how to make a star ornament (diy star decor) Hello lovely friends! First things first: If you can’t get enough of my incessant ramblings here, we’re super excited to announce that our first article for Country Living is up on their site today. I had a few picks regarding all things watercolor and unique gift ideas for Christmas. The inner artist in me couldn’t resist this topic-So check it out! Today, I thought I’d jump back into the swing of things by talking about a little ornament idea I had the other day. I guess it’s no secret by now that I love stars in our decor… especially around Christmas. These little beauts are the perfect project if you’re looking for a rainy afternoon kind of idea, and convert nicely into a garland or mobile as well, if you like. You can use our star template, by clicking on this link, here. Printed and cut, I used this as my guide to trace onto some crafting foam. Once they were cut, I coated them with a dark grey on both sides. The kids love it. As always, let us know if you try it! [pinit]
Sprout a Couch Do-it-yourself decorating allows you to customize your home, apartment, condo, or room with DIY accents that transform your space on a budget without completing a full-scale remodel. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, we guide you with instructions, tutorials, and step-by-step photos for indoor and outdoor projects and room makeovers. We have tips, techniques, and tools to get you started on paint projects, the easiest way to freshen up a space or decor item. But it doesn't stop there! Make an Aluminum Can Lamp Inspired by an article in Wilderness Way, SuriviveLA made our own post-apocalyptic lighting out of two aluminum cans. According to the author of that article, Del Gideon, the Vietnamese used to make these lamps back during the war. You can also use these lamps to heat up water. Making one is easy: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
How to Quickly Repair A Broken Zipper | Make It Or Fix It Yourself! I put on these jeans and the zipper broke. In the above picture, the zipper slider came off the zipper track. So, I had to do a quick fix to get the slider back on track. So, here’s a quick tutorial on fixing this broken zipper and getting it back on track. First, you have to get the zipper slider back on track. Slide the zipper slider all the way down. You’ll notice that there is an opening when zipped. Using a needle and thread, you will make a temporary stop for the zipper slider. Now, you have a temporary fix until you can have your zipper replaced. Have you had to do a quick fix for a garment mishap? Google+ About Sharon I'm a stay-at-home mom who's always trying to figure out how to decrease our monthly expenses.
Outdoor Decor: 5 Beautiful DIY Paper Lantern Projects » Curbly | DIY Design Community « Keywords: DIY, outdoor, decor, lantern I know what you are thinking: paper and outdoors?? Well, perhaps not permanantly, but for those non-rainy summer gatherings, you will want your outdoors do be as fun and welcoming as your indoors. Paper is inexpensive, comes in a bazillion varieties, and makes a big impact! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Hopefully these cheap and easy DIY's will get you in the mood for a little summer socializing. Tagged : outdoor, decor, lantern, lighting, summer, paper, Craft, DIY, DIY
Build Your Own $20 Outdoor Cob Oven | Outdoor Pizza Oven | Cob Ovens (The following entry is all about making a cob oven, a lovely and inexpensive outdoor pizza oven. The construction details have been trimmed back a bit, but this article should still give you a full idea of necessary materials and the building process for making your own oven!) I must admit, I’m a bit of a breadhead. Earlier in the year, the idea of baking in the outdoors in a wood fired oven became something of a romanticized (in every positive sense of the word) notion to me. So I picked up a copy of Kiko Denzer’s Build Your Own Earth Oven, a little gem of a book covering the construction of cob ovens from the ground up. The Foundation With little more than some clay, sand, sawdust, brick, some recycled beer bottles and old cinder blocks, I had everything I needed to make my own oven. The Fire Brick Oven Hearth An insulating layer of beer bottles in a sawdust/clay mortar was assembled on top of the foundation in a ring of cob and beneath the firebrick hearth. Sizing the Cob Oven p.s.
How To Make Lavender Wands | Fairegarden When we began gardening in earnest, when the youngest offspring went to school all day and we had more free time at home, it was the growing of herbs that snagged our attention. Easy to grow, beautiful in the landscape and useful, what more could be asked from any plant? Books about herbs and herb gardens were checked out at the library and some were purchased or received as gifts for birthdays and Mother’s Day. Fast forward to now, several years and gardens later. What are lavender wands you might be asking? Begin by cutting the longest stems you can find on the plant that have a few flowers completely opened. Once you have cut the stems, find a shady spot outdoors with a comfortable chair and a nice breeze. Clean the stems of any leaves or buds below the top portion by pinching them with the ever handy thumbnail. After the stems are cleaned, gather them together so that the bottom portion of the flower heads are all at the same place. Frances
Folding Geodesic Dome Updated May 7 '012: The prototype is great for backyard use but not wind-proof enough for open desert. To make it more weatherproof, I have just taped all the tab hinges to cover the flutes and keep water out. The tape covers much of the face of each tab to give it extra friction along with spray tack adhesive on all tabs, but in testing this setup still blows apart in strong gusts/dust devils. Using clips to secure the tabs still allows too much slippage and the panels come apart from each other. Next method to test: heavy-duty staples to secure tabs to each other, which of course would need a staple-puller to minimize damage to tabs. This seems like a fast way to erect the dome, but it would slow the deconstruction process. Once deployed I add short strips of tape across all joints on the outside of the dome to bolster it against slippage, and around the door joints. Putting this up in windy conditions would be problematic; morning while it’s cool and calm is the ideal time.
