out of the que...
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The 13 Painting Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
Paint is the easiest way to transform a room, yet it’s surprisingly easy to muck up your project with a few silly mistakes. The next time you pick up a paintbrush...
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Before & After: An 80s Living Room Rockets Forward
Since 2011, Becki Peckham and Chris Nicholas have been hard at work remodeling their home in eastern Canada, all the ...
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Genius! Hamster Wheel Desk
There are DIY desks, and then there are D-I-Y desks. We learned that when we came across this so-called "hamster whee...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Easy DIY Candle Holders
In any given year, there are probably only a handful of occasions that merit hauling out the formal candlesticks from...
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Ugly Appliance? 7 Easy Makeovers That Totally Transform
What do you do with an ugly fridge or an unsightly dishwasher? If your budget dictates that you won't be upgrading to this year's sleek new models, there's still ...
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13 Top Tips to Make Any Paint Job Go Faster
Painting your walls will go so much easier with these pro tips and handy product helpers.
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3 Ways to Make Your Own Ice Melt
Solid ice can bring your everyday life to a grinding halt, if you don't have the means to get rid of it. Sure, you re...
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13 Ways to Restart Your Home for the New Year
If you're as weary of your home as you are of 2014, it might be time to shake up your space. Let's be honest: If we want changes to stick, we have to know ourselv...
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DIY Plywood Strip Desk
Can you believe this stunner only cost $53 to make? We couldn't either. Using scrap wood, a set of spare hairpin legs...
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DIY Plywood Magazine File
The IKEA Expedit is a veritable mainstay in homes across the world. It's perfect for collectors and book lovers, but ...
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DIY Plywood Bookcase
When we saw Ama's sleek and contemporary bookshelf, we were impressed. And when it became clear that it was made enti...
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DIY Plywood Marquee Letters
Think that fun and custom home accents need to be pricey? If so, you're in for a shock. Take a look at this amazing m...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Bright Ideas for a DIY Lamp
I continue to be astonished by the retail cost of most light fixtures. If you, too, have been subject to sudden bouts...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make a Bar Cart
You might think of the bar cart as a purely functional furniture, limited to the duty implied by its name. But if you...
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The Most Frequently Asked Questions of 2014
Does home improvement leave you scratching your head? We compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions at BobVila.com—along with the answers. Click through...
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7 Reasons Not to Chuck Your Tree After X-Mas
Don’t junk your tree after the holidays are over. There are lots of ways to salvage part, or all, of a Christmas tree to give it a second life. Bestow an end-of-s...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make Your Own Snow Globe
Whether a memento of a wonderful vacation or an interactive addition to your holiday decor, a snow globe is a magical...
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9 Inventive Ways to Build an Extra Bed
Whenever family and friends come together, you’re likely to need extra sleeping accommodations. You don’t have a traditional guest room? Never fear. There are ple...
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Editors' Favorite DIYs of 2014
As the year draws to a close, take a look back with our editors as we rediscover some of the coolest, easiest, and most outrageous DIYs we've featured in 2014. Wh...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make a Snow Sled
Mere days away from the official start of winter, we're eagerly anticipating some of the activities that only snowy w...
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The Most Impressive Before-and-Afters We've Seen All Year
Styles and trends come and go, but once you've committed to a look, you're stuck with it for many, many fashion cycles. When a room's style starts to feel dated, ...
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8 New Things You Can Do with Old Board Games
Doesn't it seem like there's always at least one board game in your house that's no longer playable? Maybe there are pieces missing, or you've given up on the gam...
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Banish Boredom with 7 Kid-Friendly DIY Projects
Trees to trim. Gifts to buy. Recipes to make—sometimes in epic proportions. Sure, it's all in the holiday spirit, but when it comes right down to it, we all wish ...
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Before & After: A Cozy Reading Nook from Scratch
Update a 114-year-old, 1,200-square-foot Dutch Colonial to meet the needs of a young family? Challenge accepted, said...
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8 Clever Ways to Reuse Wrapping Paper
Once you've torn through the stack of presents on Christmas morning, you're likely left swimming in a sea of wrapping paper scraps. If you're in the camp that fee...
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Genius! DIY Gramophone
Vintage lovers will probably love this throwback-looking iPhone speaker set. Designed to look like a gramophone but d...
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11 Ways to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas
The aromas of gingerbread, pine, and peppermint are hallmarks of the holiday season. If you’re going tree-free this year and have no intention of baking, however,...
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Meet the Brightest Woodworkers in the Carolinas
Meet the duo behind one of the trendiest lighting companies around. Shelli Worley and her husband Seth started Worley...
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12 Simple Woodworking Projects for Christmas
You've trimmed the tree, graced your door with an evergreen wreath, and decked the halls with boughs of holly—it's hard not to feel a little woodsy this time of y...
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Bob Vila Radio: Measure Twice, Cut Once
You've heard the old saying, "Measure twice, cut once. " When it comes to do-it-yourself projects, there couldn't be ...
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10 Holiday Ornaments to DIY with Everyday Stuff
There is certainly no shortage of beautiful holiday ornaments. Retail stores are stocked with an amazing array of shiny baubles, all vying for a special spot on y...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make Floating Shelves
Physically and visually lighter than bookcases—hello, extra floor space—shelves are a favorite storage option for eve...
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5 Things to Do with... Stair Spindles
On your last trip to the architectural salvage yard, you doubtless saw scores of antique sinks, windows, and at every...
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10 Clever DIY Ways to Store Kitchen Spices
No matter the square footage of your kitchen, the perfect amount of space for storage and prep always seems just out of reach. Fortunately, nothing frees up space...
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Boring Bathroom? 7 Fixes for an Old Medicine Cabinet
Medicine cabinets aren't just for meds anymore. In reality, they function as a catchall for all those bathroom necessities you want close at hand but still out of...
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Genius! DIY Pencil Dish Rack
When designer Samuel Bernier found himself with an excess of pencil stubs (don't ask!), he was determined not to disc...
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5 Things to Do with... Aluminum Foil
Cooks know the value of aluminum foil, particularly around the holidays, when it plays a role in everything from roas...
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10 Creative Stocking Stuffers You Can Make in Minutes
A handmade gift from the heart always amounts to far more than what money can buy. This holiday season, put the DIY skills you've harvested to work, and stuff you...
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10 Trash-to-Treasure Ways to Reinvent Old Tech
It seems that we're updating our computers, smart phones and media collections as often as our wardrobes these days. If you're like us, you've been holding onto y...
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7 Incredible Uses for Salvaged Lumber
Mutual Adoration, the artist couple turned furniture makers, have a love for salvaged materials. Their work reflects a respect for their materials history, but wh...
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4 Creative New Ways to Reuse Wood Pallets
Shipping pallets are easy to come by, often at no cost. And they're easily broken down into separate, simple wood boa...
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Before & After: A Builder-Grade Bedroom Goes Cozy
Shortly after moving into a 1970s fixer-upper in the foothills of Northern California, Jenna Diermann—owner of Jenna ...
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3 Easy Ways You Can Add Privacy to Glass
More than a mere decorative finish, frosted glass also offers a practical benefit: Without blocking the passage of li...
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Genius! DIY Apple Cider Press
Few things say autumn more than fresh apple cider. So what if you could make your own from your backyard. That's what...
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10 Ways to Redecorate Without Spending a Dime
Got the itch to redecorate—just not the budget? Rather than begrudgingly waiting for a refresh, you can redesign a room with furnishings you already own. Moving a...
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8 Nightstands You Don't Need to Buy
Bedside storage is a must. Where else would you set a glass of water, nightly reading, phone, and alarm clock before settling in for slumber? And in a room so per...
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See How 8 DIYers Each Transformed 1 IKEA Classic
The IKEA Billy—a bookshelf so familiar it goes by its first name—is one of the most popular furniture items in America, if not the world. The storage stalwart's s...
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DIY Pallet Potting Bench
When gardening season is in full swing, there's nothing like a trusty potting bench to help you reap the season's bou...
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DIY Pallet Desk
What do you get when you mix a designer with a stack of pallets? A pallet desk, apparently. Rob Loukotka, artist/desi...
