Hot Home & Garden Posts
How To: Use the Atmos meter bypass tool to hook up a methane tank for gas supply
If you are interested in hooking up and using a bypass tool to incorporate a methane tank in your supply gas system, watch this video and follow the instructions. This video demonstrates how you can use the Atmos meter bypass tool.
Shortcut: The Secret to Reviving a Smelly Kitchen Sponge
Penny pincher? A true believer in "waste not want not"? Then listen up—here's a quick tip that will save you some spare change.
Shortcut: Drill Powered Pencil Sharpener
As someone who keeps an electric drill in the same 5 foot proximity of a manual wall pencil sharpener, here's a clear cut case of "Why didn't they think of this sooner?!"... Introducing, the coolest drill bit ever: Wowee, just watch it go. The C.H. Hanson Pro-Sharp Finishing Pencil Carpenter proclaims itself as the "world’s first chuckable drill powered pencil sharpener”. It promises to produce "a fast, consistent pencil point every time” and universally fits any drill or 1/4" quick change sy...
How To: Keep socks paired and never lose a sock ever again
It happens to the best of us—missing socks. No matter how hard you try, no matter how careful you are when doing laundry, you always end up with that one sock who's lost its soulmate. And what do you usually do with that buddy-less sock? Throw it away? DON'T! This video will gives you some tips on how to keep your socks from disappearing, like A). don't throw away your sock because you might find its missing mate later, and B). roll your socks to keep you from losing one when not in the laund...
How To: Make an All-Natural Insect Repellent with Cacao Leaves
Science investigatory projects suck, or at least seem to at first. But you shouldn't let school drag you down. Instead, use your homework assignment as an opportunity to solve a problem you've always been interested in. And it doesn't hurt if the end result is eco-friendly, either.
How To: Combine Two NYC Penthouses into One
Here's a rich man's problem for you: two NYC East Village penthouse condos and the need for one combined living space. What do you do? Simply add a helical slide! When the homeowners came up with this fun idea for combining their two condos, they contracted architecture firm TCA to design and construct two separate options to descend and ascend between the two living spaces— an Italian-made "Rintal" stair (an open spiral staircase), or the much speedier and much livelier option: a stainless s...
How To: Graft a bunch of cherry trees
Want some cherries? Better have some cherry trees. OH! Who cut down the cherry trees!? Guess it's time to get grafting and grow some new trees. This informative video shows how to graft cherry tree stalks onto existing cherry tree trunks. It looks primitive, but this is what you need to do to get some new trees growing! Cut and stick, cut and stick. Water, wait and grow!Watch this video and think of Anton Chekov when you do!
How To: Make a spark and fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool
If you're out in the wilderness at night and it's starting to get chilly, you sure as hell better know how to make yourself a campfire. But let's just say you forgot your matches and don't feel like rubbing two sticks of wood together hoping to create a spark.
How To: Build an outdoor rabbit run
Run rabbit run! Well, your rabbit can't run unless you build it a place TO run! Check out this video and see how-to make a space in your backyard for your bunny to get its hop on. You'll need some tools, including a saw, screw gun, or hammer and nails and a skill saw. The dimensions are 80L x 43W x 36H. (measured in inches) This project takes about 4.5 hrs to build. Get building and give your fluffy little pet some outdoor love. Know what? He'll return it in leaps and bounds. And hops.
How To: Choose the right grow light for your indoor hydroponic garden
The key to a successful indoor hydroponic garden is in both irrigation and lighting. This video can't help much with the irrigation, but if you want to decide what the best lighting systems are, this video is for you! There are a wide variety of bulbs and power sources that you can choose from when constructing your own hydroponic grow operation. The key is wattage, and the more wattage you can get out of your bulbs, the better your garden will be.
How To: Build a walk-in shower step by step
Most of us would love reclining into a steaming, soothing bath of warm water with a glass of champagne and a good romance novel, but let's face it: With all that we have to do these days, we're lucky if we have ten full minutes in the bathroom to ourselves.
How To: Repair a leaking pipe caused by a loose washer
Drip, drip, drip. Other than maybe a fly buzzing around your head in concentric circles, a leaky pipe is possibly the most annoying thing you can hear in the middle of the night when you're trying to get some sleep. Thankfully, though, a leaky pipe is one of the easiest plumbing problems to fix all by your onesies.
