60 Days of Summer 2010
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Make a Shell House for Kids
Celebrate summer with our 60 ideas, guaranteed to brighten up every day of the season!
Using cardboard, collected shells, and our house and roof templates, you can create a charming seaside bungalow.
How to Make the Shell House
See More Shell Crafts
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Find the Right Sunglasses Shape for Your Face
With so many styles of shades on the rack, how can you tell which pair will flatter your face? Take our quick quiz to find out which shape suits you best.
Take the Sunglasses Quiz
How to Make a Soothing Summer Eye Treatment
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Make Patterned Napkin Rings
Sew different patterns of bright fabric ribbon around rolled napkins for a one-of-a-kind table setting.
How to Make the Napkin Rings
Make Pasta Salad for Your Picnic
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Easy Summer Centerpiece Idea
Set up this beautifully simple centerpiece in minutes. All you need is a cheese board, votives, and some floating flowers.
How to Make the Floating Centerpiece
See More Summer Centerpieces
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Make an American Flag Cheesecake
Wow your Independence Day guests with a star-spangled cake covered in berries.
How to Make the American Flag Cheesecake
More Patriotic Desserts
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Turn Flowers into Fireworks
Want to illuminate your table? Group spider mums of different colors together in vases for a dazzling display.
How to Make the Fiery Flowers Display
See More Summer Centerpieces
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Get Patriotic with Pretzel Sparklers
Covered in chocolate and sprinkles, these sparklers will light up your Fourth of July celebration, in- or outdoors.
How to Make the Pretzel Sparklers
Try One of Our Fourth of July Crafts
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Martha's Favorite Outdoor Games
Leave it to Martha to show you how the perfect spot for summer games is right outside your door.
Learn Martha's Favorite Backyard Games
60 More Ways to Relax
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Find Your Perfect Summer Hobby
Summer is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby or skill. But which one's right for you? Take our quiz to find out.
Which Hobby Is Right for You?
Show Us What You Do for Fun in the Summer
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Show Us Your Local Favorites
Every state boasts something special, whether it's wild Maine blueberries, gorgeous Hawaiian waterfalls, or a special state fair. Showcase your regional favorites by uploading a photo of something that's uniquely American to you.
Upload a Photo of Your Local Favorites
See What Others Have Submitted
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Summer Hats for Kids
Transform a plain baseball or sailor hat into a festive beach accessory for young ones using our island, shark, or lobster templates.
How to Make Kids' Summer Hats
Get More Beach Ideas
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Make Natural Plant Markers with Stones
Unsightly sticks and flags look like trespassers in your herbs. Instead, make tags using flat stones that look as though they belong in your landscape.
How to Make the Stone Plant Markers
60 Great Ideas for the Garden
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Wake Up with a Fruit Smoothie
Start the day off right with a cool vanilla, plum, and buttermilk breakfast treat.
How to Make the Smoothie
More Refreshing Summer Drinks
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Refresh with All-Natural DIY Mists
A refreshing spritz of fragrant water is a great way to keep cool in summer. To create sprays, simply fill mist bottles with water and a few strips of julienned cucumber or sprigs of lavender and mint. Label bottles, and set them on a tray at your next backyard barbecue.
Bonus: Cucumber is known for its hydrating properties, and lavender and mint are reputed insect repellents.
See More Summer Good Things
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Easy Summer Appetizers
Put fresh basil to use by blending it with olive oil and drizzling over your favorite summer appetizers.
How to Make the Basil-Infused Oil
Get Our Best Summer Appetizers
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Enjoy a Seaside Cookout in Your Backyard
Enjoy an outdoor meal on a warm evening with summer's freshest food and your best friends.
See the Menu
20 More Summer Menus
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Make a Beach Bag for Kids
Give kids a fresh, new bag for the summer -- you can even coordinate it with their bathing suit. Ours is washable and lined with water-resistant nylon, and it takes only an hour to complete.
How to Make the Beach Bag
Get Summer Organizing Tips
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Summer Picnic Crafts
Prepare to picnic in style with our 20 ideas for blankets, utensil holders, bottle wraps, and more!
See Our Picnic Craft Ideas
Delicious Picnic Sandwich Recipes
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Visit a Private Garden
Whether you're trekking across the country or staying close to home, stop by one of the 360 private gardens taking part in this year's Garden Conservancy Open Days program.
Find a Private Garden Near You
See 60 Great Ideas for Your Garden
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Try New Things with Your Family
From water-gun fights to beach-inspired art, you keep proving that there's no end to the number of ways you can have summer fun.
