Terrariums are back! Introduced in 1831 for Victorian parlors and popular again in the 1970s, covered glass containers are an attractive way to display plants while providing the humidity that is difficult otherwise to maintain indoors. While a terrarium normally refers to a … read more

This project is the ideal introduction to the craft of mosaics. Making a mosaic flowerpot utilizes the skills required for a larger composition, without the risk of spending much on tools that might not be used again. And a mosaic planter doesn’t need … read more

Like trying to capture wind to put in a mason jar or finding that the cake baked and rose higher than expected — that’s purple. “Go, Huskies!” the man shouted while wearing a bright-purple sweatshirt and an equally vibrant UW monogrammed baseball cap. … read more

Chair or stool: a seat with legs, for one person. A chair can be like a friend, there when needed. Or a chair may be like a familiar song that evokes a memory. But too often those oddball chairs and stools are discarded … read more

Not the second stage of the color wheel, but that backseat color you pay less mind to; the color that happened to be there, a whim decision, the jovial hue of gathered gadgets or the color one did not chose. Not to say … read more

When Irv and Sally Sauer built their dream house in McCormick Woods 20 years ago, it was perfect for their lifestyle. The couple designed the 3,400-square-foot house so well, in the two decades since then they hadn’t done any remodeling except for a … read more

Studying the color aqua was like being on a trampoline with 8-year-olds at a family reunion picnic: wild, silly, unpredictable and lovingly memorable. It is the chorus line headliner, the sleeping giant or the softest pillow. Aqua doesn’t steal the scene — it … read more

It rolls off the tongue like grapes on sand paper. The word is not only awkward to say, but orange is a poet’s dilemma. It may be a color always there but less thought of, perhaps like a stagehand whose presence is necessary … read more

Tillandsias are pretty much a no-fail plant. They thrive on neglect, with a little shower of water now and then. You’ll find more than 500 species of air plants (their common name). They are members of the Bromeliaceae family of plants. In their … read more