April 1998

Between friends

Sheet Success

Sheets not only make the bed, but make the room as well. Fabulous patterns, wide widths, and high-quality fabrics make sheets a perfect tool for decorating. Fabric glues, fusible tapes, and short-cut sewing techniques make the projects more achievable.

Feathering your nes

FLUFFING UP YOUR SLEEPING QUARTERS ISN'T JUST FOR THE BIRDS. COZY DESIGN AND COMFORTING DETAILS MAKE THESE SMALL BEDROOMS FUN TO FLY HOME TO.

Stencil Over Glass

Soften your view of the world with a simple stenciled design that is sprayed directly on a window. With a little white latex spray paint, you'll have the look of etched glass at a fraction of the cost. The stencil gives you a bit more privacy, but still lets in the light.

Ribbon Lampshade

A basic lamp goes one shade better with the help of sponge-painting and wire ribbon. A self-adhesive shade and wire-edge ribbon are the keys to this easy project. Paper shades work best since fabric may fray at the cut lines. Choose ribbon that's in proportion to the lampshade. ...

Crafty Cutters

Siding That Sparkles

When your "last-forever" vinyl or aluminum siding begins to show wear, don't jump to the costly conclusion that you have to tear it off and replace it. Give it a coat of paint instead. Vinyl and aluminum siding may be guaranteed to protect your home for 50 years, but nobody guarantees how these materials will look that far down the road.

Gates and Fences

1998 Home Improvement Contest

Whether you're fixing up indoors or out, adding a new space or face-lifting the old, your ideas and efforts may rate a top award-- and a feature in our magazine!

Artful Arranging

When it comes to successful displays, the odds are with you. As a rule, odd numbers of items create more interest than even numbers. Likewise, a variety of shapes and sizes catches the eye.

Virtual Energy Auditor

HEPA Filter Facts

Dishwasher Energy Savers

A Moving Experience

Katie walked sleepily down the stairs. This was not the bubbly, energetic morning person I had known for the past 10 years. She gave me a big hug and curled up next to me on the sofa. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Mom, I don't want to go to school," she said. "Can I stay home and help you unpack boxes?" I gently returned her hug and reminded her that we were only going to visit the school today.

How to Be a Good Sports Parent

In the emotional arena of youth sports, good people sometimes act wrongly. But a few guidelines can help parents keep in good cheer.

Someone to Watch Over You

Jim Dickey of Pendleton, Oregon, was driving home from a business meeting in his new Cadillac Seville. He was about 3 miles from home, just outside the city limits, when a deer blindsided him.

Luscious Landscapes

Build the handsome structures shown in the "Gardening on the Side" feature (pages 132 to 144) with our easy-to-use project plans. These professionally drawn blueprints are available only from Better Homes and Gardens magazine and are not sold in stores. Each plan contains a photo of the finished project, a list of materials, construction diagrams, and clearly written instructions to take you step-by-step through the project.

Gardener's Almanac

New Garden Hose

A Boy--or Two--and His Garden

Michael plants themed vegetable gardens in a massive 30x60 raised bed. Andrew landscapes a corner his mother reserved for him in their backyard. Two boys, two gardens, one passion.

EDITOR'S CHOICE YUCCA

Veggies on View

Rising to the Job

Gardening on the Side

When the gunmetal-gray clouds first parted, the shaft of light from the heavens lit up only her narrow side yard as if to present it to her on a golden platter. It was as though someone-- or something-- was trying to tell her: This is the place: Here. Garden here.

Long--blooming perennials

Many perennials will work overtime in your garden, far outperforming the requirements of the job description. As in the corporate world, sometimes it's all in who you select to do the work.

Perennials to Go

We've grown them just for you! Duplicate our garden using the plan (above) and the long-blooming, sunloving perennials shown in this story.

THE HIDDEN GARDEN

Judith Siegel gave herself two presents when she turned the narrow yard behind her house into a hidden garden (above). One was an inviting outdoor room, cozy with color, fragrance, and the sound of water. The other was enough privacy to dine on the patio, or just relax with coffee and a newspaper-- for a while. Judith laughs. "I can't stay there and read because I jump up and start gardening."

Piece by piece decorating

Being bitten by the antiquing bug means bringing things home, one by one, year after year. You need moderation, an eye for mixing, and a knack for display to keep a home's accumulation from looking like an overstuffed antiques shop. Patty and Bob Laufer have pulled it off. Though they've spent years of weekends and vacations rooting out country collectibles, they show off their much-loved quilts and other finds with restraint. "I'm very turned off by too much," says Patty, who avoids abundant displays of any one type. "I want my house to look like a house, not a museum."

Small-Space Decorating

Everyone knows that at the beach normal rules don't apply. Especially when it comes to decorating. For this jewel-box beach cottage in Del Mar, California, interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks happily broke-- or at least bent-- many of the rules, opting for high style without sacrificing fun or function. Want to make waves of your own? Read on.

Jack & Jill Baths

Some bathrooms are designed to help keep the calm in households where the kids have to share. Builders call them Jack-and-Jill baths. Located between two bedrooms, these layouts offer access from both sides and also feature separate vanities that can be closed off from toilet and bathing facilities.

Unsticking The Pan

Cooking in uncoated aluminum, stainless steel, or copper pans can be a frustrating experience. If not treated correctly, half the meal gets left behind-- stuck to the bottom.

Nutrition 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.

Rainy Days

Chase rainy-day frowns away with a flood of indoor activities. On the next few pages, you'll learn how to craft this sponge-painted umbrella, play a game of indoor volleyball, create colorful shaving-cream art, and build wiggle jiggle snacks. Bright times are just ahead.

The Shopper's Mart

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order with comfort and convenience from your own home.

The man next door

"Tax returns are due in mid-April," writes editor Earl Reeves, "because that's when spring flowers are beginning to be so colorful that the Internal Revenue Service hopes you won't really care about having to pay them."