The Point of It All
Decorating experts all say to make the most of the focal points of your rooms. But what if your plain boxy room has no built-in interest? Here's how to create four focal points yourself.
Read ArticleParty Windows
Stir up a bit of extra drama for special gatherings by setting the stage with a simple window dressing that's designed to frill. Floating at the window with the grace of a wedding veil, this temporary treatment is made with bridal trims and inexpensive tulle from the fabric store. By tossing the tulle over an existing rod (give your permanent window coverings the night off or a trip to the cleaners) or simply tacking it to the wall, you can perk up your portholes for a one-night affair or the entire holiday season.
Read ArticleClever Cubbies
Waging the battle against bulging closets and overcrowded cabinets is a fact of life these days, but smart strategies can muster additional storage space you didn't know you had. To ease the squeeze, first identify your household's storage shortfalls. Then, reconnoiter underused niches, nooks, and crannies that could be pressed into service.
Read ArticleGift ideas under $50
Last-minute shopping trips are over when you choose these gifts selected especially for the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Order now, and forget about those annoying parking problems at the malls in December.
Read ArticleHome improvement contest WINNERS!
Whew! Choosing the "best of show" in our Home Improvement Contest has never been easy, but this time you really put us through the paces. Every entry packet was stuffed with before and after photos that dramatized the marvelous remodeling transformations you've achieved. You told us that you ate a lot of sawdust, nursed some sore muscles, and filled a few trash bins, but now you can sit back and savor the payoff-- a prettier, comfier, more livable home.
Read ArticleLampshades
Lighten up your decorating style with witty and whimsical lampshades. A little inspiration-- plus such everyday items as ribbons, flowers, stickers, and paint-- turn ordinary paper shades into eye-catching bright spots. For painting or decoupaging, start with new shades or ones in perfect condition. (Crafts stores carry a range of sizes.) Slightly damaged shades can be disguised if covered completely with fabric or flower trims. For the best paint coverage, look for concentrated, medium-viscosity acrylic artist's paints. Hot-glue guns are a fast and easy way to adhere trims.
Read ArticleThe One to Watch
Better Homes and Gardens Television launched this fall with the kind of programming you'd expect from America's premier home and family magazine. Here's a state-by-state list of when and where to tune in. Dates and times are subject to change, so check your local listings for the latest information.
Read ArticleThe Quality Leaders
The trouble-free car. It's the Holy Grail of automotive engineering. By that definition, Toyota is close to automotive perfection.
Read ArticleThe New PE
A blur of motion and laughter lights up the gym as young teens run, jump, skate, shoot hoops, and bat paddleballs. These shouting, laughing, gleeful seventh and eighth graders at Teague Middle School in Humble, Texas, drown out even the beat of hip-hop music.
Read ArticleAre You Using the Right Rewards?
A little reward can be a powerful motivator when you want your kids to do something-- especially when you want it done quickly and without a fuss. But like all quick fixes, material rewards can backfire.
Read ArticleWindowsill Herbs
Here's our collection of fresh herb plants for cold weather cooking. Order now for an early start on next summer's herb garden or to give as living Christmas gifts for the creative cooks in your family. Please order early; the number of collections is strictly limited and we will ship on a first-come, first-served basis.
Read ArticlePaint me a garden
Pots get prettier if you slather on a couple coats of paint. A little latex and your garden cherub can look like ancient marble statuary. Daub an urn or wall plaque with a rag-- instant verdigris. Or, create your own fantasy finish. All it takes is mastering a few basic techniques and some simple experimentation.
Read ArticleA winter home for Herbs
START A WINDOWSILL HERB GARDEN AND YOU CAN GARDEN ALL WINTER-- AND GARDEN IN DARING EVENING WEAR OR COMFY PJ'S IF YOU LIKE. YOU WILL EAT BETTER AND EVEN SAVE MONEY BY GROWING HERBS INDOORS, BECAUSE FRESH INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR COLD-WEATHER COOKING COST NEXT TO NOTHING.
Read ArticleTwo sides of cottage
"Cottage has a charmingly sweet sound, and is perhaps more suggestive of comfortable thoughts than any other word in our language, but that of home."
Read ArticleDesigned for the Vista
The game of golf helped drive the design of this award-winning house, which backs onto a residential course. It's an easy chip shot away from the fairway, and the best seats in the house are those along the gallery of windows dominating the rear exterior. The home's eyes-to-the-rear layout is perfect for capturing golf action or any panoramic vista looking out on landscapes, cityscapes, or seascapes. The award came in a contest for architects, sponsored in part by Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
Read ArticleCast in Concrete
You'd never know by looking, but more and more new homes are being built with concrete.
Read ArticleGiving to help Others
When you choose a gift from this selection, part of the purchase price will be donated to The Better Homes Fund, a nonprofit charity dedicated to helping homeless families. The Fund sponsors programs assisting families and children as they get back on their feet.
Read ArticleNutrition Information
With each recipe, we give important nutrition information. The calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein will help you keep tabs on what you eat.
Read ArticleCountdown to the Holidays
Don't look now, but Christmas is just around the corner. Our ideas can help make trimming and wrapping more fun than ever. When it's time to relax, curl up with our charming holiday story, The Christmas Elf, which begins on page 318.
Read ArticleBy the Chimney With Care
Cross-stitch these delightful mini stockings to use as last-minute holiday gilts, as charming one-of-a-kind package ties, or as actual wraps for teeny-tiny Christmas gifts. Choose from our various traditional and whimsical motifs, then make each stocking a personalized treasure for those you remember at this blessed time of year.
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