This Radical Women screen print is inspired by the women who came before us, the feminists inspiring us today, and our sons and daughters who are up next. Including Judith, Gloria, Hillary, Michelle, Chimamanda, Susan, Carrie, Angela, Betty, Ruth, Kathleen, Raicho,Jane, bell, Dolores, Flo, Naomi, Winona, Doris, Audre, Wilma, Nellie, Cecile, Emmeline, Sylvia, Linda, Sophie, Patti, Elizabeth, Harriet, Mary, Virginia, Malala.
“Nostalgia, which fuels our resentment toward change, is a natural human impulse. And yet being forever content with a spouse, or a street, requires finding ways to be happy with different versions of that person or neighborhood.”
To Stay Married, Embrace Change, by Ada Calhoun
When it’s blueberry season, all thoughts (at least at my house) turn to pie or cobbler. Except when it’s so hot outside the asphalt is melting and the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven.
Enter the New England classic—Blueberry Slump! (or Blueberry Grunt if you’re from some parts)
A slump is made entirely on the stovetop, no need to heat the kitchen with your oven. Into a pot go blueberries, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, which you heat until the berries are bubbling.
Continue reading "Blueberry Slump" »
Fellow gardeners, you know this tale well. You step away from your garden bed for 1 minute (or a weekend) and come back to find a monster zucchini hiding in the greenery.
Sometimes the plant warns you. Regular zucchini production starts slowing down, odd for early summer. The reason? All of the plant’s attention is going to feeding that one humungous baseball bat of a zuke.
Fortunately, those ginormous zucchinis are perfect for stuffing!
Continue reading "Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini" »
An entire meal in one bowl is a brilliant system. That’s one reason the bowl trend has taken off and shows no signs of declining.
Another is the ease. You can put a bowl together without any heavy lifting, and at the end of your assembly line you have happy eaters.
Here is a riff that I like to do on Vietnamese “bún” – one of the original meals in a bowl! This is a cold salad of vermicelli rice noodles, chicken, fresh herbs and vegetables, and a tangy rice vinegar dressing.
Continue reading "Vietnamese-Style Noodle Bowls with Chicken" »
I could wax on and on about my love for pie. The flake of the crust, the sweet filling, that sparkle of sugar on the crust — but I’ll spare you.
Peach pie is right up there on my list of favorite things to make and eat. One of my very first memories is of riding my grandfather’s shoulders, picking peaches right off the trees in a California orchard, taking that first bite, and letting the juices flow down my arm.
This is the memory of summer for me, and peach pie is a recipe I think every baker should have in their recipe box.
Continue reading "Old-Fashioned Peach Pie" »
Meet Katherine Freeman Hocke, a Texas-based artist who specializes in mixed media, layering textures and colors to get her signature look. While she primarily practices her art on canvas and paper (check out her shop here), with her recent purchase of a 1930s home she has begun translating her painterly visions and passion for interiors into DIY-able projects in and around her home.
Shh.listenNeed to get those sofa arm tables back on the list
We have something really fun for you all today as we continue our anniversary giveaway series celebrating A Beautiful Mess turning 10 years old!!!! Our friends at ACE Hardware are giving away a power tool set (see more details below), including a power drill. For any of you DIY gals (or guys) who have been afraid to take the power tool plunge, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! There is absolutely nothing to be intimidated by and there are SO many projects you can create with this. Here is just a few things you could make:
DIY Photo Ledge – Cute and less than $25 to complete
Sofa Sleeve with Cup Holder – This makes an awesome DIY gift idea, too
Transformable Hairpin Leg Desktop – A fantastic renter-friendly project or for those who change up their work space too often (raises hand sheepishly)
Modern House Number Planter – Spruce up your front porch area
Modern Credenza Restyle – Easily customize inexpensive furniture (this one is an Ikea hack)
DIY Sewing Desk – Looking for cute, quick, AND easy? Well, you’re in luck.
We’ve been sharing easy furniture and wood-based decor projects for many years. Some of the first projects we ever shared on ABM were Emma’s wood pallet table DIY (ah, the days when all DIYs were made from pallet wood) and Elsie’s dining room table (a classic!). We hear often that readers sometimes feel intimidated to try projects that involve power tools, and although yes, you should indeed take care when using them, I swear I’ve hurt myself much worse while making candy than anytime I’ve used my drill or saws. 
If you love making things for your home as much as we do, you should totally give it a try—and here’s your chance to win some!
One lucky reader will win a DeWalt Cordless Drill Driver and Impact Driver kit from ACE Hardware. We cannot wait to see what you create from these!
