There are those pieces of furniture that make a statement. Those around which you build entire rooms, those that define a space. Those pieces are essential.
But, sometimes, you just need a quick and easy way to store your stuff that looks plenty sharp. If your taste leans towards the warm, the rustic, and the stylish, check out this super simple x-shaped magazine and book rack. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Perhaps you've heard this piece of advice: never let a cold beer warm up and then become cold again. Practically, this means if you buy a refrigerated beer from the case, then you must keep it refrigerated until it's time to drink it. And it should never sit out at room temperature on the counter, in the pantry, etc. The threat is: the bizarre, off flavors of a beer that's been "skunked" usually described as tasting like wet newspaper, rubber, or if you ask me, the way the pet store smells.… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Making a delicious and hearty breakfast can be a chore when you're still trying to decide which pants to wear with your cap-toe shoes. Until recently, this was my daily struggle. Most days, I walked out the door with just brewed coffee and a piece of toast. No fun.
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
I'm not saying you need an exceptional journal to become the next Hemmingway, but I'm pretty sure you'll be more inspired writing in something you love. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
We love a full-on major woodworking project. It's ambitious, challenging, and, once you've figured everything out, you're left with a piece of furniture that will get used everyday.
But, building furniture is also time consuming, takes up lots of space, and if you're using all hardwood construction, can be expensive to source the right materials. So, while it's lovely to learn joinery and finishing techniques, sometimes, you need a woodworking project that can be completed in a single day. Better yet, in a single sitting.
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
For those of you who have already made the switch to wireless earbuds (thanks Apple), tangled cords aren’t really an issue you have to deal with any more.
But, if your like me and carry around "old school" wired earbuds in your pocket, you… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Many will make resolutions on New Years, vowing to drop the additional pounds leftover from the holidays, and generally making more healthful choices starting January 1st. And while new beginnings can be a helpful motivation, we think the best time to actually get started on new goals is actually now: late winter and early spring. So, while we hope you made some good progress in the first few weeks of January, the real question is: how's it going come February 1st? … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
It's that time of year! And by "that time," we mean: time to start thinking about getting a head start on a quality Valentine's Day gift. Skip the flowers and chocolate nonsense and get your hands to work on this elegant, modern necklace that is sure to stun your special someone.
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
If you're the type of person who reads ManMade, you're no doubt familiar with the modern genre of the artsy, dreamy behind-the-scenes video that captures the processes of creative types who make cool stuff. They're fun to watch: a bit poetic, a bit inspiring...and hopefully, they include lots of droolworthy shots of cool benches and workshops and tool walls.
But, there are a lot of them, and all that shallow depth-of-field and voiceover is nice, and... sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between them. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
A mortise and tenon is an extremely sturdy and strong way to join wooden furniture. A recess is created in one member (mortise) that allows a protruding tongue from the other (tenon) to fit tightly inside. There's no better way to assemble table bases, chairs, benches, and even frames.
Except, mortises can take a serious amount of work to cut. Unless you have a dedicated mortising machine, you're in for lots of time with a chisel and mallet, especially on large mortises like the one shown above. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
I am in love with coffee. I'm not ashamed. I think, probably, coffee has been secretly dictating the course of human affairs for many centuries now. Think of any great woman or man, and I suspect coffee was right there, in the thick of it… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
You know the basics. The onions and carrots. The potatoes, rice and noodles. The salt and pepper. The goods that can help accompany fresh proteins and vegetables into a proper meal. But today, we're talking those "secret ingredients" —… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Joining wood can be as much art as it is skill, and beautiful joinery really defines a piece of furniture. But for the times when you just need to quickly join a few pieces of wood securely, try the pocket-hole. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Sometimes, you need a little inspiration. Something to remind you to get off your phone, get outside, and soak up all that nature has to offer.
And sometimes, you simply need something to fill up that blank wall you've been ignoring. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
I'm a big fan of a glass of DIY fire cider to help keep your system in prime fighting condition during the winter months. It's the single best way to keep your immunity up as best can be. (We love you, too, flu shot!)
But, still, sometimes you get sick. And you feel terrible. And all the OTC bottles in your medicine cabinet just don't seem to be doing anything. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
If you're a morning person — congratulations. Seriously, we're legitimately happy for you. The ability to sleep well, feel rested, and then be ready to get going nice and early is a real gift, and you're lucky to be wired that way.
