Yard How To & DIY
Improve the value of your home by discovering our yard step-by-step tips & ideas.
How to Create a Relaxing Garden Retreat
After a winter stuck inside renovating her 1890 farmhouse in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, TOH magazine reader Maria Hasenecz was eager to head outdoors. Here's how her garden grew.
How to Build a Miniature Golf Course
Bring the family together by building the green and then playing on it with this DIY miniature golf cart that both kids and adults can enjoy.
How to Have a Successful Yard Sale
Check out these tips on how to rake in the big bucks when you put your old stuff out to sell.
How to Install an Outdoor Television
Ask This Old House master electrician Scott Caron installs a weatherproof television to complete a homeowner's patio.
How to Install an Outdoor Faucet
Learn how to add a new hose spigot with This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey.
How to Deer-Proof Small Trees
Learn how to keep deer away from young trees and shrubs with landscape contractor Roger Cook.
How to Build a Bat House
Give these mosquito-eating creatures a place to roost in time for trick-or-treat season, and reap the benefits year-round. With instructions for parents and kids
How to Fix a Flat Wheelbarrow Tire
This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to repair a flat tire on a wheelbarrow.
Build It | Fire Pit Cover
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva works with host Kevin O’Connor to build a cover that can turn a store bought fire pit into a table when not in use.
How to Design a Yard in Phases
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada returns to her home state of Florida to help a homeowner design a tropical landscape for his backyard.
How to Install a Raised Vegetable Garden with Arbors
This Old House landscaping contractors Roger Cook and Jenn Nawada help an elementary school build and plant a raised-bed vegetable garden.
How to Build a Lemonade Stand
How to make a sturdy display table, with instructions for parents and kids.
How to Build a Cedar Compost Bench
Use clear cedar boards to assemble a comfortable and productive focal point for your yard.
How to Build a Tree Swing
Make an old-fashioned rope swing with these instructions for parents and kids.
How to Create a Backyard Pond
Learn how to create a free-form backyard pond in just six hours.
How to Build an Outdoor Bench From Dining Chairs
See a pair of vintage chairs transformed into an outdoor bench that can be enjoyed for years to come.
How to Build a Fort
How to make a versatile backyard play area, with instructions for parents and kids.
How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen
If you've got some basic skills and a couple of handy friends, you too can build a grill island like this one. Here's the lowdown.
How to Build Wooden Stilts
Walk a little taller after assembling these fun playtime accessories.
How to Turn a Salvaged Sink Into an Outdoor Bar
They look great and work even better, but did you know a vintage kitchen sink can also improve your social life? Here’s how to turn an old sink into a unique and functioning outdoor bar.
How to Build a Swing Set
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva travels to Colorado to help a couple build a DIY swing set for their young son.
How to Build a DIY Treehouse
Use specialty hardware designed to preserve the tree and a mix of lumber and branches to create a platform sturdy enough to support your kids’ wildest imaginations.
How to Harvest Honey from a Beehive
Landscaper Roger Cook and a professional beekeeper harvest honey, talk about hive health and show you how to maintain and grow your hive.
How to Restore Outdoor Furniture
Learn how to extend the life of your lawn chairs with the advice from an expert.
How to Set Up a Beehive
Ask This Old House’s Roger Cook takes you through everything you need to plan and install a beehive in your backyard or a field near your home.
Outdoor Speaker Systems: Planning Guide
Here’s how to plan the perfect outdoor audio systems.
How to Install a Water Feature that Reuses Rainwater
Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada installs a water feature that collects and reuses rainwater.
How to Install a House Hydrant
Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a house hydrant to replace a leaky outdoor spigot.
Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop
Use pressure-treated lumber and PVC trim to create a shelter designed by Tom Silva to keep predators at bay—and provide a source of fresh eggs right out your back door.
How to Maintain Your Snow Blower
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gives tips on how to keep a snow blower running through every storm.
How to Winterize Your Grill and Outdoor Kitchen Appliances
Whether you've got a charcoal kettle on wheels or a gas grill built into an outdoor kitchen, here's how to store your grill during the off-season.
Outdoor Showers 101
A place to rinse off outdoors is a no-brainer for beach dwellers. But it's also great for cleaning up grimy gardeners, sweaty Little Leaguers, and muddy mutts. Here's how to hook up one of your own.