And just for fun, here’s a recent favorite (advanced) project we shared—Elsie’s Mid-Century Play Set. Too cute, right?!
Enter the giveaway below! Giveaway is open for U.S. residents only until 8/3 and the winner will be contacted directly.
Ace Hardware Cordless Impact and Compact Drivers
Shh.listenThis is the most ridiculous, glampy food prep
When I was a teen, my family became obsessed with camping trips. We would go with a group of families and spend the weekend hiking, canoeing, playing sports and card games, and cooking hearty food. I loved every minute of it. A a bonus, I got to spend three days with my major crush (now my husband).
This was the age I became obsessed with cooking. So of course I wanted to take charge of the food while we were camping. I was able to hone my planning skills by figuring out the meals for the weekend (with the help of my sisters). Things didn’t always go as planned—once, we left our cooler at home!—but over the years I learned a few tricks to avoid some of those pitfalls.
Here are my top 10 tips for making a game plan so your cooking-while-camping goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Assess if this is a relaxed camping trip or one where you’re always on the go.
If the whole point of your camping trip is to sit around the campfire and relax, it’s okay to plan some more-involved meals. But if your entire trip centers around hiking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, etc., you’ll want to choose easier meals.
2. Consider the weather.
If it’s going to be hot, choose cold meals like sandwiches, salads, etc. If it gets chilly in the evening, hot meals are very welcome.
3. Plan meals that don’t spoil quickly.
Unless you have a camper with a working refrigerator, you need to plan meals that won’t spoil in the cooler. Things like pasta with canned sauce, soups, and guacamole (covered in lime juice so it doesn’t brown), will keep pretty well. Choose veggies like carrots and celery that hold up well. Make salads that don’t wilt (such as cucumber salad vs. a greens salad).
4. Plan to eat the more perishable meals first.
Along those same lines, when you plan when to eat which meals on what days, make sure you eat the more perishable items first. For example, if you’re going to have marinated chicken, make sure to eat that the first day. Things like pre-cooked pasta with canned tomato sauce will keep for quite a bit longer, so plan to eat that on the last day.
Bonus tip: Pack your cooler with the more perishable foods directly on the ice. This will (obviously) keep those things colder so they won’t spoil as quickly.
5. Plan some meals to cook over the fire, some to grab-and-go.
I love cooking over the fire. There’s something very satisfying about building the fire from scratch and then cooking your food over it. It makes you feel very accomplished. But cooking over the fire takes a lot of time and work. If you plan every single meal to be cooked this way, you might wear yourself out. Plus, if any children are relying on you for sustenance, they will become very impatient if the meal takes longer to cook than planned.
6. Choose a protein that cooks quickly.
If you do decide to go ahead and cook every single meal over the fire, make sure to choose meats that will cook quickly. Things like thin-sliced steaks, shrimp, and pre-cooked meats will cut down on cooking time. It can take quite a while to cook a thick, juicy pork chop all the way through.
7. Plan meals that are simple and where you can do the bulk of cooking ahead of time.
Remember: everything takes longer and is more difficult when cooking outdoors. Something that would be easy at home can be difficult while camping. A simple task like buttering bread can become an ordeal when you’re cooking in the wind/rain/heat/mosquitoes. If a meal is involved and requires all of the work to be done last-minute, consider choosing an easier option.
8. Prep as many ingredients as possible.
Along those same lines, do as much work at home as you can. Look at your recipes and assess what can be done ahead of time. Wash and cut your veggies, pre-make dishes that won’t spoil, cook any pasta or rice, etc. It may seem like a lot to do, but you’ll be so happy when the bulk of your cooking work is done after unpacking, pitching a tent, gathering firewood, and building a fire.
9. Don’t forget all of the cooking equipment!
It’s easy to forget all of the little tools you need to cook each meal. Look over your recipes and write down every single little thing you’ll need to make it. Mixing bowls, tongs, knives, and whisks are easy to forget. It has happened to me where we get to the campsite and I realize that I have no way to prepare a certain dish.
Garbage bags, extra storage containers/ziplock bags for leftovers, hot pads, dish rags, dish towels, dish soap, and a tub for washing dishes are all handy. Don’t forget your silverware, napkins, plates, bowls, and cups!
10. Plan for in-between-meal snacks.
Something about being in the great outdoors makes you get hungry more quickly. Especially if it’s a chilly weekend. Make sure to bring along easy snacks for when the munchies strike. I’ve planned a camping menu without snacks before, and it just didn’t cut it.
So those are my top 10 tips for planning out your meals for a camping weekend. If you have any tips of your own, make sure to leave them in the comments!
