inspire co. Messenger bag Last Friday, I mentioned there possibly was a tutorial in the works for little H.'s bag. It's been tested now over the weekend and she loves it - and so do I! So, here's a tutorial for a fancy ruffled messenger bag! This bag sort of happened. In case you want to give it a try, here's a short description. For this bag you'll need: two sets of fabric, one for the outside of the bag, one for the lining, cut as follows: in each fabric: - a 65x30cm rectangle, for the body, - another 30x25cm rectangle for the flap, (long end determines the height of the flap, while the short end determines the width of the flap. lining only:- a long strip measuring roughly 7x140cm, for the ruffles Step 1: Body of the bag Fold the fabric in two, pin the sides, and stitch the sides closed.Next, in order to make the boxed corners at the bottom, fold open the corner so that the side seam matches up with the bottom fabric fold, pin and mark as shown in the picture, about 4cm from the side. Step 2: Flap 2a. 2b. 2c. 2d.
The $40 Hidden Inside a 12V Battery Wise Bread Picks Hands up who hates buying batteries. (I had both hands up in the air by the way, briefly, but had to put them down to continue writing this article.) Anyway, batteries are the bane of my life. It seems almost every toy we have for our children or gadget for ourselves require batteries. Kipkay over at Metacafe has done it again, with a life hack and battery hack that will save you roughly $40 on those 1.5V button cell batteries. $40 From a 12V Battery How To Hack A 12 Volt Battery As the video shows, you simply split them open to reveal EIGHT 1.5V button-cell batteries, each one worth around $5. 9V Emergency Battery Hack
inspired ideas Petit LanternsA project from inspiredfriend Constance Muller This swag of paper lanterns is a easy project and a quick one to complete too.Appropriate for ages 7 and up. For the Petit Lanternsyou will need: Paper~ Origami is a good choice, however any paper will work.Paper~ Card stock that coordinates with paperGlue sticksScissorsMiniature hole punchGlue gun and glue gun sticks or staplerRibbon or twineRaffia The Method: ~ Cut nine squares of card stock 4" wide x 5" long~ Cut nine squares of colorful paper 4" x 4"~ Using glue stick, glue colorful square centered on card stock. ~ Fold square in half, then fold back top and bottom. ~ Make cuts from inside fold, just up to the fold at top and bottom. ~ Roll the top and bottom around, and place on top of the other to make the lantern. ~ Secure the lantern top and bottom with glue gun or stapler. ~ Make two holes at top of lantern. ~ String raffia or ribbon through creating a handle or holder. *Idea: Use individual lanterns for party favors.
Dining Room Projects, Part I There were lots of fun little projects from my dining room redo that I have been anxious to share with you all! I started writing this post thinking that I could get it all in one long entry, but I think this is going to be a two-parter!! First up, I've had these little brass and lucite lamps for a long time now. They are sort of a little too...fancy for my taste, but I liked the scale in the room. I wanted the shades to have a little color and texture so I ordered some grasscloth wallpaper samples to use for covering the lamp shades. But, thankfully, the order got messed up, and I was able to find this grasscloth for $3/yd at a fabric store in Philadelphia (BTW, if you live anywhere near Philly, please go check out Fabric Row! {And yes, that is my big baby belly popping into the shot! This was a really simple project. Once all the side were covered, I trimmed the grasscloth down all the way to the edge of the shade. After some drying time, I carefully glued and folded down the edges.
The Top 3 Money-Saving Cleaning Must-Haves! » Curbly | DIY Design Community « Keywords: cleaning, how-to, DIY, money saving tips There are a million different cleaning products on the market all vying for a spot in your supply closet, not to mention a chunk of your budget. But before you bring home the next new wonder spray, consider these three money-saving cleaning must-haves: they're widely available, kid and pet friendly, and cheap, cheap, cheap! The Big Three: White Vinegar This product literally has 1001 uses if not more (there's an entire website dedicated to its awesomeness). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Check out more fantastic ways to use vinegar on VinegarTips.com. Baking Soda Baking soda is widely known for its deodorizing powers, but it has many other uses that will help you cut cleaning supply costs while maintaining a fresh-smelling home! 1. 2. / 3. 4. 5. Check out more great uses for baking soda on Yahoo and Real Simple. Lemons We shared 31 things to do with lemons earlier this week, but their cleaning abilities go beyond that. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Check out these other great tips for using lemons in your home.
Homemade Perfume A fine perfume can have a hundred ingredients — but sometimes simple is just as sweet. While you can make perfumes with combinations of essential oils, or with complex top notes, middle notes, and base notes, a delicate water-based perfume with a floral scent is deliciously direct — and an ideal gift for a romantic at heart. Not to mention that making your own perfume is a way to eliminate the harmful chemicals or preservatives often found in synthetic fragrances, such as phthalates, some of which have been shown to cause health problems. When making perfume as a gift, it’s important to keep in mind the recipient’s tastes and preferences. Basic supplies for making perfume: 1 1/2 cups chopped flowersCheeseclothMedium-size bowl with lid2 cups distilled waterSmall saucepanWashed and sterilized vanilla extract bottle, or another small colored bottle with a lid or an airtight stopper Instructions for making perfume: 1. 2. 3. 4.
DIY Origami Brooch DIY Origami Brooch by Rolando Robinson for Honestly…WTF The inspiration behind this brooch derived from this video, by soul-pop group Quadron. Since origami is such a huge part of my art, I especially gravitated to this video with a huge liking for it. To begin this process, you must begin by making the components in which you will assemble at the end. Step one consists of making the small triangular shapes which can be found here. Once your triangles are made, glue them together to form the shape you see below. Now that your fans and triangles are done, you must move on to the next step. Enjoy. Thank you, Rolando! Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free Download a Free Audiobook from Audible and also AudioBooks.com Download hundreds of free audio books, mostly classics, to your MP3 player or computer. Below, you’ll find great works of fiction, poetry and non-fiction, by such authors as Twain, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Orwell, Vonnegut, Nietzsche, Austen, Shakespeare, Asimov, HG Wells & more. Also please see our related collection: The 150 Best Podcasts to Enrich Your Mind. Fiction & Literature