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DIY Pallet Ottoman
What's made from a pallet but looks nothing like one? This DIY ottoman! Allyson at Domestic Superhero totally transfo...
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DIY Pallet Bench for Kids
Kid-sized furniture is cute but it isn't cheap. And kids outgrow tiny furniture quickly. So upcycling a pallet into a...
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DIY Pallet Bed
Ah, the humble pallet. You often see them on roadside curbs or lying by dumpsters in back alleys. And while they temp...
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5 Things to Do with... Candy Wrappers
On the spectrum of vice, there are many things worse crimes than having a sweet tooth. Sure, doctors and dentists tel...
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Genius! DIY Pumpkin Keg
This time of year, it seems like everyone's got a thing for pumpkins. But even if neither pumpkin pie nor pumpkin-spi...
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The Greatest Haunted House You Could Ever DIY
Is there any better holiday than Halloween to indulge your wildest imagination? Your home decor gets free license to be outrageously creepy and campy all at the s...
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10 Fall Door DIYs for the Best House on the Block
In fall we celebrate the beauty and bounty of nature. This is a time of harvesting and hosting, of rejoicing in the changing season. This autumn, before your visi...
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9 Temporary Options for Commitment-Phobes
Our homes are an extension of our identities. It’s where we relax, recharge, and entertain. It feels good to express your personality in your living space. But so...
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Modern Furniture You Can Make with Most Unexpected Materials
Ben Uyeda of Homemade Modern is an architect, blogger, and maker. And some of his most incredible creations are projects you can DIY in your own home with a few s...
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9 Creative Uses for the Back of Any Door
Hidden behind every door is a wealth of untapped potential—often times the extra bit of storage you've been dreaming about, sometimes service for a hack. There’s ...
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Hardware Store Decor: 9 Ways to Repurpose Tools
Tools were made to be used, even long after their heyday of tough DIY assignments has passed. Whether you've shelved your older tools for newer models or you've i...
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Before & After: A Fireplace Redo
Jessica Bruno is a mom, daughter, and granddaughter—and the creative force behind the popular blog Four Generations O...
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Personalize Your Home with 10 Foolproof Stencil Projects
Looking for a finishing touch for your painted wall? Just add a stencil. This trendy technique offers an easy, inexpensive way to turn any surface into a statemen...
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17 Clever Ways to Use Toothpaste Around the House
A multi-use cleaning product is always something to smile about! Here's why you should keep a few extra tubes of toothpaste in your kitchen, laundry room, and cle...
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10 IKEA Favorites Made Better by a DIY Paint Job
The IKEA name has come to represent smart, affordable furniture for homeowners and apartment dwellers of all ages. But with that popularity comes easy recognition...
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7 Things You Can Make with Copper Pipes—Easily!
Copper just may be the new black. This bright-toned metal is a fast-growing design trend, found in big statement pieces as well as small details. No doubt, copper...
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Genius! DIY Murphy Bed
There's something kind of fascinating about the Murphy bed. Is it a bed? Is it a closet? And just how do you manage t...
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Redecorate Your Home for—and with—Pennies
You can get all the luster of a metallic surface without breaking the bank. The trick? Use pennies. Incorporating the coins into your design as a material can sav...
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8 Ways to Stop Hating Your Floor—Without Replacing It
As the base of any room, the flooring lays the foundation of a space's style. So what happens if you're feeling uninspired by your concrete or vinyl floor? Instal...
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3 New Ways to Decorate with Fallen Leaves
Decorating your home for the holidays can be as simple as grabbing fistfuls of leaves from the backyard—seriously. The creators of a San Francisco floral design c...
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8 Unique Ways to Build Your Own Table
Not every DIY table needs to be built from scratch in a woodworking shop. In fact, ones constructed from upcycled materials usually bring the most character to a...
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Renovate Your Rental: 9 Kitchen Upgrades You Can Make
Renters don’t always have a say in the design or decor of a kitchen, and unless you have a flexible landlord, cosmetic changes are not easy to accomplish. But the...
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7 Creative DIY Ways to Reuse a 5-Gallon Bucket
What do you do with an extra 5 gallon bucket? Once its contents are gone, its usefulness is only beginning. That's because there are so many practical ways to reu...
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9 Decorating Lessons We Learned from Social Media
Each and every one of us appreciates a little inspiration when it comes to producing a beautiful home on a budget. We’ll get our fix anywhere we can, whether by w...
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9 Inventive Ways to Decorate with Tree Trunks, Branches, and Twigs
Decorative uses of straight-from-nature wood have been on the rise for a few years now, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Why should it? Bringing the outdoo...
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9 Easy DIY Fire Pit Ideas
After a summer spent out in the Great Wide Open, we hate to retreat indoors, but in most parts of the country, it’s o...
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10 New Uses for Old Dressers
The dresser is a sturdy staple of almost every bedroom, but daily wear and tear can put even the best one into disrepair. When it's time to for a new dresser, don...
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Dos and Don'ts of Arranging a Bookshelf
If you're just lining up your books alphabetically on metal shelving units, you're missing out on a great decorating opportunity. A well-styled bookcase pairs fun...
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Bob Vila's 10 "Must Do" Projects for October
Summer's gone and autumn's knocking at the door. The month of October brings colorful leaves, cool breezes, and Halloween trick-or-treaters. It's also the perfect...
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DIY Desk Organizer with PVC Pipe
Why buy a desktop organizer when you can make your own? That's what Cher, brains behind Designs by Studio C, thought ...
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DIY PVC Pipe Wine Rack
When Rachelle, blogger from Adventures in Creating, saw a modern (and pricey!) wine rack for sale, it was love at fir...
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The Cheapest Ways to Boost Your Home's Value
Let's face it: For homeowners in most cities, the real estate boom is far, far behind us. Most folks need to squeeze every last penny out of their investment when...
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DIY Kids Chairs with PVC Pipe
Summer might be over, but that didn't stop us from appreciating these amazing (and amazingly simple-to-make) summer c...
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Genius! DIY Faux Stained Glass
There's something about the nostalgic and timeless beauty of stained glass. . . but genuine stained glass comes with ...
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DIY PVC Pipe Mirror
Who says PVC pipe can't be really, really good-looking? Alicia from Thrifty &amp; Chic makes a case for keeping PVC p...
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DIY PVC Pipe Bathroom Storage
When Crafting in the Rain blogger, Steph, remodeled her bathroom, she said goodbye to an ugly old cabinet—but lost so...
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DIY PVC Pipe Planter
Everyone's got that their weak spot. For Melissa, it's succulents. So when her gardening addiction found her running ...
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5 Things to Do with... Magnets
In most homes, the only magnets are the ones studding the refrigerator door. And while many of us would be lost witho...
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8 Countertops You'd Never Believe Were Handmade
Don’t live with countertops you hate. Even without the money, time, or motivation for a full-on kitchen renovation, there are several DIY ways to do-over your cou...
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19 Insanely Creative DIY Shelving Ideas
These inspiring DIY shelves are easy to make, and many of them repurpose around-the-house items that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.
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8 DIY Storage Solutions for a Closet-less Room
Storage space ranks near the top of every homeowner's wish list. If you're lucky enough to have his-and-her closets, you're living the dream. But what are you to ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Ways to DIY Your Next Calendar
It used to be that people relied on the seasons to measure the passage of time, but once the calendar came into commo...
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9 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Fixer-Upper
So the new house isn't perfect—it needs a little fixing up. A house that needs some TLC might seem like a bargain, especially if it's your first home, but are you...
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10 Ways to Use Leather in Your Next Project
Leather is a material that is often equated with luxury, which is why leather can really give your DIY projects that extra-special touch. And despite its luxe rep...
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9 Potent Cleaners You Didn't Know You Had
More and more people are steering away from commercial cleaners with their harsh chemicals and opting for more natural choices to get their homes spotless. While ...
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5 Minutes Flat: 7 Upgrades You Can Do in Under 300 Seconds
Home improvement projects don’t have to drag on for weeks—or even wait for the weekend! Here are 7 easy upgrades that you can accomplish in just a little more tim...
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9 Ways to Get on Board with Pegboard
Pegboard is a go-to choice for garage storage because its grid of predrilled holes holds a variety of hooks that neatly store tools and keep them close at hand. B...
