Practical projects and tips for the backyard DIY fanatic
Many living rooms are dominated by big, black televisions, and as Tara Dennis explained, this can pose a huge design problem. Tara showed how to ‘blend’ a TV with the rest of the room. She introduced texture in the form of natural elements such as bamboo, pebbles,...
Four weeks ago, Don looked at an ornamental garden pond that had sprung a leak. The water level had dropped and the water plants were dying back. The owners were not getting any enjoyment from the pond, because it was always half empty and they were spending their...
Scott Cam transformed an old piece of timber into a rustic tea light holder, for less than $20! How it was done Scott used a circular saw to cut an old railway sleeper into two 500mm lengths, then trimmed the ends of one piece. One side looked better than the other,...
Wonderful effects can be obtained if the paint colours on a house match or contrast with the colours of flowers and foliage in the garden. Purple house? The first house shown in our segment was painted a soft blue colour, with dark blue trim. However, when Don stood...
Tara Dennis visited a house that has been entered in this year’s Dulux Colour Awards. Designed by architect, Stephen Varady, the house is a perfect example of how to add interest and drama to living areas with clever colour combinations. Forget the colour chart If...
Rita Hill showed how to brighten up the winter garden with some colourful butterflies and dragonflies. You will need metal spoon beads 0.9mm tie wire bamboo stake hammer drill long-nosed pliers safety goggles Making your butterfly 1. Take the spoon outside and place...
Funky Fish Tanks Qantas Amazing Australia While fish are attractive and engrossing pets, the tanks in which they live can be somewhat unattractive. There is now an alternative in the form of a fish tank with a very unconventional design. In Melbourne, Jean-Paul George...
Thingummies: The French Alternative ‘Thingummies’ is Jackie French’s name for candles with a difference. They are squat flower pots filled with a pool of wax and several wicks. They are a beautiful and safe alternative to a tall, single candle, as...
Recently Burke’s Backyard visited the town of Puebla in Mexico which has kept its Spanish heritage alive through its decorative ceramic industry. History Mexican ceramic ware or pottery has existed since ancient times, long before the arrival of the Spanish....
Wooden Model Builder Jim Pike visited the home of Kevin Sculthorpe a clever woodworker, who creates wooden model planes, trains and automobiles as well as boats, spinning wheels and merry-go-rounds. Kevin started woodworking as a hobby about 20 years ago. The models...