How to Carve a Pumpkin Supplies Needed PumpkinMetal ice scoopPrinted templateWashable markersPumpkin carving tool kit Step-by-Step Directions With a fresh or carvable faux pumpkin and these how-to instructions, you can create your own Halloween decoration. Customize your pumpkin with one of our free printable pumpkin stencils. Step 1: Pick Your Pumpkin Scott’s first tip: Pick the best pumpkin for carving. Know how you want to design your jack-o’-lantern before picking your pumpkin so you know what size and shape to look for....

Basic budget-friendly dryers come with white exteriors, mechanical controls, and only a few temperature settings (low, medium, and high). Cycles likely include only timed-dry (you pick the amount of time) and air-dry (no heat). As prices increase, the dryers add more sophisticated timers and settings. High-end dryers likely include touch pad or touch screen controls and dozens of choices for heat temperature and cycles that you might be interested in....

However, not every backyard is suited for a shed. “Before you begin determining which shed is right for you, we recommend you check your local building codes, ordinances, and restrictions as well as applicable neighborhood governances,” says Kevin Frank, director of consumer products of Newell Brands’ commercial business unit. Laws vary by location, but you’ll find guidelines specific to your address about whether you’ll need a permit to build a shed, how far it should be from various structures (often several feet), and details on footings, framing, and more....

Most people remember to wipe down tables and chairs when hosting a backyard playdate, garden party, or barbecue. But chances are your colorful rug gets no love. Outdoor rugs, carpets, and mats accumulate dirt, bugs, and allergens that are easy to track into the house. Luckily, because most outdoor rugs are built to withstand the elements, your guests might be none the wiser. Still, you’ll know when it’s time to give your outdoor mats and carpets a deep clean based on any stains, footprints, or tree debris that won’t budge....

Although you should always read the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning or using your pans (they’ll have specific care directions, which can differ between brands), we compiled a few general tips to keep your nonstick pans in top shape. Keep them in mind while you’re sautéeing at the stove or frying away, and your nonstick pans will last for years. How to Clean Nonstick Pans Many nonstick pans are labeled dishwasher-safe, but you’ll have the best results if you handwash them....

How to Bake Cod Use these easy steps to bake cod to flaky perfection. How to Cook Cod on the Stove There are two main ways we like to cook cod in a pan on the stove top: pan-frying and poaching. Use these tips to cook cod in a pan on the stove top. To pan-fry cod: Rinse and dry cod. Heat large skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Place seasoned cod fillets and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until fish is done....

While a steady hand and the proper brush can yield a charming hand-painted look, we recommend using painters tape to create crisp lines. Before you begin, grab some of your favorite paint samples, and test them out before painting stripes. Plan to keep stripe colors similar in value. For a high-end look, use closely related hues of the same color—two shades of tan or three shades of blue, for example....

Before closing its doors, the International Flower Bulb Centre identified several varieties of tulips known for their especially long vase life. If you want to grow tulips for cut flowers, consider planting ‘Angelique,’ ‘Don Quichotte,’ ‘Attila,’ ‘Queen of Bartigons,’ ‘Pax,’ ‘Yokohama,’ ‘Ile de France,’ ‘Negrita,’ ‘Leen van der Mark,’ ‘Prinses Irene,’ or Rosario.’

Some gardeners get a little nervous about snipping parts off their plants, but unless you start whacking away, it’s tough to damage or kill a plant just by clipping spent flowers. So when your flowering plants have fading blooms, brown, curled up, or otherwise looking unattractive, that’s your cue to pull out your garden shears and start deadheading. Which Plants to Deadhead? You can often get a clue about which plants to deadhead and which to leave alone just by watching them....

How to Get Rid of Bugs in Your Garden You can use IPM to eliminate bugs on flowering plants, trees, shrubs, and vegetables. Just follow these steps with each type of garden bug you encounter, going in order until you reach the control level effective for dealing with the problem. 1. Decide on Acceptable Pest Levels What is the acceptable level of aphids or Japanese beetles in your garden, for example?...

