A few weeks ago, after making burger patties and bringing them outside to the grill, I realized we were completely out of propane. I brought them back inside and broiled the burgers on a baking sheet in the oven. When it came time to pull them out, I burned my hand on the sheet, dropped…

A few weeks ago my neighbor gave me some unwanted lumber. A couple of the pieces were redwood, which made me start thinking about building something for an outdoor space . . . perhaps an adirondack chair for our bare front porch. I began searching for some patio chair inspiration, and knew I had found…

Anyone with children likely knows the struggle to keep the contents of a bookcase organized. This kid-friendly catalog bookcase provides a solution with its pull-out drawers and moveable dividers. I’d love to take design credit, but the genius idea belongs to my friend Sarah from The Created Home. She put together both beginner and advanced…

Last year I built my mom a large chippendale planter. It holds a 12″ pot of flowers and looks great on my parents’ front porch. This year I wanted to make another version of the planter in a slightly smaller size; one that would look good with a 10″ pot of flowers. How to Build…

Why did you paint your bathtub? Almost exactly one year ago, as Jim and I tackled the kids’ bathroom renovation, I decided to paint the bathtub. I had considered replacing it with a new one, but ultimately chose to give Rustoleum Tub & Tile a try, for a couple of reasons: Painting instead of replacing…

Have you ever participated in the Builder’s Challenge? I learned about it last year and was excited to join in on the fun. If you’re not familiar with it–the Builder’s Challenge creates and sends building plans to anyone who signs up. The deadline is three weeks after the plans are sent, when all participants post…