John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged diy · everything

stylebyemilyhenderson.com

The 2021 #ShowEmYourDIY: 22 DIY Ideas to Transform Your Sad Backyard Into Your Favorite Place - Emily

This is a collection of 22 reader-submitted DIY backyard projects ranging from simple painted deck murals and stenciled patios to ambitious builds like greenhouses, pergolas, and custom outdoor furniture, with costs from under $100 to several thousand dollars. The posts showcase various skill levels and budgets, featuring before-and-afters alongside detailed instructions, material lists, and budget breakdowns so readers can replicate projects from painted faux marble floors and modern wall panels to stock tank pools and stucco sofas. The emphasis is on inspiring homeowners to tackle their own outdoor spaces using creativity and accessible materials, whether renting an apartment in Brooklyn or owning a home with significant yard space.

Permalink backyardlandscapinggardeningdiy

www.rd.com

How to Make a Vinegar Fruit Wash That Really Cleans Your Produce

A vinegar fruit wash—made by mixing one part vinegar with three parts water—effectively removes bacteria, mold spores, and pesticides from produce because vinegar's 5-6% acetic acid kills pathogens and prevents mold growth, extending freshness longer than plain water rinsing alone. The article explains when and how to use the wash (spray method for smooth fruits, soaking for small or textured produce), emphasizing the importance of washing all produce immediately upon purchase and drying thoroughly before storage to prevent cross-contamination in the fridge.

Permalink fooddiystoragecleaning

www.rd.com

How to Clean a Grill Quickly and Easily

Cleaning a grill regularly improves food taste, extends equipment life, and needn't be complicated once you know the proper steps. For charcoal grills, the process involves scraping hot grates immediately after cooking, waiting 48 hours for ashes to cool, deep-cleaning the interior with degreaser and a brush, then wiping down the exterior. Gas grills follow a similar initial grate-cleaning step but require disconnecting gas lines and disassembling components before using warm soapy water and a vacuum to clean the interior and exterior, with preventative maintenance like oiling grates and using a grill cover helping maintain both types year-round.

Permalink diygrillingappliancescleaning

www.nytimes.com

How to Clean Birkenstocks

Birkenstocks can last generations with proper maintenance because their three components—sole, footbed, and straps—can be cleaned and repaired independently. The guide breaks down material-specific cleaning methods for suede, nubuck, and leather straps; cork and suede footbeds; and rubber soles, while emphasizing that protective sealing every 2-4 months prevents water damage. The article debunks the viral TikTok trend of using baking soda to clean footbeds, demonstrating that this abrasive method damages the suede and requires excessive scrubbing time compared to gentler alternatives.

Permalink footweardiycleaningmaintenance

geekdad.com

Wireless Vinyl: How I Got a Record Player Connected to Our AirPlay Music System [Updated]

The author describes a DIY solution for playing vinyl records wirelessly throughout a home using modern AirPlay-compatible speaker systems, since no manufacturers offer AirPlay-ready turntables. By combining a standard turntable with a built-in preamp, a Bluetooth audio transmitter, a Bluetooth receiver, and Mac software utilities (Line-In and AirFoil), he created a system that routes vinyl audio from a game room turntable to speakers in multiple rooms across the house. While admittedly a workaround, the setup successfully enables the nostalgic experience of playing physical records on demand anywhere in the home.

Permalink audiodiysmart homevinyl

www.marthastewart.com

How to Beautifully Fold and Display a Throw Blanket on Your Couch

This article from Martha Stewart explains practical methods and styling tips for folding and arranging a [[throw blanket]] to elevate any space. It covers a range of easy techniques — neat folds, rolls, drapes, tucks, and layering — and shows how to adapt each method to different pieces of furniture such as a [[sofa]], [[armchair]], [[bed]], [[ottoman]], or a decorative [[blanket ladder]]. Guidance includes using baskets and trays for casual storage, mixing textures and patterns for seasonal updates, and choosing appropriate materials to balance warmth with aesthetic. Photographs and step-by-step instructions demonstrate quick everyday looks and more polished arrangements for guests, helping readers maintain a tidy, welcoming room while expressing personal style through simple, affordable changes. Tips include quick no-sew fixes and suggestions on caring for different fibers to prolong longevity.

Permalink diyorganizationhomemartha stewart

gearjunkie.com

Building a Lightweight Modular Campervan: Less Is More

A GearJunkie writer explains why his new Ford Transit campervan build rejects the industry-standard approach of packing in every amenity, after realizing his bone-stock rental drove better than his heavily modded, feature-laden previous vans. His philosophy: build only for the 90% use case (fixed platform bed, front seats only, robust battery/solar system) while leaving occasional-use items like hot showers and hydraulic beds at home as portable add-ons, since excess weight—not suspension—was actually killing handling, fuel economy, and reliability. It's a practical framework for anyone designing a van build around weight discipline and modularity rather than showroom appeal.