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10 Toolbox Hacks for Your Next DIY Project
There's a little MacGyver in all of us. And when it comes to DIY, who couldn't use another shortcut? Whether your toolbox is fully stocked or you're slowly acquir...
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8 Smart Shoe Racks You Can Make Today
Shoes are a bit like weeds—they tend to get out of control before you know it. But fortunately, shoes are a lot easier to tame. And as the saying goes (sort of), ...
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Shhh! 11 DIYs for a Soundproofed Home
No matter where you live, be it city, suburb, or country, noise is just about everywhere. Even the quietest of neighborhoods regularly experience some level of no...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Set Up a Home Recycling Station
If you live in one of the many municipalities encouraging—or even mandating—an effort to recycle, your day-to-day now...
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A+ Storage Hacks for the Best Dorm Room on Campus
In tiny dorm rooms split shared with a roommate—sometimes more than one—floorspace is like water in the desert. It’s a precious thing. Use these easy, affordable ...
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5 Things to Do with... Shoeboxes

There's something about the size, durability, and versatility of shoeboxes that compels us to keep them long after ou...
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8 New Ways to Use Old Wooden Crates
Old wooden crates tend to evoke feelings of nostalgia—of the simple, good life. They also happen to be an amazingly versatile (and often free) source of inspirati...
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Bob Vila's 10 "Must-Do" Projects for September
September marks the official beginning of autumn, which means there are leaves to be raked and cold weather preparations to be made. But this month is more than j...
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DIY Barn Door Headboard
We've seen a resurgence in barn door decor over the years but when we spotted this project from Beth at Home Stories ...
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DIY Wood Headboard
We love it when home DIYers aren't afraid to work with wood and stains. So when we saw this project from Mandy at The...
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DIY Wingback Upholstered Headboard
There's something transporting about wingback furniture. And private. When it comes to wingback headboards, that litt...
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DIY Door Upcycled Headboard
French doors are one of those charming classics that we think never goes out of style. And so that's why we thought t...
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DIY Reclaimed Barn Door Headboard
At BobVila. com we like resourcefulness. And we love reclaimed wood. So when we saw this salvaged barn door headboard...
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DIY Outdoor Movie Screens
Like fireflies and fireworks, movies under the stars make for magically memorable summer nights. But if your town or ...
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IKEA Headboard Gets a DIY Makeover
Who doesn't love IKEA? It's affordable, flat packs make it easy to transport, and a breeze to assemble (well, usually...
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DIY Repurposed Window Headboard
At BobVila. com, we love an old window. No, really. And this repurposed window headboard from Liz Marie puts one of o...
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Genius! DIY Citronella Candles
You mean you can make your own citronella candles? Now, that's genius! Mother and daughter team Vicki and Jennifer at...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Designs for a Custom End Table
We entrust a great deal of responsibility to the end table, an unsung hero of the living room furniture ensemble. A v...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Window Screens
If that window screen is torn beyond repair, don't take the entire panel out to the trash. Rather, look for ways to r...
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INFOGRAPHIC: Sober Uses for Beer & Booze Around the House
An outstanding perk of hosting friends and family for a potluck affair can be the copious volume of alcohol left over...
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Genius! World's Most Amazing DIY Slip 'N Slide
In the DIY world, there are great projects, and then there are the truly genius projects that make life a little more...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Ways to Build a Garden Trellis
You can buy a trellis, sure—but where's the fun in that? With no sacrifice in function, a unique DIY trellis separate...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Summery DIY Porch Swings
I'm not sure, I haven't researched it, but sitting—no, swaying—on a porch swing might be the most relaxing of all the...
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Bob Vila's 10 "Must Do" Projects for August
By the time August hits, the end of summer is on the horizon, regretfully, but don't despair—there's still plenty of time left before fall. Make the most of this ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Easy-to-Make Pet Beds
Is there a Rufus or Rover in your clan? Even if your pet is allowed on all the soft spots enjoyed by the two-legged m...
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Make It Personal: Monograms Where You Least Expected Them
For centuries, monograms were used to signify status and power, whether stitched in golden thread or etched in silver. These days, they still add polish and style...
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DIY Concrete Countertops
We loved Jessie's concrete countertops at Imperfectly Polished and couldn't wait to feature them. The entire project ...
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DIY Concrete Letters
When we came across this DIY concrete letter and ampersand from Katelyn at Learning, Creating, Living, we had to shar...
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DIY Concrete Lamp
Concrete is one of the most versatile materials. And unlike many raw materials, concrete can be molded into any shape...
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DIY Concrete Candle Holders
Inspiration comes in many forms—sometimes even in a store catalog. When Diane of In My Own Style saw these Concrete F...
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DIY Hand Planters
There are lots of DIY concrete planters out there, but not many are in the shape of a pair of hands. We were so struc...
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DIY Concrete Tabletop
Sometimes we see a project that truly bowls us over. This concrete tabletop from Pete at D. I. Y. Projects with Pete ...
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Sitting Pretty: 11 Amazing Chair Makeovers
Chairs are hospitable and versatile. Adding a couple of great chairs is an easy and affordable way to give a space a new look—plus, chairs are a cinch to repositi...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Delectable DIY Picnic Tables
There’s nothing nicer than enjoying the company of friends and family over food and drink in the summertime. But do y...
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10 DIY Ways Renters Can Remake Their Space
Life as a renter is a mix of pros and cons. While you don't have to fix the leaky faucet yourself, you don't have the option to change it either. Sure, you have l...
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How to Recover a Chair
It’s only a matter of time: Sooner or later, your chairs with upholstered seats become worn, dirty, or dated. When yo...
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How To: Transform Cabinet Furniture with Spray Paint
This post has been brought to you by Rust-Oleum.  Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Is there a dated,...
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How to Install a Medicine Cabinet
Add storage to your bathroom—and in the process, give the space a jolt of fresh style—by installing a medicine cabine...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Crafty Paper Lanterns to Create Quickly
To add a delightful detail to your home, you need not invest heavily in the effort, either financially or in terms of...
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Reinventing the Wheel: 10 Smart New Uses for Old Tires
Wheels have come a long way since their Stone Age introduction. No longer just for transporting objects from place to place, wheels have become a starting point f...
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10 "Zero Dollar" Storage Hacks
Closets are built with doors for a reason: They’re meant to hide stuff. Still, these essential storage spots are some of the most-used spaces in any home—so why n...
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16 Creative New Ways to Use Old Bottles
Is your recycling bin overflowing with old wine, beer, and soda bottles? Glass bottles fill local dumps and monster landfill sites all over the world. While house...
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Kid-Friendly DIY: 10 Projects Sure to Inspire Summer Fun
Summertime is on, and the kids are out of school. Every mom knows that for these three months it's more important than ever to keep the kids busy. But you don't h...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Quirky Ways to Build a Bird Feeder
Whether you're washing dishes at the sink or sitting at the desk in your home office, it's pleasant to look out the w...
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10 New Ways to Reimagine Old Musical Instruments
Many of us have musical instruments that occupy a special place in our hearts, even if they no longer occupy a place in our lives. It's hard to imagine parting wi...
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DIY Mason Jar Speaker Set
The humble mason jar can hold nearly anything—including tech gadgets! Designer Sarah Pease converted these canning ja...
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DIY Outdoor Chandelier
I just love candles in mason jars. A few summers ago I bought a package of half-pint jars and some light wire and mad...
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DIY Blue Mason Jar Chandelier
I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this project with you. I’m so in love with blue mason jars. I’ve been want...
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DIY Mason Jar Windchime
It was only a matter of time before I tried out my bottle cutter on a mason jar. Here's how I pulled off this mason-j...
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DIY Mason Jar Solar Lamp
When the words mason jar and solar lamp come together in the same sentence, I don’t care who you are—you get excited....
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12 Clever Ways to Make Your Own DIY Hammock
A DIY hammock is a game-changer for your outdoor space. What else says summer like a homemade hammock gently swaying ...
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Wow with Words: 10 Ways to Bring Typography Style Home
Do actions really speak louder than words? If we're talking about relationships, most people would probably say yes. But when it comes to your home, words themsel...
