Table of contents for Spring 2020 in Do It Yourself

The thrill of the hunt for secondhand treasures never grows old. Whether I’m digging through a dusty antiques store or scanning flea market booths, I often feel like I’m 8 years old again, visiting a neighbor’s garage sale with my own money in hand for the first time. That afternoon I found amazing deals (Avon perfume bottles: 50 cents each or three for a dollar!) and castoffs that just needed a little TLC (a wooden step stool I knew my dad and I could repaint). Best of all, everything was within my total budget of $2.75. I felt a similar excitement as we assembled our collection of flea market makeovers (“Old Stuff, New Tricks,” page 58). With a little creativity, someone else’s junk can become a showstopping kitchen island,…

FRAME OF MIND This custom artwork, this photo, requires no paint or artistic ability on your part! To stretch patterned fabric (we used a shower curtain), follow the steps, opposite, for assembling stretcher bars and stretching a canvas. To make a decorative outer frame, cut two strips of 1½×½-inch boards to the height of your canvas and cut two strips to the width of your canvas plus 1 inch. Paint trim boards white and let dry. Use a nail gun to attach trim to the side stretcher bars and then to the top and bottom bars. To hang, install a picture wire kit at the back of the frame, or rest the lip of the frame on two level screws secured in the wall. MAKE IT STRETCHED CANVAS MATERIALS •…

CURTAIN CALL Quaint café curtains are the crowning touch to many kitchen sinks. This stencil technique lets you boost solid, off-the-shelf curtains with bold color and pattern, this photo. Choose a single large motif to apply all over like we did, opt for a petite design, or add a simple border along the bottom or sides. Before stenciling, consider how your design will look when the panels are open and closed, and test your stencil on a fabric scrap. MAKE IT STENCILED CAFÉ CURTAINS MATERIALS • Iron• White curtain panels• Stencil• Stencil adhesive• Fabric paint• Paper plate• Stencil brush or foam pouncer• Paper towels Step 1 Press plain white curtain panels and lay flat on a protected work surface positioned as you plan to hang them. Determine where to…

ON THE HOOK These minimalist hooks offer a convenient place to hang bags and jackets—or to put art or mirrors on display. Made from oak and available in seven colors, each hook comes with screws and anchors to make install easy. Individual Wall Hook, $14; loopliving.co SPACE SAVER Purchase a wall shelf (ourshas built-in drawers), then use heavy-dutybrackets to hang it at the ideal height as a mini dressing table. The free spacebelow can house hampers or additionalshallow shelving. ALL SORTED Thanks to a probiotic technology that helps break down bacteria and eliminate odors, this easy-to-assemble hamper can handle even your sweatiest gym clothes. A slim profile means it stows neatly in small spaces. Slim Space-Saving Fabric Laundry Hamper, $25; us.neatfreak.com BAUBLE BAR Put your favorite jewelry on display…

UNDERCOVER WORK ZONE Weathered shutters come inside to function as doors on a simple DIY box build, hiding your office reminders when it’s quitting time. We used 1×4 poplar boards to build a simple frame to fit 15⅛-inch-wide shutters cut 31⅝ inches tall (we kept their original width but cut each in half along the horizontal center board). Our box is 30×32 inches and backed with ½-inch medium-density fiberboard. Sand, prime, and paint the box and adhere cork to fit the MDF back. Attach the shutters with hinges about 4 inches from the top and bottom. We cut one of the long sides from a leftover shutter piece as a trim piece along the bottom. DO IT BETTER LOVE THE PAINTED PATINA ON YOUR FOUND PIECE? YOU CAN KEEP…

