60 Days of Summer

Breezy Picnic Fixes

Breezy afternoons are ideal for lunching outdoors, but it's hard to keep napkins and tablecloths under control. Our solutions? An easy windproof napkin holder and a weighted tablecloth.

Make the Windproof Napkin Holders

Make the Weighted Tablecloth

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

What's Your Vacation Style?

What type of summer vacation suits you best? Before you start packing, take our quiz to find out!
Take the Quiz

Preserve Your Vacation Memories

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Summer Shortcake

This star-spangled cake will make a stellar addition to any Fourth of July dessert spread. Of course, you can also serve it all season long.

Get the Recipe for Summer Shortcake

More Red, White, and Blue Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Last-Minute Centerpiece

Red, white, and blue bands of sand dress up votive candles to make flickering lights that are cheerful and fun.

Learn How to Make This Centerpiece

More Summer Centerpieces

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Protect Your Hair at the Beach

A day spent relaxing at the beach can actually improve the condition of your hair.

How to Protect Your Hair at the Beach

Get More Creative Beach Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Make Your Own Jam

What's more rewarding than a delicious bite of fresh fruit jam? The satisfaction of knowing it came out of your own kitchen! Take advantage of the season's berries now.

Get Our Recipe for Strawberry Jam

Print Our Jam Label Templates

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

60 Easy Summer Projects for You and the Kids

Keep kids entertained for hours at a time with simple projects like these Chocolate-Ginger Bathing Beauties.

Get the How-To and See More Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Summer Pet Tips

They don't call them "dog days" for nothing: Summer is a great time to enjoy your pet, whether it means more outdoor time, travel, or just keeping cool at home. Here are a few tips to make sure your pet enjoys the season as much as you do.

Get Essential Summer Pet Tips

More Seasonal Tips and Tricks

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Seashell Candles

Here's a creative way to turn seashells you've collected into objects both beautiful and practical: Make them into candles.

Make the Seashell Candles

See More Shell Crafts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Our Ultimate Summer Health Guide

The season's blazing sun, mountain trails, and tempting waters offer adventures galore. Maximize your fun -- and minimize your health risks -- with our best natural solutions for summertime ailments.

Get Our Natural Remedies

See More Summer Survival Tips

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Ice Cream Saver

Prevent condensation from forming an unappealing icy crust on ice cream by pressing waxed paper against its surface before you close the container. Follow this process each time, and every scoop will taste as fresh as the first.

60 More Summer Good Things

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Fun with Lemonade

For many young people, selling lemonade from a stand is a summer rite of passage -- a chance to earn some pocket money, spend time outside, and perhaps learn a lesson about entrepreneurship.

Tips for Setting Up a Successful Stand

See More Ideas for Kids

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Visit Your Local Farmers' Market

Take a trip to your local farmers' market to find fresh vegetables, all ripe and ready to eat. By choosing in-season produce, you'll get the freshest ingredients at the best prices. Take a tour and find recipes featuring these seasonal superstars.

Take a Farmers' Market Tour

Print Our Year-Round Produce Guide

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Our 60 Best Summer Crafts, Including a Raffia Tote and Hat

Use touches of raffia to transform a plain canvas tote and a straw beach hat into bright, sunny creations.

Make the Raffia Tote and Hat

Our Top 60 Summer Crafts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Freezing Berries

Frozen berries make healthy and easy summer snacks and can be used in your favorite recipes. To freeze, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and then arrange fruit, such as sliced peaches, blueberries, or grapes, in a single layer on top. Freeze, then transfer to small freezer bags.

See Our 60 Best Berry Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

60 Summer Decorating Ideas

During your summer travels, photograph things that could provide ideas for future decorating projects. You may find inspiration in an interesting piece of furniture you see in a hotel lobby, or a color you discover in a seashell or other natural object.

60 Best Summer Decorating Ideas

Dress Up Your Home with Summer Colors

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Burger Basics

One of the secrets to perfectly grilled hamburgers is making each patty symmetrical. Using a measuring cup, shape meat into 1-inch-thick rounds. Tap back of cup to remove; then indent patties with your hand to prevent doming (which causes condiments to slip).

Get the Recipe for Perfect Burgers

Get Our Pasta Salad Recipes

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Easy Garden Makeovers

Give plain old garden pots and containers a quick makeover with colorful china fragments.

Make the Patterned Pot

Don't Miss: 60 Great Ideas for the Garden

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Blueberry Topping for Ice Cream

Pair two of the best things about summer: fresh blueberries and ice cream.

Get the Recipe for Blueberry Topping

More Blueberry Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Our Best Ideas for the Beach

Seashells, sea-glass crafts, beach chairs, seaside accessories, and more! We've gathered our best beach ideas for summer, whether you're lounging by the shore or just inspired by its beauty.