Have you ever had lemon curd? If you’ve experienced that pleasure, you know that it is addicting. It’s so smooth and rich and zingy all at the same time. Swirl it into ice cream and you’ve got yourself one crazy amazing dessert.
I originally went for an ultra-lemon version of this ice cream, making a lemon-flavored ice cream base to complement the lemon curd ripple. It was lovely, but I wanted to try a straight-up vanilla version to see if the contrasting flavors worked better. We (my husband, sister, and I) all agreed that the vanilla version was better: the lemon curd flavor was more distinct.
In my initial test run of this ice cream, I made the same custard base that I used for my Mint Chip Ice Cream last year (omitting the mint and adding lemon, of course). After watching me stand over the stove to make the cooked custard base after already standing over the stove to make the lemon curd, my husband told me it was too much work. I reluctantly agreed, even though I love a good custard ice cream. So I decided to devise a no-cook version instead. It’s much easier and faster than making a custard base, and my husband actually prefers it! It makes a soft and fluffy ice cream.
To make this ice cream, you first beat the cream with the sugar and vanilla. You don’t want to beat it all the way to the whipped cream stage. That’s a little too fluffy for ice cream in my opinion. You want it to be thickened, but still kind of liquid. Basically, stop whipping just before it’s thick enough to dollop on your favorite dessert.
Then, slooooowly add the milk. It can be difficult to get the milk to mix in with the cream. Adding it gradually helps.
Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. But make sure to not over-churn your ice cream. Because you’ve already beaten the cream, it’s easier to churn your ice cream too long and give it a buttery texture. Stop and check the ice cream at least 5–10 minutes before you normally would.
Scoop the ice cream into a freezer container. Dollop about half of the lemon curd over the ice cream.
Fold it in with a spatula.
Repeat with the remaining lemon curd. Freeze until firm, at least several hours.
Don’t you just want to dive into it?
This is basically my husband’s dream dessert: creamy, soft vanilla ice cream with delightfully zippy and rich lemon curd rippled throughout. He’s slightly obsessed with it. Like, he gets possessive if I try to feed it to anyone else.
Yep. It’s that good.
Notes:
Shh.listenMakes me think about how we structure everything june does. It would be nice to give her some free reign.
“Young Explorers” is a series of short films about what happens when you allow kids who are very young—who have just learned to walk by themselves—to explore the world completely on their own. Congratulations to the filmmaker Jacob Krupnick.
Shh.listenOMNOMNOM
Confession: I have never had the pleasure of showering in a bathroom with more than one showerhead, but I have it on good authority (that is, on the authority of various members of the Apartment Therapy team) that, if you enjoy showering with another person, two showerheads (and two sets of controls) is the way to go. This way, no one person is hogging the stream, and you can set the water at just the intensity and temperature that you like. Also, you'll never have to worry about being late to work because your partner was hogging the shower.
Big thanks to Packlane for sponsoring my blog and RSS feed this week.
Packlane is an online printing company that makes the process of ordering custom packaging easy and affordable for brands of any size by offering low minimums, fast turnaround, plenty of customization options, and free online proofs in 3D.
Get 10% off your first order of custom packaging at Packlane today.
(Interested in sponsoring a week of my blog and RSS feed, learn more here.)
Shh.listenMAKING THIS TOMORROW YUM
Here’s the thing: I really don’t like oatmeal. As many times as my husband tried to doctor up a bowl of oatmeal for me, complete with maple syrup, nuts and fruit, I just couldn’t get on board with the texture. I thought all was lost to me on the oatmeal front. That is, until I tasted baked oatmeal.
Perhaps it’s because the texture reminded me of an oatmeal cookie, or maybe it was the glorious caramelized top that forms when maple syrup or honey-spiked oatmeal is baked for nearly an hour. Either way, baked oatmeal was the vehicle that drove me straight to the land of oatmeal lovers.
Baked oatmeal lends itself to as many variations as your pantry and imagination will allow, and I’ll share some of my favorites later. Nuts, spices, dried and fresh fruit, and chocolate (yes!) can be added in a multitude of combinations to satisfy your breakfast cravings.
On top of its versatility, baked oatmeal is fantastic for quick, easy breakfasts. Bake a batch on Sunday, then refrigerate the oatmeal. In the morning, portion out a square of the oatmeal and heat it in the microwave. Top with extra maple syrup, nuts and fruit to your heart’s desire.
Let’s dive into the basic formula for making baked oatmeal.
The oats:
When it comes to the main building block of baked oatmeal, there are a couple of options. Regular old-fashioned oats work well and take slightly less time to cook. The other option is steel cut oats, which happens to be my preference because of the nutty taste and chewier texture. Steel cut oats take slightly longer to cook, so take that into account when preparing baked oatmeal.
