/features/do-it-yourself - baltimoresun.com

Trim your porch for Halloween

By Kathryn Weber, Tribune Media Services — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:15:00 GMT

Instead of just tossing candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween this year, send them home with something to talk about.

A home for Halloween goodies

By Amanda Formaro, Special to Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

It's Halloween season and that means plenty of parties! Treat bags that kids can take home are always fun, but these cute little treat cups are even better. Fill each with wrapped candies and inexpensive trinkets. Kids can carry their loot home with the pipe cleaner handle.

Power to the pumpkin

By Kathryn Weber, Living Space — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Grand ideas for decorating with autumn's favorite squash

Fall marks a time when corner lots, farm markets and grocery store parking lots are stacked with pumpkins for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Gifts from the heart

By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz , Tribune newspapers — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:16:40 GMT

Remember that you have many ways to spend less and add more meaning for a special Mother's Day

On Mother's Day, it really is the thought that counts. Back away from the credit card and summon your creativity to give heartfelt, spend-free gifts.

Install a filtering faucet

By Gene and Katie Hamilton, Tribune Media Services — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:16:40 GMT

Fresh, pure water is a must for cooking and drinking, and installing a filtering faucet at your kitchen sink is a good way to reduce harmful impurities in your tap water. An indicator on the unit shows when to change the filter, a simple chore even if you're not so handy. The unit will eliminate costly water services, and give you filtered water right where you want it at the touch of a button.

Learn to plant a tree

By Bill Daley , Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Arbor Day Foundation offers advice in time for Earth Day

Plant a tree? Sure! If Queen Elizabeth II is out there doing it in her mid-80s, you can too. Here's how ...

DIY yogurt

By James P. DeWan, Special to Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Let the cultures do all the work while you save money

The question isn't why you should eat yogurt. No, the question is, why make your own? The answer is easy.

How to repot a houseplant

By Barbara Mahany , Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

If you manage to keep alive a houseplant for, oh, more than a few months, there will surely come the day when it has outgrown its starter pot.

How to cut your own hair

By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz , Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

While it's best to leave the pixie cut or layered bob to the pros, you can perform basic trims if you need to save on salon visits or need to tame those split ends.

Easy ways to clear your indoor air

By Starre Vartan, McClatchy/Tribune newspapers — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:20:12 GMT

Getting cleaner, healthier air in your home doesn't have to be a major project or big expense

There are plenty of laws and regulations about outdoor air pollution, most of us don't give a second thought to the air in our homes. But we should.

A better bathroom on a budget

By Patricia Mertz Esswein — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:41:44 GMT

Replacing a tub requires small-scale demolition and can cost several thousand dollars. A cheaper alternative is to have it refinished.

The cutting edge

By Wendy Cole, Special to Tribune Newspapers — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:44:57 GMT

You can't go wrong with a granite countertop. It's durable, low-maintenance and attractive. But, with dramatic slabs of heavily veined marble and other, more exotic natural stones popping up in high-gloss designer kitchens and baths, those familiar tightly-speckled surfaces don't always bring out the oohs and aahs the way they used to. If you're seeking to set your kitchen or bathroom apart, other stone options are catching on that could one day bring America's decades-long infatuation with granite to a grinding halt.

Marshmallows: Toast your own

By , Chicago Tribune reporter — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Make your own marshmallows for a sweet winter treat

For grown-up parties, white, gummy marshmallows from a supermarket bag won't cut it. Only a DIY approach will do.

How to fix a leaky faucet

By Barbara Mahany , Tribune Newspapers — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

One drip per second from a leaky faucet equals 3,000 to 8,000 gallons of wasted water a year, according to Paul Patton, senior product manager for Delta Faucet, and Chuck White, vice president of technical and code services for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association.

Eco lunch boxes for modern brown-baggers

By Susan Carpenter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

It's the holidays, time for gifts, might we suggest the practical present of modern lunch containers? Here are three green-minded options.

The next DIY frontier: roasting beans

By Betty Hallock — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Raw coffee beans get the do-it-yourself treatment as java aficionados jump at the chance to roast their own blend.

Raw coffee beans get the do-it-yourself treatment as java aficionados jump at the chance to roast their own blend.

Which way to deck the evergreen?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Choose shiny happy perfection or homespun charm

For those of us who celebrate the holiday, the trees of our youth, that most of us remember, the visual that calls up Christmas morning were trees of riotous colors and textures.

Holiday cookie decorating techniques

By , Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

With sugar on top — that's how we love our holiday cookies

Your holiday cookies need not look ho-hum. Tread middle ground gracefully this season, with a few simple tips, techniques and tricks from the pros.

Make home recycling easy, convenient

By — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

By making things convenient, your family will be less likely to toss recyclables in the trash -- and you'll be in tune with National Recycling Day on Nov. 15.

Things that go bump in the night

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Things that go bump in the night may just be your pipes, or something else. That clang, clank, clunk -- could be a flying witch, but a flying squirrel is more likely.

Button up your house for winter

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Drafty attics, fireplaces, leaky windows and open vents provide the perfect opportunity for winter's chill to sneak into your house. Take the time now to caulk and weatherstrip.

DIY nut butter a breeze to make

By Emily Ho, thekitchn.com — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:36:54 GMT

A peanut butter alternative that's rich, creamy and super easy to make

A perfect autumn butter spread made from pumpkin and flax seeds. It's rich, creamy and super easy to make.

Try a patio makeover

By Stacy Downs — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:56:55 GMT

Arm yourself with a weekend action plan to make over your patio

Yes it can be a one-weekend wonder. Arm yourself with a weekend action plan to make over your patio.

Winter gardening

By Mary Beth Breckenridge, Akron Beacon Journal — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:47:39 GMT

Winter doldrums? We offer ideas to keep you busy

There are only so many gardening catalogs to page through and planting schemes to dream up. We offer ideas to keep you busy.

Install a programmable thermostat

By Gene and Katie Hamilton — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 07:19:35 GMT

A programmable thermostat can help you save money

We all want to live in a home with a comfortable climate, and one way to do that affordably is to throttle down the heat or air conditioning when everyone's asleep or away. A programmable thermostat helps you do just that, changing temperatures to preset levels corresponding to your family's schedule.