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7 Classic Decoupage Projects for the Home
When something in your home is in need of a little pick-me-up, you can’t go wrong with decoupage. The process is relatively easy—though a little messy—and nearly ...
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Bob Vila's 10 "Must Do" Projects for June
The first day of summer is almost here, and memories of the long, cruel winter have all but left our collective consciousness. Since June is a great month to fire...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Beautifully Basic DIY Bookends
If you have a few especially beloved books in your collection, why not use a pair of DIY bookends to set them apart a...
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Pipe Dreams: 10 Inspiring DIY Projects with PVC
While you may have no idea what polyvinyl chloride is, chances are you have some in your home, in the form of PVC pipes. PVC is an inexpensive, hard yet flexible,...
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10 Thrifty DIY Ways to Organize Your Home
Life works so much better when it’s organized. But many of us worry that it will take too much money to get all the right storage solutions, all those beautiful, ...
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14 DIY Projects Perfect for the Weekend
It doesn't take a big budget and a crew of professional contractors to revamp your house. Reinvent your home yourself, room by room, one weekend at a time. It's e...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Bike Racks to DIY on the Cheap
Depending on where you live, you may be completely surprised or utterly unimpressed by this fact: Worldwide, bicycles...
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Growing Up: 14 Inventive DIY Vertical Gardens
Spring is in the air and it’s time to get growing! Whether you’re working within the confines of an apartment balcony, a modest backyard, or an expansive ranch, a...
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5 Things to Do with... Tree Stumps
As the country emerges from a harsh winter, many homeowners are facing the prospect of cutting down and cleaning up h...
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13 DIY Window Treatments to Dress Up Your Space
Just as clothes make the man, the right dressings can make all the difference for your windows too. Whether your window overlooks a dramatic vista or merely your ...
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Beyond Recognition: 10 Rooms Totally Transformed
DIY bloggers are a talented bunch. Skilled in carpentry, styling, and social media, they constantly challenge themselves with home makeover projects that last any...
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Mother's Day Gift Guide: 10 Ideas to DIY or Buy
When Mother's Day rolls around, many of us say it with flowers—the most popular gift of the holiday. But if Mom has more than enough bouquets at home, get creativ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Easy DIY Beanbag Chairs
Beanbag chairs come with a host of often negative connotations. In the eyes of an average homeowner—someone who perha...
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How to Remove a Stripped Screw
The best-laid DIY project plans can hit a snag if a stripped screw turns up. Though stripped screws can certainly slo...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Sturdy and Stylish DIY Dining Tables
The dining table is where families gather to enjoy meals, swap stories, and make memories. Given its central role in ...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Toys
Up in the attic, down in the basement, or out in the garage, chances are that you've got a chest full of old toys. If...
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17 Creative Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes
While technology is constantly giving us new ways of doing things, there are some things that stubbornly stay the same. Take the good old cardboard box, for examp...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Unique and Easy DIY Pendant Lights for Any Room
Nobody wants to spend time in a room with bad lighting, but how do you avoid it? Well, there's strength in numbers: O...
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12 Ways to Wake Up Your Tired Outdoor Furniture
When spring is in the air and the weather starts to heat up, so does your outdoor entertaining. But after a long winter, your outdoor furniture might be looking s...
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5 Things to Do with... Artificial Turf
When artificial turf came onto the scene in the mid-1960s, it offered several advantages over natural grass lawns, ea...
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13 Unexpected Ways to Use Contact Paper Around the House
Contact paper has long been the stuff of mothers' old cabinet drawers, but make no mistake: the old favorite has rolled its way into the 21st century with a wide ...
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Get to Work! 13 DIY Workbenches, Craft Counters, and Potting Tables
Whether you’re a woodworker, gardener, craftaholic or avid DIYer, you need a comfortable area where you can do what you love to do. Sure, there are loads of craft...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Easy and Elegant DIY Canopy Beds
We tend to think of canopy beds as being romantic, glamorous, and perhaps a bit showy. Yet their origins are humble. ...
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5 Things to Do with... Test Tubes
Test tubes are commonplace and entirely unremarkable in locations like science labs and chemistry classrooms. But in ...
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18 Bathroom Updates You Can Do in a Day
The bathroom may not be the venue of choice for your next social gathering, but on any given day, it receives a number of visitors—and for that reason alone, it's...
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Turn On the Style: 11 DIY Switch Plate Upgrades
Plastic isn’t always fantastic, and most standard light switch plates can be a total snooze. With a little DIY care, these often-overlooked elements of your home ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Unique Coasters You Can Easily Create
In bars and restaurants, drink coasters often bear the logos and slogans of popular beverage brands. At home, DIY coa...
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5 Things to Do with... Coffee Grounds
If you drink coffee, chances are that you drink it every day. Sure, sometimes you get it on the go, but if you're any...
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Blown Away: 12 Upcycled Wind Chimes You Can Make
Do you want a unique set of wind chimes to add some personality to your garden, patio, balcony, or deck? You’re in luck—no need to go to an expensive home boutiqu...
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9 DIY Wood Wall Treatments
Wood is found inside every home, from the framing to the floor. With the exception of floors, molding, and trim, however, most of it is covered by drywall, paint,...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Simple Ways to Set Up a Compost Bin
Compost: It's what eventually becomes of all decomposing organic material. Essentially, it's dirt—but it's not just a...
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5 Things to Do with... Cassette Tapes
Chances are good that in some remote corner of your home there lies a box full of dusty cassette tapes. Be honest: Wh...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Clever Designs for a DIY Curtain Rod
Details: They make a house a home. Every element you add to serve a purpose also offers an opportunity to personalize...
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15 Shipping Pallet Projects for the DIY Home
Shipping pallets are the DIYer’s standby building material for many good reasons. They aren’t hard to come by, and even damaged pallets can be salvaged for smalle...
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5 Things to Do with... Junk Mail
Everyone hates email spam, and rightfully so. It does have one redeeming factor, though: It's relatively easy to mana...
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8 Brilliant DIY Ways to Reinvent Your Dinnerware
If you're like me, you enjoy mixing things up from time to time just to keep life interesting. This especially applies to home decor. Giving your personal space a...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Very Versatile DIY Ottomans
Available in all shapes and sizes and with or without built-in storage features, ottomans are among the most versatil...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Sweaters
If your tastes have changed or you've outgrown a favorite old sweater, you have options aside from donating the garme...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Marvelous Mirrors You Can Make in a Day
There's more to a mirror than just seeing yourself in its glass. For one thing, because they reflect natural and arti...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Rakes
What good is a rake you can no longer use in the garden? Actually, there are countless ingenious ways to give a secon...
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Garage Doors Repurposed: 9 Innovative Design Uses
If you’re planning on improving your home's curb appeal by installing a new garage door, don’t be so fast to throw out the old one. Disposing of a large, cumberso...
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More Than Meets the iPhone: 9 Add-Ons to Transform Your Mobile Device
Thanks to a legion of software apps, smartphones have evolved into "Star Trek"-like communicator devices. Of course, loading up on software isn't the only way to ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Flat-Out Wonderful DIY Platform Beds
Platform beds never go out of style—unlike, say, platform shoes, but that's a different story. Appropriate in a range...
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5 Things to Do with… Washi Tape
Washi tape: It's a little like masking tape, but it's a lot more fun than masking tape could ever be. Readily availab...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Nightstand Project Ideas
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. Only when I tried living without a nightstand did I realize how import...
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5 Things to Do with... Colanders
I love my colanders. Vintage-inspired, colorful, and enamel-coated, they work not only as strainers, but also as deco...
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Weekend Projects: Make a Shower Curtain 5 Ways
Shower liners are a humdrum necessity. They perform the simple but important role of keeping water in the shower stal...
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5 Things to Do with... Fireplace Ashes
Cozying up to a roaring fire is a winter evening pastime that no one would reject. Disposing of fireplace ashes? Well...
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Open Sesame: 12 Ways to Dress Up a Drab Door
Does your house suffer from drab door syndrome? It’s a common diagnosis. We tend to view doors as necessities—all function and no frill—so we don't see them as th...
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11 Stylish Ways to Enhance—or Hide—Your Radiators
With much of the nation experiencing the bitterest temperatures on record, many of us are appreciating our radiators like never before. Why not show that love by ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Favorite DIY Wall Clocks
Since their advent in the Middle Ages, clocks have been made in a seemingly infinite range of styles. Even in the pre...
