Man Made DIY

So...you have a huge blank space on your wall staring at you everyday. You don't know what to do with it, but know that buying an original piece that size is way out of your budget. What do you do? Of course, you make your… read more

The ManMade approach to style and men's clothing has always been to invest in a few timeless pieces that work well for your look and personality. For some proof that it works, check out these awesome photos of actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. Though many of the images were shot during the 60s and 70s, they don't come across as vintage or retro. They just look amazing. The basic tenets of men's style has remained relatively unchanged for the last 100 years - take advantage of… read more

For any DIY enthusiast, the clearance bin at the DIY store is a regular stop. This project, the Oddstock Floored Wardrobe was designed and built to take advantage of that bin. Brazilian teak prefinished hardwood flooring was found on clearance for an irresistible price. The box had apparently been returned from a large flooring job.

To make use of all the boards, they were cut to short, mitered pieces and arranged in a chevron pattern. Metal tile flooring dividers were used to hide the board edges, trimming out the doors. A simple box deep enough to house clothes on hangers was placed on Queen Anne legs for a romantic look. After many searches for the right door handles, utilitarian garage door handles were chosen because of their large size and casual appearance. A coat hook and mirror were added to the inside of the door for accessories.

You can change the look to be more modern by using straight legs instead. Fill the bottom with shoes or boxes and add shelves if you like, or try other types of wood flooring and experiment with… read more

I got married a few months ago, err...sorta. You can read the full story here, but the point is: my life has changed quite a bit since starting ManMade, and I'm steadily evolving into what - when I look back on it in a few years - will be remembered as the beginning of a new chapter. And in this new season, we're having some very serious discussions about going on an adventure and moving to a totally new… read more

The awesomeness of the grilled cheese sandwich is not only confirmed internationally, as nearly every culture that eats bread and cheese has a version in their tradition, but also scientifically. University of Wisconsin food science professor Scott Rankin… read more

Some anthropologists argue that just one dominant feature separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom: we use fire and heat to cook our food. Like salt, smoking has long been a means of preserving food, and over time, we've learned that it also tastes pretty awesome as well. Those flavors are why we're still willing to use the grill and light fires when we have access to electric heating elements: the taste just can't be matched.

Many drinks and spirits come with smoky qualities - lots of teas, coffee, beer, and whiskeys. But you can also smoke entire cocktails or mixed drinks to add a whole other level of flavor and complexity. As my friend Mike remarked after trying one of my smoked Old Fashioneds, "I don't know if I can ever drink a regular one… read more

The Konkret lamp by Danish designer Jonas Edvard has some serious potential to add that missing cool/Scandinavian factor to your… read more

I love spring as much as the next guy, but I'm trying to write this post without sneezing my brains out. Are you too popping antihistamines as we speak? Don't worry - I feel ya. Spring might be your friends' favorite season to stop and smell the roses, but for some of us, spring means a whole lotta pain. And… read more

Last summer, I shared this cool photo from Sonoma winery Medlock Ames, which featured an old picnic table, into which a recess had been cut to accept a cooler to keep drinks cold. A great idea, but know what's even cooler? 

Building the table from scratch without a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and incorporating the built-in cooler from the… read more

There's a new blog by Ben Uyeda called "Homemade Modern," that's making quite a stir in the DIY-o-sphere. Ben and company are setting out to create modern and contemporary style furniture by hand,… read more

Recently, I was invited by DIY and creative lifestyle site Brit + Co to create an introduction post for those who were interested in learning more about tasting and enjoying whiskey, but never quite knew where to start. Since Brit + Co has a largely female readership, I wrote it in the style of "a woman's introduction to whiskey" (hence the lipstick), but it works equally well for any novice who'd like to have a little more… read more

Sarah Rae calls this the "one appetizer to rule them all." Is it the ultimate snack? Don't know yet, but it's worth finding… read more

Chances are, if you own an iPad or tablet, it's already spent plenty of time in the kitchen. A source for checking recipes and directions, watching your favorite series on Netflix while chopping broccoli, or just for listening to music or the news while cleaning up and washing… read more

I chat with lots of ManMakers who would love to get started with bigger, more in-depth projects, but lack a dedicated place to work on them and the storage space for all the tools they'd love to acquire. So, here's a perfect project for them: a small-footprint workbench that's sturdy enough to do real work, and includes lots of built-in storage and plenty of… read more

A bicycle is an amazing machine. Easy to ride, but full of all sorts of moving parts that work together smoothly when everything is aligned, just so. As an active cyclist, I advocate for making friends with your local shop - they'll likely give you basic adjustments for free. But there's plenty of tune-ups you can do at home to keep things running smoothly, and save the trip.

 So, as riding season seems to finally be poking its head in and cyclists of all types are getting prepped to ride regularly, here are five easy tune-ups you can do to get your bike ready for spring.  … read more