Category: DIY

Yes, you read that correctly! Here’s how to make chest of drawers from discarded furniture – the ultimate upcycle. Much ... Read More

Homegrown Potatoes – All Grown Up There’s nothing quite like the taste of freshly dug new potatoes. They’re simple enough ... Read More

Transforming a humble ladder into a thriving vertical garden is not just a charming DIY project,  it’s a smart way ... Read More

Gutter Gardens are a small-space hero of edible gardening When space is limited but your green thumb is itching, a ... Read More

High Achievers – Growing Vertically on an A-Frame Most vegetables in the gourd family, like cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, and squashes, ... Read More

Smart Storage: A DIY Rack for Room-Temperature Produce Gardeners with bountiful harvests know the storage struggles of fresh fruit and ... Read More

Build Your Own Winter-Ready Woodstore …and keep your firewood dry and close-at-hand all year round for winter warmth, summer pizza ... Read More

Upcycle old tyres into something useful – just like our Tyre Seat! What happens to old car tyres once they ... Read More

From elaborate designs to individual plant protectors made from plastic bottles, cloches (pronounced kl-oshes) provide handy protection from insects, pests ... Read More

Wooden pallets are a DIYer’s friend and can be transformed into a range of indoor and outdoor furniture – in ... Read More

Gathering and saving seeds from a homegrown harvest is easy, cost effective and rewarding. Once you have saved enough for ... Read More

Starting Strong: Build Your Own Propagation Station The warm, weather-resistant, pest-free environment of a greenhouse is ideal for germinating seeds ... Read More

Take a Seat – Upcycle an unwanted door into a pride-of-place hallway statement Every entrance way or mudroom can benefit ... Read More

Old wooden chairs no longer need to be stashed in the garden shed ready for inorganic collection. They can be ... Read More

A ‘bug hotel’ is an enjoyable way to celebrate your garden helpers, a fun family project and instant garden art ... Read More

Made with twigs ‘n twine, and all things fine, this Bird Bath is a a real craft project for an ... Read More

A chick brooder houses new chicks in a warm, contained, weather-proof and pest-proof environment. While brooders can be made out ... Read More

Where garden structure meets sculpture…my DIY obelisk. There’s something satisfying about creating a garden feature that’s not only practical but ... Read More

Where Tools Retire with Dignity: Build a Garden Gate There’s something quietly noble about an old garden tool…the worn handle, ... Read More

In old villas especially, original knob knobs can be hiding under multiple layers of paint applied over decades. Here are ... Read More

I’ve scoured charity shops for interesting homewares to use as non-traditional planters. Whether for a present, or for the home, ... Read More

If you collect soft plastics (from chip packets to bread bags) rather than sending them to landfill, here’s a fun ... Read More

Wanting a break from your baking marathon this lockdown? How about making your own soap…from soap, old soap scraps that ... Read More

Here are step-by-step instructions to make your own washable face mask, complete with pattern. Update: As of January 2022: With ... Read More

Mosquitoes can be very annoying, any season! It is super easy to make homemade citronella candles – cheap, effective and ... Read More

Bird deterrents act as a visual and physical barrier to deter small birds from perching on window ledges. Here’s how ... Read More

Removing labels from glass jars and bottles can be tricky, so here are a few tips and tricks to make ... Read More

Save on heating bills and get nice and cosy this season with a homemade Draught Stopper for doors and windows ... Read More

I decided, in Level 4 Lockdown, to create an Outdoor Herb Chair to add some colour to my veggie patch ... Read More

I’m a give-it-a-go DIYer and recently got stuck into puttying – a first for me. We have a 100 year ... Read More

This is a throw-back to several years ago when we built a Rainwater Butt solution for our plastic house, but ... Read More

Upcycled Pallets are a common DIY theme running through Pinterest and a dream for many DIYers. It seems so very ... Read More

Now as you know (or should know) you can’t just send paint tins to the tip nor try and sneak ... Read More