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5 Things to Do with... Wooden Dowels
Though they're nothing more than long, cylindrical pegs, wooden dowels can be used to make furniture and home accents...
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12 Unique Designs for DIY Kitchen Islands
Are you looking for more storage or workspace in your kitchen but are reluctant to splurge on a custom kitchen island? Here are 12 creative DIY kitchen island des...
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Weekend Projects: 5 "Make Your Own" Kitchen Islands
In the kitchen, an island is surrounded on all sides not by water, but by foot traffic and day-to-day household activ...
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5 Things to Do with... Denim
Decades ago, denim may have seemed uniquely American, but today this sturdy fabric belongs to the world: A whopping 4...
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How to Install a Vinyl Window
Learning how to install a vinyl window is something most DIYers can do, and it can save them a lot of money. For star...
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Drab to Fab: 10 Fantastic Furniture Makeovers
Whether they involve repainting, resizing, or retrofitting, furniture makeovers are very popular in the DIY world. While original finishes and old-world style cer...
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Bob Vila Radio: DIY Headboards
The most important part of any bed is the mattress: The right mattress on a good frame is key to a good night’s sleep...
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5 Things to Do with... Pegboard
People often peg pegboard as being fit only for the garage. Well, that theory sure has a lot of holes in it! As these...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Bulletin Boards to Organize Your Life
Every home needs a message center, and for most people, the standard office-style pin-board works fine. . . just fine...
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5 Things to Do with... Bricks
For thousands of years, people have made bricks and used them to build structures of all kinds. Even today, with so m...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make Your Own Rug
When laid over floors or mounted on walls, area rugs imbue living spaces with warmth, style, and comfort. If you're s...
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5 Things to Do with... Cardboard Boxes
Without cardboard boxes, what would the world be like? At times, it seems like cardboard is nearly as ubiquitous—and ...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make a DIY Floor Lamp
When it comes to lighting, form and function are equally important. You want your fixtures to let you see what you're...
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5 Things to Do with... Wine Corks
In the wake of holiday office functions, neighborhood tree lightings, and, of course, New Year's Eve parties, wine co...
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Hang On: 9 Designs for a DIY Coat Rack
As we enter the season of sleet, rain, snow, and ice, winter coats can quickly clutter halls and mudrooms. Put them in their place with one of these DIY coat rack...
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Bob Vila Radio: Christmas Tree Crafts
Right now, there may be more than 25 million cut Christmas trees adorning rooms throughout the United States. Within ...
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Build Up Your Home Library: 10 Inspiring Reads with a DIY Point of View
Check out these literary favorites with a DIY bent that are guaranteed to galvanize you into undertaking new and exciting projects—or, at the very least, keep you...
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15 Easy DIY Picture Frame Ideas for Crafting Holiday Gifts
It’s a fact of life: We all have more photographs, paper keepsakes, and artwork than frames in which to display them....
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5 Things to Do with... Gift Wrap
It's always alarming to see how much gift wrap gets wasted during the holidays. Boldly patterned, brightly colored pa...
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Just in Time: 10 Stocking Stuffers to Save the Day
So it’s almost Christmas, and you’ve still got some stockings that need filling. Here are 10 simple gifts—some you can make yourself—to brighten anyone's holiday.
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Weekend Projects: Holiday Crafts for Kids
Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's: It can be a real challenge to avoid stress this time of year! If...
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5 Things to Do with... Pens
The pen is mightier than the sword, everyone knows that. But when a pen runs out of ink, its power diminishes—or does...
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Weekend Projects: 10 DIY Gifts to Make and Give
You don't need to spend a fortune or wait in long lines to give the perfect gift to a loved one this holiday season. All you need to make these gifts are two hand...
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Weekend Project: 5 Ways to Create Ice Luminaries
Ice luminaries date back to the olden days, when if you wanted to illuminate winter darkness, you needed to use a lit...
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5 Things to Do with... Doorknobs
We interact with them daily and seldom think twice, but do-it-yourselfers have found plenty of reasons for us to focu...
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Wrap It Up! 10 DIY Ways to Bedeck Your Holiday Gifts
When it comes to gift giving, it's the thought that counts—and obviously a great deal of thought went into these creative DIY gift-wrapping ideas that make the mo...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Classic Wood Games You Can Make Yourself
If you love to use tools and you love to play games, then you're not alone: Scores of handymen and women have used wo...
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Bob Vila Radio: Repurposing Gourds
Gourds come in many beautiful patterns, shapes, and textures. They can be striped or speckled, knobby or curvy, and t...
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5 Things to Do with... Altoids Tins
The next time you open an Altoids tin only to find that it's empty, rest assured that even if there are no mints insi...
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Merry Mailing: 10 Delightful DIY Holiday Cards
Gather some inspiration for a handmade approach to your season’s greetings, using materials from around the house—both inside and out.
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10 Laundry Room Storage Ideas That'll Knock Your Socks Off
In the quest to stay organized, storage is king. Especially in the laundry room. Though organization and laundry rooms are a somewhat utilitarian and practical ma...
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Weekend Projects: DIY Window Treatments
Why do people so often ignore the importance of blinds, drapes, and curtains when they are chief among the elements t...
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5 Things to Do with... Yardsticks
You may think of it only as a handy helper at the workbench or sewing table—a no-frills, low-tech instrument for meas...
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How To: Make Homemade Clamps
 Here's an easy way to improvise when you're running out of clamps around the woodworking shop.  After spreading glue...
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How To: Make a Mosaic Countertop
 Here's a unique way to use ceramic tile for a very unusual countertop. Just break up the tiles into random pieces, u...
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10 Easy DIY Thanksgiving Decorations
Decorate with GratitudeThere’s a lot to be thankful for: your health, the roof over your head, and the loved ones who...
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5 Things to Do with... Wooden Hangers
Eventually, we all find ourselves with more hangers than we know what to do with, and when they are not keeping our s...
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What Would Bob Do? You Asked, He Answered
Bob Vila is no stranger to offering advice—or visiting the Forums. Here, he answers 10 real-life questions from homeowners just like you.
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10 Novel Uses for the Classic Clothespin
The first clothespins served the sole purpose of hanging laundry. But today, these humble wooden clips inspire all sorts of home improvement projects, from managi...
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5 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do
While many of us would be fearful of repairing a roof or installing an electrical outlet, there are plenty of things ...
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From the Community: 10 Great DIY Projects From Bob's Bloggers
We've gathered together some of our favorite new and easy DIY projects—ranging from dinosaur planters to potato stamps—courtesy of our community of bloggers.
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Weekend Projects: Big Ideas for Small Bedrooms
Although property assessors define a bedroom as having a door and a window and a closet, it's not so stupendously rar...
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Recipe for Success: 10 Easy Kitchen Storage Hacks
With a few simple and fun DIY projects, you can turn your kitchen into an oasis of order where everything is at your fingertips.
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5 Things to Do with… Filing Cabinets
Whereas our desks were once crammed with 8. 5" x 11"-inch documents, sheets of loose-leaf paper, and manila folders, ...
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Think Outside the Toolbox: 9 New Uses for Old Tools
When it’s finally time for old tools to retire, don’t ship them off to Florida. Give them a second career as a crafty DIY project.
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Order in the House: 10 Smart DIY Filing Solutions
Banish the bills and jettison the junk mail with one—or more—of these 10 expertly crafted filing solutions you can make yourself.
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Ways to Build a Bar at Home
As the holidays loom on the horizon, many families have begun to make plans and gather essentials. For some, that mea...
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5 Things to Do with... Legos
Thought you were too old for toys? Think again. Adults have ample reason to revisit Legos, if not for sheer amusement...
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11 Crazy Jack-o'-Lanterns to Really Give You the Creeps
Sculpted into notorious villains, ghastly creatures, and macabre scenes, these 11 pumpkins are cut out to be terrifying this Halloween!
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Closet Organizers
Many new homes boast spacious walk-in closets, but apartment renters and old-house dwellers must often contend with c...