How To: Prune a rose tree (standard)
If you'd like to have a rose tree, or rose 'standard' as opposed to a rose bush, this video will show you what to do. You'll need some pruning shears and of course, a rose bush. This video is really helpful in instructing what to look for when you're trimming, and what branches to take and leave in order to avoid your rose treasure getting a disease. A rose tree by any other name would smell the same, but it would be called a rose standard. FYI.
How To: Fight Mildew Formation on Your Home's Exterior
Mildew can be the bane of a beautiful exterior paint job, marring its appearance even when the paint is otherwise in good shape. And while there’s no way to guarantee that mildew won’t eventually rear its ugly head on any home exterior, there are ways to fight it. Here are six steps you can take to combat the problem:
Shortcut: Fix a Wiggly Wall Outlet
Normally the idea of messing with an electrical outlet makes me squirm, but Apartment Therapy's quick fix for a loose wall outlet means skipping out on a costly electrician bill. Not only is a wiggly wall outlet unsightly, but it can also be a fire hazard. The solution is simple:
How To: Use a power drill to unlock a lock
Some locks are easier to drill through than to try and pick, especially if you need to get through them in a hurry! You will need one large power drill and an assortment of drill bits to be able to use this method. First, drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole just above the keyhole. Then follow through with a 1/4 inch or larger drill. After just a minute or so of drilling, you should be able to get through the lock!
How To: Pop a Car Lock with a Coat Hanger
You've done it, I've done it, almost everyone who owns a car has done it: they've gone an locked themselves out. Well, this good how-to shows how to get back into your older model car with nothing more than a coat hanger. It will requre some trial and error to get it done, but this video is a good primer.
How To: Remove a shower stall and replace it with a new one
You can't go scrub-a-dub in the tub - at least not comfortably so - if your shower faucet is leaking, or if your current tub valve is stuck and not letting any shower water come through. If your shower is broken beyond repair then your best plan of action is to take the whole thing out and reinstall your shower stall. We know this big - and potentially disasterous - procedure has been parodied many a time on popular TV sitcoms, but it's actually realizable if you're careful and follow the ste...
How To: Install the shower base and connect it to the drain
Before you whip out your iPhone and call your neighborhood plumber for a job that's sure to cost you a pretty penny, check out this video to learn how to do some impressive plumbing yourself. Using a few tools you probably already have lying around your house, you'll learn how to install a shower base in your shower unit and then connect it with the drain - effectively, you'll be setting up a plumbing system.
News: Bibliophile Dreamland
For most bibliophiles, a bookshelf-lined house as beautiful as the Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio's Shelf Pod house is a dream come true. The interior of the space consists of an endless grid of interlocking laminated pine-boards, which slot together to form latticed shelving units:
Shortcut: Fix a Scratched Window with Toothpaste
ApartmentTherapy reminds us of a fine fix for scratches on glassy surfaces like mirrors and windows—toothpaste!
News: Real or Fake? Impossible Wooden Waterfall
It takes a special kind of mind to look at an M.C. Escher drawing and see a blueprint. And yet, looking at this working 3D model of Escher's Waterfall, one gets the impression that YouTube's mcwolles may have done just that! One thing's clear: like Escher's famous lithograph, the video employs some manner of trickery. But what kind? Good, old-fashioned forced perspective? CGI? Do the shadows provide a clue? Let's hear it in the comments.
How To: Open a bedroom or bathroom door when you're locked out
Ahhh! You're locked out of your bedroom, or your bathroom! Well, watch this video and you won't be locked out for long. Fortunately, interior privacy locks are very simple to pick. There are essentially two kinds: one that requires a blade, or knife and the other which requires a long sharp "pin" like object to insert into the handle. Check out this video and never be locked out again! You'll need something like a flat head screw driver for locks with a "slot" in them, and something long and ...
How To: Open a locked bedroom or bathroom door
Getting locked out of a bedroom or bathroom can be a real bummer. Fortunately, these locks are easy to "pick" and get yourself in. This how to shows you clearly what to do to get yourself back inside so you don't feel frustrated all day long. This excellent video takes you step by step through the process. This video talks about 2 different types of locks and the two different types of tools you'll need.
How To: Build Your Own Strawberry Tower
This article details the step-by-step instructions on how you can make a strawberry tower that can be used for your hydroponics/aquaponics system. The water dripping through the system contains the nutrients, so soil is not used. The growing media is expanded shale, but you could also use expanded clay or gravel.
