When it comes to landscaping expenses, installing a patio will likely make a big dent in your budget. A standard patio ranges between $800 and $4,500, though the size of your yard and patio might dictate the materials you choose to work with and thus how much money you will spend. Calculating the quantity and the cost of materials needed for your patio can feel intimidating, but some basic information will help make your project much easier....

Estimate the amount of premix needed for a few pots by filling the molds with dry premix, then pouring it into a plastic tub for mixing. We prepared a batch of concrete and pink concrete pigment (either Tea Rose, Blush, or Morning Mist by Direct Colors) to make several pots at a time in each color. You don’t have to add pigments to the concrete—without it, the planter will be an off-white color....

Today, the festive day is primarily celebrated in the Midwest. Sweetest Day remains most popular in its birthplace of Ohio. But surprisingly, Texas, Florida, and California are in the top ten states for sales relating to the holiday. Over time the ways to take part in Sweetest Day have changed, making it similar to Valentine’s day, but with much less pressure. When is Sweetest Day? Sweetest Day always falls on the third Saturday of October....

How to Clean a Mattress To keep your bed fresh and odor-free, follow these tips on how to clean a mattress, remove mattress stains, and prevent dust and bacteria growth. You’ll sleep better knowing your bed is clean! What You Need Vacuum with crevice toolBroom (optional)Distilled white vinegar Step 1: Vacuum the Mattress to Remove Dust For regular cleaning, plan to vacuum your mattress about every month to remove dust and debris....

How to Clean a Washing Machine If your washing machine has a self-clean function, choose that cycle and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to clean the inside of the machine. Otherwise, you can use this simple, three-step process to eliminate buildup in washing machine hoses and pipes and ensure your clothes stay fresh and clean. Step 1: Run a Hot Cycle with Vinegar Run an empty, regular cycle on hot, using two cups of white vinegar instead of detergent....

How to Color Icing and Frostings Here’s how to color royal icing, powdered sugar icing, buttercream frosting, and other white or neutral-color recipes for icing cakes and cookies. Paste or Gel Food Coloring These highly concentrated food colorings are available in many colors and shades. Look for paste or gel food coloring at hobby stores and specialty cooking stores. They are also becoming more readily available alongside traditional liquid food colors at many grocery stores....

Japanese beetles also will destroy fruits and vegetables, and their larvae can damage lawns. Here’s how you can evict any of these pesky bugs in your garden and reduce the damage they cause. What Do Japanese Beetles Look Like? Before you battle with Japanese beetles, make sure you recognize the enemy. These insects have an iridescent green head and thorax (the part of the body right behind the head) and glossy, copper-brown wing coverings that look almost metallic....

How to Cook Brisket in the Oven Cooking brisket in the oven in a well-seasoned cooking liquid yields a delightfully tender and irresistibly flavored meal. Because the brisket is cooked this way, you’ll technically be braising the meat. This method requires no special equipment; just a baking pan will do. 1. Prep the Brisket Pat the brisket dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper. Brown the brisket in oil only if specified in your recipe....

Rethink your folding methods (and say goodbye to jumbled drawers and unsteady stacks) with these techniques for how to fold clothes like T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, dress shirts, pants, and towels. Most items have multiple fold options, so choose the best folding technique for your space constrictions and storage preferences. How to Fold a T-Shirt Turn that jumble of T-shirts into a neatly organized stack. Follow these instructions for how to fold a T-shirt for easy storage....

Water arrowhead vine when the soil feels dry. It grows best in moist soil but languishes in soil that is soggy. This plant generally does not need fertilizer but if growth slows significantly in spring or summer, provide a dose of houseplant fertilizer per label directions. Arrowhead will grow as an upright plant for several months before developing vining stems. Simply prune back the vining stems (at any time) to 6 to 8 inches above the soil line to encourage the plant to maintain a full, bushy habit....

Must-Know Facts About Heather The Difference Between Heathers and Heaths All true heathers are cultivars of just one species, Calluna vulgaris (sometimes called calluna heather), and there are easily more than 500 varieties available. Most flowering heather are summer-blooming with blooms ranging from white to rose to deep purple, and their foliage is green to fire orange. Their leaves are small and scalelike. Most form low-growing mounds or spreading mats. For the heather lover in the North, these are the plants of choice, as opposed to the true heaths, which offer more colors but are generally less hardy....

Before you begin, you’ll want to install separate 3/4-inch lines to supply the shower. This extra step ensures good water pressure and protects the bather from temperature changes when another faucet is turned on, or the toilet tank refills. You’ll want to tap into the cold and hot water lines as close to the water heater as possible. If necessary, move a stud to make room for the plumbing behind the tub....

When the negative pressure ceases, the sealing washer falls back in place. Earlier versions of this device were spring-operated. Such units are still available but are unreliable and don’t meet code in most areas.

Another appealing aspect of plastic moldings is the fact that the skill level required for successful installation is quite modest. With nothing more complicated than square cuts when you utilize corner and connector blocks, it’s a project that’s accessible to many people. You’ll need just a few basic tools; you can even get by without a miter saw. The material has about the same density as pine, so even a hand-powered cut through the widest molding will barely cause you to break a sweat....

Types of De-Icing Products Several ice melt products are available, some of which work better at lower temperatures than others and have different degrees of harmfulness to plants. The most popular ones contain different types of salts (chlorides). There are four main types, including sodium chloride, also known as rock salt. It’s inexpensive, but it only melts ice when temperatures are 12˚F or higher, and it doesn’t take much of it to damage plants, vehicles, and concrete....

Step 1: Make a Cake At first, cake pop ingredients are no different than baking a regular cake. Prepare your favorite classic cake or simply whip up a cake mix according to package directions. Any suggested pan size will do, as we’ll be crumbling it in the next step. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack ($17, Target). Step 2: Crumble Cake and Add the Frosting Remove cooled cake from pan and crumble into a large mixing bowl....

How to Clarify Butter Clarified butter is butter that has been melted and the milk solids removed. The remaining butter fat is clear when melted, making it attractive for serving with lobster and crab. Because the solids are removed, it can also be used for sautéeing at higher temperatures than butter. Here’s how to make clarified butter: Melt butter over very low heat in a heavy saucepan ($20, Target) without stirring....

This project is easy enough for anyone to make at home (you’ll use a pre-made shadow box, so no woodworking skills are required!) and you can customize it with any flowers you like. You can also press flowers at home if you want to create a flat design. This unconventional way of displaying flowers might not attract bees, but it will attract plenty of compliments. How to Make Dried Flower Art Follow these easy instructions to make your own stunning wall art with dried flowers....

So what is sponge cake, exactly? Think of it as the happy medium between richer chiffon or butter cakes (because sponge cakes contain little or no butter or oil) and uber-light angel food cakes. If you’re curious about how to make sponge cake, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we have your complete guide on how to make light and airy sponge cake from scratch. Since flavors and the ingredients can vary, sponge cake recipe step-by-steps can too....