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5 Things to Do with... Baby Cribs
If your child has outgrown her baby crib, you may have found it's a tough piece of furniture to dispose of. Even thri...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Cool DIY Stools
Too many places to sit? Never! Almost any room can benefit from one more seat, so long as it's sized in proportion to...
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5 Things to Do with... Gourds
For as long as people have been cultivating these relatives of pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers, they have been adapti...
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Just Floored! 15 Totally Unexpected DIY Flooring Alternatives
Bottle caps, leather belts, and pennies are just a few of the unusual materials that creative do-it-yourselfers have incorporated in these cheap flooring ideas. C...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Make Your Own Shoe Rack
Don't miss 8 Smart Shoe Racks You Can Make TodayIt's October. The time has come to put away the sandals and break out...
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5 Things to Do with... Leather Belts
At first, leather belts don't seem like they would be much use to do-it-yourselfers. Then again, creative minds with ...
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10 Unexpected Uses for Spray Paint
Looking to make updates around the house? There are so many surprising items to color and revive all with just a can of spray paint.
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Weekend Projects: 5 "Strong" Ideas for Home Gyms
Now that we're nearing the end of summer, you may be looking for ways to bring your exercise routine indoors. Have yo...
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5 Things to Do with... Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles make it easy to hydrate on the go, but they're tough on the environment. They too often end up in lan...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Fresh Laundry Room Storage Options
Whether you have a small closet or a large room devoted to doing the laundry, chances are that you want more storage ...
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7 DIY Bathroom Storage Solutions
You don't have to renovate! First, try out some of these smart, do-it-yourself storage solutions to make better use of the bath you have.
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5 Things to Do with... Broken Blinds
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes window treatments. Besides the inevitable wear and tear they endure with nor...
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Bob Vila Radio: Upcycling Cribs
In 2011, federal safety standards for baby cribs changed significantly, making it illegal to sell older models that n...
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5 Things to Do with... Garden Hoses
How many times have you dragged your hose into position only to discover that it's sprung a leak? Fear not! Even with...
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9 Creative Uses for Old Paint Cans
Wondering what to do with all those empty paint cans? See how others have cleaned and repurposed them into everything from smart storage to fun works of art.
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5 Things to Do with... Duct Tape
Handymen love duct tape for its power to delay the inevitable—specifically, the trouble and expense that a proper rep...
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Trash to Treasure: 14 Creative Ways to Make Good Use of Old Stuff
These innovative projects will inspire you to dig through your discards and repurpose them into useful furnishings and interesting accents for your home.
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11 Eye-Popping Chandeliers Made from the Everyday
From soda bottles and bicycle chains to cutlery and toothpicks, these dazzling chandeliers illuminate the value—and fun—of putting unremarkable old stuff to brill...
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5 Things to Do with... Milk Crates
Everyone has at least one or two plastic milk crates hanging around the basement or garage. Although expressly design...
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What Would Bob Do? How to Paint Raw Wood, Cure Pet Odors, and Remove Grout Haze
Q: I'm painting a bunk bed from IKEA that's solid pine and unfinished. Do I still need to sand and prime if it is unf...
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14 DIY Doormats That Step Up the Style
Incorporating a variety of materials, these truly one-of-a-kind doormats are not something you would simply walk on—or by—without noticing.
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Kids' Room Storage Solutions
LEGOs underfoot, G. I. Joes behind your seat cushions, and Beanie Babies up on the rafters? This weekend, return a se...
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Sweet Dreams: 15 Inventive Beds You Can Make Yourself
You spend nearly one-third of your life sleeping, so ideally your bed should feel comfortable and special. Here are fifteen “dreamy” and easy designs for DIY beds.
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5 Things to Do with... Light Bulbs
You flipped the switch only to see the light bulb flash with that familiar blue flare? My friend, you've got another ...
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10 Top DIY Pipe Fitting Projects
Plumbing may be best left in the hands of a pro, but getting creative with pipe fittings is a DIY project that can yield surprising results. Here are ten designs ...
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18 Brilliant Ways to Decorate with Rope
‘Knot’ just for sailing fanatics or decorating summer beach houses anymore, rope has found its way into homes of every style.
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Weekend Projects: DIY Dorm Room Decor
Reading, writing, and arithmetic: These are the cornerstones of education, and they're important. You know what else ...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Drawers
Dusty suburban basements and chockablock urban thrift stores have no shortage of neglected old furniture with marred ...
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7 Easy and Affordable Home Improvement Ideas
When it comes to improving your home, not everything has to be costly demolitions and additions. There are plenty of ...
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What Would Bob Do? Rusty Bolts, Non-Slip Tubs, and House Wrap
1. RUSTY BOLT REMOVAL I have an old bench outside with rotting old seat boards. The nuts and bolts holding the wood t...
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10 Honor Roll-Worthy Dorm Room Storage Solutions
Before heading off to school, consider some of these smart—and DIY-doable—storage solutions to help make college living a little more efficient and manageable.
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Weekend Projects: 5 Tricks for Enhancing Hallways and Stairs
As conduits between the different levels and rooms of your home, staircases and hallways are self-effacing and strang...
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10 Smart and Easy Ways to Decorate With Corrugated Metal
If your impression of corrugated metal is that it belongs on a barn roof, take another look. Lightweight and inexpens...
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Weekend Projects: DIY Furniture for Kids' Rooms
When it comes to designing spaces for kids, some parents are bona fide naturals. Mom has a magic touch with the paint...
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5 Things to Do with... Egg Cartons
After you’ve fried up a few Western omelettes, topped them with Tabasco, and nourished your body with nature’s best s...
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Best of Bob's Bloggers: 10 Awesome DIY Projects from the Community
We've gathered together our favorite projects, tips, and tricks from our very own community of bloggers, proving that sometimes you can find just what you need ri...
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What Would Bob Do? Ceiling Options, Window Cleaning, and Sewer Odor Control
1. LIVING ROOM CEILING OPTIONSI recently purchased a 'fixer upper' in the DC area and am starting to decorate. In my ...
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Weekend Projects: DIY Your Own Desk
With autumn somewhere over the horizon, it's only a matter of time before chilly weather relegates us to working indo...
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5 Things to Do with... PVC Pipe
For years now, PVC pipe has been popular for many applications in and around the house. It’s lightweight, durable, ba...
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Dressing Up the Dresser: 11 Creative DIY Transformations
Paint, decoupage, mirrors... there are many ways to revive a drab dresser. Here are 11 examples guaranteed to inspire you to action.
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16 Amazing Homemade Sheds to Inspire Yours
Everyone needs a place for their stuff, and sometimes the garage just won’t accommodate it all. A backyard shed can help alleviate the space crunch. Pre-made shed...
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16 Designs for a Low-Cost DIY Coffee Table
Despite being a relatively recent entrant onto the furniture scene historically, the coffee table has most definitely become ubiquitous. We not only set our drink...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Dishes
We can all agree that vintage dishes are pretty, but in today's home, they’re not very practical: most can't be used ...
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You've Got Mail: 11 Inventive DIY Mailboxes
Make your letter carrier do a double take with these 11 salvaged-material mailboxes that demonstrate real outside-the-box creativity.
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How To: Make an Inexpensive Desk for Your Kids
It was a challenge to find a desk for my five-year-old daughter. I needed something size-appropriate that would provi...
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What Would Bob Do? Wallpaper, Vinyl Siding, and Asbestos
1. HANGING WALLPAPER IN THE BATHROOMPainting is easy and the result is resilient, but I can't help thinking that pain...
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10 Fun Ways to Turn Your Backyard into a Water Park
These clever water games and activities will have everybody cooled down and perked up faster than you can say "cannonball!"
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIY Ways to Organize Your Bedroom
At the end of another long day, doesn't everyone want—or even need—the bedroom to be a place of peace, a relaxing ref...
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5 Things to Do with... Broken Pots
Clay pots come with one major upside: Because they are porous, air reaches plant roots and excess moisture is able to...
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Fine-Tuning: 9 Inventive Ways to Repurpose a Piano
Sometimes an old piano is just beyond repair. Before paying someone to cart yours off to the landfill, check out these nine harmonious reinterpretations.
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Weekend Projects: Build a Better Bookshelf
My family members are bookworms, their tastes covering the spectrum from science fiction novels to Italian fashion ma...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Barrels
What makes an old wine barrel so irresistibly charming? Is it the unique shape, the warm tones of the wood, the weath...
