Maureen Leavenworth takes a pantsuit (black with white lapels that puff up from the coat like unfurled scrolls) off a rack in her Orleans bridal shop and, using her hands, […]
Home / Making
Inspiration for the crafty, projects for the practical, spaces for dreamers.
Browse all Home / Making stories below or dive into a topic:
MEET THE MAKER
A New Season for Treasured Techniques and Tools
Flo Mauclère stitches together a leatherwork tradition and a personal style
When Victor Powell handed her the reins of his 50-year-old Provincetown leather shop, Florence Mauclère felt “gratefulness and immense pride,” and, because the moment wasn’t one she’d actually anticipated, there […]
WASTE NOT
At Home in Jay Critchley’s Cesspool
Converting your old soak pit into a rental unit, experts warn, is a no-go
PROVINCETOWN — In 1997, Jay Critchley uncovered a backyard manhole, peered into a cesspool, and “discovered a new world.” He had always known about his property’s cesspit, a pre-Title 5 […]
MUMS
Flower Power Is What People Need
A mother’s love of plants and sunshine inspires a sideline in blooms
“My mom is a lover of plants,” says Sophie Yingling. Her own proclivity for floral design was born, she’s sure, in the “room full of plants and sunshine” her mother […]
MEET THE MAKER
A Woodworker Softens Her Edges
Putting together the pieces at a studio in Truro
A “born puzzler,” Anneliese King has always been drawn to design work that involves putting intricate pieces together. She loves the improvisational problem-solving nature of woodworking, she says. King has […]
MEET THE MAKER
Building a Better Pot Pipe
An industrial designer and a ceramicist collaborate on more perfect paraphernalia
When they released their first pipe, designers Jess Baer and Zach Hastings were surprised to find it was a controversial object. Two years ago, noticing marijuana’s progress toward legalization, they […]
OPUS CAEMENTICIUM
Concrete Bowls Are a Study in Pure Form
Derek Oliver finds freedom in working small
Chris Nagle met Derek Oliver the same way a lot of people do — the two were standing in an unfinished kitchen where unconventional countertops were under discussion. Outside his […]
PLOTTING
It’s Time to Start Planning and Planting
Seeds, soil, and other steps to get your vegetable garden underway
The earth is coming alive. Beneath the oak leaves that I pile on my garden plot every fall, I am beginning to see the first sprouts of green. Garlic is […]
THRIFT
Finding Charm in Things That Have Lived Past Lives
A new couch is nice, but secondhand finds still catch the eye
I recently bought my first-ever brand-new piece of furniture. It is a chartreuse sectional couch and I love it an unreasonable amount. I sit on it, I lie on it, […]
MEET THE MAKER
The Art of Darning
An artist and teacher finds meaning in mending frayed fabrics
We all have at least one piece of clothing that we can’t bear to let go of, even though its state of repair limits its public appearances. Mine is a […]
GALLERY
What’s Your Number?
House numbers reveal Provincetown’s style is its own
“Meet me at 517 Commercial St.,” we say, or “I work at 186,” without a second thought about the complexity behind the system of numbers that guides us though our […]
PLANTCRAFT
A Spa Day for Your Wooden Countertops and Cutting Boards
How to make your own natural butcher block wax
Though wood craftspeople often finish their handmade work with oils made from plants or seeds — linseed or tung — mineral oil is often recommended for ordinary people to use […]
GENTLE INTO THE NIGHT
Outdoor Lighting That’s Warm and Inviting
Steps for getting beyond the stake light
A home speaks to its visitors before they even cross the threshold. Coming around the corner or reaching for the front gate, we take in a multitude of details, the […]
IN MINIATURE
On a Countertop Farm, Greens Spring Eternal
How to grow sprouts and microgreens at home
While summer vegetable gardens lie in wait under mulch and snow, some people are busy planting and harvesting miniature crops indoors. It doesn’t take much effort, say the devotees, to […]
STAY-CATION
Color Me February
Turn a stroll into a scavenger hunt for a more joyful palette
February is a gray month — there’s no doubt about it. As the thrill of the first truly cold snap, complete with snow flurries, begins to fade, it can be […]
