The Difference Between Honing and Sharpening Your Knives (and Why It Matters)
Photo: New Africa (Shutterstock) I did not learn knife care from my parents, and that is a good thing. Their preferred method of knife maintenance is simple: Buy a block…
Build Your Own ‘Smokeless’ Fire Pit
Photo: The Image Party (Shutterstock) Fire pits are often considered an inviting part of outdoor spaces—but sometimes the smoke they create is less than inviting. Whether the lingering smell on…
12 Clever Ways You Didn’t Know You Could Use Sandpaper
Photo: Korawat photo shoot (Shutterstock) So many things in our homes that we think of as “single-use” items actually have at least one alternative use—and they often have several of…
Why You Should Wet Sand Your Drywall
Photo: ungvar (Shutterstock) If you own a home of some sort, you are familiar with how expensive any sort of renovation or repair can be, so many homeowners try to…
Ways to Get That Last Bit of Lotion Out of the Bottle, Ranked
Photo: Vladimir Gjorgiev (Shutterstock) In an era of rising inflation and economic uncertainty, the list of things once considered “first-world” problems gets shorter every day. For example: Pump bottles of…
The Right Way to Repaint Your Outdoor Furniture (So You Don’t Have to Replace It)
Photo: aceshot1 (Shutterstock) You need comfortable furniture on your deck or patio if you’re planning to do entertaining in the warm weather, but because they’re exposed to the elements, these…
How to Restore Your Old Deck Without Going Broke
Photo: Irina Mos (Shutterstock) A deck can be an extension of your living space during the warmer months, becoming a second living room for get-togethers or a quiet retreat to…
Don’t Throw Away Your Mesh Produce Bags
Photo: photosthai (Shutterstock) In a perfect world, we’d all eat seasonally available local produce that we’ve purchased directly from farmers (or farmers’ markets). But that’s not an option for everyone…
You Can Paint Your Laminate Countertops (Instead of Replacing Them)
Photo: VH-studio (Shutterstock) When budgeting time and money for your kitchen renovation, set a bit of both aside specifically for your countertops. Counters are notoriously expensive to replace—but they stick…
What Is a Pocket Hole Jig (and Why Do You Need One)?
Photo: kasarp studio (Shutterstock) The challenge of hiding hardware when attaching two pieces of wood can be daunting if you’re new to carpentry. If you’re not practiced in making dovetail…