21 Fun Activities to Try This Summer
What Do You Do for Summer Fun?
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Have Fun with Dye
Add some color to your family's summer wardrobe with fun and easy fabric dye.
How to Make the Dyed Sneakers
60 Summer Crafts
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Show Us Your Flea Market Finds and Win!
Want to know more about the treasures you find this summer -- including what they're worth? Upload a photo of your flea market or yard sale find with a detailed description of the item; we'll pick three readers at random to receive a 15-minute consultation with a Martha Stewart Living Collecting editor, plus a one-year subscription to the magazine!
Upload a Photo for a Chance to Win
Bargaining Tips and Renovation Projects
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Cool Off with Fruited Ice Cubes
Add a cool splash of color and taste to your favorite summer drinks with fruity ice cubes. Just drop combinations of fresh berries, mint leaves, ginger bits, and strips of citrus zest into empty ice cube trays. Add water to trays and freeze.
Get Our Favorite Summer Drink Recipes
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Build the Ultimate Summer Party Playlist
Everyone knows a party doesn't really begin until the music starts! Listen to an iMix of our favorite outdoor party songs, then add them to your summer playlist.
Get Our Party Playlist
60 Outdoor Party Ideas
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Create Sun Print Art
The summer sun casts its light on many things -- including artwork. Use everyday objects as stencils to make shining images to hang in your home.
How to Make Sun Print Art
More Summer Activities for Kids
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Take Our Summer Trivia Quiz!
Are you ready to test your seasonal smarts? Take our quiz to find out your summer trivia IQ.
Start the Quiz
See Our 60 Favorite Summer Good Things
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Plan a Lakeside Dinner
Gather your closest friends for an intimate lakeside dinner. Create a charming table setting with a faded tablecloth and a beautiful centerpiece.
Get Our Lakeside Dinner Menu
How to Make a Faded Tablecloth
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Beautiful Birds in Your Own Backyard
Few animals are as theatrical as birds. Why not grab your binoculars and enjoy the show? Whether you're traveling to a nearby park or simply exploring the backyard with your kids, here's how to begin identifying your winged neighbors.
Take Your Family on a Birdwatching Adventure
Enjoy the Outdoors on a Walking Tour
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Make Tie-Dye Ice Pops
Put summer's best fruit to use with these deliciously cool treats.
How to Make the Tie-Dye Ice Pops
60 More Ice Cream Treats
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Set Up an Obstacle Course
From rope swings to balance beams, a backyard full of exciting challenges will keep kids active and entertained on a summer afternoon.
How to Make an Obstacle Course
More Summer Activities for Kids
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Make a Totable Yoga Mat
Who needs a tote bag? Make a simple leash for your yoga or exercise mat, and it'll be easy to throw over your shoulder.
How to Make a Leash for Your Yoga Mat
Take Your Yoga Routine Outdoors
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Decorate with Rice Paper Wall Art
These botanical motifs, cut like paper snowflakes, pay tribute to Hawaiian quilts and instantly brighten up any room.
How to Make Rice Paper Wall Art
Get 60 Summer Decorating Ideas
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Brighten the Table with a Braided Trivet
Pretty and practical, these surface protectors were made by weaving together strips of dyed ticking fabric.
How to Make Braided Trivets
60 More Summer Crafts
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A Twist on Iced Tea
There's no better way to cool off than with a refreshing, easy-to-make strawberry-basil iced tea.
How to Make Strawberry Iced Tea
See More Summer Drink Recipes
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Blueberry Cork Stamps
Add whimsy, color, and a hint of summer's bounty to plain white kids' clothing and sneakers -- or to a tote bag or note cards for yourself -- with stamped blueberry patterns made with wine corks.
How to Make Easy Blueberry Stamps
See Our 60 Favorite Summer Good Things
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Seashell Printed Pillows
Bring the beach into the house by decorating pillows with printed shells and sea stars.
How to Make the Seashell Pillows
See More Shell Crafts
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Fun on Two Wheels
If you're feeling adventurous, why not grab your outdoor-inclined friends for a mini bike tour? With a little preparation, just about anyone can appreciate the rewards of two-wheel travel.
Plan a Bike Tour
How to Fix a Flat Bike Tire
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How Relaxed Are You?
Summer's in full swing, but are you enjoying it to the max? Find out whether you're still holding on to stress or if you've mastered the art of relaxation.
Take the Quiz
60 Ways to Relax
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Island Inspiration
A store-bought linen robe promises a relaxing weekend morning in island style. You can add a Hawaiian-inspired design with this easy applique project.