Senior Editor BRIAN KRAMER Senior Associate Editor NATALIE DAYTON Associate Art Director JESSICA ENO Assistant Art Director EMILY BUTTERWORTH Contributing Copy Editor NANCY DIETZ Proofreader MARTHA COLOFF LONG Administrative Assistant RENAE MABIE HOME Executive Editor SAMANTHA HART Group Editor ANN BLEVINS Senior Editors BRIAN KRAMER, SALLY FINDER WEEPIE, KRISSA ROSSBUND Senior Associate Editor NATALIE DAYTON Design Directors KIMBERLY MORGAN METZ, MICK SCHNEPF Group Art Director NICOLE DEAN TEUT Associate Art Director JESSICA ENO Assistant Art Director EMILY BUTTERWORTH Senior Graphic Designer BRITTANY MUELLER Administrative Assistants RENAE MABIE, SUE MILLER, KIM O’BRIEN-WOLETT Photography Coordinator ALYSSA RICHARDSON FOOD Executive Editor JAN MILLER Senior Content Manager JESSICA SAARI CHRISTENSEN Senior Editor MAGGIE GLISAN Senior Associate Editor CARRIE BOYD Design Director STEPHANIE HUNTER Associate Art Director RAE DANNEMAN Administrative Assistant COURTNEY BUSH Director,…

THE MAKER: MEGAN CARN This artist captures animals, whether from the savanna or the backyard, in eye-popping, feel-good color. Q: How would you describe your art? A: My art is colorful and quirky—and it has a twist to it. You don’t usually imagine a pink monstera leaf and a tiger together, but that’s what you’re getting with me. It’s an unexpected take on things you can recognize. Q: What is your artistic process like? A: The most important part for me is when I put the pet picture right next to the canvas and take a photo of it with my phone. Looking at it through my camera lens helps me see where I might have missed a detail and makes it so much easier to realize those critical…

Dyeing to try this trend! This kit captures spring’s beautiful colors on whatever you decide to dip. Logwood, osage, cochineal, and madder give natural fibers a range of vibrant hues. Natural Dye Kit, $27; theloveofcolours.etsy.com 1. Ditch the detergent! Ecoegg is a newly hatched idea in laundry, replacing bulky bottles of soap and softener. Unscented, fresh linen, or spring blossom refillable beads last for 70 washes. Ecoegg, from $12; ecoegg.com 2. Install instant floating shelves. Screw this bracket to the wall and attach any sturdy surface for a minimalist shelf, bedside table, or more. Available in nine cool colors, each metal bracket holds 15 pounds. Wall Bracket by Tiptoe, $50; themodernshop.com 3. One plank, so many possibilities! Twenty projects take you from boring board to fabulous furnishings. Pick up…

BRING ON SPRING. I’m ready to wrap up winter and give it a big shove out the door. I’ve got all sorts of plans—a little yard cleanup, refreshed walls, and a more colorful landscape. Here’s my advice for your big spring to-do list. STUFF YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER DO TO A BEAM REMOVE IT. Beams are critical to the support of your home’s structure, transferring weight from the horizontal to vertical elements (columns, to name one) and then eventually to the ground. DRILL THROUGH IT. To remain structurally sound, a beam needs every ounce of its makeup. NOTCH OR CUT IT. Beams are in every building and structure, including decks and outbuildings, and on every floor (even basement levels). ALTER IT IN ANY WAY. If you want to change…

POCKET FULL OF SUNSHINE Grow up instead of out with plant pouches sewn from felt, left and opposite. Cut two 15×36-inch and three 15×8-inch pieces of synthetic felt made from recycled plastic (available at crafts stores). Layer the two larger pieces and straight-stitch ¼ inch from outer edges to make backing for planter. Notch the short sides of each smaller felt piece about 1½ inches from the bottom. Fold and pin the notched corners, and machine-stitch them to form a pocket bottom. Place a pocket about 3½ inches, 15 inches, and 26½ inches from the top edge of the felt backing. Pin each in place, and machine-stitch the sides and bottoms to the backing. Following manufacturer instructions, set ½-inch grommets at each corner of the backing and on either…

ON THE LEDGE The movable slats on this entryway shelf, left, flip up and down to serve as hooks for bags and coats, display space for artwork, or bookends for a collection of favorite novels. To make it, cut 33 slats 8 inches long from 1×3 boards. On each slat, measure 1 inch in and 1 inch down at one corner, and drill a 5/16-inch hole through the board. For the mounting board, cut a 1×48-inch piece of ¼-inch-thick hardboard and a 48-inch length from a 1×4. Using wood glue and ½-inch screws, attach the hardboard to the face of the 1×4 with long sides flush (see inset, left). Measure 1 inch in and 1¾ inches down from the top of the mounting board and attach a 17/32-inch screw eye…

