DIY

When rain puts a halt to outdoor projects and chores, it’s a great time to get creative indoors. Upcycling old tired objects and materials -- breathing new life into something you no longer use — is a great way to do that. Upcycling is…
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Photo by Sam Schipani Office gatherings, birthday parties and backyard barbecues can lead to sacks of empty two-liter soda bottles. But with a little ingenuity, you can upcycle those bottles into something useful. Research shows that…
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Photos by Mark Colwell and Adam Davis This is not the kind of tea you want in a warm mug to drink. Compost tea is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that you can make by brewing compost in water. “Compost tea is a liquid byproduct of…
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Making reusable makeup remover wipes and DIY makeup remover helps to reduce waste in your beauty routine and also saves money in the long run. Photo by Sam Schipani Every so often, though, I like to clean up with a fresh face of…
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BDN file photo In Maine fresh berries are available throughout the summer. With strawberries appearing in June, raspberries and blackberries in July, and blueberries rounding out the summer season in August, there is so much goodness…
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Photo by Linda Coan O’Kresik For most of us, the days of the milkman are long gone. You can no longer leave your glass bottles on the porch for the milkman to collect and fill. Now, plastic milk jugs (and the occasional carton) tend to…
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Pile of wire hangers: © L S Clayton 2018/Adobe Stock In her portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 film “Mommie Dearest,” Faye Dunaway famously screams, “No wire hangers!” after seeing her expensive dresses hanging on their flimsy…
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Saving phacelia seeds. | Photo by Shawn Linehan Most gardeners who have been growing from seed for many years have experienced the heartbreak of a variety they really love disappearing from seed catalogs or the shelves of their local…
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Photo by Gabor Degre Whether you like them baked, fried or mashed, there is no doubt that potatoes are some of the most tasty and useful crops around. Many gardeners will add them to their plots and to enjoy the starchy, scrumptious…
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BeforeAfter I’m a dirty chef. I let food splash everywhere when I’m cooking. I’ve had more than my fair share of pots boil over with hot water, broth and sauce. My apron looks like it’s been through war. As such, I have an…
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Photo by Jan Kroon via Pexels You have piles of compost, your seedlings are flourishing and you are preparing to transplant them to your garden. You may think you are ready for spring gardening season, but it is possible that you are…
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BDN file photo Your seedlings are hearty, and your beds are ready. Excited for the season, you transplant your precious seedlings -- tomatoes, cucumbers, kale and everything in between -- into your garden. You think everything is ready…
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