The spices:
When I think of oatmeal, cinnamon is the first spice that comes to mind. While cinnamon is a wonderful warming spice for breakfast time, don’t stop there! Play around with other spices, such as ground ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and allspice. A chai blend of spices is one of my favorite ways to start the day.
The liquid:
Regular milk, from nonfat to whole, does the trick. However, if you follow a dairy-free diet or are looking for a slightly different flavor, swap the milk out with any of the dairy-free options out there, such as almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk or even an almond coconut blend.
The sweetener:
Brown sugar is often a favorite of oatmeal lovers, but there are several other options. I usually opt for maple syrup or honey, but there are many other sweeteners available that would work in baked oatmeal, depending on your taste preferences and dietary needs.
The binder and the fat:
For an 8- by 8-inch dish of baked oatmeal, one egg will do the trick to hold everything together. If you follow a vegan diet, flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal, plus 3 tablespoons water) can be substituted.
As with any good baking recipe, a little fat is always a good thing. While I used melted and cooled coconut oil in the recipe below, unsalted butter is a more traditional option.
The mix-ins:
This is where you can let your imagination run wild! Fresh berries, dried fruit, chopped apple, nuts (toasted or raw), dark chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut … the list goes on and on. Experiment with different combinations to find your favorite! Here are a few suggestions:
Variation #1:
Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to bake with because their flavor and color infuses every part of the oatmeal. Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries, a handful of raw pepitas or nuts and a teaspoon of ground ginger. See the full recipe below.
Variation #2:
Chocolate and cherries is always a magical combination! Mix cocoa powder into the oat mixture or add chopped dark chocolate later, along with fresh or dried cherries.
Variation #3:
You can never go wrong with apples and cinnamon. Dice the apples and mix them into the batter or cut the apples into rings and place them on top of the oatmeal before baking. Add walnuts or pecans for some extra crunch.
Variation #4:
Because I can’t get enough of cherries, it only seemed right to add another variation. Combine fresh or frozen cherries with unsweetened coconut flakes for baked oatmeal that tastes like dessert.
Variation #5:
I can’t talk about a classic breakfast dish without mentioning bananas! Mix strawberries into the oatmeal and top with banana slices. Add dark chocolate chunks for another layer of flavor, if you wish.
Baked oatmeal is a fantastic make-ahead breakfast, and you can easily customize it with your favorite fruits, nuts and spices. It’s a healthy, tasty way to start the day!
Shh.listenlove these
Don’t have a green thumb or can’t have plants for another reason? Put some plants on your walls. Leaf Print 1 and Leaf Print 2.
“We are addicted to our phones not because we rely on them, but to the extent that we recruit them to a harmful project of self-avoidance. They do not mean to hurt us. But we may – and probably do – use them to injure ourselves. Addiction sounds horrible. But it is a hard name for a normal inclination: a habit of running away from the joys and terrors of self-knowledge.”
GIF OF THE DAY > pic.twitter.com/AI813ykqA7
— Booooooom (@Booooooom) July 7, 2017
1. Don’t speak ill of others.
2. Avoid passive aggressive behavior.
3. Listen broadly, but don’t waffle on decisions.
4. When in error — admit, apologize, move forward.
– John Maeda
Read some of John Maeda’s explanations on his Four Rules
Shh.listenSO CUTE
Hey friends. Happy Saturday. I wanted to introduce you to a special collaboration between Merrilee Liddiard Dolls and Wren & James. Some of you may have seen me post on my Instagram about the beautiful matching doll and toddler dress they sent to me, but it was too good not to share here as well.
I have been the biggest fan of Merrilee for ages and her book Playful is one of the most stylish books you can buy about inspiring projects to make with kids.
Anyway, as soon as I saw this photoshoot they did for their collaboration, I just knew I had to share it with you here.
I hope you all love this as much as I do! You can find the dolls and dresses on both sites: Merrilee Liddiard Dolls and Wren & James.
Hope you have a relaxing weekend. Jeremy and I are in Branson, Missouri for our annual Larson family vacation (which is mainly us playing in a pool with nieces and nephews 24/7 for a week … it’s the best!) Love you guys. xx- Elsie
Shh.listenNote: buy a bunch of small terra cotta pots, paint base white and have family paint time
Lately, I have been introducing a bit of maximalism into a few of my decor pieces. There is something about patterns on patterns on patterns that gets my creative side all excited. One of my favorite patterns to play around with is florals. So I created this DIY floral painted flower vase to really play up that floral on floral action. The vase came together pretty quickly and now I have a fun patterned piece that really pops on my shelves.
