I am going to miss the chaos of a good estate sale during this time of distancing. My strategy at such gatherings is to stand in one place, ignoring the […]
Home / Making
Inspiration for the crafty, projects for the practical, spaces for dreamers.
Browse all Home / Making stories below or dive into a topic:
GALLERY
The Comforts of Home
‘I simply remember my favorite things’
Now is the time to find ways to take comfort in being at home. Here we can surround ourselves with what’s most familiar. And look at these things anew: a […]
CAREGIVING
Past Practices of Cookery and Hygiene
Finding comfort in ‘simple remedies’ and suffrage sarcasm
I turned to old cookbooks for comfort last week, wondering what my American foremothers had done in times of crisis and scarcity. Given that our best strategy at slowing the […]
PLANTCRAFT
What’s in a Woodpile?
How to make a holzhausen to warm your home and your spirit
Outer Cape winds can be unruly, knocking trees down in a tantrum. On the days following a storm, the sound of chainsaws rings through the neighborhood. But when the trees […]
GALLERY
Provincetown Bracketology for the Win
On a walk downtown, details to look up to
Basketball fans won’t be filling out brackets this year. Instead, March Madness is taking on a whole new meaning. Meanwhile, Provincetown’s antique facades remind us of the town’s endurance. Intricate […]
GALLERY
Thinking Inside the Box
Peter McMahon’s designs turn simple materials into useful geometry
A few principles guided the planning for the Independent’s new office on the first floor of Provincetown’s Whaler’s Wharf: simplicity, versatility, and cost. The challenge was to create quiet work […]
DIY
Declutter Now and Be Ready for Spring
Need it? Use it? Love it? If not, let it go.
Some people think of these indoorsy months as a time for cocooning. That sounds lovely. But if you’re surrounded by clutter and your closets are overflowing, you may have noticed […]
MEET THE MAKER
Upholstery as an Act of Sculpting
One-of-a-kind pieces, built on good bones
My work as an upholsterer weaves together many threads of my past: an education in art history, fine art, and printmaking; a passion for patterns in wallpaper and fabric; and […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Custom Shingle Design Lends Quiet Flair
The Question: I’m renovating my cottage and considering going from clapboard to shingles on the exterior. I know it will mean we won’t have to paint anymore. But is there […]
GALLERY
A Guide to Shelf Care
Reset them with edited vignettes and muted colors
Winter on the Outer Cape is a time to reset. While most people focus that effort on their inner lives, some of us go for an easier kind of reorganization, […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Not Those ’70s Skylights
New technology adds energy efficiency and ease
The Question: I want to bring more light into my house without losing wall space. I’m thinking of installing skylights, but I have heard they can create more problems than they […]
GALLERY
A Collage of Technicolor Curiosities
When you have hundreds, throwaway plastic objects are art
“We prefer to say that we’ve curated a collection rather than decorated a house,” Robert Rindler says about the Wellfleet home he shares with his husband, James Connors. To wander […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Built-ins Make the Most of Every Corner
Storage solutions should reflect the way you live
The Question: I need additional storage in my home. I’m tired of the bins and baskets I’ve been piling things into. But the truth is I don’t have a lot […]
LOST & FOUND
A Project for Doing Projects
A kit house for the messy business of making things
Being an artist is a messy business. After a day of work, I end up with paint on me, the ceiling, the floor, the dog, and every doorknob in the […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Build a Better Chicken Coop
How to keep your chickens from becoming takeout
The Question: I’d love to build a chicken coop in my yard so we can have fresh eggs, but I’m afraid of rats — not to mention foxes, coyotes, and […]
