Table of contents for Fall 2013 in Do It Yourself

projects, tools, and inspiration Sweet dreams See before and after pics of a budget-savvy bedroom makeover. BHG.com/DIYBedroomRedo Make it yours Energize a boring wall or remake an old dresser. Check out 26 of our favorite paint projects! BHG.com/DIYPaint Awesome autumn Enjoy the great outdoors with inspiring fall gardening ideas. BHG.com/DIYGarden New view Add interest to basic window treatments with these no-sew project ideas. BHG.com/DIYWindows You could win $25,000 to upgrade your home! Enter at: BHG.com/WinHome…

Team DIY Pamela Porter Blustery winds, rain, and snow can leave outdoor furniture looking worn and weathered. If storing items indoors off season is not an option, consider quality covers to protect outdoor furnishings. Covers are readily available for most furniture types, cushions, grills, even hose reels and outdoor heaters. Whether you’re entertaining alfresco or prettying up the yard, the great outdoors requires some of the same items needed indoors. The do-it-yourself coffee table, opposite, features removable panels that reveal galvanized washtubs, which provide storage or serve up cold beverages. We think you’ll like these other hardworking helpers just as much as we do. 1. Cushion keeper Featuring an aluminum frame, this sturdy bin from Frontgate comes with a cover to protect cushions. Wheels provide mobility, plus the unit can…

Saw smarts New technology makes wielding a saw easier—and more comfortable. Get a grip Have you ever felt your hands still tingling minutes after using a saw? Manufacturers have made great strides in reducing the vibration of handheld power tools. Ergonomically designed handles also improve the feel of operating a saw. Light show Built-in LEDs make saws easier (and safer) to use. In addition to improving the visibility of your cutting line, some products even cast a path for you to follow for a specialty cut. Slam on the brakes Working with saws can be dangerous. New technology available in some table saws activates a brake to stop the blade if it comes in contact with flesh. Safety suggestions include wearing protective safety glasses and avoiding loose clothing or dangling…

What we did ... The spare details of this entryway borrow from the centuries-old Japanese art of origami, the folding of a sheet of paper into an intricate sculpture. Delicate windmill folds attached to matching sheets of paper serve as wall art. Handcrafted vase wraps ensconce simple blooms. Even the geometric hall table, an easy do-it-yourself project (see page 56), was inspired by this ancient art. Download the cutting instructions for this interlocking table base. BHG.com/DIYOrigamiTable What we did ... Create the base of this table from painted medium-density fiberboard (MDF) hinged and slotted. The top is thick plexiglass. For more instructions and a building diagram, visit BHG.com/DIYOrigamiTable. BELOW LEFT: To assemble the three-dimensional flyaway grid wall art, cut nine 12-inch squares from ½-inch MDF. Apply decoupage medium to one…

What we did ... The easiest of do-it-yourself upgrades usher a basic room into the present. When projects are united by a palette of pastels with an edge—aloe-tinged blues, pinks that tip toward coral, and splashes of cerulean—the space radiates fresh personality. To make art with graphic appeal, cut triangles from scrapbook papers. Affix them to an artist’s canvas with decoupage medium. Use painter’s tape to form triangular sections that complement your paper shapes. Paint or gold-leaf inside the taped sections, then remove the tape. We carried the design onto the wall using the same techniques. Video! See our expert tips for gold-leafing. BHG.com/DIYGoldLeaf Special thanks to: Lee Industries (leeindustries.com) What we did ... You can’t beat sweet wall art for less than the cost of a pedi. Download and…

Pillow talk Vintage feed sack pillow covers add texture to this sunny nook. Simply cut two pieces of burlap to 2 inches wider on all sides than the dimensions of a pillow insert. With right sides facing, sew together on all sides, leaving a 6-inch opening. Turn right side out, insert the pillow, then whipstitch the cover closed. For another look, use a strip of colorful fabric for part or one side of the pillow. It’s a wrap A basic foam wreath base from a crafts store gets a rustic makeover when wrapped with burlap. Secure the end of a spool of burlap garland in the wreath with straight pins, then wrap to cover the wreath; secure with pins. To make each flower, cut six circles of burlap in the…

