Outdoor

Outdoor projects are where things get creative and practical. These are the fun ones. The kind that involve tools on the lawn, timber stacked in the corner, and a bit of problem-solving in the fresh air.

We’ve taken on all sorts of outdoor DIY, from upcycling old pallets into furniture and garden beds, to remedying missing window putty, building raised beds, and planning out a hot house. Some projects are purely practical, others are just for fun, but all of them add something special to our space.

Over the years, many of our DIY projects have been featured in a variety of magazines. It’s a reminder that small, hands-on projects can really resonate with others and inspire creativity beyond our own backyard.

This section is full of the outdoor builds and ideas that bring our place to life. You’ll find repurposed materials, seasonal projects, structural fixes, and weekend makes that are achievable without needing fancy tools or a massive budget.

Whether you’re dreaming of your own DIY greenhouse, sprucing up the garden, or just love building things with your hands, I hope this space gives you the ideas and encouragement to give it a go.

walk-in dehydator

Dehydrating Unplugged

Making the most of summer sunshine without using a single watt of electricity! Summer is nearly here, the garden is ... Read More
DIY solar dehydrator

DIY Solar Dehydrator

Harness the sun’s rays and put all that glorious free energy to good use with a homemade solar dehydrator! Dehydration ... Read More
grass grazing trough for chickens

Grass Grazing Troughs for Chooks

A simple way to supplement fresh greens for chickens! One of the challenges of keeping chickens in a permanent run ... Read More
grow your own potatoes

Growing Potatoes – DIY Layered Spud Stacker

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

DIY Growing Ladder

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

Sprouting Spouting: How to make a Gutter Garden

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

How to make an A-Frame Growing Trellis

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

Making a Woodstore

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
Upcycled Tyre Seat

Upcycled Tyre Seat

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

Making a Cloche Growing Tunnel

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

Upcycled Wooden Pallet Swing

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

Making a Propagation Station

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

DIY Chair Bench

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

DIY Garden Obelisk: Grow Up, Not Out

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
how to build a decorative tool gate

Make a Garden Gate from Old Tools

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

DIY Bird Deterrents

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

Distressed Paint Project: Outdoor Herb Chair

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

How to fix Putty: Guide for Beginners

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
Rainwater Butts for Garden

Rainwater Butts for Garden

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

Upcycling Wooden Pallets

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

Winter and the woodshed

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

One step, two steps, three steps more

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

Tree Stump Table

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

My vertical veggie community garden

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

Emergency repairs to a picket fence

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

Tips on DIY Deconstruction!

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

How to repair a puncture on a bicycle

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

New life for upcycled cable drum

Summer was a perfect time to use newly acquired cable drum as an instant bar lean-to, but come winter it ... Read More
Planning a Hot House - Build or Buy, Size and Positioning

Planning a Hot House – Build or Buy, Size and Positioning

Planning your greenhouse is as much about the process as the result. From the outset we should be clear – ... Read More
Building a Hot House - Glass or Plastic?

Building a Hot House – Glass or Plastic?

Glass or plastic Hot House? Oh how many forums deal with this question! Glass Discussion While it was an obvious ... Read More
Planning a Hot House: Water, Ventilation, Lighting

Planning a Hot House: Water, Ventilation, Lighting

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
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