60 Great Ideas for the Beach

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Easy Outdoor Clothesline

Take advantage of warm, breezy days by drying clothes the old-fashioned way. Line drying is remarkably effective and energy-efficient -- and that clean, fresh smell is worth the extra effort.

Learn How to Make a Clothesline

More Summer Homekeeping Tips

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Make Your Own Ice Cream at Home

Homemade ice cream is delicious and surprisingly easy. With just 20 minutes of prep, create frosty treats ready for cones, floats, and more. 

Get our Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

See Our 60 Best Ice Cream Treats

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Enjoy a Picnic in the Park

Take advantage of a sunny day to picnic in the park. Fill a lidded container with all of the nonperishable essentials for lunch under your favorite tree. Include enamel dishware, a corkscrew, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, and a blanket to sit on.

Find a Perfect Picnic Menu

Create a Wine Bottle Wrap

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Show Us How You Have Summer Fun!

Is your idea of summer fun a backyard cookout or a day spent tending your vegetable garden? Snap a photo of a favorite summer activity or vacation spot, and see what other members are enjoying during this carefree season.

Upload a Photo

Get 60 Outdoor Party Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

How Sun-Smart Are You?

Your skin protects you every day, but how well do you protect it from the sun's harmful rays? Take our quiz to find out!

Test Your Sun Smarts

Brush up on Sun Safety with Our Summer Survival Guide

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

In Season: Corn

Nothing accompanies warm weather better than corn. Leave it on the cob and grill it for the perfect picnic side dish, or use the kernels to add sweet crunch to soups, salads, pastas, and even muffins.

Learn a No-Fuss Way to Remove Silks

Our Best Summer Corn Recipes

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Unique Sea Glass Crafts

Sea glass, the ocean's most overlooked treasure, can be used to make anything from a pair of earrings to a dazzling seaside-inspired tabletop.

See Our Beautiful Ideas for Sea Glass

More Craft Ideas for Your Beachcombing Treasures

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Peach Perfection

Are your peaches not quite ripe? Place them in a paper bag with an apple. Keep them at room temperature until they're ready, and check them frequently.

See Our Best Peach Recipes

Get More Stone Fruit Recipes

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Berry Butter

Take advantage of berry season with a colorful, flavorful spread: fresh fruit butter, delicious on bread, scones, and bagels. We used raspberries, but any kind would be tasty.

Get the Recipe for Berry Butter

Our 60 Best Berry Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Get Charged for a Camping Trip

If you plan to spend a night in a tent under the stars, pack the essentials for a hearty homemade breakfast. Mix and bag the dry ingredients for pancakes or skillet scones. Buy perishables, such as milk and eggs, at a store near your campsite.

Get Energized with a Hearty Homemade Breakfast

5 Ways to Dress Up Your Camp Furniture

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Summer Cupcakes You'll Love

Ready for an afternoon treat? These summer sweets take inspiration from bright blooms, butterflies, ocean waves -- even sharks.

See Our Summer Cupcakes

More Kids' Party Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

60 Ideas for Summer Relaxing

Whether you relax at the beach, at home, at the pool, or your yard, we have 60 great ideas to inspire you as you kick back this season.

60 Ways to Relax

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Printed Seashell Sheets

Crisp white sheets look even more inviting edged with prints made from a few flawlessly shaped scallop shells -- beachcombing for the perfect candidates is half the fun of this project.

Create Shell-Print Sheets

More Inspiring Shell Craft Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Turn Your Tablecloth into a Picnic Basket

With a few simple folds, your tablecloth can double as a picnic basket, thanks to the magic of origami.

Make an Origami Picnic Basket

See More Good Things for Summer

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Makeshift Salad Spinner

Salads make for a light summer supper that takes advantage of seasonal produce. If you don't have a salad spinner, roll rinsed greens in a clean towel, hold both ends in one hand, and rapidly spin it outdoors.

Get Our Summer Salad Recipes

60 Berry Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Organize a Yard Sale

Clean out closets, the garage, and the basement, and sort and price items you no longer need. Choose a weekend day for the sale, and check local ordinances before posting signs (you might need a permit). Get your neighbors involved, too: A block-wide sale can be fun and will attract lots of customers. You can donate some or all of the proceeds to a worthy local charity.

See Our Guide to Yard Sales

Get More Ideas for Summer Organizing

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Easy Frozen Granita

When you're looking for a cool, healthy treat, think granita. Then take a shortcut and enjoy this easy version.

Get the Recipe

More No-Cook Desserts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

How Well Do You Know Your Summer Foods?

Do you know the top-selling flavor of saltwater taffy? Take our Summer Foods quiz and find out the answer to this and other fun summer food facts.

Test Your Food Smarts Now

See Our Best Summer Appetizers

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

5 ways to Relax During Your Summer Trip

You've double-checked your reservations, packed perfectly, and arranged for pet care and mail pickup. Already exhausted? Practice these simple tips to ensure you arrive relaxed and ready to enjoy your vacation.