Why We DIY Several months ago, Do It Yourself™ sent a survey to many of our readers. We wanted to find out what you love about the magazine, what you’d change, and what makes you pick up the paintbrush or power tool and get to work. Your responses have helped us get to know you better. Here are a few things we learned: • You love makeovers of every kind: furniture makeovers, wall makeovers, room makeovers, whole-house makeovers. • You like to tackle crafty projects—paper, fabric, surface updates—but you’re not afraid to use bigger materials, such as concrete, plywood, and metal. • You love power tools! Most of you own a drill and a saw. And you know how to use them. But my favorite takeaway was your response to…

How to Create Book Art What you’ll need: Hardcover books Hot-glue gun and glue sticks Backer board step 1 Cut the backer board into a rectangle 1–2 inches smaller than the back of your book. Apply hot glue to the backer board (a). step 2 Open the book and press in the center, along the spine, so the cover lies flat. Press the glued side of the backer board to the open cover, and hold for about a minute until the glue dries (b). step 3 Determine the fold or folds you want to use to achieve your final look. Begin folding pages at the front of the book (c). Fold each page in the book the same to achieve a uniform design (top left). To achieve variegated designs (top…

Make It Yours Take your kitchen from drab to fab with quick and easy cabinet door updates. projects JODI MENSING HARRIS photographs STEVEN MCDONALD Here, kitty, kitty Accent the cabinet doors in your kitchen office area with chalkboard paint and a colorful silhouette. Paint the entire door with green chalkboard paint. For a quick tutorial video on painting cabinets, go to BHG.com/DIYPaintCabinets. Trace the design you want—we used a cat—on contact paper. Cut out the cat stencil. Peel off the backing and adhere the contact paper to the cabinet door. Paint the surface with brown chalkboard paint (a). Remove the contact paper before the paint dries (b). Allow paint to dry before reinstalling the door and making notes with chalk. Down by the bay Create a beachy vibe in a…

What we did ... This breakfast nook gets a touch of the exotic with a modern take on block printing, imprinting fabric with simple patterns and repeats using hand-cut blocks—or found objects—dipped in dye. What we did ... Raid your crafts basket for block-printing ideas. The textured repeat on these wooden vases comes from a scrap of foam wrapped with string. Dip the block in crafts paint, then give it a half-roll onto the surface. Repeat the pattern. “The object you print with needs to have dimension to it, so it leaves a clear imprint,” designer John Loecke says. LEFT: Interesting shapes are found in a variety of household items. The funky curved repeat on this place setting comes courtesy of a potato masher. Start by dipping your print tool…

Easy art Resuscitate wallpaper scraps by employing them as wall art. For a framed piece, cut foam-core board to fit inside the frame. Use spray adhesive to attach the wallpaper to the foam-core board, then simply insert the board into the frame. Hang it or prop it against the wall for casual appeal. Or skip a frame. Instead, cut a piece of wallpaper to overlap all sides of an artist’s canvas. Mount the wallpaper to the canvas with spray adhesive, folding the edges around to the back of the canvas and securing. Let it dry, then hang on the wall, display on an easel, or prop against a wall. Dreamy drama Bedroom decor is a perfect stage on which to let your personality play. Wallpapering one accent wall is a…

1. Elegance of the hedgehog This 8×10-inch bamboo buddy is as easy on the environment as he is on the eyes. $70; decoylab.etsy.com 2. Crazy like a fox This smart fella would be right at home on a nursery wall or any space in need of a dose of cute. $17 for 8×10-inch print; littlelightprints.etsy.com 3. Into the woods Take a walk on the wild side. These super-size (28×29-inch) flour sack tea towels are printed with shimmery gold, silver, and bronze inks. $36; eleventyfive.etsy.com 4. Mammal mail Great as a hostess gift (or prezzie for yourself), these letterpress cards feature bears, squirrels, bunnies, and more. $18 for 12 cards and envelopes; bearseatberries.etsy.com 5. Stick to it Up the adorable factor at your next craft session with a foxy pincushion at…