DO IT BETTER KEEP THINGS AU NATUREL (BETTER FOR YOU, YOUR FAM, AND THE ENVIRONMENT) WITH THESE GREEN CLEANING SOLUTIONS. BHG.COM/NATURALCLEAN CLEANING GUIDE We serve up room-by-room tips, exterior tasks, and those once-a-year to-dos so you can get your spring cleaning done right. BHG.com/SpringClean BATHROOM CHECKLIST Unsure of where to start with your bathroom cleanup? Use our handy-dandy checklist to tackle it with ease. BHG.com/BathChecklist SPONGE SANITATION You’ve cleaned the house, but now you need to clean your cleaning supplies! See five easy ways to disinfect your kitchen sponge.BHG.com/Sponge…

MAKE IT PENNANT MATERIALS • Cotton fat quarters (we used seven fabrics)• Iron• Interfacing• Pins• Marker or chalk• Sewing machine• Thread• Pinking shears• Bias tape (½-inch double fold) Step 1 Press all fabric. Decide on combinations for the two-sided pennants. Layer fabrics, wrong sides together, with interfacing between fabrics (A). Pin layers. Step 2 Create templates for pennant shapes (we made a 5×7-inch triangle and a 4×7-inch pennant). Trace templates onto layered, pinned fabrics with marker or chalk (B). Step 3 Stitch ¼ inch inside the lines (C). Leave top of shape open. Be sure to stitch forward, reverse for a few stitches, then stitch forward again at the start and stop of each run. Step 4 Cut out shapes on drawn lines with regular scissors, then cut each shape’s…

A WELL-DESIGNED ROOM CAN BE BEAUTIFUL WHEN BARE. EVEN STRIPPED OF ITS FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES, IT HAS ENOUGH ARCHITECTURAL OOMPH TO ARREST THE EYE. That’s true of Cynthia and Chris Harper’s Pennsylvania home. A basic builder Colonial when they bought it six years ago, the now modern farmhouse has flourished under the Harpers’ thoughtful upgrades. They did almost all the work themselves, including laying engineered-wood floors, putting shiplap on the walls, and rehabbing sconces. “I’m grateful for the things we’ve done to the house that have added style without adding stuff,” says Cynthia (left)—she chronicles their DIY adventures on Instagram (@cynthia_harper_). “It makes each space feel more like us and more stylish without necessarily buying tons of things.” The items they have invested in include a carefully curated collection of…

COLORFUL OASIS The tiny studio, opposite, lives large with handmade details like the swirling mural (created using metallic paint in a shade just darker than the wall) and a three-dimensional art installation (produced with wood scraps collected on various design projects). The hodgepodge of remnants was glued onto plywood and painted white. Homeowner Anna Forkum hung the oversize metal letters (a flea find!) on the garage years ago, above. Today, the cheeky greeting aptly sets the tone for the casual, anything-goes style just beyond the door. IF NECESSITY IS INDEED THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, THEN ANNA FORKUM’S BACKYARD DWELLING IS A 250-SQUARE-FOOT EMBODIMENT OF THE OLD ADAGE. After she began renting out her Nashville home for supplemental income postdivorce, she quickly realized she needed a place to check in…

FIND CLICKABLE LINKS TO ALL THESE SOURCES IN THE DIGITAL EDITION OF THIS ISSUE. BHGSPECIALS.ZINIO.COM [P] Paint Color Because of the magazine printing process, paint colors depicted on our pages might vary slightly from manufacturers’ colors. Use paint color names or numbers, when provided, as a starting point. To get a color as it appears in the magazine, take the page to a paint retailer for matching. [T] To the Trade Contact a design professional to find more information about this product or service. ON THE COVER Curtain panels Global Border in white and yellow by Opalhouse, rod Dauntless in brass, rug Ipswich by Safavieh—Target Stores; 800/800-8800; target.com. Globe Mini Blush globe—World Market; 877/967-5362; worldmarket.com. Pencil cup, coffee cup, notebooks on desk, pink-and-yellow notebook in cabinet, floral clipboard Rosie…