What’s great about this project is that you can easily complete it in about 30 minutes with just a few tubes of acrylic paint. And not to worry if you are not much of an artist, because I will walk you through the simple steps I took to create a cohesive floral pattern.
Materials:
– white ceramic vase (this one is from Target)
– acrylic craft paint in 5-6 shades of pink, orange, yellow, and green
– paint brushes of various sizes and shapes
– paper plate or paint mixing tray
– bowl of water and paper towels
Step One: Add a dollop of each color of paint to your plate. Then begin by creating the petals for the biggest flowers and the focal point of your painting.
Step Two: Next, add in the stems, leaves, and small details like the center of the flowers.
Step Three: Next, you will want to add in a few smaller flowers and buds.
Step Four: The final step is to add in a few abstract dots and extra leaves.
Step Five: Repeat on all sides of your vase for maximum pattern action!
What do you all think about the pattern on pattern action of the vase? Too many florals? I love the over the top combo and think the vase will go perfectly in my colorful and patterned bathroom. You can never have too many patterns, in my opinion! xoxo. Kara
In general, I’d say I fall on the forgetful side of the snack toting spectrum. I’m not a person (or a parent) to tote an impressive store of snacks with me while venturing to, say, the post office or the playground. But on longer days spent out of the house or traveling, I will concede that a well-timed snack can mean the difference between melting down and keeping the relative peace. (They’re great for avoiding kiddo meltdowns, too. Wink.) And so I try to plan accordingly.
As many parents of small children can attest, kids love things in bags or containers meant especially for them. Give a child a small snack served in a vessel that they can hold themselves and watch pure joy spread across their cheeks. Kid-sized snacks have the extra advantages of helping to ensure that dinners aren’t spoiled by too much gorging and snacks aren’t too badly wasted when they inevitably tumble to the ground or get rendered otherwise unpalatable by grubby fingers. Plus, they’re just easier to carry.
It’s understandable then why there are so many pre-packaged, single-serving snacks marketed to parents and their hungry offspring. If a small bag of crackers can stave off a witching hour meltdown, who among us wouldn’t pop open the bag? I’m the first to admit that a merciful bag of popcorn handed over by a kind attendant on our flight home from Seattle saved us from a familial implosion.
Happily, I’ve found that with a little forethought, and a little encouragement, it’s easy enough to get into a habit of packing snacks that don’t require a whole bunch of single-use packaging or a whole lot of time to prepare. I’ve already divulged my potato chip habit, so no need to rehash that I’m far from perfect. Still, I do make an effort to pack simple snacks in reusable containers whenever I can. Here are a few ideas that work well for me; I’d really love to hear what kinds of portable snacks you guys turn to, too.
Vessels:
+ Bags: We don’t use plastic snack or sandwich bags in our house, but we’ve found that just about any small bag cloth bag will work for snacks. We often use cotton or muslin drawstring pouches of the sort that come into our house via small gifts. They’re easy to come by (and inexpensive to buy), but, you’ve been warned, frequent washing (or dextrous toddler fingers) can make relatively quick work of pulling out that small string. Recently, we welcomed a set of three of these organic reusable sandwich and snack bags into the fold. They’re very simple to use and an extreme winner in the eyes of a certain three-year-old. We got ours from RMTL sponsor Natural Linens. (If you’ve got spare fabric and a sewing machine, I’d imagine they could also make a simple weekend sewing project!)
+ Small containers: For the older folks in the crowd, you know I think a Bonne Maman jar (or regular old mason jar) makes a perfect snack vessel. For folks who frequent parks and playgrounds and other places where glass vessels might not be welcomed, small stainless steel containers make relatively lightweight alternatives for messier snacks like fresh fruit or sliced veggies. 
A few favorite snacks we like to pack:
+ Dried fruit: Apricots, mango slices, and apple rings are all pleasantly chewy, relatively healthful, and readily available in bulk at many health food stores or neighborhood markets.
+ Nuts: We try to be mindful about bringing these into contact with folks who might be allergic, but from the time Faye was first able to crunch them, nuts purchased from the bulk section have been the mainstay of our snacking repertoire at home and away. They’re quick, easy, and nutritious.
+ Veggie slices: We often slice up fresh vegetables before we head on a trip (on a plane or just down to the park). A container filled with sweet pepper, cucumber, and carrot slices makes for the perfect crunchy snack. Add some slices of baked tofu, and you’ve got yourself lunch.
+ Fresh fruit: If you’re like me, you might have a toddler who would gladly be a fruitarian if given the chance. A small container of cherries or berries or grapes makes for a very delighted traveler. Fruits like clementines or bananas that comes with their own biodegradable packaging can be even better.
