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How-To Build a Headboard: Watch and See How a Professional Does It

Headboards have swamped the design blogs for the past 6 months or so. Some are o.k., some are good and some are really professionally done. These two tutorials are produced by a company from which I’ve purchased patterns. They’are a little bit on the frumpy side, but the construction instructions are easy to understand and, […]

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Turn a book into a picture/card holder.

Take one old hardcover book. Fold the pages in half. Tuck in pictures, post cards, etcetera. To see another not quite as charming example of a folded paper card holder, go here. From Sweet Paul. Photo by Ellen Silverman.

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DIY Alternative to Diamond Tufting

A green velvet cane back chair made the perfect guinea pig for my DIY upholstery tutorial over on AT. Deep diamond tufting can be a bit tricky but there are several alternatives. Check out

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DIY: Bind a Carpet Remnant to Make a Custom Shaped Area Rug

  When a project seems only do-able by a professional, it makes me want to conquer it that much more. Maybe it’s because I secretly long to be a subcontractor or something. Anywho, carpet binding has always seemed to be something for which the DIY-er needs a professional. Well, not anymore! Watch this video…

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DIY Origami Cherry Blossoms

Capture a breath of spring with these gorgeous origami cherry blossoms. Although the blossoms themselves are folded paper, the stems on which they are attached are curly willow.

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DIY Wine Glass Lampshades

Turn simple wine glasses into lovely tealight lamps thanks to these equally simple DIY lampshades. The shades themselves are made of vellum. They might be just the thing for an upcoming spring wedding!

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Easy Pop-up Flower Card

Is a gigantic box of Godiva chocolates and a dozen roses not in the budget this Valentine’s Day? Then how about making this very easy, one-piece-of-paper pop-up flower card for your sweetie?  

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How To: Reupholster An Ottoman With a Vintage Pleated Plaid Skirt

Being socked in today inspired me to finish my oval ottoman. The VIBRANT plaid was gleaned from a huge vintage pleated skirt. Once the waistband and pleats were removed, there was a piece of fabric measuring 6 yards by 36″. Before the transformation, the red striped ottoman had clunky legs and the fabric had been […]

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How To: Make a Zero Clearance Table Saw Insert

A custom, zero clearance insert plate for your table or band saw minimizes tearout and prevents those tiny bits from dropping into the blade throat. From Rockler.com, “A zero clearance insert is a substitute for the throat plate that came with your table saw. The opening in the insert is cut on the table saw […]

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How To: DIY Speaker Wall Mounts

Whether for your new 5.1 surround sound system, your cramped media room, or when just wiring your home to fill it with music, it’s best to get speakers off the ground, furniture, and other resonant surfaces, and up to ear level. And since non-powered speakers are actually not heavy at all, with less than $2.00 […]

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Homemade Non-Toxic Mold Prevention Spray

Mold. It’s BAD NEWS. As well as just being gross it can do some pretty rotten things to your lungs. Prevention is definitely the way to go, as once you’ve got mold it’s the very devil to get rid of. Luckily, you don’t need harsh chemicals to stop mold arriving and bringing 50 gazillion of […]

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When Paint Color Matching Goes Wrong

Think that if you take a paint chip into your big box or hardware store they’ll always match it correctly? Wrong. I found this out the hard way last week when I handed over a paint strip containing Benjamin Moore’s lovely Silver Fox to the paint mixer dude at my local big box store, indicating the […]

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Push Pin Wall Art

A few packs of push pins, a pin board, a dash of inspiration (and possibly a little too much time on your hands at work) And Voila! Gloriously geeky wall art! It’s Mario. And push pins. And genius. Golf claps and whoop whoops to you, clever chaps at  the Student Computing Center at the University of […]

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At Least 30 More Ways to Reuse Gift Wrapping Paper.

Wait, wait, wait! Don’t take that garbage bag of wrapping paper to the recycling bin just yet. After you’ve created a paper fan and weaved yourself a handbag, unwrap these lists for a whole heap of new ways to recycle your used wrapping paper. It just keeps on giving. 12 Ways to Reuse Wrapping Paper::Easy […]

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Strange Christmas Traditions from Around the World

Christmas traditions in my family are pretty straightforward….and boring when compared to what’s going on in the rest of the world! Here’s a list with links, just in case you’d like to adopt one or two or more. In Norway, they hide brooms on Christmas Eve to ward off witches looking to take them for […]

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How To Make a No-Sew Holiday Dog Bed

While you’ve got your materials handy for these hand printed fleece scarves, it will only take you about an hour to put together this well-deserved holiday gift for your hard working canine companion. 

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