I Installed a Peel-and-Stick Backsplash With Zero Experience. It Is Still Up.
My kitchen had a four-inch strip of laminate backsplash. Builder-grade. Beige. It was the most boring four inches of my […]
I Removed a 10-Year-Old Sticker From Furniture With a Hair Dryer
My grandmother’s dresser came with a circular sticker from a moving company, affixed sometime around 2012. It had fused with […]
I Built Raised Garden Beds for Under $30 Each Using Cedar Fence Pickets
I priced out cedar raised beds at a garden center. Four feet by eight feet: $180. For a wooden box. […]
I Hung a 50-Pound Mirror on Drywall Without Finding a Stud. Here Is How.
The mirror was a gift. Big, heavy, framed in dark wood. It sat against the wall in my hallway for […]
How to Refinish a Thrift Store Nightstand and Make It Look Expensive
I paid twelve dollars for a nightstand at Goodwill. It was ugly — dark brown stain, scratched to oblivion, brass […]
Paint a Room in One Weekend Without Making a Total Mess of Everything
The first time I painted a room, I spent more time cleaning up than painting. Paint on the ceiling. Paint […]
How to Unclog a Sink Drain Without Harsh Chemicals
My bathroom sink backed up on a Sunday night. The hardware store was closed. I had no drain cleaner under […]
Change Outdated Light Fixtures for Modern Ones Without Wiring Experience
The dining room in our first apartment had a brass chandelier from 1987. Not cool vintage brass. The bad kind […]
The Easiest Way to Tighten Loose Cabinet Knobs That Keep Spinning
Every morning for three months, I tightened the knob on the silverware drawer. Every evening, it was loose again. Tighten. […]
The Trick to Drilling Into Tile Without Cracking It
I cracked a bathroom tile on my first attempt. Brand new backsplash. First hole. The bit skated across the surface […]