+ Baked goods: This might be easier done in the city than some other places, but when I don’t have a snack already on hand, I try my best to duck into a bakery instead of a bodega. Save a spotted banana, it’s difficult to find much that’s snackable in a bodega that doesn’t also come in a package. But stop by a bakery and a little cookie, or a fresh roll, or a small pastry can stave off hunger pains. You can have the clerk hand it to you directly, no packaging required.
What about you? Favorite snacks for taking out and about? For yourself? For kiddos?
Minutiae is designed to record mundane moments with no time to pose nor polish shots. The app was created as a response to the polished, carefully selected images we put on Facebook and Instagram. Instead of weddings, pets and brunch, Minutiae wants its users to capture the random, often boring things that happen in between.
As someone who created a 200 page book celebrating “The Beauty in the Ordinary” in 1999 as my thesis, this makes my heart sing.
Analysis suggests that the way you draw a simple circle is linked to geography and cultural upbringing, deep-rooted in hundreds of years of written language, and significant in developmental psychology and trends in education today. Fascinating article!
(thanks Christine)
Hi, friends! As you know I am in full on nesting mode. I’ve become quite good at inventing new projects that are absolutely essential to complete as we are in the waiting period for our adoption. Keeping busy and inspired has been key my key to happiness these past few months!
Today I am excited to share our mid-century modern play set that I designed and Collin built! I wanted to add something to our yard with swings and a slide, but I wanted to do it in a customized way that matched the style of our home. With this project we were able to create a custom play set for the same price (ballpark) as other pre-made sets with a similar size and features. I am SO EXCITED about this project, and I know you are as well because I have NEVER received so many DMs about a project (ever!) as I have this past week after I posted some stories with the playhouse.
For this post we partnered with Ace Hardware. Once we were ready to paint we went to our local Ace and were sure to ask what paint and stains were the best for outdoors, and the team at Ace was really knowledgeable and great to work with! We knew we wanted a bright, sunny yellow and a crisp white that would pop against the natural wood. Based on their recommendation we used their Clark+Kensington Paint and Primer in One collection and the Cabot Clear Wood Protector on this playhouse. It’s so important to make sure each wood piece is painted or stained properly so that the wood will be OK through all the seasons. Also, through July 4th Ace is having a sale on gallons of Clark+Kensington and Valspar exterior and interior paint, so if you have some summer painting projects it’s a great time to go check it out!
In this post we will outline every detail of the cost, tools needed and DIY steps, but if there is anything you are confused about, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments! But before we get into all the DIY details, I’ll share more about the design!
I had the vision to make an A-frame playhouse (which we are still doing right “next door” to this one), but midway through the design, I realized that I would love to add something that had more of an active play set (slide, swings, etc…). So I started brainstorming ideas to incorporate more play set features into a mid-century design.
Some of my favorite memories from growing up are playing with my cousins in a pretty similar playhouse at my grandma’s house. It kept us busy for hours upon hours, and my niece is still enjoying it to this day. So with my crazy nesting hormones going off, the idea of creating some outdoor spaces for kiddo memories is just about the most magical thing I can imagine!
Here’s a view from the slide side! When I was shopping for a slide, the color options were a little slim, so I ended up going with yellow, matching the swings and handles to it, and then keeping the rest of the design really natural and neutral! The stain was perfect because it didn’t change the color of the wood and we wanted to keep it light. I also used Clark+Kensington’s Designer White as a clean, crisp accent color to pair with the wood.
Here’s a view from behind the swing set. I picked this side of the yard for a lot of reasons, but most of all because I didn’t want to obstruct the view from our sunroom. As it is, you can see the play set, but barely. It’s also located right next to the deck that we are planning to build in the next year or two.
The little flower box under the circle window is my favorite detail! I love how painting it with the Clark&Kensington (we used the color The Bright Side) helped tie together the colors from the slide and swings, and I LOVE how it mimics this project from the front of our home. This play set is like a tiny version of my own dream home!
Here are some more detail photos.
We have been having a lot of guests this month, and we have already gotten a LOT of use out of this play set. So don’t think it’s going to be sad and empty while we wait for our adoption- it’s BUSY over here! Our nieces and friends’ children (and adults!) are having so much fun playing with it.
OK… on to the DIY!