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Cement Your Place in DIY History with These 9 Easy Concrete Projects
Satisfy your craving for modern industrial design with some cool—and affordable—concrete creations, complete with instructions.
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How to Install Ceramic Tile Flooring
When it comes to durability, affordability, and style versatility, it’s pretty difficult to beat ceramic tile. It’s a...
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How to DIY a Mosaic with Broken Tiles
Have you ever been in a cafe or restaurant and admired the mosaic tile on the tabletops or walls? Well, it's not that...
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60-Minute DIY Projects
On television, home improvement projects go from start to finish in 60 minutes or less. You’ve probably thought while...
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What Would Bob Do? Faucet Replacement, Plug Conversion, and Tile
1. FAULTY FAUCET REPLACEMENTWhen I turn on the water in the bathtub and pull the plunger so that water redirects to t...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Easy Style Makeovers for Your Bathroom
If the average person spends 30 minutes a day in the bathroom, and they live to age 75, they will spend 1. 5 years in...
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10 DIY Step Stones to Brighten Any Garden Walk
Give your garden path or walkway some flair with these easy-to-make, one-of-a-kind stepping-stones.
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5 Things to Do with... Picture Frames
It's a fact of life: Everyone has at least one old or unused picture frame. Some folks have dozens laying around. Whe...
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Bob Vila's 5 "Must Do" July Projects
1. GARDEN SMARTERThis summer, no matter what you're planting, whether vegetables to eat or flowers to look at, consid...
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Patriotic Display: 10 DIY Decor Ideas for Independence Day
You can wave it, plant it, paint it, or illuminate it—just be sure to show off your patriotism this Fourth of July by decorating your home with some red, white, a...
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Weekend Projects: 5 DIYs to Improve Your Outdoor Space
With June officially having kicked off the summer, we look forward to a season under the sun. But if your deck, porch...
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5 Things to Do with... Lattice
Diamond-slatted lattice—it's as iconic as, and perhaps more often seen than, white picket fences. While primarily mea...
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Keep Your Cool with 10 DIY Ice Chests
At your next outdoor bash, don't keep going back into the house for drinks! Instead, grab yourself a cold one from one of these clever—and stylish—"ice chests."
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What Would Bob Do? Groundwater, Exterior Painting, and Porch Spiders
1. GROUNDWATER LEAKING INTO BASEMENTI have a water supply pipe to the house that enters through the basement wall. Th...
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9 Lampshades You Can Make Before Lights Out
If you have a tired table lamp, a lackluster lantern, or a pooped-out pendant, take inspiration (and instruction) from these fresh and easy DIY ideas—and let ther...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Luggage
I'm always swooning over the charming old luggage I see at flea markets and thrift stores around New York City. Clear...
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Bob Vila Radio: Pallet Recycling
Everything from grocery store shipments to construction deliveries involves using a forklift to pick up and move a he...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Ways to Prep for a Backyard Bash
Among the true joys of summer is the opportunity to spend more time outside relaxing, entertaining, and playing. But ...
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5 Things to Do with... Burlap
In the DIY decorating and design worlds, burlap is trending in a big way—and why shouldn't it be? Burlap's neutral co...
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12 "Off the Wall" Places to Put Wallpaper
Before you discard leftover wallpaper, consider using it to decorate bookcases, lampshades, chairs, and more.
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What Would Bob Do? Counters, Flooding, and Decks
1. STAINED MARBLE COUNTERTOPSI have a beautiful marble countertop on my cooking island. It was never sealed properly ...
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10 DIY-Doable Projects for Apartment Renters
If you are a renter—especially in a crowded, noisy city—make your life and abode more enjoyable by completing a few of these affordable do-it-yourself projects. R...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Classic Family-Friendly DIY Projects for Summer
There's so much fun to be had in the summer. Yet for many of us, these months present a familiar challenge: The kids ...
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5 Things to Do with... Used Books
Does your apartment look more like the stock room at Barnes and Noble? Well, you're not alone: At one point or anothe...
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4 Creative Ways to Do a Lampshade Makeover
If there is a room in your house suffering from the presence of an ugly old lampshade, take heart: You can transform ...
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How To: Make a Straw Bale Planter
Straw bale gardening is an old idea that, over the last several years, has witnessed a great deal of renewed attentio...
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Bob Vila's 5 "Must Do" June Projects
In June, we officially welcome summer. In keeping with the season, this month's must-do projects include lawn care, d...
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Wicker Gone Wild: 10 Easy Ways to Transform Old into New
If your wicker furniture has seen better days, transform it into whimsical but useful accents for your home or garden.
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5 Things to Do with... Gutters
Spring is a great time of year to clean the accumulated debris from your gutters—and perhaps even replace gutters tha...
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10 Reasons to Go Crazy for Chalkboard Paint
Personalize your mugs, label your storage, and throw creativity up on a wall with these clever uses for the DIYer's favorite and most customizable weapon: chalkbo...
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5 Unexpected Ways to Use a Vintage Coat Rack
For the most part, free-standing coat racks are a thing of the past. They belong to a time when closets were only dee...
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5 Things to Do with... Tin Cans
Tin cans are like air—they're all around us. Most families go through several cans each week, and some even use that ...
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Make Your Own iPad Stand: 10 Cheap and Clever Ideas
Getting the most out of your tablet sometimes means going hands-free, but you don't need to spend another dime!
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5 Things to Do with... Old Tires
Walking through my Brooklyn neighborhood this past weekend, I spied an interesting structure on the sidewalk. Someone...
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Make Your Bed: 16 Easy DIY Headboards
Do you really need a headboard for your bed? If you live in modern construction, probably not. The genesis of the headboard is in fact practical, not aesthetic. H...
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5 Things to Do with... Chopsticks
Every single drawer in your apartment is overflowing with chopsticks. Sure, you could toss a few pair in the trash. B...
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10 New Uses for Old Doors
With imagination and elbow grease, you can transform that old door into a one-of-a-kind piece that's both useful and beautiful.
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5 Things to Do with... Tin Ceiling Tiles
Many of us know tin ceiling tiles as the reasonably priced domestic cousin of European plasterwork. Ubiquitous in Vic...
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How To: Rewire a Lamp
You bought a beautiful antique lamp but upon closer inspection, you notice there is damage to the sheathing, the plas...
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Bob Vila's 5 "Must Do" Projects for April
Spring is officially underway, and while our focus has swung toward outdoor projects, it's not all daffodils and sunn...
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5 Things to Do with... Maps
Whether you've been bitten by the travel bug or merely want to give the impression of being well-traveled, maps lend ...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Silverware
Silverware is so much more than simply the source of your next bite.  After all, if you tap a knife on a glass of cha...
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7 DIY Bathroom Storage Projects
If your vanity and medicine cabinets are anything like mine, they're (1) too small, (2) too cluttered, and (3) work j...
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13 Easy Ways to Repurpose Antique Armoires
With a little ingenuity, you can move your antique armoire into the 21st century without sacrificing any of the furniture's old-fashioned charm.
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5 Things to Do with... Hardware Cloth
Hardware cloth is a small, sturdy mesh product sold in rolls at your local hardware store or home center. Made from m...
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Weekend Projects: 5 Creative Ways to Build Shelves
From old textbooks to the latest printing of Harry Potter, and from VHS to DVD and now Blu-Ray, we can't stop collect...
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Adding a Closet Where There Is None
It's not difficult to add a closet, but doing so will probably be more costly than reorganizing an existing one. So e...
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5 Things to Do with... String Lights
String lights are always associated with the holidays, but what if you use 'em in April or September? Well, they look...
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5 Thrifty DIY Organization Ideas
When crummy weather hits, I get the itch to organize. There’s nothing worse than being cooped up in the house, let al...
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5 DIY Spice Racks and Kitchen Organizing Solutions
They didn't offer shop class in my high school, so I came to my love of power tools and sawdust well after I graduate...
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5 Creative Ways to Display Your Holiday Cards
With a profusion of photo card deals and services that address and do the mailing for you (YES!!!), sending holiday c...