Homemade natural translucent powder | Great Oak Circle, blog design, logo and print design, DIY blog Hey friends! I am beyond excited to share my latest DIY find with you, homemade all-natural translucent powder! I heard about this from a friend and thought it was worth a whirl…and it’s amazing. Can you tell I am RAVING about it!?!?! PLUS!! You will need organic cornstarch and French green clay. You can also tint a little with organic cocoa ( I like it) Cornstarch is sometimes used in makeup because it offers great oil absorption. French Green Clay is often used in resorts for facials and spa treatments. I’ve added links to purchase these products at the end of the post:) In a small bowl combine 1 part cornstarch, 1 part green clay and a bit of cocoa. 1 part in a 1 to 1 recipe depends on how much you are making. Mix together carefully, making sure to fully incorporate any lumps. I used a spice jar as my makeup container. Paint your lid if you want. When everything is dry, funnel or scoop your powder in, and you’re all set! I add a little to the cap, load my brush, tap excess off and apply.
Glowing Photo Luminaries | Our Best BitesOur Best Bites When I was growing up, we had a formal dining room that was only used on special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. At one point I thought that was a really wasted use of space, but now looking back- because it was so special, that room was home to some of my most precious family memories. It’s the only room where we used my great grandmother’s gold-plated china. And where we sat on fancy padded chairs and got to drink sparkling cider and use the fancy butter knives. It’s also the only room where every meal was eaten by candlelight- and it was magical. Recently I was cleaning my garage and came across a big pack of vellum from my drafting days in college. To make these, I used my photo printer to print some of my favorite family photos onto vellum. So just print out a variety of photos. Next you’ll need some glass jars or vases. Trim your photos to the proper height of your glass. And then apply a piece of double-sided tape. Simply attach your photo to the tape.
Homebuilt Camper Trailer Safari BaseCamp 10 is a homebuilt camper trailer that my dad and my brother and I built, with the help of some nearby craftsmen. One of the goals has been to create a self-sufficient system that facilitates a complete set of commodities without the need for hookups. Although many details were worked out during construction, there was quite a bit of prior planning and dreaming involved. It's probably been over two years since the building began, and we're still not done tweaking it. We took BaseCamp 10 on its first camping trip about a year ago. Since Dad did most of the work and we boys helped with some things along the way, I may use "we" to refer to all or any of the the three of us throughout this instructable. The project was based on a 4x8-ft. aluminum trailer frame. Dad designed and built a 34-in. The box contained three main compartments. We outfitted the middle compartment of the main box with a 20-gal. water tank as well as a pump.
How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Cubes | Make It Or Fix It Yourself!Make It Or Fix It Yourself! I definitely enjoyed trying this! How neat! I must say that this is one of my How-To favorites. Why? Well, this one comes in really handy for me. We don’t use the dishwasher to wash dishes that often. So, I came across ways (most of them the same with a few minor differences) to make the dishwasher detergent and was definitely intrigued with making it into cubes. Ingredients 2 cups of Borax (purchased at Walmart for $3.13)2 cups of Baking Soda (or Washing Soap)2 packets of unsweetened lemonade (or Essential Oils)1/2 cup of Kosher Salt1/2 cup of vinegarice cube trays (I used mask shaped trays from Everything’s A Dollar $1 each and regular trays that I already had at home.)wax paper (optional) Directions: Pour Borax into a mixing bowl. Add in the baking soda or washing soda. Pour the kosher salt into the bowl with other ingredients. I used 2 packets of the lemonade. Stir to blend the ingredients. This is the fun part! Your mixture should look somewhat like this. Google+
DIY Bed Warmer (and Cooler) | Making Our Sustainable Life Brrrrr….. it’s cold outside! You know how it is. It’s winter and it’s cold, no, it’s actually freezing outside. It’s time to go to bed and you just know that bed is actually made of ice. Well, next winter you can prevent this scenario with your own rice (or corn or beans) bed warmer! But wait, there’s more! All you need is some fabric, thread, stuffing (rice, flax, corn, beans, peas, cherry pits, most anything organic, clean and dry works) and a bit of time! Lets start with the fabric. Once this is done, fold the fabric in half lengthwise. Sew a seam along the top and bottom, inside out. Turn to right side out, poke the corner out and press the seam down. Turn right side out, poke corner out so it looks nice, then press the seam with an iron. stitches. First sew a seam down the very middle. Three seams are sewn, not including the ends, making four panels Now comes the math part! Measuring between the seams. Now just go ahead and sew all of your seams. You are now ready to stuff. Your done!
Yurt Without Steel I built this 10 foot diameter yurt without metal fasteners from free materials. It has the same proportions as the "standard" Mongolian ger scaled down. The varnished wood and white liner give it a marvelous feeling inside. Lots of people told me this was the best shelter they'd seen at Burningman. ("Yurt" is the Russian word. "Ger" is the Mongolian) Most of the wooden parts are sawed from the slats of a futon couch. At Burning Man I set the yurt up on top of my truck's lumber rack on a platform of redwood boards. In the next photo Pete and Leslie take shelter in the Yurt during a dust storm.During a break in the dust storms there's some rain.