Whether in a child’s bedroom as a scrawling wall, the kitchen as a shopping list, or the garage as a ... Read More

So many panes of glass, so many wooden frames. If you sigh at the thought of painting Villa windows (whether ... Read More

For our wedding day it felt fitting to go with a hydrangea flower theme. They remind me of long summer ... Read More

Fire it up! It’s sure getting chilly! Frosts are an every day occurrence and at times, while the sun pushes through ... Read More

On our road to self-sufficiency, recycling and upcycling go with the territory. A disused tree hut in the branches of ... Read More

Finally summer has arrived, I think. A little late but much appreciated! The french doors are flung open to make ... Read More

Our beautiful native Nikau palms are gorgeous.  While naturally their fronds fall onto the native forest floor adding to the ... Read More

While I am into the joys of rediscovering lost skills (including sewing as I have a big summer project ahead ... Read More

If you’ve been following my blog, or have stumbled upon a post or two, you’ll understand that my Englishman and ... Read More

While well underway on a self-decreed Backyard Makeover, I am rapidly rediscovering that best-laid plans of mice and men need ... Read More

We have a wonderfully humble little bungalow we call home. We are deep into renovations and very happy to say ... Read More

Doors are as architecturally beautiful as they are old. Given we’re renovating a 1920’s Kiwi bungalow, for this era cedar ... Read More

After enjoying a rest from major DIY over summer we decided to take the plunge and complete the major renovations ... Read More

Summer has been and gone but our DIY outdoor garden art remains to brighten up the backyard any day of ... Read More

Our latest challenge was to build a matai shelving unit. To crank up the stakes, the shelves needed to be ... Read More

Beautiful, native matai wooden flooring.  It’s all the same, right?  Not at all. When it comes to replacing or matching ... Read More

While publicly accessible vegetable gardens on suburban berms may not get the tick of approval by the Auckland Council, I’ve ... Read More

We are delighted to have Matai floorboards in our bungalow and have a big job in front of us to ... Read More

With serious ‘building stuff’ to do, it’s time to get the big boys in. Over the past few months, my ... Read More

Winter is creeping into my garden. Day by day it inches closer. While I am not resisting the crisper mornings ... Read More

Picket fences are so very classic and, in tip-top condition, can be as pretty as a picture. They do require ... Read More

There comes a time when you need to arrange a skip and declutter.  Not only is it good for the ... Read More

Like me, you may not have changed a tyre on your bicycle since you were a kid. Or perhaps you’ve ... Read More

If you are anything like me, you like to put a bit of effort into present ideas. For something unique, ... Read More

Summer was a perfect time to use newly acquired cable drum as an instant bar lean-to, but come winter it ... Read More

We’ve had a handy-man job we were dreading to be honest, yet still dog-determined not to get a tradesman in ... Read More

I love upcycling jam jars and sauce bottles. From a perfect individual serve, to a rustic vase, when they are ... Read More

A good scarecrow is worth its weight in wet hay. Even if it is not birds you are battling, something ... Read More

What do you do with an unused, broken-down SkyTV dish dangling precariously from the roof? Upcycle it into a birdbath ... Read More

Invite the Birds In: How to Make a Simple DIY Bird Feeder With a little love, some creativity, and a ... Read More

From Tinsel to Tweets: How We Turned Our Christmas Tree Into a Backyard Bird Feeder With Christmas Day a distant ... Read More

You know you need one, you know you want one. Here’s a few things to ponder when planning a workshop! ... Read More

For some time, undertaking projects have been weather permitting – usually on the rickety back-deck table in the sun, or ... Read More

Planning your greenhouse is as much about the process as the result. From the outset we should be clear – ... Read More

Glass or plastic Hot House? Oh how many forums deal with this question! Glass Discussion While it was an obvious ... Read More

Don’t leave water collection, ventilation or lighting an after-thought. Plan ahead when building your DIY hot house. Well, that’s our ... Read More