Recent Posts
Tutorial: Super Simple Crocheted Water Bottle Holder in 5 Steps (Great First Project!)
Never go thirsty with this straightforward and functional water bottle carrier! Comes together fast. A good project for beginning crocheters!
Projects: Learning to Crochet! Scarves, Water Bottle Carriers, a Hat, and Shawls
When your friends decide to learn to crochet at book club, you bring yarn and join in! Here's what I've been making from yarn this winter!
Backyard Suburban Gardening: My Year 5 Harvest
This year's expanded garden was more work, but the increased yield was worth it! I added to the front flower garden, too. Here's how everything grew and what I want to do differently next year.
Winterizing the Bees, Year 1
Northern winters are cold—so what do the bees do? Here's how we prepared our hives for the snowy months.
How We Managed Our First Honey Harvest
Our bees have been productive this summer, so we decided to harvest some honey! Here's what we've learned about the honey extraction process.
Why We Started Beekeeping—And How It's Going!
No secrets: We wanted the honey. Here's why we started with four hives, how we setup the bees, what happened when one hive swarmed, and other faced challenges so far.
Backyard Gardening, Year 5: Expanded Beds and New Seed Starting Setup
This year, I've more than doubled my garden space! I added new plant varieties—and now, we have bees! See how my 250+ bulbs did and learn how I'm keeping track of everything in the yard.
Tutorial: How to Make an Easy Patchwork Peasant Skirt
Pick your favorite colorful scraps and start sewing—here's an easy, tiered skirt you can customize! Make it bright, or choose shades of one or two colors; change up the waistband; make it shorter or longer.
One Year Later, Are Backyard Chickens Worth It?
We brought chicks home a year ago. Now, how do we like having hens? How many eggs do they produce? What do you do when they escape their run or get attacked by hawks? Are they more work than they're worth?
How I Planted My Suburban Yard Garden, How It Grew, and What I Learned (Gardening, Year 4!)
A long, cold spring; a late first frost; new spaces, new flowers, new tools—here's how this year's garden grew!
Tutorial: How to Make a Braided Rag Rug From Old Sheets or T-Shirts
Upcycle old shirts and sheets into wonderfully colorful braided rugs in 6 simple steps! Minimal or even no sewing; easy-to-follow instructions; lots of photos!
How I Made A Linen Wrap Skirt With Rainbow Embroidered Flowers
Women's clothing is so often function or pretty—but rarely both. This project was my attempt to bridge that gap by making my own wrap skirt and learning embroidery to decorate it!
Tutorial: How to Make a Hobby Horse from a Sock and Scrap Fabric in 7 Steps
Upcycle an old sock into a classic children's toy! A straightforward craft that's infinitely customizable and leads to a neighborhood of fun.
Backyard Chickens: First Eggs, Starting Compost, and New Challenges
We set up our backyard coop and got chicks in late March. After months of waiting, the payoff is real: the first eggs! But not everything is peachy… flies? adventuring hens? What did we sign up for?
Backyard Gardening, Year 4: Spring Planning, Planting, and Improvements
Each year I try to level up a few gardening skills—and this year we have to landscape along a new front fence and incorporate the chickens into our routine!
Tutorial: How to Make a Plush Rag Rug from Old Socks in 5 Steps
Save your socks! Upcycle old socks into a squishy, colorful rug—it's an easy way to make something beautiful!
Backyard Chickens: Why We Got Them, Where We Set Up the Coop, and What's Next!
Chickens? We weren't going to get animals until our kids could do the chores. Here's why we changed our minds and how we got chickens set up in our backyard.
Making Rag Rugs From T-Shirts and Old Sheets (Reuse and Upcycle!)
I love finding new uses for old stuff. I had a collection of old t-shirts and ripped sheets... what better thing to do than repurpose them into beautiful rugs?
5 Things I've Made From Old Blue Jeans (Reuse and Upcycle!)
I love finding new uses for old clothes. What could I make with old jeans? Take a look at these five useful ways of using old blue jean fabric, from picnic blankets to children's satchels!
Making Our Own Advent Wreath (Inexpensive and Beautiful!)
A fast and easy Advent wreath for our dining room table that uses dollar store candles, leftover ribbon, tree trimmings, and found pine cones.
The Fastest, Easiest Way to Bake a Great Loaf of Sourdough Bread
Armed with a new sourdough starter, I was on a mission to make a fantastic loaf with the least amount of time and effort. Here's my method.
Seasonality and Natural Rhythms: Why Growing and Preserving Your Own Food Matters
Having a garden isn't just a hedge against the End Times. Whether canning jam, fermenting cabbage, or dehydrating tomatoes, here's why the natural rhythm of growing and preserving food is good for us.
Gardening, Year 3: What I Grew and What I Learned in My 200-square-foot Backyard Garden
Every year in the garden is different. I never know which plants will grow well, based on the weather and where they're planted. Here's what happened this year: what grew, what didn't, and what I learned.
Incremental Organization: How We Made Our Garage Better For Playing, Storing, and Working
Every week, we ask: What’s one incremental thing we can do to make our living space work better for us? This week, we tackled the garage.