diff --git a/tests/default.test.mjs b/tests/default.test.mjs
index d79d758..84095a8 100644
--- a/tests/default.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/default.test.mjs
@@ -1,77 +1,33 @@
-import { describe, it, beforeAll, afterAll, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { join } from 'path';
-import tmp from 'tmp-promise';
-import { execa } from 'execa';
-import copyWithTemplate from '../lib/copy-with-template';
 import { existsSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs';
 import stripAnsi from 'strip-ansi';
-import { emberCli } from './helpers.mjs';
-
-const blueprintPath = join(__dirname, '..');
-const appName = 'fancy-app-in-test';
+import { newProjectWithFixtures } from './helpers.mjs';
 
 describe('basic functionality', function () {
-  let tmpDir;
-
-  beforeAll(async () => {
-    tmpDir = await tmp.dir({ unsafeCleanup: true });
-
-    let emberCliArgs = [
-      'new',
-      appName,
-      '-b',
-      blueprintPath,
-      '--pnpm',
-      '--skip-git',
-    ];
-
-    await execa(emberCli, emberCliArgs, {
-      cwd: tmpDir.path,
-      preferLocal: true,
-    });
-
-    // apply the fixture on top of the generated app
-    copyWithTemplate(join(__dirname, 'fixture'), join(tmpDir.path, appName), {
-      name: appName,
-    });
-
-    // Sync the lints for the fixtures with the project's config
-    await execa(`pnpm`, ['lint:fix'], {
-      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-    });
-  });
-
-  afterAll(async () => {
-    try {
-      await tmpDir.cleanup();
-    } catch {
-      // if it fails to cleaup we don't want to break CI
-    }
+  let project = newProjectWithFixtures({
+    fixturePath: join(__dirname, 'fixture'),
   });
 
   it('verify files', async function () {
     expect(
-      !existsSync(join(tmpDir.path, 'app/index.html')),
+      !existsSync(join(project.dir(), 'app/index.html')),
       'the app index.html has been removed',
     );
     expect(
-      existsSync(join(tmpDir.path, 'index.html')),
+      existsSync(join(project.dir(), 'index.html')),
       'the root index.html has been added',
     );
   });
 
   it('successfully lints', async function () {
-    let result = await execa('pnpm', ['lint'], {
-      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-    });
+    let result = await project.execa('pnpm', ['lint']);
 
     console.log(result.stdout);
   });
 
   it('successfully builds', async function () {
-    let result = await execa('pnpm', ['build'], {
-      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-    });
+    let result = await project.execa('pnpm', ['build']);
 
     console.log(result.stdout);
   });
@@ -80,9 +36,7 @@ describe('basic functionality', function () {
     let result;
 
     try {
-      result = await execa('pnpm', ['test:ember'], {
-        cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-      });
+      result = await project.execa('pnpm', ['test:ember']);
     } catch (err) {
       console.log(err.stdout, err.stderr);
       throw err;
@@ -99,17 +53,13 @@ describe('basic functionality', function () {
   });
 
   it('successfully runs tests in dev mode', async function () {
-    await execa({
-      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-    })`pnpm install --save-dev testem http-proxy`;
+    await project.$`pnpm install --save-dev testem http-proxy`;
     let appURL;
 
     let server;
 
     try {
-      server = execa('pnpm', ['start'], {
-        cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-      });
+      server = project.execa('pnpm', ['start']);
 
       await new Promise((resolve) => {
         server.stdout.on('data', (line) => {
@@ -125,7 +75,7 @@ describe('basic functionality', function () {
       });
 
       writeFileSync(
-        join(tmpDir.path, appName, 'testem-dev.js'),
+        join(project.dir(), 'testem-dev.js'),
         `module.exports = {
   test_page: 'tests/index.html?hidepassed',
   disable_watching: true,
@@ -153,13 +103,12 @@ describe('basic functionality', function () {
 `,
       );
 
-      let testResult = await execa(
-        'pnpm',
-        ['testem', '--file', 'testem-dev.js', 'ci'],
-        {
-          cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-        },
-      );
+      let testResult = await project.execa('pnpm', [
+        'testem',
+        '--file',
+        'testem-dev.js',
+        'ci',
+      ]);
       expect(testResult.exitCode).to.eq(0, testResult.output);
     } finally {
       server?.kill('SIGINT');
@@ -167,8 +116,6 @@ describe('basic functionality', function () {
   });
 
   it('successfully optimizes deps', function () {
-    return execa('pnpm', ['vite', 'optimize', '--force'], {
-      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, appName),
-    });
+    return project.execa('pnpm', ['vite', 'optimize', '--force']);
   });
 });
diff --git a/tests/helpers.mjs b/tests/helpers.mjs
index 412b4c9..9c994e1 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.mjs
+++ b/tests/helpers.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,77 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+
+import { beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest';
 import { sync as resolveBinSync } from 'resolve-bin';
+import { execa } from 'execa';
+import tmp from 'tmp-promise';
+
+import copyWithTemplate from '../lib/copy-with-template';
 
 function findEmber() {
   return resolveBinSync('ember-cli', { executable: 'ember' });
 }
 
 export const emberCli = findEmber();
+
+const blueprintPath = join(__dirname, '..');
+const appName = 'fancy-app-in-test';
+
+export function newProjectWithFixtures({
+  flags = [],
+  fixturePath,
+  name = appName,
+} = {}) {
+  let tmpDir;
+
+  assert(fixturePath, `a fixturePath is required`);
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    tmpDir = await tmp.dir({ unsafeCleanup: true });
+
+    let emberCliArgs = [
+      'new',
+      name,
+      '-b',
+      blueprintPath,
+      '--pnpm',
+      '--skip-git',
+      ...flags,
+    ];
+
+    await execa(emberCli, emberCliArgs, {
+      cwd: tmpDir.path,
+      preferLocal: true,
+    });
+
+    // apply the fixture on top of the generated app
+    copyWithTemplate(join(__dirname, 'fixture'), join(tmpDir.path, name), {
+      name,
+    });
+
+    // Sync the lints for the fixtures with the project's config
+    await execa(`pnpm`, ['lint:fix'], {
+      cwd: join(tmpDir.path, name),
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    try {
+      await tmpDir.cleanup();
+    } catch {
+      // if it fails to cleaup we don't want to break CI
+    }
+  });
+
+  return {
+    tmpDir: () => tmpDir.path,
+    appName: () => name,
+    dir: () => join(tmpDir.path, name),
+    $: (...args) => execa({ cwd: join(tmpDir.path, name) })(...args),
+    execa: (program, args, options = {}) =>
+      execa(program, args, {
+        cwd: join(tmpDir.path, name),
+        ...options,
+      }),
+  };
+}