Push play These pushpins (and the other projects in this story) use resin, a fun and versatile medium made from a 1:1 ratio of epoxy resin and polyamine hardener, available at hobby stores. Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear eye and hand protection. Cover your work surface with a drop cloth. To make these pretty pushpins, follow the technique and use the rubber molds from the napkin ring and button projects (pages 11 and 13). When the resin is dry, affix the piece to the top of a thumbtack with hot glue. Ring thing Dress up your dinner table with sweet napkin rings. Stir acrylic crafts paint into a 1:1 mixture of epoxy resin and polyamine hardener (a). Pour resin into a rubber mold (b). Our mold was designed…

Snuggle Time No matter your skill level or style, you can find a pillow kit that includes everything you need to create a custom cushion. Starting at $18. From top to bottom: • Pillow stencils creativestencils.etsy.com • Felt rosette pillows tadaastudio.com • Embroidered map pillow brooklynassembly.etsy.com • Colorable critters pukaca.etsy.com • Needlepoint pillows modernneedleworks.com • Postcard pillow mypillowfactory.etsy.com 1. Bead the Way String together your own custom bracelets, necklaces, or key chains with these geometric beads and colorful cords. Choose from a treasure trove of hand-painted pastel, neon, metallic, or patterned wooden beads in a variety of shapes and sizes. $29 for 30 beads; likebeads8.etsy.com 2. Dig In Plant new Better Homes and Gardens® Drumline tulip bulbs this fall and enjoy bold, brilliant red blooms next May. The 12-inch trowel…

Once upon a time, in an old Raleigh neighborhood, there lived a crafter and a photographer who poured their design skills and keen work ethic into a ramshackle 1,200-square-foot cottage, transforming it into a cozy home for their two children, Gibson and Crosby. In fact, every time Regan and Geoff Wood tackled a major part of the renovation, Regan was either expecting or holding a new baby. The finished home—vintage bones with contemporary details—is physical proof that you can survive big do-it-yourself projects with a family, Regan says. “We bought the house because we could see its potential,” she says. “We renovated, painted, or restored almost every inch. It wasn’t without frustration and lost sleep, but it was totally worth it to get the result we wanted.” They renovated the…

Shaping up Elegant lines lend a soft side to a wooden desk and shelf. To make the desk, cut two 2×4-foot panels and four leg pieces (visit BHG.com/DIYDeskLeg for the pattern) from maple plywood. We cut a removable panel for a laptop and two pencil cup holes from the top piece, then secured all pieces together with wood glue and finish nails, sandwiching birch logs and two support pieces between the top and bottom. The wood is finished with clear varnish, and the top flaunts a pretty wallpaper. For more desk-building tips, see page 76. Download the pattern for these desk legs. BHG.com/DIYDeskLeg Shelf life Flaunting both form and function, this branch shelf is sure to grow on you. Use our pattern at BHG.com/DIYBranchShelf or design a motif that suits…

What they did ... To brighten a living room with little natural light, homeowners Sena and Dan Shebaro had to get creative. “We were having Thanksgiving dinner with a large table of people,” Sena says. “It was way too dark, so we added a light fixture.” A piece of metal conduit attached to an upside-down lampshade resulted in a space full of light and a successful party. OPPOSITE: While collecting glass bottles was once just a hobby for Sena, colorful glass has now taken over mantels and tables, establishing itself as a design staple in the home. Sena Shebaro purchased the 1920s home she shares with her husband, Dan, based on a vision she had of her grandmother’s round table sitting in the dining room. “I know it sounds crazy,”…