Do It Yourself Winter 2022

Senior Editor BRIAN KRAMER Contributing Editor SAMANTHA S. THORPE Associate Art Director JESSICA ENO Assistant Art Director EMILY BUTTERWORTH Contributing Copy Editor NANCY DIETZ Proofreader MARTHA COLOFF LONG Administrative Assistant RENAE MABIE HOME & GARDEN Executive Editor SAMANTHA HART Senior Editors BRIAN KRAMER, SALLY FINDER WEEPIE, KRISSA ROSSBUND, NICOLE DEAN TEUT Associate Editor SAMANTHA STEVENSON Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® Manager SANDRA GERDES FOOD Executive Editor SHELLI MCCONNELL Senior Content Manager JESSICA SAARI CHRISTENSEN Senior Editor LAUREN LASTOWKA Editor CAITLYN DIIMIG, RD Culinary Specialists SARAH BREKKE, JULI HALE, COLLEEN WEEDEN Food Styling Director GREG LUNA Food Stylists LAUREN MCANELLY, SAMMY MILA, KELSEY MOYLAN ART Design Directors KIMBERLY MORGAN METZ, MICK SCHNEPF Style & Design Director STEPHANIE HUNTER Associate Art Directors RAE DANNEMAN, JESSICA ENO Assistant Art Director EMILY…

If you love a good deal—and enjoy crowing about your bargain-hunting prowess—you’ve come to the right place. We’ve dedicated this issue to celebrating thriftiness and sharing all our tips and sources. The fun starts with our cover story (“The Three Rs,” page 86) in which homeowners Catherine and Jeff Whittaker reveal that their beautifully remodeled ranch is more Craigslist scores than design center splurges. Then get ready to experience some cheap Z’s when you learn how to knock off a luxe velvet headboard (“Suite Dreams,” page 76) and runway-ready light fixtures (“Light Bright,” page 56). Team DIY is proud to tell you that our woven chandelier, this photo, is actually a cluster of wicker trash cans and toy baskets. And there’s more! We perform similar magic with low-cost items…

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH An ikat-inspired design lends Moroccan style to a plain wood vase, this photo. Use a pencil to draw diamond shapes on the vase, or use a diamond pattern stencil and a ruler to mark placement more precisely. With a flow tip on the woodburning tool, sweep the tip back and forth about ¼ inch in a tight zigzag over the pencil lines until each diamond shape is drawn. Use a shading tip to fill in the diamond, alternating the direction of the tip upward for a pass then downward until filled. Erase any remaining pencil lines. IN FULL BLOOM Give an unfinished wood caddy a fresh botanical outlook, above. Use a pencil to draw flowers on all corners of the caddy. Trace the pencil lines using…

Handy Girls, it’s time to think about how we can all amp up the green on our DIYing. Remember: Big goals are great, but small switches add up. Here’s how to figure out what you can do, from sweating the small stuff (hello, trash) to diving deep into the big choices (lumber, I’m looking at you). THE BIG PICTURE IF YOU START TO DIG INTO THE ECO SIDE OF THE DIY WORLD, YOU MAY HEAR PHRASES LIKE “CRADLE TO GRAVE” AND “CRADLE TO CRADLE.” THAT MEANS SIMPLY THINKING ABOUT MORE THAN THE PRODUCT ON THE SHELVES AND THE CHOICE IN FRONT OF YOU. HERE ARE SOME KEY CONSIDERATIONS: What it takes to make a product. What does the manufacturing process look like? What it takes to get a product to…

CYNTHIA ALBERTO STARTED HER CAREER AS A PAINTER, BUT AFTER TAKING CLASSES IN WEAVING SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH FIBER ARTISTRY. IN 2006 SHE OPENED WEAVING HAND, A BROOKLYN SHOP THAT TEACHES CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS, CREATES COMMISSIONS, AND SELLS WEAVING SUPPLIES. CYNTHIA FOCUSES ON HOW WEAVING CAN BE HEALING AND HOW TO CREATE ZERO WASTE AND THINK SUSTAINABLY WHEN MAKING WEAVING PROJECTS. THE MAKER: CYNTHIA ALBERTO The owner of Weaving Hand focuses on how to bring a community together through fiber crafting. O: What influences your work? A: My own personal work centers on activism to make sure we are healing the community while infusing how to make fiber arts with zero waste. The value of crafts is being put in a whole different light now—we want to make sure…

THAT’S A WRAP Keep cord clutter at bay with zip ties. Secure a power strip to the side of the cart with removable hook-and-loop strips, then tie down cords inconspicuously along the railing of the cart for easy access to other supplies. SORT & STICK Made to hold spices and kitchen sundries, these magnetic tins attach to the side of a metal cart and are ideal for corralling small necessities like paper clips or rubber bands. Grundtal container, $8 for three pieces; ikea.com TIDY TROLLEY Transform a basic metal utility cart into a hardworking portable office with a few effortless add-ons. (For more on the cart, see page 31.) A hanging caddy keeps chargers, pens, and sticky notes within reach, while a tablet stand sets up a second screen. Magnetic…