Posts

The couple bought the base cabinet at a home center and adapted it to accommodate the beverage cooler. They made a countertop and floating shelves from pine boards they burned with a plumbers torch to accent the grain. “It created a unique look that you just can’t get with stains or paints,” Andrew says. Including the fridge, this bar cost Andrew and Zoe about $450 to build. Andrew and Zoe spent about four days building and installing the bar components from the bottom up....

Jordan has chronicled the icky Befores through the pretty Afters as they DIY their Portland, Oregon, bungalow. An interior designer, Jordan posts projects, shares ideas, and seeks advice online for their petite home. Like when she wanted to replace the hardware on the original vanity in the bathroom but didn’t know what to do about holes from pulls that had been screwed in diagonally. “A designer friend told me to just embrace them and make them decorative,” she says....

You may be able to irritate them into leaving by placing colorful beach balls in your garden; woodchucks generally dislike the balls’ windblown movement. Or try stuffing ammonia-soaked rags into the entryways of their holes. (The main entryway will have a pile of soil beside it; there should be another entrance about 50 feet away.) The smell should cause them to move on. Another possible odor repellent is fox urine (available at most garden centers)....

How Long to Thaw a Turkey It’s important to start cooking with a fully defrosted turkey. Our handy turkey defrosting guide shares full timing and methods for thawing your Thanksgiving turkey. Our favorite way to thaw a bird is to leave it in the refrigerator. You can keep a turkey in the fridge for up to four days before cooking. How Long to Roast a Turkey Once your turkey has been properly thawed and brined, seasoned, or stuffed as desired, roast in a pan at 325°F using these times as guidelines for unstuffed turkeys....

The assembly instructions for a kit can be a bit daunting, however, so we’ve made the process easier with visuals you can follow along as you build. Grab a partner to help hold up the pieces and get started on your new backyard getaway.

Get the look—our favorite industrial decorating ideas. Repurposing a Room My husband, Brent, and I like to think outside the box when it comes to updating spaces in our home that sit empty or get little attention. We love dreaming up ways to make a room work for us so that we will want to spend time in it and enjoy the space. This was the case with our formal dining room in the front of our house, which sat empty for an entire year....

Although it’s often overlooked, the garbage disposal is an essential item on your kitchen cleaning checklist. Make the process easier by utilizing the natural cleaning materials you already use to clean countertops and kitchen appliances. The best way to clean and get smells out of a garbage disposal is a combination of the methods outlined below. These tips for how to clean a garbage disposal will remove odor and grime while helping to keep the appliance running smoothly....

How to Clean Silver Jewelry with Dish Soap What You Need Dish soapBowl of warm waterToothbrushMicrofiber cloth Step 1: Soak Silver Jewelry Add a few drops of liquid dish soap to warm water. Mix until bubbles form. Soak jewelry in the solution for five to 10 minutes. Step 2: Scrub Silver Jewelry Use a soft-bristle brush, such as a toothbrush, to clean any crevices. Rinse jewelry in warm water. Step 3: Dry Silver Jewelry To dry, gently rub jewelry with a silver cloth or a microfiber towel....

This natural cleaner easily cuts through mildew, bacteria, and grime and is safe to use on various household surfaces. Check out our cleaning tips below to learn how to clean the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and more with vinegar. How to Clean the Kitchen with Vinegar Refrigerator: Consider skipping the toxic chemicals where you store your food. Instead, try distilled white vinegar cleaning on refrigerator surfaces. Wipe up spills using a cloth dampened with a vinegar cleaning solution of equal parts vinegar and water....

How to Choose a Potted Christmas Tree Choose a tree that will survive the conditions where you live. First, know your Hardiness Zone, and choose a tree or shrub suited to your Zone. For example, if you live in Zone 5, choose a tree with a hardiness rating of 5 or below. A tree that’s hardy to Zone 6 will likely not survive winters in your area. Garden centers, florists, and home improvement stores may offer living Christmas trees that aren’t hardy in your region....

How to Deep-Fry a Turkey To start, you’ll want to prepare the turkey for frying by removing the neck, giblets, plastic ties, or pop-up timers. From there, use the following steps to make a deep-fried turkey. Getting the Right Fried Turkey Temperature Our Test Kitchen recommends frying the turkey in 350°F peanut oil or other vegetable oil for 3 minutes per pound. Take the internal temperature in the meaty part of the thigh (it should register 180°F)....

All hand mixers may appear similar at first, but there are several factors you should keep in mind when shopping for one. “Before buying a hand mixer, you should consider what kind of baker you are,” says Alexis de Boschnek, author of “To The Last Bite” and host of Better Homes & Gardens’ “Then & Now” cooking series. “If you’re a novice that breaks out the hand mixer every few months, you’re going to have different needs than an expert who uses it on a weekly basis....

Create the illusion of height with a tabletop Christmas tree, make a wintery scene using a potted pine or evergreen, or get creative with a wall tree that doesn’t require any floor space. Whatever you choose, these small Christmas tree ideas will make up in charm what they lack in size. Editor’s Tip: Use smaller or light weight ornaments so they won’t pull the garland off of the wall.

1. Burro’s Tail Burro’s tail or donkey’s tail (Sedum morganianum) is a trailing succulent that looks best in a hanging basket or container sitting on a ledge, shelf, or plant stand so it can drape over. Each stem can reach up to three feet long and is packed with gray-green leaves about the size and shape of a plump grain of rice. The leaves have a pale sheen on them that wipes off when you touch them so it will show your fingerprints....

The mom of three boys and founder of Cecy J Interiors figured she and Allan would start by “ripping up the old carpet and living with it for a bit.” But during a long closing period their longing to finally feel settled in one place grew, so they launched into a nine-month complete renovation, crafting a home where cleanup is easy and skateboarding inside is OK. Every design decision considered the kids, steering the spaces toward low-maintenance and modern....

Chocolate and fruit are some of our favorite pairings. This fondue recipe starts with dark chocolate pieces and—for a richer, deeper flavor—we add a secret ingredient: coffee. That’s right, swirling in a little strong coffee helps bring out the sweet-bitter flavor of the chocolate. S’mores are all grown-up and stepping out in fondue style. Real milk chocolate and half-and-half make an indulgent sauce that’s perfect for a cozy evening. If you’re a fan of beer-cheese fondue, wait until you try this fall twist....

Buy It: Cuisinart Mini Pie Set ($10, Target) Buy It: Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt Pan ($45, Sur la Table)

Buy It: Apilco Porcelain Ramekins ($30, Williams Sonoma) Buy It: Ninja Foodi Power Blender System ($200, Target)