I’d be cool if I never saw another African violet in my life, but that certain doesn’t mean I don’t love a little in-home foliage. None of the species below cost much, and all can be grow large enough to fill the grandest of empty space Dracaena Marginata. “Dracaena.” It’s leaves explode like fireworks, and […]
Ever wanted to tie dye your own shirts but maybe thought it would be too messy? Well here’s a simple and mess free method to a kick ass tie dyed shirt… punk rock style of course! Below, we’ll show you how – including a video of the whole process at the bottom! Check […]
Now that the big pieces were completed, I could turn to the fluff, which included window treatments. I had just enough fabric left over from my chair make-over to sew a simple valance. And I mean REALLY simple. All I did was measure the interior width of my window and added about an inch to each […]
We share our picks for the best free (and paid) online garden planners.
If you’ve ever screwed a light bulb into a socket and heard a grinding noise, you know the sinking feeling that comes with it. Has the glass part of the bulb separated from the metal part? Will the bulb come out of the socket if I try to unscrew it? To combat this sticky situation […]
Here’s a fun and fast way to dress up bottles. What you need: Chain. I found 100 inches of silver chain at my local craft store for about $3.50. Jump rings. I used the larger, 1/4″ size. Beads and/or charms. A small side cutter. What you do: Cut a length of chain with the side […]
I had used soapy water as a pesticide for indoor plants, but a few years ago, while kvetching about an outdoor infestation of box elder bugs (an example of the nasty things is pictured above), my next door neighbor Buzz, a retired bricklayer and WWII vet, suggested I use the stuff to tackle my buggy […]
Recently, I had the opportunity to present a few questions to Steve Barikian, Assistant Prop Person of the touring company of Matthew Bournes’ musical adaptation of Edward Scissorhands. As you’ll see, to carry off such a production requires many heroes. One of which is Steve Barikian. For those unfamiliar with stage productions, how would you […]
Volume I resides here. Curry Powder Though there is a tree called Curry Leaf that’s native to India, curry almost always refers to any number of spice blends used in Indian and Southeastern Asian cooking. There’s no standard blend, but most include cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, fennel, fenugreek, and dried chiles. Turmeric is used to give […]
Spices are the dried seeds, fruits, or berries of plants and vegetables. [Dried herbs are the dried leaves, stems, or flowers of plants-and are rediculously inferior to their fresh counterparts.] So, throw away your 30-year-old rusty jar of nutmeg, and embrace the flavors of the world. There’s good reason the explorers of the late Middle […]
Though screen printing is the most efficient way of printing on textiles (check out my how-to here), it’s a lot of work to print a one-of-a-kind t-shirt. Here’s a cool way to create a stencil on the computer, and handprint it upon your shirt. It produces a different aesthetic than silk screening, as your completed […]
Hi everyone, Here I just wanted to show how you can transform ugly popcorn (stucco)ceilings without tearing it off – fast, clean and easy. On the pictures below you may see all stages of “covering” the existing popcorn ceilings with Polystyrene ceiling tiles (this specific model called R-16) The whole job took […]
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, or it’s just another Sunday in spring, depending on your point of view. Either way, how about celebrating the day with a few rabbits? They make cute decorations and great place cards. On the origami folding scale, this is an easy one. Props One square sheet of paper. A piece of […]
Did you know there was a National Candle Association? Me either. Anyway, according to a survey conducted by the NCA, 75% of candle consumers say that scent is a very important factor when purchasing candles. They needed a study for to figure this out? So Many Candles; Just One Nose The surge in candle […]
Offering ‘maximum coverage for cubicle privacy’, the Cubedoor is an adustable, solid fabric barrier you can install in your cube opening to get a little privacy: Seems like a cool idea, although I’m not sure how much privacy you can achieve when people can just look over your door and talk to you. Oh well…
In an effort to reduce and reuse plastic bags, how about making a plastic bag keeper? Chances are you already have everything you need to make one for free. Or you can buy one at The Container Store for 4.99 plus 6.50 s & h. Your choice. The Props A 2 quart plastic bottle (I […]
To honor this most holy of holy days, let us join together in the creation of a symbol of our joy: the baseball mitt. What You’ll Need A section of newspaper. (I’d suggest the sports section.) Optional: a Sharpie What You’ll Do Fold 1/4 of the way in as shown below. Fold corners to center. […]
Here’s a how-to for every 007 wannabe: A hollow-bottomed soda can safe perfect to hide your family jewels. Or you can buy one at Diversion-Safes for about 11 bucks (plus 7 bucks for shipping and handling, of course.) Pic via instructions at How 2 Do Stuff.
“Tie-dying” paper is a fun and easy project. And, chances are, you already have everything on hand you need to do it. The Props Food coloring Foaming shaving cream Cookie sheet, or any large shallow pan Something to stir with Paper (For this project, I used plain laser printer paper) Paper towels The Procedure Squirt […]
Besides pillows and pillow slipcovers, curtains and window toppers are some of the easiest home decor projects to sew. You don’t need to spend money on a store-bought pattern for this simple pocketed (meaning it has a pocket for a rod) window topper. Step 1: Measure Twice Cut Once First you’ll need to measure the […]
