Texas Living

Stay Entertained With These Stay-at-Home Projects

By Peter Simek 5.15.20

Staying home doesn’t have to mean climbing the walls. Stay busy and keep the kids occupied with our ultimate guide to stay-at-home house projects. Build something to add cheer to your home; discover new hobbies; up your gardening game; and throw themed family parties. It’s all here:

Building Challenges

TreehouseHave you ever dreamed of having your own backyard pirate ship to help your child’s imagination sail away? Check out our guide to learn how to build some fantastical treehouses.

Fire pit. Get your backyard ready for a cozy fall by building your own backyard fire pit with this guide to one of the simpler build designs you can find. With a few bricks, a shovel, and some planning, you can build an attractive and inexpensive gathering place.

Bean bag toss. The original experiment in social distancing, a backyard bean bag toss is a great game to have handy for summer afternoons. The best part: You can decorate your homemade bean bag toss to reflect your own family spirit.

Creature Feature

Beekeeping. There is perhaps no more important creature on the planet than the humble bee, which makes sure the plant world propagates and grows. Keeping your own hive not only does wonders for the local wildflowers but can also provide you with delicious, home-harvested honey. And it might be more doable than you think: Check out our beginner’s guide to learn what kind of hive might be right for you.

Butterfly garden. Turning your backyard into a magnificent butterfly garden is simple, with this guide to choosing the right plants to attract the butterflies you’d like to see dance around your yard.

Bat box. Did you know that bats are amazing pest controllers and can help eliminate critters that damage gardens and crops? They’re also great pollinators for your garden. And all you need to do to get them to help take care of your property is invite them in by building a handy bat box.

Homesteading Projects

Chicken coop. What could be better than fresh eggs and an affectionate peck in the morning? If you’ve ever wondered about raising chickens in your backyard, here’s a look at what getting started would take.

Rain barrel. Rain has always been a precious commodity in Texas. With this DIY rain barrel, you can capture the rain waters that come during spring and fall deluges and store them to use in your garden all year long, giving you the best lawn on the block.

Composting. Composting cuts down on your waste and creates some of the best garden food you can find. Here’s how to start turning your trash into treasure.

House Parties

Dive-in movie night. A simple white sheet and a movie projector can turn your backyard pool into a pop-up movie theater, the perfect summer entertainment for the family.

Texas-themed parties. Frito pie, Texas-themed costumes, and games are just the beginning of the ultimate Texas-themed party. Get inspired with these ideas for tunes, snacks, and decorations.

Wild West family game night. We may not be traveling this summer, but you can travel back in time to the Old West with this selection of western-themed games — from Texas-Opoly to the train thriller Ticket to Ride — that your whole family will love.

If you’re feeling industrious, check out our ultimate stay-at-home spring-cleaning guide to keep you busy.

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