5 Ways to Relax on Your Trip

60 Ideas for Summer Relaxing

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Beach Essential: A Portable Wind Screen

Don't let a stiff breeze chase you off the beach. Bring along a windscreen to protect yourself from gusts and blowing sand, as well as to enjoy a little surf-side privacy and shade.

Make a Portable Wind Screen

See Our 60 Best Beach Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Grilled Cheese on the Grill

The tastiest grilled-cheese sandwiches aren't prepared in the kitchen in a frying pan -- they're made on a grill.

Get the Recipe

Plus: 60 Summer Side Dishes

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Fun with Tie-Dye

Tie-dyeing is an easy way to add unique patterns to clothing, tablecloths, and more. Get the kids in on the fun!

Learn Our Tie-Dyeing Techniques

More Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Sandcastles at the Beach -- and in Your Kitchen

Stock your beach bag or trunk with the tools you'll need to spend the day creating a seaside abode fit for royalty, then head home and finish the day with a sand-castle cake.

Essential Sand Castle Tools

Make an Edible Sand Castle Cake

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Prepare an Easy Weekend Lunch for the Entire Family

Throw a family lunch the kids and adults can enjoy together with these simple summer favorites.

Get the Menu

Plus: Refreshing Summer Drinks

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Summer Scrapbooking Ideas

Seek shelter from the sweltering sun -- or a midsummer storm -- by staying indoors and scrapbooking with your family.

Scrapbooking Ideas for You and the Kids

Get 6 Scrapbooking Templates

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Getaway: Plan a Road Trip

Gather your closest friends or family for an end-of-summer road trip! Remember: To help your car run more smoothly and get better gas mileage, take it for a tune-up before you leave.

The Tastiest Destinations in the U.S.

See Photos from Martha's Vacations

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Throw an End-of-Summer Bash

Savor the last few weeks of summer by throwing an outdoor party for friends and family.

Get 60 Outdoor Party Ideas

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Make a Tree Swing

Hang a tire from a branch, and let your kids experience the sensation of flight at home all year long.

Make a Tree Swing

More Ways to Have Fun with the Kids

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Keep Bees at Bay

Turn away picnic-table pests with inexpensive sewing supplies: embroidery hoops and muslin.

Get the How-To

Find Your Perfect Summer Menu

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Natural Bite and Sting Remedies

Natural remedies like clay, baking soda, lavender oil, plantain, and tobacco contain properties that fight against the summer's bites and stings.

Get the Remedies

More Natural Health Remedies

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Flower Arrangement in a Seashell

What should you do with a steady supply of flowers in your garden? Make waves with an arrangement set in a seashell.

Get the How-To

Martha's No-Fail Tips for Flower-Arranging

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Throw an Outdoor Movie Party and Test Your Pop Culture I.Q.!

An outdoor movie party is just the ticket for a good time with family and friends. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need lots of space or special equipment.

Throw an Outdoor Movie Party

Quiz: Test Your Summer Pop Culture I.Q.

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Smarter S'mores

We have a secret for making your s'mores even more gooey!

Get Our Easy S'mores Recipe

60 More Summer Good Things

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Coffee Cubes and Summer Drinks

Don't let your iced coffee get watered down. Make the ice cubes from coffee, and they won't dilute your drink as they melt. Freeze hot coffee (or tea, if you prefer) in an ice-cube tray, then use the cubes to cool your brew.

See Our 60 Best Summer Drinks

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Sundae Social

Here's a sweet idea: Use leftover candy for a make-it-yourself ice cream sundae party. Simply chop the treats into bits, and set them out in small bowls so everyone can choose a favorite topping. Our assortment includes candy sticks, toffee bars, and chocolate-covered almonds, but any candies or nuts will work well.

Get 60 More Ice Cream Recipes

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Make Summer Memories Last

Create lasting memories of your trip by creating stylish wall art using paraphernalia collected from summer events you attended or places you traveled.

Create a Travel Collage

See More Vacation and Memorykeeping Crafts

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Host a Lobster Feast

Nothing pulls a party together like a motif and vibrant palette. Set the tone with our claw-shaped invitations. Then use lobster-red and sail-white hues on place cards and festive flat streamers. Striped dish towels serve as napkins -- the generous size is just right for a lobster feast.

Make the Decorations

Get Our Lobster Menu

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter

60 Days of Summer

Say Farewell to Summer with a Picnic on the Beach

Cherish the last days of sand and sun! Pack a picnic with our favorite cooler-ready foods and these charming sea animal-shaped picnic plates.

Pack the Essentials

Get the How-To for the Beachy Picnic Plates

Sign Up for the 60 Days of Summer Newsletter