Supplies:
-four 4″ x 4″ x 6′ pressure treated posts ($26.48)
-two 4″ x 4″ x 10′ pressure treated posts ($24.84)
-two 4″ x 4″ x 8′ posts ($23.96)
-one 4″ x 6″ x 12′ pressure treated board ($23.27)
-six 50-lb bags of fast setting concrete ($32.76)
-one piece of 3/4″ x 4′ x 8′ pressure treated plywood ($33.79)
-two 3/4″ x 6″ x 8′ pressure treated boards ($12.16)
-ten 2″ x 3″ x 8′ boards aka “stud” boards ($21.05)
-ten 2″ x 4″ x 8′ boards ($33.04)
-three 2″ x 2″ x 3′ boards ($18.66)
-eight 1″ x 12″ x 8′ boards ($117.72)
-three clear 26″ x 8′ corrugated polycarbonate roof panels ($62.91)
-four 5/8″ x 8″ lag bolts and washers ($13.96)
-4 10″ eye bolts ($27.88)
-eight 3″ L braces ($31.84)
-one 2-lb box of 2 1/5″ self drilling star head screws ($9.37)
-2 swings ($75.16)
-1 slide ($102.16)
-one gallon of Cabot Clear Wood Protector ($31.99)
-one gallon of Clark & Kensington semi gloss exterior paint (in Designer White)($36.99)
-one quart of Clark &Kensington semi gloss exterior paint (in The Bright Side)($17.99)
-two yellow handles ($14.95)
-yard flags (optional)
total: $791.84
Tools:
-post hole diggers
-drill
-compound miter saw
-4′ level
-ratchet with 1/2″ socket (for 5/8″ lag bolts)
-1/2″ x 16″ drill bit
-tape measure
-two 8′ ladders (1 optional)
-nail gun
– igsaw
-sandpaper (optional)
-two paint brushes
First, measure out a 4′ x 4′ square in the space where you want your play set to be and mark all 4 corners. With your post hole diggers, dig your first hole in one of the corners of your 4′ square about 2′ deep. Take one of your 4″ x 4″ x 6′ pressure treated posts and place it in the hole. With a measuring tape, make sure that from the top of the post to the top of the hole is 4′. Once you have it at the right height, take a bag of your fast setting concrete and pour about half of the bag in around the base of your post. Grab a nearby water hose or a simple bucket of water and pour some water in your hole, saturating all of your concrete using a small stick or old screwdriver, and mix your concrete in the hole (it’s really that easy!). Take your 4′ level and make sure your post is perfectly straight up and down. Once you get it into place, check the post every few minutes (for about 15 min) to make sure it hasn’t moved at all. Repeat this step with the other 3 corners of your 4′ square, making sure all 4 posts are exactly 4′ apart and all perfectly level with one another.
Have the store you buy your lumber from cut your 3/4″ x 4′ x 8′ pressure treated plywood into two 4′ x 4′ pieces. Take the two pieces and lay them both on top of your 4 posts. Line them up perfectly and screw them into the posts, ideally 4 screws per post for extra security! Then take your 3/4″ x 6″ x 8′ boards and cut them into 4′ pieces using your compound miter saw, making sure to cut the ends at 45° angles so they line up really nice, as shown above! These boards are for extra stability but are mainly aesthetic. Next, take your two 4″ x 4″ x 8′ posts and cut one in half to make two 4′ pieces and the other one into two 3’6″ pieces. Attach the two 4′ pieces to the front side of your play set using L braces and the 3′ 6″ pieces to the back side the same way.
Use extreme caution while doing this next step because you will be working with very heavy pieces of wood! With the help of a friend (or 2), very carefully take your 4″ x 6″ x 12′ pressure treated board and place one end on the back two posts of your play set (the 3′ 6″ side) and prop the other side up on a ladder as shown above. Temporarily take some small pieces of wood and screw them to the two posts holding the 12′ board to secure it to keep it from falling in the meantime until you can properly secure it. I would recommend having another person on a different ladder on the end now hanging off the play set to hold it from going anywhere while the next step is completed. Set your level on top of the board now propped up on the ladder and put some shims (thin pieces of wood, or just scrap wood lying around) underneath it on top of the ladder until it is level. Once it is perfectly level and you have someone holding the board propped up on the ladder in place, take your two 4″ x 4″ x 10′ posts and assemble them into a simple A-frame with two supports on either side right under it for support. You can assemble it laying down on the ground. You’ll have to cut the tops of the posts with your compound miter saw at whatever angles necessary to make this work for your space. I used some temporary wood screws to hold the pieces together until I was ready to bolt them together with the heavy duty lag bolts.
