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How To: Handmade Hardwood Bookmark.

I was squaring up a block of mahogany, and I shaved off several “scrap” strips: thin, almost flexible sheets of hardwood. I couldn’t let something so interesting go to waste. “Business cards?” I thought… No, I don’t really have a business. “Name plaque for my office door?” No, I don’t really have an office. “A […]

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How to Make a Plastic Bottle Chandelier – for 20 Bucks

I find this plastic bottle chandelier interesting, in an inelegant yet cheeky yet environmentally friendly kind of way. And for 20 bucks, why not give it a try? All you need: a strand of icicle-style Christmas lights with 100 bulbs a leather bracelet a-la 90’s rocker style (although my suggestion would be a couple of white zip ties) […]

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How to Avoid Splintering and Tearing when Cutting Plywood

The thin layers of plywood can often splinter and chip when cut with a power saw, resulting in an ugly edge that looks like this: To prevent your cut line from tearing: 1. Always use an appropriate blade for plywood, and be sure that it’s sharp. The blade that came with your saw – whether […]

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How to fold an origami heart envelope.

This is an easy fold and perfect for sending a love note to your Valentine! What you need: a piece of origami paper–preferably red on one side, white on the other. glue or tape What you do: Start with the white side of your paper up. (Square base.) Fold in half, top to bottom:   Unfold […]

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Hide your wires behind crown molding.

“WireTracks CM kits turn regular crown molding into removable wiring channels that you can use to hide low voltage or electrical cables (check your local codes). They can be used for simple jobs such as getting wiring from the front of a home theater to the back. Or, they can be installed throughout a building […]

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How To Make Boxers from Old Pillowcases

Yup, that’s right…. We’re showing you how to make some pretty awesome Anti-Valentine’s Day boxers out of some old pillowcases. Dont worry, if you love valentine’s day, you can make them pro-V-day as well! And don’t forget to subscribe to our show on iTunes and check our website for more cool crafts! Watch the in […]

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How to Make a Corset

Hey! In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re going to mention the unmentionables! We’re here to show you how to make a corset. It’s pretty easy and it looks hot. Yup, you will love it! For more tutorials and tips, check out threadbanger.com. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to us on iTunes! And for more details, […]

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Floorplan Porn: Mid-Century Blueprints on Flickr.

God bless you, MidCentArc. I don’t know where you got ’em, but your Mid-Century Houseplan Flickr set is the stuff of dreams and drool. Yes, sir, I will indeed use these for my next Lego Eichler copy, or a gingerbread Neutra.   Or perhaps just as wallpaper…                 […]

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How To Write a Great DIY How To.

When I first started writing for Curbly, my biggest worry in constructing a how to was its translation. Would my readers be able to follow the steps? Would anyone be able to replicate the process outlined in the how to? To help alleviate my fears, I did what any novice blogger would do, I read […]

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How to clean a vacuum filter.

The instructions included in your small, handheld vacuum probably say that you should periodically removed the filter and ‘tap clean’ it, meaning you need to smack it against the inside of your garbage can to free the filter of debris. Okay, as I see it, this is lousy advice for two reasons. First, simply tapping […]

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How To: Make a Chainsaw Arm

Do you love the “Evil Dead” series on Indy Mogul? Do you need a prop chainsaw? Do you have $30 burning a hole in your pocket? If you said “yes” to any of these question you’ll want to watch this episode. Erik of Indy Mogul shows you how to make a prop chainsaw arm that […]

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How to turn soda cans into stars.

Teag on Craftster shows us how to turn soda cans into stars using a minimum of supplies that include, a tin snips, scissors, Sharpie, hammer, punches, metal ruler and, of course, empty soda cans. A thumbnail sketch of the procedure goes like this: Rinse out soda can(s) Use a tin snips to remove the top […]

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10 Alternative Uses For Alka-Seltzer.

Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action will help loosen the grime. Attract Fish. Fish dig on bubbles. Fill a tube jig with a piece of Alka-Seltzer and cast off. Clean hard-to-reach areas of deep vessels, such as a flower vase. Fill […]

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Tampon Crafts…For Any Time of the Month.

Once you’ve mastered the tampon flower bouquet, and throughly appreciated the tampon chandelier, cruise on over to tamponcrafts.com for all sorts of how-tos and crafts using these apparently very maleable hygiene products. My faves include: The Tampon Shooter The Tampon Pan Flute Tampon Ghosts  

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Dead Witch Door Stop

There’s nothing like celebrating the death of your favorite wicked old witch than this Ruby Slippers Door Stop. Made of solid metal, the door stop will be available 3/7/08 for $16.98 from at The Lighter Side.

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How To Make a Macro Photography Focusing Rail.

More and more digital point-and-shoot cameras are coming with digital macro features, and close-up lenses for digital SLR cameras have become plenty affordable. When working with such a process, the distance between the lense and the object is essential for proper focus and clarity. Photographer Ken Stewart states, “I found myself wanting a macro focusing […]

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How to catch a mouse with a toilet paper tube.

Awhile back Chris Glass had a mouse in the house. After the little critter got a little too cheeky, Chris decided they could not coexist. A toilet paper roll, a cracker and a dab of peanut butter and an hour later, the interloper was captured…humanely. Here’s how he did it. 1. Get a toilet paper […]

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Build a Giant Mosaic Mural: step 1!

OK friends, one of the reasons I’ve been absent from writing much lately is that I’ve been working on a HUGE mural: a wall mounted mosaic commission for a coffee shop that’s being constructed in my neighborhood! Exciting! So I’m going to lead you through the process of building a giant mosaic installation of your very […]

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Goodwill Hunting Desk Chair

Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of reupholstering an ugly or stained office chair with seemingly complicated mechanics.  This office chair was purchased at my FAVORITE furniture store-Goodwill, for a whopping $6.99.  I had oodles of a fabric remnant I purchased for $5.99 a yard.  This chair took approximately one yard of fabric.  I am […]

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How to draw a flip book.

Drawing a moving picture book, or ‘flip-book’, seemed to be out of my grasp until I stumbled upon Robert Truscio’s tutorial. And all you need to make one is a pencil, a pad of paper, a little patience and Robert’s great advice. First, Robert suggestions you choose a subject that lend themselves to movement, like […]

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