Gardening is a rewarding hobby that boosts both physical and psychological health among all ages. If you’re a senior searching for relaxation, consider growing your own garden. Reconnecting to nature is one way to relieve the daily stress of modern life. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other gardening enthusiasts.
25 Fun and Festive Fall Pallet Projects
If you’ve been an Insteading reader for some time, you probably know that we love the idea of upcycling pallets! Not only does it utilize scrap wood that might otherwise end up in a landfill, it’s a resourceful way to craft decor, furniture, and even garden beds without having to spend a pretty penny for
80 Awesome Earth Day Tips
Happy Earth Day! What better way to celebrate than choosing to make some positive changes in your everyday life! Whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint, teach your kids about the importance of protecting the environment, or support a company that makes donations to earth-conscious charities, we’ve found 80 things to do on Earth
17 DIY Smoker Plans
Smoking is a prehistoric practice, and we have records of it in ancient sources of food and cooking. At its most basic, smoking meat just means hanging salted meat over a slow, smoky fire. Smokehouses haven’t changed much in thousands of years, but today there many different sizes and styles of smokers available commercially and
40 Large Planters For Trees And Flowers
When you’re planning your garden for the upcoming spring, you may find yourself quickly running out of space in your yard, garden beds, and hanging planters, but who says you have to pick and choose what plants you want just because your yard is full? The deck, patio, and front porch are all free for
DIY Wine Cellar Plans + 10 Ideas to Inspire You
When you first moved into your house or apartment, there were probably a few things on your wish list. Maybe it was a fireplace. Or perhaps, a big open kitchen. And of course, you probably had a beautiful yard to grow a garden on your list. If you consider yourself a wine connoisseur, maybe it
25 Stylish DIY Kitchen Islands to Upgrade Your Space
Creating your own furniture is a great way to make a piece that’s unique and special, and a DIY kitchen island is a fantastic place to start. If you are someone who enjoys DIY projects, building a kitchen island for your home can enhance more than just the appearance of your cooking space. Check out
25+ Sustainable Stocking Stuffers To Give This Holiday Season
It’s not always possible to buy that new greenhouse or build a rain garden as a holiday gift. At Insteading, we understand that garden gifts can easily run on the large and expensive side. We wouldn’t want to substitute our love of natural and sustainable products for a plastic and battery-operated gadget, though, so we’ve
10 of the Best Wine Grapes to Grow at Home
If you’re a wine enthusiast looking to venture into creating your own vintage, a relocation to Napa Valley isn’t necessary. Using some of the best wine grapes grown in a home garden will allow anyone to produce quality and delicious wine. Growing grapes to create wine at home can seem like a daunting task, but
20 Free Backyard Playhouse Plans
Treating your kids with a backyard playhouse is a fantastic way of providing them a safe outdoor sanctuary where imagination can run free. Unfortunately, a ready-to-use playhouse can be a costly investment. Fortunately, there are plenty of free plans — which is what we’ll help you find today. We’ve found 20 of the best free
25 Free Rabbit Hutch Plans to House Your Furry Friends
Whether you’re raising meat rabbits or looking for walk-in rabbit hutch plans for your favored pets, making your own hutch can save you money and help our environment by reducing waste. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available to find what works best for you when raising rabbits. Important Details to Consider When Building a
25 Free Bird House Plans to Welcome Feathered Friends to Your Garden
Ornithologists know something that many people don’t: Birdwatching can be a peaceful and restorative experience. Encouraging birds to visit your home or yard can be challenging, however. Especially if you don’t have any houses for those feathery friends. A well-made bird house could be the ideal place for a coupling pair to build their nest
20 Charming Little Free Library Plans
What we all need right now is community. Whether the community you belong to is online, across the country, or right in your own neighborhood, getting to spend time with people who share your interests or hobbies is incredibly special. And if the community that you feel most connected to is your neighborhood, there are
10 Fun Tire Swing Ideas for Kids and the Young at Heart
As a kid, you probably had the chance to enjoy a tire swing at least once. Whether it was at a local park or you were lucky enough to have one in your own backyard, a tire swing offered a whole afternoon of fun. Maybe you want one for yourself to relive the experience? Or
20 Soothing DIY Wind Chimes
Wind chimes: They’re soothing, relaxing, and add a beautiful, decorative addition to your garden or backyard. Wind chimes come in basically any color, material, size, and price tag, and nowadays, you can find some pretty artistic options on Etsy and at other retailers. But if you’re the do-it-yourself type that wants the ultimate satisfaction of
Watch These Cacti Bloom Bright, Mesmerizing Flowers [Video]
When you bought a cactus for your home or office, you were probably fascinated by its shape, color, or unique spiky characteristics. But if you’re lucky enough to see them bloom, the cacti’s flower may become your new favorite part of the plant. This video from National Geographic gives us the opportunity to see 15
13 Effective Homemade Face Wash Recipes
Take a look at the label on your face wash. Does it have a long list of ingredients that you can barely pronounce (let alone identify what they are)? Does it include things like parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde? Nowadays, you’ll find these ingredients in all sorts of skin and hair care products because they’re a
15 Calming Meditation Room Ideas
Meditating at home can be a real challenge, especially when you don’t have a dedicated space in your house or apartment. When you’re meditating or practicing yoga, it can be really easy to get distracted by the items around you: the cluttered bookshelf, dirty dishes in the sink, or kid’s toys piled up in the
Gardening Resources For Kids
One of the best parts about gardening is building community. There’s something special about sharing the experience of planting and nurturing seeds, and watching them grow — especially when it’s with kids. Their innate curiosity and ability to see things with a set of fresh eyes makes gardening a wonderful physical, mental, and educational activity.