Stand your A-frame up and line it up perfectly with the suspended board and mark the ground where the bottom of each post of your A-frame touches the ground. Lay the A-frame down out of the way for now. Now since your A-frame is 10′ and your suspended board will probably only be around 8′, you will have to adjust where you dig your post holes appropriately because the holes will need to be closer together than where you marked them originally. To be honest, there isn’t an exact way to explain this step because your space will not be perfectly level. So you will have to adjust everything to work for you. It will probably be trial and error until you get it perfect, but don’t be discouraged! You can do it! Once you have figured out where your post holes need to be so that your A-frame is the right height to support your suspended board, set the A-frame in the two holes and repeat the concrete pouring process you did earlier, making sure everything is perfectly level! Now that your A-frame is in place, use your 1/2″ drill bit and pre-drill where your lag bolts will go. Once pre-drilled, ratchet your lag bolts in very tightly as shown above. Now you can take off those temporary pieces of wood holding your 4″ x 4″ x 12′ board in place on your 3’6″ posts. Make sure your 3’6″ support posts are level straight up and down and pre drill for your lag bolts with your 1/2″ drill bit, one in each post. Ratchet your bolts down super tight, as tight as you possibly can! Now you have the swing set portion done! Next take two 2″ x 4″ x 8′ boards and cut them into 4′ pieces and cut the ends at 45° angles and attach them to the top of all 4 posts on your play set, as shown below.
Next, attach your slide to whichever side you want (we chose the opposite side of the swings) and frame out your front entrance and your slide side exit to whichever height and width you want. Brace the other two blank walls into x braces as shown above. You can do all of this with your 2″x 3″ boards. This doesn’t need to be precise or perfect, just enough to brace everything and keep it secure.
Next, the roof! Take 4 of your 2″ x 4″ x 8′ boards and on the ground make a 6′ x 6′ square, using your compound miter saw to make 45° cuts at all ends, and then screw it all together. Now take 3 more boards and cut them the appropriate length and place them equal distances apart inside the 6′ square and screw them in. This is the base for your roof. Now take your 2″ x 2″ x 3′ boards and cut 3 of them at 2′ (or your desired height) and a 15° angle on one side of each. Do the same but with 3 smaller 6″ pieces, these will all be the support posts for your roof. Fasten your 6 posts on the top of your play set, 4 at each corner and two in the middle on opposite sides. Now take your 6′ x 6′ roof and place it on top of all 6 posts and level everything up perfectly. Screw it all down. Now take your three 26″ x 8′ corrugated polycarbonate roof panels and lay them on top of your roof. Once you’ve got them all lined up and spaced evenly, use some screws to fasten all of the roof panels. You can take a razor knife or some scissors and cut off the extra. You can also wait to add the roof panels until after you paint, if you are painting your roof base! I made the mistake of adding them before and ended up having to climb back up a ladder and temporarily remove them to paint the roof base. Avoid that headache if you can!
Now, you can take a measuring tape and space out your swings however far apart you want. Mark where your holes will be and pre drill your holes for your eye bolts. Once those are all screwed in, you can clip on your swings! For the ladder, just take some 2″ x 4″ boards and cut them to the desired length and height and screw them all together. Pretty easy! Next, grab your 1″ x 12″ x 8′ boards and start cutting them to the correct size. Two sides should be an even 4′ across and the other sides will be smaller cuts based on how you framed out your openings. Now take your nail gun and start fastening them to the sides of your play set, starting from the bottom and moving up. Once you have them all nailed on, grab a piece of cardboard or piece of paper and draw out your desired size circle for your window. Trace the circle wherever you want your window to be. Then grab a drill bit and drill a pilot hole along the line of the circle. Take your jigsaw and cut out your circle window! Now, before you paint, I would recommend grabbing some sandpaper and smoothing out all of your outside edges just a tad including your window. It’s entirely optional, but I think it adds that little extra finishing touch to really make it look nice!
Next, for the final and fun part! Take your Cabot Clear Wood Protector and simply paint it on whatever wood will be left natural. I recommend 2-3 coats for extra protection. This also gives it a really nice finished look! Once dry, tape off the edges of all of the natural wood and paint all of the trim and posts and the inside walls with your Clark+Kensington exterior paint in your desired color. (The Ace Paint Studio has a ton of color options that you can pick from!) Take your handles and screw them on with the supplied bolts and washers. If you want to add a planter under the window, follow these steps from this project. That’s it, you’re done! Time to get swinging!
Here’s a snapshot of my nieces from last week! Thanks so much for reading!!! I love and appreciate you all. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to hit me up in the comments. xx -Elsie
Credits//Author and Photography: Elsie Larson and Collin DuPree. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
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And a quick note that the ABM offices are closed today so it may take a little longer to approve comments on this post. And hopefully many of you are enjoying a 3-day weekend too! xo. Emma + The ABM team
