How to Prepare a Flower Bed When you’re starting from scratch, there are a few things to consider first. Here are the questions you need to answer: Where will it go? Anywhere from a corner of the backyard to your front entryway can make a great spot for a flower bed. You can place one along a deck or porch, underneath a tree, or around a garden feature like a pond, for example....
Flowers and Foliage Mallow’s flowers come in shades of pink, white, purple, red, yellow, or orange, which look stunning when planted in large groups in cottage gardens or borders. Individual flowers comprise five heart-shaped petals, many of which will feature darker veins. The flowers appear from early summer until fall, as long as deadheading takes place to encourage continued blooming. Mallow’s large medium-green leaves make a coarsely textured background for its flowers and other nearby plants....
The most common varieties of philodendrons are the climbing type. With heart-shaped leaves and a deep green color, these plants are a wonderful accent in any home setting. Climbing varieties can be trained around windows, up poles, or down the sides of containers. The upright types tend to be larger-leaved and have a more compact habit. Upright varieties are also slower growing but can become quite large if you let them....
Assuring that your elements are square, level, and plumb increases the structural integrity of your project. Make sure your squaring and leveling tools are in good shape, and protect them from damage at the work site. If you suspect a tool is inaccurate, check it against one that’s known to be good. If you can’t repair or adjust it, purchase a new one. How to Use a Framing Square Position the framing square on an inside or outside edge of a joint and look along the lengths of both the tongue (the short side) and the blade (the long side)....
We’re here to coach you through all of your options for cooking bacon, including how to cook bacon in the oven, how to cook bacon in the microwave, how to cook bacon on the stove, and even tricks for cooking bacon on the grill. We’ll also dish on how to select and store your pork for the best results. Prepare to pig out—you’ll want to add strips to every meal after mastering all the best ways to cook bacon....
They’re the perfect gift for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebratory occasions. Or, make your own to keep. How to Etch Glass Supplies Needed Cocktail glassesStencils, vinyl stick-on letters, or decorative tapeClear adhesive paper (to make your own stencil; we used Con-Tact brand)Clear tapeBone folderCrafts knife (to make your own stencil)Rubber glovesPaintbrushEtching creamLint-free clothDish soap Step-by-Step Directions Follow these easy how-to instructions to etch a design on a glass or jar....
Our kit covers 30 square feet, so we had product to spare. Except for the gloves, eye protection, dust mask, rags, foam rollers, and roller trays, the kit contains all of the materials you need. The product also comes with an instructional DVD for error-free application. More DIY Decor that Looks Like the Real Deal What You Need Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformation Kit (We used Charcoal)GlovesEye protectionDust maskRagsFoam rollersRoller trays...
“Chances are, you’re buying your home after only seeing it a handful of times: an open house, a private tour or two, and then you’re committing to one of the largest financial decisions of your life after limited time together,” says Andrew Pasquella, a Realtor with Sotheby’s International Realty in Malibu, California. “Like committing to any relationship, you probably want some backstory to help get to know each other.” Follow these steps from real estate experts to figure out when your home was built and what you might need to consider for its future....
How to Get the Look of Barnwood Supplies Needed: WoodDrillWire brush drill attachmentSandpaperTack clothDark wood stain (we used Special Walnut by Minwax)PaintbrushesLint-free clothWhite interior primer-paintClear polyurethane Step-by-Step Directions Create a weathered look on lumber with our how-to instructions for DIY aged barnwood. Follow our step-by-step directions, below, for the tutorial. Step 1: Scratch Surface Using a drill and a wire metal brush attachment, abrade the wood by running the brush along the surface....
Roll roofing is often installed over bare wood sheathing or sheathing that has been painted with a primer. Applying roofing felt first will better protect the sheathing against condensation, as well as against leaking. If the roof is sloped, you can use the exposed-nail method. For a slightly sloped roof, use the concealed-nail method shown. For a flat or nearly flat roof, use double coverage, although a torch-down modified bitumen or EPDM roof is a better solution....
No matter the occasion, it’s easy to wow your friends and family with your bow-making abilities. We’ll show you how to make a bow with ribbon in just four simple steps. How to Make a Layered Bow Supplies Needed RibbonScissorsTapeRuler Step-by-Step Directions Follow these simple directions to learn how to make a layered bow out of ribbon. You should be able to make one in about 5 minutes. Step 1: Cut Ribbon Cut several pieces of grosgrain fabric ribbon each two inches longer than the previous one....
Disguising the Joint Below, we provide the steps you’ll follow to make am undetectable scarf joint—but there are several other things you can do to disguise the joint. If you’re joining wood that will get a clear finish, join pieces that have the same subdued grain pattern. Joining a wildly grained strip with one that has straight grain will make the difference immediately apparent. If possible, locate the joint where a bed, bookcase, or other large piece of furniture will hide it....
What Is Self-Rising Flour? Self-rising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. How To Make Self-Rising Flour It’s easy to make your own substitute at home. Here’s our Test Kitchen’s easy method to make self-rising flour: For every cup of self-rising flour, substitute one cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. There are self-rising flour substitutes that simply call for one cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt....
To make the sequin egg: Paint a spun cotton egg with crafts paint, then use a spot of sequin glue to attach large sequins, working from one end to the other and overlapping the edges slightly. Then use a thimble to insert a sequin pin through each sequin hole.
How to Make Beer Bread There are a lot of variations out there, but our Test Kitchen’s trials found this easy 4-ingredient beer bread recipe had the best flavor and texture. Step 1: Heat Oven and Prepare Loaf Pan Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan ($9, Target) with nonstick cooking spray. Step 2: Combine Beer Bread Ingredients Combine self-rising flour, beer, melted butter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl ($24, Bed Bath & Beyond) until just combined....
How to Make Buttercream Frosting To learn how to make butter frosting from scratch, start with a great buttercream recipe: Here’s our best Buttercream Frosting, which has been tested and perfected in our Test Kitchen. While the recipe is incredibly straightforward, the following tips will show you exactly how to make homemade buttercream frosting that turns out perfectly the first time and every time: Editor’s Note: Icing a cake is much easier when you use an offset spatula ($6, Bed Bath & Beyond)....
Robot vacuums have increasingly become a household essential thanks to their convenience and ease of use. Simply charge it, turn it on, and your robot vac is off to the races, leaving you with sparkling clean floors in the same amount of time it takes to cook dinner or watch an episode of your favorite TV show. Relying on this hands-free cleaning tool is especially useful when it comes to the near-daily task of picking up pet hair....
Our demand for ever sweeter foods, coupled with food manufacturers increasingly providing them to us, has resulted in a nearly 30% increase in added sugar consumption by American adults in the last three decades. But our shift toward wanting lower to zero sugar options has food producers responding in kind. The answer has been a flood of products that have less or no sugar, but contain high-intensity sweeteners that contribute fewer calories....
“Sage is a lighter, more muted shade of green, so it creates a calming effect in just about any space in the home,” Sue Wadden, the director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams told BH&G in June of 2021. “It also has such strong ties to the greenery and nature that surrounds our home, so it really helps bring the outdoors in and make a space feel more grounded.” Gathering sage green home decor inspiration from social media is one thing, but knowing how to incorporate the lasting trend in your home is much more challenging....