10 Amazing School Bus Conversions
Converting a school bus into a permanent residence is a bit like a coming-of-age story. You take a school bus, probably one very similar to the one you rode in elementary school, gut it entirely, and build a tiny home out of it. To me, the whole school bus conversion process feels very charming, sustainable,
15 Natural DIY Perfume Ideas
Did you know there are over 4,000 chemicals that are used to create fragrances in skincare and beauty products? And since these fragrance blends are considered trade secrets, companies aren’t required to disclose the specific ingredients on their labels. I don’t know about you, but for me, that is reason enough to consider more natural
17 Great Depression Era Recipes
Nowadays, with the never-ending supply of cookbooks online and in bookstores, and the family recipes your parents passed down, there’s an exhaustive supply of meal ideas. And with modern technology and agriculture, we can basically get any ingredient we need with a quick and affordable trip to the grocery store. But back in the 1930s,
Are Underwater Herb Gardens The Future? [Video]
If sea levels keep rising, where will we grow our food? Researchers in Italy are exploring one option: Underwater gardens. Nemo’s Garden in Noli, Italy is an agricultural project that’s attempting to grow herbs and other lettuce greens in a place where no one thought you could: underwater, in the middle of the ocean. They
12 Stunning Driveway Ideas To Transform Your Home’s Exterior
After months of planning, house hunting, and endless emails to your very patient realtor, you’ve finally found the house of your dreams — but the driveway is showing every crack and oil spill from the previous owners, and maybe even the owners before them. Your home’s exterior is the first thing your family, friends, (and
Watch These Worms Devour A Pumpkin in This 100-Second Compost Timelapse [Video]
Vermiculture is pretty magical. Think about it, you put your kitchen scraps in a bin with some wiggly worms and before you know it, everything has decomposed into a beautiful soil additive for your garden. While you’re probably used to putting small little scraps of food in your vermicompost, in the video above, someone decided
Meet the Urban Gardeners Taking Advantage of Spare Spaces [Video]
Once upon a time, everyone had gardens. The soil was fertile and healthy, weeds and bugs were free to roam, and all sorts of heirloom varieties were grown. There was plenty of acreage for every family, and your neighbors were way down the road, not 10 feet away. Nowadays, with most of us living in
Take a Peek Inside the World’s Only Sourdough Library [Video]
Baking bread is an art form. Especially when you’re making sourdough from scratch. You need the perfect temperature and humidity, you have to tend to your starter every day, and even if you do everything by the book, sometimes your bread just doesn’t turn out right. But once you’ve gone through plenty of trial and
Meet the 9-Year-Old With a Thriving Mushroom Business [Video]
Te’Lario Watkins Jr. is a 9-year-old entrepreneur with a dream. One day, he hopes his mushrooms will feed the world. With the help of his family, Te’Lario cultivates and harvests mushrooms to sell them at local farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. He started his business at just 7 years old and has sold thousands
Patio Umbrellas
Your garden beds are weeded, your deck has been power washed, and the patio furniture is out of storage. You’ve got a calendar full of backyard parties to come and can’t wait to spend some quality time with family and friends. But as you’re daydreaming about all the fun events to come, you start to
12 Office Plants to Add Greenery to Your Workspace
As gardeners, we all aspire to spend our mornings and afternoons planting seeds, pulling weeds, and finishing the day off with a dinner made of home-grown vegetables. But for some of us, gardening is a passion we unfortunately only get to enjoy on the weekends and evenings. If you find yourself at the office wishing
Storage Sheds
Whether it’s time for some spring cleaning or winter decluttering, chances are the biggest project on your to-do list is organizing the garage and backyard. You’ve got your kids’ bikes in one corner, garden tools strewn about in another, and let’s not even get started with the holiday decorations that are shoved in that less-than-weatherproof
30 Patio Dining Sets For The Best Outdoor Get-Togethers Yet
When the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, nothing brings the family together quite like enjoying a dinner outside. The sun is low enough to be comfortable and still warm enough to hang out long after the meal is over. Or, maybe you’re taking advantage of that pergola and enjoying a mid-day lunch
20 Outdoor Showers for Your Lake or Poolside Home
If you live near a river or lake, you know how frustrating it is when sand gets tracked into your house. It makes a mess, it’s dirty, and once it’s made its way into your home, there’s no turning back. It’s there for what feels like forever, and let’s not forget about all the dirty
20 DIY Countertops For Your Kitchen Remodel
When you first bought your house, the kitchen might have been the selling point. You loved the open layout, the large island for entertaining guests, the wood floors, and the sleek countertops. Then 10 years later, you find yourself wondering what happened to that gorgeous kitchen you fell in love with. Though there might be
10 Smart Small Kitchen Ideas