How to Applique a Flower onto Your Robe
Enjoy a Spa Getaway -- At Home
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Enjoy a Picnic Lunch with the Kids
Take advantage of a sunny day by planning, preparing, and packing a portable meal with your children.
How to Make an Easy Kids' Picnic Lunch
See Our Picnic Sandwich Recipes
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Colorful Painted Pots
Paint terra-cotta pots in bright colors that complement their contents.
How to Make the Painted Pots
60 Great Ideas for the Garden
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Throw a Mediterranean-Inspired Summer Party
There's no need to pack your bags. You can bring the Mediterranean right into your backyard with a cocktail party inspired by the small dishes of France, Italy, Spain, and Greece.
Get Our Mediterranean-Inspired Menu
See Our Favorite Summer Appetizers
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Amazing Popsticle Stick Crafts
How creative can your kids get with a box of popsicle sticks? Make a tree house, a candy shop, or a sailboat -- the possibilities are endless!
How to Make Popsicle Stick Crafts
60 More Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained
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Make Cold Corn Soup
On a hot day, enjoy our chilled corn and shrimp soup, which only takes 20 minutes to prepare.
How to Make the Cold Corn Soup
More No-Cook Summer Recipes
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Martha's Outdoor Adventure Tips
An avid hiker, Martha's trekked around the world and right at home in Maine. Before you plan an outdoor trip or day hike, see Martha's tips for successful outings.
See Martha's Top 10 Hiking Tips
Martha's Maine Travel Guide
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What Summer Dessert Are You?
Would you say you're more of an ice cream sandwich? Or perhaps a berry tart? Find out which delicious sweet best fits your personality.
Take the Quiz
See Our Favorite Blueberry Dessert Recipes
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Easy Stamp Art
This postage stamp art project is a perfect summer activity to do with the kids. All you need to get started are postage stamps, paper, and glue!
How to Make Stamp Art
See 60 More Summer Activities for Kids
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Throw a Carnival Party for Kids
Turn your backyard into a fun-filled fair with old-fashioned games, prizes, and tasty carnival staples.
How to Throw a Carnival Party
More Summer Activities for Kids
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DIY Dill-Pickle Chips
Transform garden-fresh cucumbers into crispy pickle chips for a new summer taste.
How to Make the Dill-Pickle Chips
Get Farmers' Market Produce Ideas
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Build the Ultimate Sandcastle
No matter what your age, building a castle at the beach can be buckets of fun. Here's how to help your child make the sand castle of his dreams.
Build a Perfect Sand Castle
See 60 More Beach Ideas
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Take Our Road Trip Trivia Quiz!
Even if you haven't had a chance to hit the road yet, you can still test your smarts in our road-trip-themed trivia challenge.
Take the Quiz
Share Local Favorites from Your State
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A Relaxing Soak
Carve out an hour (or two!) for a relaxing soak in the bath. For added luxury, make your own fragrant tea balls infused with your favorite scents.
How to Make Fragrant Tea Balls
More Ways to Create an At-Home Spa
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Make Your Own Rose Sangria
Get refreshed on a hot summer day with a homemade wine punch full of berries.
How to Make Rose Sangria
Get 60 More Summer Drinks
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Create a Summer Collection Box
Display your beachcombing finds by filling a picture frame or scrapbox with seashells and other interesting discoveries.
How to Frame Your Collections
25 More Ideas for Shells
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Camp Under the Stars in Your Own Backyard
You don't need to go to a campground to enjoy a night under the stars! Gather the kids, a tent, and some warm sleeping bags and enjoy a magical night around the campfire.
Throw a Kids' Campfire Party in Your Backyard
How to Make S'mores and Star-Topped Sticks
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Make Vanilla-Roasted Peaches with Raspberries
Don't miss out on summer's greatest treats. Celebrate the season with a quick and easy dessert.
How to Make Vanilla-Roasted Peaches
Get 40 More Stone Fruit Recipes
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Make Crunchy Critter Treats
Bring your kids' favorites to life with crispy cake creatures decorated in candy.
How to Make Crunchy Critter Treats
Get 60 Berry Dessert Recipes
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Map Out Your Summer Memories
Whether you've traveled near or far this summer, put your vacation adventures on prominent display by creating a map memory board that traces where you've been.
How to Make a Map Memory Board
More Summer Memory-Keeping Ideas
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Host a Tomato-Tasting Party
Take advantage of late summer's tomato varieties by bringing together a group of family or friends for a day of tasting. Using easy-to-make rating cards, guests can jot down their thoughts on flavor and texture.
Get Our Tomato Party Ideas
See Our Favorite Summer Side Dishes