Easy Home Solutions for a Year of Upgrades

Turn a garden-variety gate into an eye-catching entryway by dressing up capped posts with sculptural outdoor ornaments. Start by choosing cast-concrete toppers that fit on the posts with room to spare. To secure them, use ½-inch-diameter lag bolts that measure two-thirds the height of the ornament. (So to secure the 9-inch ornament at right, you’d need a 6-inch bolt.) Drill a pilot hole into each post, then sink a bolt halfway into the wood using a socket wrench. With a masonry bit, bore out a centered hole in the underside of each ornament, deep enough to accommodate the exposed half of the bolt. Fill the masonry holes with concrete-to-metal epoxy and set the ornament on top of the bolt. The result: An elegant upgrade that’ll greet you every time you head outdoors.