Hot Home & Garden How-Tos

How To: Care for a Serissa Bonsai plant

The Serissa (Serissa foetida syn. Serissa japonica), is a great little plant for Bonsai. It flowers for most of the year with tiny white and sometimes pink flowers. It is extremely easy to propagate through cuttings. Just take a cleanly cut branch and stick it in sphagnum moss and it should grow easily. It takes very well to pruning and can fill out quite nicely when pruned frequently. This particular specimen had a wild and unkempt look to it. Making, raising, and caring for bonsai is easy i...

How To: Remove scratches on an LCD or CD with an egg

Make the magic remover cloth shown in this how-to video which will remove all the scratches on your favorite CDs, your LCD display or just remove some scratches on plastic. You'll need egg whites of and a microfiber cloth. Don't throw away anymore CDs, DVDs, or lose important files. The trick in this video tutorial will rescue scratched CDs so you can still keep using them.

How To: Make a box seat

Downing drinks while perched on the bed, the floor, and the arms of the couch is totally awesome!!! (If you're a college freshman.) Otherwise it sucks. Don't get us wrong; living small doesn't mean you can't party like a rock star, it just requires a little creativity. This project offers dual functionality: wall art on quiet evenings, and extra seating and side tables on nights when friends roll in to bring down the house.

How To: Apply Bellagio faux finish painting techniques

In this series of instructional videos, professional interior designer Frank Messina shares tips and techniques for making an Italian-inspired Bellagio faux finish which have been passed down from generation to generation in his family. Frank walks you through the painting process step-by-step, showing you the tools needed to get started, how to apply a base coat, mixing and applying joint compound, and how to add color. Follow these easy steps and your walls will have a unique and beautiful ...

How To: Lay Wall Tiles

G'day Knuckleheads. In this Owner Builder Series Episode we're up to doing the wall tiling in the bathrooms. Justin gives out some very handy tips on how to lay wall tiles in the bathroom. Check it out and let me know what you think.

How To: Grout Wall and Floor Tiles

G'day Knuckleheads and welcome to Episode 35! With the wall and floor tiling completed it's time to grout the tiles. In this episode Justin takes us through the tips and tricks of applying the wall and floor grout. Grouting really finishes the job off and is a job that any DIY'er can do by themselves. Check it out and let me know what you think :-)

How To: Install a Timber Floor

G'day Knuckleheads. In this Owner Builder Episode we look at laying the timber floor. You'll see in this video the team showing you how to lay a timber / wooden floor. The timber or wood l used for the floor was a species of timber called Blackbutt. It's a solid 19mm x 130mm board which is very hardy and should stand up to a fair bit of abuse…which it will get at my place :-) Timber floors really give a warmth to your property and are well worth the effort.

How To: Make Colorful Ice Candles

See how to make homemade "ice" candles out of taper candles (or wax flakes). Cut up the taper candles, heat them until melted, then pour into a container lined with ice (chipped ice, not cubes) with the wick dangling in from above. The ice will create an interesting design in the candle.

How To: Frame a Stud Wall

G'day, Knuckleheads, Uncle Knackers here. In this Episode, we look at making, and standing up the stud wall frames. How to build a stud wall frame is pretty straight forward but it is handy to know a few basic principles before you get stuck into it! Check it out!

How To: Install Decking Posts

G'day, Knuckleheads, and welcome to Episode 22 of my Owner Builder Series. In this video we look at cutting and setting up Verandah / Decking Posts. It's really important that you get thuds right as nothing looks worse than badly set up posts. Check it out and let me know what you think!

How To: Install House Wrap

G'day, Knuckleheads, and welcome to Episode 20 of my Owner Builder Series! In this Episode, we look at installing the Wall Wrap which goes on before the cladding is installed. It's a vapour membrane that protects the frame and internal linings from moisture damage.

How To: Make Your Own Chalk Paint

If you're a big fan of home improvement, then you've you've probably painted a wall or item in your day. Not only can it get expensive, it's also time consuming, and very often just plain boring. Waiting for paint to dry so that you can add another coat is, well…like waiting for paint to dry.

How To: 5 Apartment Improvements You Can Do in an Hour

Presented by Apartments.com When looking for a new apartment, it's hard not to notice the improvements (on large and small scale) needed prior to moving in. While your landlord may be taking care of new carpeting, cleaning the central air vents, and fresh paint on the walls, there may be some additional improvements on your list that you can take care of on your own. Here are five quick improvements you can check off your list before the big move.

How To: Make a Garden Trug

This is a simple design built from reclaimed wood and purchased ¼” wood slats. It cost very little and only took a couple of hours to complete the build. The goal was light weight, shallow and wide for collecting leafy vegetables, easy to handle and somewhat attractive.