The plant grows 8-16 inches tall with three to five upright stems, each bearing three to five toothed leaflets. Beginning its second year from seed, tiny whitish green flowers appear in spring. These are followed by attractive bright red berries that ripen in late summer or early fall. It’s the root (technically a rhizome) of the plant that is used medicinally, but it can take several years for a decent-sized root to develop....

Growing Green Beans The green bean growing season is a long one. Start planting your green beans any time after the threat of frost is passed and the soil starts to warm. Add a few more green bean plants every two weeks to stagger the harvest, and you’ll be able to pick fresh green beans through the fall. In mild-winter areas, you can even plant a few more green beans in the early fall to extend your harvest even longer....

Tools and Materials: Forcing vasesPrechilled hyacinth bulbsGlovesWater Step 1: Chill the bulbs (if needed) Before you get started forcing hyacinth bulbs, they need to be chilled. Usually, you can buy pre-chilled bulbs, but you can also chill regular hyacinth bulbs (Walmart) yourself. Place them in the crisper drawer of your fridge for at least 12 weeks, and keep them away from produce (it’s a good idea to keep your bulbs in a paper bag)....

When to Harvest Basil Whether you start basil from seeds or buy a young plant, the best time to harvest basil depends on the size of your plant. You’ll know the time is right when you see that the plant has unfurled at least four sets of leaves. Your basil plant should be between 6 and 8 inches tall before you harvest its leaves. If you know when the plant was seeded, you can count on the basil being ready for harvest 60 to 70 days later....

Types of Flashing Flashing helps prevent any moisture (which can collect due to condensation or small gaps in the siding) that flows downward from infiltrating behind the house wrap where it can do damage. Therefore, the upper piece of wrap or flashing should always overlap any lower pieces. The type and location of the flashings will vary depending on the type of windows and doors. If you have vinyl- or metal-flanged windows, for instance, you can install drip-cap flashing ($79, The Home Depot) over the window itself or over the top trim piece that you install....

Spices come from the seeds, bark, roots, fruit, or stems of a variety of plants and trees, and dried herbs are dehydrated versions of a plant’s leaves. In culinary uses, any of the above can help enhance both sweet and savory dishes. For a refresher on all things fresh, check out our complete fresh herb storage and life-extending guide here. Then read on for everything you need to know about selecting, storing, and organizing spices and dry herbs....

One of my coworkers made a recipe from a YouTube video (with more than 15 million views and counting!) that sounded too good to be true. It’s a chocolate cake that requires five ingredients, plus some water, and is ready in five minutes. The most amazing part? It doesn’t require an oven, but rather the microwave. So after chatting with her and learning it “made a surprisingly legit cake for so few ingredients” and watching the video by Emma’s Goodies, I decided to give it a go....

How to Make a Kid’s Beetle Costume for Halloween Supplies Needed Printable bug patternCardboard Utility knife Acrylic paint: black and goldPaintbrush Hot-glue and glue sticksBlack 1-inch-wide elastic Two black chenille pipe cleaners Black knit hat Black shirt and pants Step-by-Step Directions Create your own little bug with a few crafty tools and materials you might already have on hand. Your little one will be ready to crawl into the Halloween festivities....

How to Make a Canvas Tote Bag Supplies Needed 3/4 yard faux leather vinyl or printed fabric (handles, bag bottom)1/2 yard natural canvas fabric (bag front and back, facing)7/8 yard patterned fabric (lining)1-1/4 yards fusible fleece interfacingFabric shears or scissorsTape measurePencil or penIronIroning boardQuilter’s pins and clipsSewing machine90/14 heavyweight sewing needleDenim sewing needleThread6-inch sewing gauge Finished Bag Tips Finished bag measurements are 15 1/2 x 15 x 6 1/2 inches. Quantities are for 44/45-inch-wide, 100 percent cotton quilting and canvas fabrics (Joann, $13)....

Ingredients to Make Tiramisu As with any recipe, the first thing you need to know is the ingredients. This is the basic makeup of most tiramisu recipes. We’ll be using our classic tiramisu as the foundation for the steps to making the dessert from scratch. Ladyfingers: Sponge cake piped into fingerlike shapes. You can make your own ladyfingers or purchase two 3-ounce packages. Wondering if you should use soft or hard ladyfingers for tiramisu?...