Do It Yourself Summer 2021

Warmer days remind us to get back to basics. For me, that means building a raised garden bed, power-washing the deck, and repainting our dingy front door. Whatever the essential to-dos on your list this summer, Team DIY is here with tested techniques and surefire tool recommendations for you to be successful. Start by letting go of any power-tool anxiety with our comprehensive Cool Tools roundup (“Absolute Power,” page 16). We can’t guarantee you’ll be building barn doors like Holly and Brad Lauritzen, the couple behind the outrageously popular Instagram @ourfauxfarmhouse, but even this dynamic duo started as beginners. Check out their full story and inspiring home tour (“Nothing to Hide,” page 84). And don’t miss our lineup of eye-popping projects based on the most basic materials. You’ll never look at rope…

Senior Editor BRIAN KRAMER Contributing Editors NATALIE DAYTON, 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 Design Directors KIMBERLY MORGAN METZ, MICK SCHNEPF Associate Art Director JESSICA ENO Assistant Art Director EMILY BUTTERWORTH Senior Graphic Designer BRITTANY MUELLER Administrative Assistants RENAE MABIE, KATIE MORT, KIM O’BRIEN-WOLETT Photography Coordinator ALYSSA RICHARDSON Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® Manager SANDRA GERDES FOOD Executive Editor SHELLI MCCONNELL Senior Content Manager JESSICA SAARI CHRISTENSEN Senior Editor LAUREN LASTOWKA Style & Design Director STEPHANIE HUNTER Associate Art Director RAE DANNEMAN Administrative Assistant COURTNEY BUSH Culinary Specialists SARAH BREKKE, JULI HALE, COLLEEN WEEDEN Food Styling Director GREG LUNA Food Stylists LAUREN MCANELLY, SAMMY MILA, KELSEY MOYLAN EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION Editorial Director JILL WAAGE Executive Creative Director MICHAEL D. BELKNAP Assistant…

MINI MUDROOM Customize an underused closet to create a mudroom that meets your needs, opposite and left. Jessica removed the doors from a hall closet near her garage, then added a bench and shelving to get the storage and organization she needed. Use a low TV stand for a bench and add matching bookcases for side cubbies. Be sure to anchor all pieces to the wall. Pull the pieces together visually with plywood planks in the center for a cohesive look. Add hooks (A) for coats and backpacks, and use crates and bins (B) to store shoes and more. DO IT BETTER FOR ALL-WEATHER DURABILITY, REMOVE ANY CARPETING FROM THE CLOSET FLOOR. JESSICA PAINTED THIS STENCILED GEOMETRIC DESIGN (TUMBLING BLOCKS STENCIL, $55; ROYALDESIGNSTUDIO.COM) RIGHT ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR USING PAINT IN THREE…

THE MAKER: MILITZA MAURY Little Green Dot takes a holistic approach to beauty products by using natural ingredients and simple recipes. Q: How did Little Green Dot get started? A: About 10 years ago, I was trying to live more naturally and didn’t have access to natural products. I remember looking at the ingredient list of a product I really wanted to buy for my baby—it was lavender, chamomile, and oats. I thought, I wonder if I could make that? I went into the kitchen and ended up making a bath tea. The first time I used it, it made the bath water so creamy. When I bathed my baby, it made her skin so soft. I was hooked. It opened up my curiosity of what else I could make. Q: What are your…

PROJECTS UNDER $20 Ready to start making? Use this index to find all the thrifty DIYs featured in this issue so you can bring them to life in your own home. Leather belt handles on crate 7 Bath melt 14 Laptop case 20 Pizza garden seed ball kit 25 Polygon paper mobile kit 25 Sand art pictures 28 Stitched cards 30 Embroidered pillow 32 Embroidered lampshade 32 Stitched photo artwork 34, 35 Stitched wire basket 35 Cosmetic bag hanger 41 Tile tray 46 Tile vase 47 Square planter 51 Rope-wrapped candleholder 62 Rope curtain tieback 63 Rope coil planter 64 Mini floral basket 65 Rope handle 66 Rope decorative sculpture 68 Basket organizer on wall 72 Leather rod holders 73 Suspended bud vase 78 Macramé plant hangers 80 Painted flea market shelf 81 Copper cap on deck post 83 Butterfly clips 101…

MAKE IT TECH CASE MATERIALS • 24×13-inch fabric (for tablet-size case exterior)• 24×13-inch fabric (for tablet-size case interior lining)• 24×13-inch low-loft cotton batting (for tablet-size case)• Iron• Pins• Sewing gauge• Sewing machine, zigzag foot• Thread• Hook-and-loop tape for closure, if desired• Decorative button, if desired Step 1 Layer the exterior fabric rectangle and the lining rectangle with right sides together. Place them atop the batting rectangle with all edges aligned (A). Step 2 Fold in all three layers at the corners of one short end until they meet in the middle (as if you’re starting to make a paper airplane). Press the folds with an iron to crease the fabrics (B). Step 3 Unfold the pressed corners and cut through all layers on the pressed lines (C) to make a point. This is the top of…