Collaboration among innovators, designers, builders, and television executives built the 2020 This Old House Idea House, the first of its kind on Cape Cod. It started with a design by […]
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 Making of Two New Habitat Houses in Wellfleet
Handmade quilts, granite counters, neighbor-friendly porches, and teamwork make houses into homes for two families
The July 21 dedication ceremony for two new Cape Cod Habitat for Humanity homes in Wellfleet was virtual, but still celebratory, marking the culmination of a construction effort that started […]
GALLERY
Entrances to Adore
Use color to welcome happy energy
Besides providing a first impression, the front door of your home can also establish its aesthetic. And if you believe in feng shui, the front door provides the portal for […]
LOST & FOUND
Flowerpots and Pans and Rusty Cans
Creating gardens in containers that have patina
Container gardening doesn’t have to be traditional. Clay pots filled with tomato plants and geraniums are just fine, but a few blossoms or mosses set in castoff containers can be […]
MEET THE MAKER
Bowled Over
Segmented turning produces one-of-a-kind wood designs
I learned the basics of turned wood bowls in junior high school wood shop, and the challenge of it has fascinated me ever since. But college, then family, and my […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Patios for Outdoor Living
Choose your site and materials wisely, and enjoy dining al fresco in no time
The question: I’d love to create a patio in my yard. Can I do it myself? While you can do some of the work toward putting in a patio, you’re […]
GALLERY
Outdoor Showers Beyond the Box
Mix up your clean routine
It seems no Cape Cod home is complete without an outdoor shower. Coming home from the beach with sandy feet and wind-strewn hair and heading straight for it is a […]
SWIMMING ALONE
Are We Becoming Pool People?
The pursuit of safety — from sharks, humans, or financial instability — makes waves
The ocean defines the Outer Cape, but by some reckonings, swimming pools are beginning to come in a close second. That would be an exaggeration, but whether it’s for fear […]
GALLERY
Take Home on the Road
Tents and campers for settling in under the stars
Remote work and distance learning have chained us to our devices and Zoom rooms. But now that it’s summer, camping offers outdoor low-tech liberation. Campgrounds are, by nature, well designed […]
GALLERY
Gardens That Contain Summer’s Charm
Three secrets for planting winning window boxes
A window box filled with flowers can give a plain clapboard exterior a season’s worth of charm. Settie Dixon, owner of Gardens by Settie, has good advice about planting container […]
PLANTCRAFT
Journaling With Flowers: Creating an Herbarium
Preserve some wonder from your garden or favorite walk
By the time Emily Dickinson was 14 years old, she had compiled a collection of over 400 pressed flowers and leaves. “Have you made an herbarium yet?” she wrote to […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
Designing a Driveway to Enhance Curb Appeal
Clamshells to cobblestones, choose materials that won’t clash with your setting
The question: We’ve been living with a dirt driveway for a while now. We like the natural look of it, but it requires a lot of maintenance. It’s time to […]
GALLERY
The Backyard Bar of Dad’s Dreams
Everybody loves a limin’ shack
Fathers Day marks a migration from the man cave into the great outdoors. The traditional time to set up a gathering space around the grill, this year it’s more about […]
LOST & FOUND
Remnants and Rock Collections Come to the Table
Reclaiming your patio
As you prepare outdoor living spaces for the summer, it’s a good time to be on the lookout for materials that might be repurposed into tabletops. Marble and granite slabs, […]
MAKER SPACE
An Artist’s Weaving Retreat
With room for looms, yarn, warp, and weft
My studio was a gift from my parents. It was built in 2017 with an inheritance I received after my mom and dad both died within four months of each […]