Small kitchens can be challenging. Especially when you love to cook and entertain. It’s easy to feel the walls caving in when you have a few cabinets open and the pot is about to boil over and your kids are asking when dinner will be ready. Before you do something rash — like throw a
DIY Headboard: 25 Ideas To Tie Your Bedroom Together
There’s something about a headboard that ties a bedroom together. A set of fresh sheets, a fluffy duvet, and a decorative bed frame are important bedroom elements, but a headboard is the icing on the cake. Typically, though, headboards come with a hefty price tag: You can end up spending anywhere from $300-$1000 on a
30 Kitchen Shelves To Declutter Your Space
Your kitchen serves many purposes. It’s the place where you make your morning cup of coffee and pack the kids’ lunches. It’s also where you cook your famous macaroni, and above all, spend time with the ones that you love. There’s a reason that the party always ends up moving to the kitchen. There’s something
13 Savvy Small Bathroom Ideas
Whether you live in an apartment, a tiny house, or a Harry Potter closet, small bathrooms can be a challenge, especially when you’re living with roommates, a significant other, or little ones. Not only do you have to coordinate shower and bath times, but storing away all your toiletries can get tricky. So before you
25 Bathroom Rugs
When you step out of your shower in the morning do you step on a towel, or even worse, the cold tile floor? Do you find yourself slipping around on the floor and leaving a trail of water everywhere? If this sounds a lot like your daily routine, you could probably benefit from a bathroom
10 Gifts To Give That Will Change The World
Every time the holidays come around, do you find yourself wondering what in the heck you’re going to get for all those special people on your list? Chances are you have at least one relative or friend who literally never wants anything. And if you love the tradition of spoiling your loved ones during the
Microscopic Images Of Butterfly Wings
If you’ve ever taken a look at our microscopic images of seeds, you already know just how breathtaking tiny parts of nature can be. Especially when they’re placed under a microscope. Chris Perani has used his photography skills to create microscopic images of butterfly wings that are absolutely stunning. To create these works of art, Chris has
tentree Holiday Gift Guide
When you’re on the search for the perfect gift this holiday season, you may feel yourself completely overwhelmed and inundated by the number of newspaper advertisements and holiday sales there are to choose from. If you’re anything like us here at Insteading, you’re keeping your eye out for a high-quality gift that your family and friends
Fireplace Mantels
There’s nothing quite like warming up next to the fire. Especially when it’s a fireplace in your own living room. But there’s something about a mantel-less fireplace that just seems off! A mantel adds a finishing touch to your fireplace that ties the whole room together. Though many fireplace mantels are just decorative, others offer
Kitchen Curtains
Picture this: You’re sitting in your kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee, and reading the paper. A gentle breeze escapes through the window, and the sun peeks through just enough so that you can feel its warmth on your cheek. Now, this image just wouldn’t be complete without some kitchen curtains floating softly in the
35 Headboards To Tie Your Bedroom Together
When you’re decorating your bedroom, you may find yourself on the search for bed frames, dressers, armoirs, and bedside tables. But nothing will tie your space together quite like a headboard. Headboards are available in just about any style, so adding them into your current decor is simply the cherry on top! On the other
tentree – 10 Trees Planted For Every Item Sold
Here at Insteading, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Sustainability is the reason why we skip pesticides, collect rainwater, compost, choose solar and wind energy, and strive to live more self-sufficiently. Of course, we’re always on the search for brands that use sustainable materials and business practices. As for a company that
21 Bathroom Shelves To Organize Your Space
Ah yes, the bathroom: One of the rooms that we tend to shut the door and forget about when it’s not in use. I don’t know about you, but my bathroom tends to be more of a chaotic mess than a place of zen and relaxation. When you think about your bathroom organization, chances are
19 Small Kitchen Tables For Conserving Space
Whether you’re an apartment dweller or a tiny house owner, limited kitchen and dining space can cramp your style. Small apartments tend to have a compartmentalized layout, and often times you can’t fit just any old dining table in the space. When it comes to tiny living, you have to get a bit more creative.
Pendant Lighting: 30 Rustic, Modern, And Farmhouse Options
We’ve all been there. You move into a new house or apartment, and everything seems perfect until you realize just how dark certain parts of your home are. Or, you find your dream home, but the 90s light fixtures are begging for an update. When you’re lighting your home, your options include recessed lighting, chandeliers,
Treehouse Plans
Ah, to be a kid again. There is something about a treehouse that makes you want to throw on some worn-out shoes, grass-stained jeans, and a warm jacket (because your mom made you). Whether you had a treehouse as a kid or your neighbor friends did, the memories of spending all afternoon outside playing games