News: Build Your Own Civilization with the Global Village Construction Set
If it takes a village to raise a child, you can imagine what it takes to raise a village! In brief: a whole lot! Thanks to the folks behind the Open Source Ecology movement, however, starting your own self-sufficient community has never been easier! Taking free software as a model, the group is working on what they call the Global Village Construction Set—"a fully integrated [and freely reproducible] set of machines for creating a self-sufficient modern life from the resources of a small amou...
How To: Make a wood ring
A wooden ring can be a beautiful, handcrafted item of jewelry, rare and unquiet. This excellent how to will show you the steps necessary to turn your own wooden ring on a lathe and then finish it for wearing. The wood used in this video is Cocobolo, a lovely hardwood that will weather nicely over time. Check it out! You'll need a block of hardwood, a lathe, lathe tools, sand paper, bees wax and mineral oil. You'll also want to wear protective eye wear as well.
How To: Add a door In an exterior brick wall
If you've got a brick house and are looking to install a door in the brick, this how to will get you there. Be prepared, it's a big job and you'll need to be comfortable wielding several power tools. Are you ready to take the challenge?
How To: Install patio doors in a brick wall
If you've got a brick wall and you're thinking of installing a door, you may have thought you were out of luck. Not so! This helpful how-to walks you through the steps so you can see how it's done. First off, know that this is not a simple task, so be prepared to wield a brick cutter, which is a serious tool in itself. After that you'll be framing out the door, shimming it up, and installing the door. Go for it!
How To: Take a BIC lighter apart for recycling
For on-the-go lighting of birthday candles (those surprise birthday parties really get you), homemade explosives (because making stuff explode is fun), and cigarettes, a cheapo BIC lighter is a totally awesome fix. But most BIC lighters run out pretty quickly and get tossed without second thought.
Shortcut: Fix a Stripped Screw with a Toothpick
Don't you love those simple little tricks that just make life easier? Like quick solution for a pesky stripped screw? Apartment Therapy says,
How To: Mat a picture for framing and hanging
Matting a picture helps it look professional, and is a necessary step if you want to frame it yourself. If you have a frame that is too large for the picture, but you love it anyway, matting will help fill it all out.
How To: Hang a picture so it is perfectly straight and level
So you have a picture you're dying to get up on the wall, but don't want to risk hanging it crooked. This video is your answer! Learn a few tips and tricks to make sure that every picture you hang is perfectly straight and level.
How To: De-Ice Your Gutters (The Secrets of Ice Dam Removal)
I feel sorry for all of you homeowners stuck in snow right now. The snowy, blizzard conditions effecting most of the country is causing some serious headaches across our nation. And it's not just the cold weather I'm talking about. I'm talking about ice dams— something that more suitably should have been called ice damns, because they pretty much damn your roof to hell.
How To: Use a riding lawnmower to mow a large yard or lawn
One of the joys of having a large yard is the riding lawnmower! It's not that intimidating. This video shows you a few basic ways to use a riding lawnmower. Always make sure you wear close toed shoes and eye protection!
How To: Use a weed whacker to trim the weeds in your yard
You don't have to spend hours weeding your garden - just use a weed whacker! Always make sure you wear close toed shoes and eye protection when using a weed whacker. And make sure to keep your hands away from the strings!
How To: Mow a lawn using a gas powered push lawnmower
Make sure that you wear thick, close-toed shoes when you are mowing the lawn! This tutorial shows you how to use a gas-powered push lawn mower, and the most efficient way to mow your lawn. Make sure you understand how your model of mower works!
How To: Make an eco friendly trap for fruit flies with apple cider vinegar
Fruit flies suck, but the fruit fly traps you can get from a hardware store can sometimes be environmentally damaging. Here is how you can make a safe fruit fly trap out of a votive glass, plastic wrap and apple cider vinegar.
How To: Make a bed with perfectly square corners
Frustrated with blankets and sheets that bunch up around the corners? This tutorial shows you how to make perfectly square corners (or hospital corners) on your bed. It doesn't matter what size mattress or sheet you have, this technique will work on any bed.
How To: Get Rid of Stink Bugs Without Using Pesticides
Halyomorpha halys, squash bug, shield bug ... What's in a name? A pest is a pest and the brown marmorated stink bug is a pest par excellence. Though some home gardeners are content to use insecticides, you'll find that it's generally easier to work with nature than against it. And let's face it: trading noxious bugs for noxious chemicals isn't much of a victory. Particularly if you're growing food.