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6 Unorthodox DIY Christmas Trees
Nothing beats a fresh-cut, pine-smelling Christmas tree that's been decorated with care. . . . Unless you're an aller...
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58 Outstanding DIY Ornaments
Move over, pumpkin spice latte—it's peppermint mocha time. December is here, and even if you spent the last few month...
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7 DIY Pantry Hacks and Kitchen Storage Ideas
Don't miss Recipe for Success: 10 Easy DIY Kitchen Storage HacksNo matter the size of your kitchen, you probably wish...
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5 Things to Do with... Pine Cones
This time of year, if you take a walk through an area with pine trees, you’ll find pine cones nearly blanketing the g...
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5 DIY Farm Table Projects That Will Last a Lifetime
Farm tables are those warm, rustic surfaces that draw inspiration from the original harvest tables found in American ...
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Bob Vila Radio: Picture Frames
If you've got a piece of art or a special photo you'd like to display, but the cost of professional framing is hangin...
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Easy DIY: How to Cut Glass Wine Bottles
The other day my roommate came home from IKEA with a pack of 100 tea lights. One hundred. To be fair, my roommate als...
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9 DIY Headboard Projects to Suit Any Bedroom
I tend to think of headboards as the sort of thing that only real grown-ups own. When you're a 20-something who moves...
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5 Things to Do with... Globes
It's hard to hate a globe. Whether you're going for an around-the-world vibe or an homage to your second-grade classr...
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15 Ways to Use Salvaged Wood in Your Home
These days, everyone tries hard to subscribe to the 3R’s— Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Home design is all over that trend, and has its own 3R’s— Recycle, Repurpose, Re...
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Renovation Road Trip: Framing a Switch Box in Oregon
For our final stop on the Renovation Road Trip, we made the long trek from Racine, WI to Portland, OR, where we met H...
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5 Things to Do with... Empty Wine Bottles
Wine bottles, though made of glass, are actually quite strong. For durability and as a safety precaution, manufacture...
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Renovation Road Trip: Installing Shelves with Russet St. Reno
On the penultimate stop of our Renovation Road Trip we met up with Sara and Shaun, the fun and funny couple behind Ru...
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Renovation Road Trip: Soldering Copper Pipe Fittings with DIYdiva
The third stop in our Renovation Road Trip brought us to Michigan, where we met the wonderful Kit from DIYdiva. Since...
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Renovation Road Trip: A New Backsplash at Turtle House
In our second stop on the Renovation Road Trip we met up with Katy and Brandon from Turtle House in Ypsilanti, MI. Th...
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8 Ways to Use Straw Bales for Festive and Functional Outdoor Decor
For about $5 to $10 you can pick up a bale of straw at your local hardware store or nursery. That means you can have ...
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Renovation Road Trip: First Stop, 86'n It
For the first stop on our renovation road trip, we were asked to help install wood paneling on the wall of a closed-i...
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6 DIY Standing Desk Projects to Keep You Healthy While You Work
It turns out that sitting is bad for you. Like really, really awful. It's no surprise that a sedentary lifestyle isn'...
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Renovation Road Trip: Here We Go!
Over the three and a half years that we’ve been working on our house—and blogging about it at Picardy Project—we’ve b...
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6 Simple & Easy DIY Closet Door Transformations
There's the big stuff—renovations, major appliances, new suites of furniture—any of which can make an obvious impact ...
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5 Things to Do with... Bottle Caps
“I wish I had more leftover bottle caps!” is not something you’re likely to hear anybody say. Given the abundance of ...
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5 "Make in a Weekend" Bookshelf Projects (No Fancy Woodworking Required)
Groucho Marx's famous quote, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read...
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5 Favorite Picture Hanging Tricks
Hanging a picture is about as DIY as many homeowners get. But although it may seem easy, hanging a picture properly i...
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5 Things to Do with... Cinder Blocks
Cinder blocks: They are inexpensive, reliable, and strong but are light enough to be easily used in DIY projects. The...
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DIY Faux Finish Wall Covering
While it's not uncommon for a hallway to be the 'problem child' of a home decor scheme, most people never encounter o...
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5 Easy DIY Wine Racks You Can Make in an Afternoon
Real oenophiles are true collectors, dedicating entire rooms to storing and aging prized bottles of wine. You can sea...
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16 Ingenious IKEA Hacks
Custom furniture is expensive. And let’s face it, while many of us have custom tastes, we don’t have custom budgets. Enter, IKEA— the Swedish furniture company th...
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5 DIY Wood Wall Treatment Ideas
Wood. It makes up so much of our homes, from the framing to the flooring we walk on. And it appears in all kinds of f...
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5 Things to Do with... Beadboard
Beadboard is a classic wall paneling commonly associated with New England and Cape Cod-style houses and country decor...
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5 Things to Do with... Apple Crates
Wooden crates used to be the way to get everything to market, from fruit and produce to soda bottles. These days, tho...
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Get Organized: 25 Clever Ideas for Repurposed Storage
Looking for creative storage solutions? Here are 25 organizers and clutter containers that you can make yourself from recycled items.
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5 Things to Do with... Old Bicycles
The old adage goes, "It's like riding a bike. " Meaning of course that cycling becomes so integrated into your muscle...
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5 Kid-Friendly DIY Home Projects
Having young children fills our house with a lot of noise, and a lot of laughter. They keep us so busy, it also makes...
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5 Things to Do... with Vintage Ladders
Chances are that, languishing in your basement or garage, you have an old wooden ladder splattered with coats of pain...
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5 Upcycled Pot Racks & Cookware Storage Ideas
I have a tiny urban townhome kitchen. You can't open the refrigerator door more than 60% without banging into the ove...
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10 Ways to Use Your Cordless Drill/Driver
Some may love their wet saws for cutting tiles, while others couldn't bear to part with their trim router or thicknes...
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5 Things to Do with... Mason Jars
Might I tell you my very favorite thing about the ever-versatile mason jar? The design has remained essentially uncha...
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5 Things to Do with... Old Windows
Vintage windows are much easier to come by than you might think. Before the salvage craze became mainstream, windows ...
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Are Pocket Doors Right for Your Home?
When considering whether to install a pocket door versus a regular door, it’s important to understand the differences...
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5 Things to Do with... Shipping Pallets
You’ve likely seen wood shipping pallets piled up next to dumpsters outside local stores. Once the pallet has done it...
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How to Install a Ceiling Fan in 7 Simple Steps
A ceiling fan can cut energy costs all year round. It helps circulate cool air in the warm summer months, but it can ...
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5 Things to Do with... Wood Shutters
If you are a fan of salvage, like I am, you will understand what delight I felt upon discovering these weathered, blu...
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10 DIY Pipe Fitting Projects (No Plumbing Required)
Many contractors and home improvement experts will say, "Homeowners and DIYers should try anything, except for electr...
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An Army Wife’s Home Improvement Valentine
“Operation Chaos”: Outlining the Plan of Attack“If you ever need anything done, ask an army wife,” says T. J. Felix f...
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Installing Sound Attenuation Insulation
The house is insulated for sound control to provide a quiet environment for baby. The installation of the insulation is demonstrated along with the necessary safe...
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Installing Insulated Windows in the Baby's Nursery
The new windows in the baby’s nursery are highly insulated for cold and sound and have health and safety features for young children. They can be installed by do-...
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Mounting Overhead Cabinets
Bob and Brad Brewster of Princeton Custom Cabinetry oversee the installation of the hanging cabinets in the new condo kitchen. Brewster lists the various features...
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Discussing the Budget
Bob and carpenter Paul Morse go over the details of the budget and discuss whether or not they'll be able to finish the project under the estimated cost.
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The "Punch List"
Bob goes over the "punch list" and remarks on all the little jobs that become necessary to complete toward the end of a project.
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Do-It-Yourself Modular Home Construction System
Bob tours a home that was designed to affordable, flexible, and easy to build with a do-it-yourself, low-cost construction system.
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DIY Light Fixture
General contractor Ron Gan builds an inexpensive do-it-yourself lighting fixture in the bathroom.
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Facing the Retaining Walls with Cultured Stone
Retaining walls, foundation work, and curving stairways are faced with Cultured Stone from Owens Corning. These cast cement, pumice, and iron oxide products are m...
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