For the rest of us, mornings can be rough. Especially in the wintertime, when it's dark, and cold, and tens of thousands of years of natural selection are encouraging you to stay hibernating so you can protect your genes from freezing off.
But, of course,… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
You know those tasks. The ones that you know won't actually consume that much time, but you imagine will take *just* long enough that you just can't motivate yourself to just step up and get it done.
Shining your shoes doesn't have to be one of them. True story. Provided you've got the right gear and a little technique, you can bring your leather shoes and boots back into shape in less than sixty seconds. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Autumn is the perfect time of year for camping, pumpkins, crunchy leaves and hurricane lamps. Ok, maybe it's just me, but I love these lamps. They bring a certain sense of camp-like nostalgia to my heart and I have a couple around the house. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Often, when I try to explain the idea behind ManMade or what I do for a living, someone who doesn't quite get it will inevitably say to me, "You mean like MacGyver?" Um...I guess?
For the record, I do not think of the kind of making stuff out… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
This week they're predicting record-breaking winter storms in my area which means, aside from braving my drive to and from work, I'll be stuck inside. So, instead of heading to the grocery store for bread and milk I'm headed to the hardware store to get some supplies to keep myself busy under the snowpack.
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
There's something to be said for the all-in project. The weekend filling, head-scratching, multiple-trips-to-the-store, major build project that ends up so satisfying, and useful, once it's complete. But there's also something to be said for the straightforward, quick and simple project that can be started and finished after you get home from work. For those times when you don't always have the capability, or bandwidth, to take on something huge, but that creative spirit just keeps telling you to make stuff... make stuff...
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
Before I headed out on a short road trip this weekend, I did a quick checkup on my car. I had been having some issues with my engine rattling when my air conditioning was on. I'm really not much of an auto-DIYer, but YouTube has certainly helped me become a better mechanic than I once was!
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
There are plenty of times when a small wooden board is all you need to set out or serve something when entertaining. And it's even better when they look awesome and make whatever you're sharing look that much tastier. If you have a few scraps of wood lying around after a project, this is exactly what you should do with them. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
In the era of advanced smart phone filters, it's not difficult to make your images look like something more than a snapshot. But, more often than not, these images don't look textural or vintage or interesting, they just look... filtered. It's not a je ne se quoi, it's an I know exactly se quoi — it's also my favorite Instagram filter.
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
In the summer, it's easy to get those deep, blackened and charred flavors in your weeknight meals. During grill season, you simply head outside, and cook your meal over an open flame.
And then comes January, where the produce is poor, and everything lacks that certain zing that the warm sun and fire-seared foods provide. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
There's something to be said for the all-in project. The weekend filling, head-scratching, multiple-trips-to-the-store, major build project that ends up so satisfying, and useful, once it's complete. But there's also something to be said for the straightforward, quick and simple project that can be started and finished after you get home from work. For those times when you don't always have the capability, or bandwidth, to take on something huge, but that creative spirit just keeps telling you to make stuff... make stuff...
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
It's a new year, and for the next twelve months, I'm committed to trying to make every object in my life something of true value. Call it a Kondo-inspired "sparking joy" if you like , but this year, I want to cut out the garbage and keep only what's quality. I want everything I touch and use in my life to be beautiful, lasting, and made with integrity. This starts with my morning routine, from the my coffee routine and the mug I drink it in, and goes all day through the book I read during the last few minutes before bed. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
There's something to be said for the all-in project. The weekend filling, head-scratching, multiple-trips-to-the-store, major build project that ends up so satisfying, and useful, once it's complete. But there's also something to be said for the straightforward, quick and simple project that can be started and finished after you get home from work. For those times when you don't always have the capability, or bandwidth, to take on something huge, but that creative spirit just keeps telling you to make stuff... make stuff...
… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
I love to connect with others to hear about the gems they've mined out of life lately. But, sharing ideas and experiences isn't always easy, especially when we don't agree. When we all meet at the collective table, whether it's a family get-together or coffee with friends, some disagreement is inevitable. But just because they're missing something or making a logical leap doesn't mean you have to fight. Here are a few tips to remember the next time a conversation steers down that road. … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
"Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but that's because a wooden mallet just won't fit on a ring." Or so claims James Wright of WoodByWright in his video tutorial on how to create this joiner's mallet out of firewood. It's a wonderful afternoon project but I'll let you be the judge on how much the lady in your life may love it compared to a diamond... … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com