Permalink modulardiysolarlightweight

camillestyles.com

20 Ideas to Bring Your Dream Backyard to Life (and a Backyard Tour Video!)

This practical guide walks readers through creating a backyard they’ll actually use, starting with a simple formula to name top needs and wants and moving into actionable ideas for small spaces, budget-friendly upgrades, low-maintenance planting, and weekend DIY projects. It emphasizes defining zones, using vertical space, native and drought-tolerant plants, and hardscaping options, and suggests accessible upgrades like string lights, a fire pit, and outdoor seating. Tips cover container gardening, drip irrigation, and entertaining essentials—shade structures, lighting, serving stations—plus 2025 trends such as plunge pools, outdoor kitchens, and warm neutral palettes. Throughout the piece the author ties inspiration to visual prompts on [[Pinterest]] and weekend trips to [[Home Depot]] and invites readers to tour [[Camille's Backyard]] for ideas to adapt to any yard size. Practical product suggestions and step-by-step projects make it easy to start this weekend.

Permalink low-maintenancebackyardlandscapinggardening

Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World

Raised Garden Bed Options to Optimize Your Garden

The author tested seven raised garden bed options—including five commercial kits and a DIY alternative—by assembling them at a school and evaluating them on durability, ease of assembly, aesthetics, and soil depth capacity. The top pick is Gardener's Supply Company's Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed for its elegant cedar construction and straightforward assembly, though the article also recommends metal options like Vego Garden for longevity and elevated planters for accessibility, each with trade-offs depending on what plants you want to grow and how much you're willing to spend.

Permalink backyardgardeningdiyhome

Gardenista

The Ultimate Garden Shed

Byró Architekti designed a small wooden pavilion near Prague that functions as a library, guest bedroom, and social space within a garden setting, with the key innovation being a folding panel that opens one entire side of the structure to blur the boundary between interior and exterior. Built on the foundation of a demolished cottage using blackened spruce cladding and a simple two-by-four timber frame, the pavilion demonstrates how compact spaces can achieve multiple purposes through thoughtful architectural details like built-in bookshelves and a sleeping loft. The architects were inspired by the garden loggia form, creating what they describe as a seamless transition where the garden visually and physically penetrates the building's interior.

Permalink designarchitecturediyhome

Velo

How to Tune-Up a Bike: A 5-Step Checklist

This guide walks through a five-step bike maintenance process—cleaning, safety inspection, wheel truing, brake adjustment, and chain lubrication with derailleur tuning—with practical details on tools, products, and techniques drawn from the author's experience as a professional bike mechanic. The piece emphasizes that a thorough cleaning comes first to reveal hidden damage, that safety checks across frame, cockpit, wheels, brakes, and drivetrain should be systematic, and that final adjustments require careful incremental changes rather than aggressive modifications. It's designed to give home cyclists the foundation to maintain their own bikes rather than relying solely on professional service.

Permalink diytools

Saveur

I (Basically) Stopped Weeding Thanks to This Game-Changing Gardening Method

The author describes how she transformed an overgrown London allotment using the No Dig gardening method, a technique developed by Charles Dowding that layerscardboard and compost over weeds rather than digging or using chemicals, thereby preserving soil ecosystems while suppressing weeds. Within months, the formerly unusable plot became highly productive, yielding over 30 varieties of vegetables with minimal labor and pest problems, and the practice fundamentally changed her relationship with gardening from a dreaded chore into a daily pleasure.

Permalink gardeningdiy

Instructables

Instructables

Lifehacker

How to Make the Most of a Small Workspace

Small workspace design requires bold choices rather than timid minimalism—pick one strong color or feature rather than playing it safe with bland whites and neutrals. Beyond aesthetics, success depends on ruthless daily purging and smart organization based on how frequently you use items, combined with strategic use of vertical wall space and good lighting to make the area feel larger and more functional. The key is treating your entire desk as a "deal with it now" zone where clutter instantly becomes visible, forcing you to maintain systems that prevent the small space from becoming overwhelmed.

Permalink productivitydesigndiyorganization

twitpic.com

cybernetnews.com

howto.wired.com

Infuse Vodka - Wired How-To Wiki

Vodka infusion—steeping fresh fruit, vegetables, or spices in vodka to create flavored spirits—requires only a quality base vodka, fresh produce cut to expose maximum surface area, a sealed jar, and patience while the flavors develop over days to weeks depending on the ingredient. The process involves filling a jar with prepared produce, covering it completely with vodka, storing it in a cool dark place, tasting periodically until the desired flavor intensity is reached, then straining out the pulp through cheesecloth or coffee filters.

Permalink fooddiycocktailstutorial

1,000 Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns - No Ads, Just Fun! ??

The Pumpkin Lady - Pumpkin Carving and Free Pumpkin Patterns Patterns

The Pumpkin Lady is a free library of nearly 1,000 original pumpkin carving stencils created over 28 years by Lisa B., organized across 16 categories ranging from fairy tales and celebrity portraits to nature and seasonal designs. The site supports itself through advertisements while funding care for 28 rescue cats that live in the creators' home studio in Virginia. Each pattern is hand-crafted rather than auto-generated to ensure structural integrity when carved, with patterns available for all skill levels from beginners to experienced carvers.

Permalink diypatterns