Curbly Original
Make These: Rorschach Ink Blot Pillows

by M.E. Gray

Make these: DIY Rorschach test pillows

Are you familiar with the Rorschach Test? It's the psychological exam where you look at ink blots and say what you see. Depending on how you interpret the ink, you receive a different diagnosis of your psyche. Now, I'm not a psychiatrist by any means, but I do know a DIY opportunity when I see one. Whether or not you interpret the shapes as a bear, or as the face of your mother, throw a little color in there and we've got ourselves a project. These ink blot pillows are easy enough for anyone to make, and each result is different!      

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
Tried and Tested: Do These 10 Pinterest Beauty Hacks Actually Work?

by M.E. Gray

Pinterest beauty hacks, tested

Pinterest is a great source of information and inspiration. It's also home to slew of life hacks, some more questionable than others. In the past, we've tested organization hacks and cleaning hacks we've found on Pinterest to see if they actually work as well as they claim they will. Today, I'm here to test out another arena: beauty and health. Will these Pinterest beauty hacks actually work? Or did I just put a bottle of mayonnaise in my hair for nothing? Let's find out.               

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
How to: Turn a Baking Rack Into a Modern Grid Organizer

by Lidy Dipert

How-to: Turn a Cooling Rack Into a Grid Organizer

After the hustle and bustle of the season, I find myself going into this weird funk. Our home felt like it was going to burst at the seams with all the stuff we had accumulated. The last couple weeks I've been on major purge mode to help get things feeling peaceful once more. Plus it doesn't hurt to be more organized!  This simple project is all about making life easier when it comes to rearranging the home. And all it takes is breathing a...

Continue Reading

Make a DIY Fire Pit this Weekend With One of These 31 Fire Pit Ideas

by Rachel Jacks

A DIY fire pit is just what your backyard needs this summer, and here are 15 ways to build your own. #firepit #diyfirepit

Does the need to sit around a fire outside go back to our days as cave-dwellers? Probably, but we have way better stuff to roast over the fire now, and beer to drink with it. Just like our pre-historic ancestors (except with access to hardware stores, and power tools, and computers), you can make your own DIY backyard fire ring with these tutorials on how to build a DIY fire pit.            

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
Make This: Decorative Copper Leafed Plants

by Marlene Sauer
Copper leaf plants
Photos: Marlene Sauer

"I have too many plants..." -- said no one ever. 

Except, perhaps, people who can't keep plants alive.

Good news for all you plant-murderers: faux plants can often look as gorgeous as the real thing. Especially if you glam them up with my all-time favorite crafting material, copper leaf.

Today I'm going to show you how to make copper leaf plants so that you can bring some unique and botanical beauty to your summer decorating. That's right, we're leafing leaves! Ready to see how?          

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
Styling 101: How to Get That Scandinavian Look in Your Living Room

by Lidy Dipert

Styling 101: How to Get That Scandinavian Look in Your Living Room

For as long as I can remember, I have gravitated toward Scandinavian design. Seeing images of homes that had that clean aesthetic made me want to transform my entire house into a peaceful and airy retreat. It's easy to believe that Scandinavian design means you have to be a purest: black, white, and grey spaces with very little clutter and furniture. But that's not necessarily true. There are all kinds of amazing styles that can mix well with...

Continue Reading

Summer Living: How to Throw an Amazing Backyard Movie Night

by Rachel Jacks
Backyard movie night
Photo: Shaiith/Shutterstock

There's something uniquely romantic about watching a movie outdoors. While drive-in theaters are uncommon these days, you can still experience a movie under the stars by setting up your own outdoor movie theater for a backyard movie night.

We've put together a list of everything you need for an amazing backyard movie night, from the best outdoor projector to the ultimate movie snacks. Once you have everything you need for your outdoor movie night, you'll be all set to make it a regular summer tradition. 

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
How To: Make a Body Pillow Cover That's Actually Cute

by M.E. Gray

How to make a body pillow cover

Do you use a body pillow? I can't sleep without one. I used to be able to, but over the years my joints have started to require that extra support as I snooze. While my wife fortunately doesn't mind me cuddling something else all night long, I am miffed at the lack of options when it comes to shopping for a body pillow cover. Because of this, I've always made my own. Usually I just make them from an old sheet, but decided to make a fancier one for this newest body pillow I bought (body pillows are on back-to-school sale right now, just FYI!). If you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine, then you can make a body pillow cover of your own.           

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
IKEA Hack: TARVA Nightstand Gets Tech-Friendly

by M.E. Gray

IKEA HACK: Tarva nightstand gets tech-friendly with built-in charging station

Hide ugly cords by your bed with this IKEA nightstand hack!

Before I bought this nightstand, I had never stepped foot in an IKEA (gasp!). It wasn't for lack of wanting to, I just never had the opportunity before. As a former small-town gal, I haven't lived within driving distance of an IKEA up until I moved to the big city (more specifically, the Twin Cities) about a year and a half ago. Since moving, I've been putting off a trip to the IKEA because I know myself too well. I know that I love cute home decor, and I knew that I'd want to take everything in that store home with me. Impulsive purchasing aside, I needed a new nightstand. Let me tell you two things: #1. IKEA is awesome (and massive and a bit confusing at first - but they have Swedish Fish which totally made up for me getting lost), and #2. I love this TARVA IKEA nightstand because it is so hackable.

Continue Reading

The Ultimate Guide to Road Trip Games

by Joel Selby

Road trip games: playing tic-tac-toe in the car.

Road trip games are a lifesaver, whether you're trekking cross country to sight-see or simply cross-county to see the grandparents, you're a college student on a butt-numbing quest to see how many states you can pin in a single weekend, or you're simply idling in traffic on the way to the airport.

Sure, you can flip through Facebook or have the kids watch Frozen for the 1,000th time, but why not use some of that road time to have a little fun while fostering a deeper connection with your fellow travelers? 

Read on for our ultimate guide to road trip games to get started!      

Continue Reading

10 Beautiful & Creative DIY Planter Projects

by Faith Provencher
10 Gorgeous DIY Planters
Photo: paulsvera

Now that summer is in full swing, I can't stop thinking about plants... and my indoor garden needs a bit of sprucing up. So I did a little Pinterest searching, and came up with tons of great DIY ideas to add some character to my succulents, cacti and other greenery. And today I'm sharing them with you. Find out how to dress up your plant babies with these ten gorgeous DIY planter ideas.   

Continue Reading

Two Weird Things You Should Start Putting in Your Dryer

by M.E. Gray

Two laundry hacks for your dryer

I'm always skeptical of "hacks" I see on the internet. Sometimes techniques touted as life hacks can be - well... hacky! On the flip side, we've tested a few hacks here on Curbly before with surprising success. I've seen these two laundry hacks pass through my media feeds a few times, and decided to finally give in and try them out myself. Both are supposed to optimize your dryer. Do they work? Let's find out!            

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
Take a Tour of Trenton + Cambria's Minimalist Home and Learn Some Amazing Tips for Staying Organized

by Lidy Dipert

A Minimalist Home Tour and Tips For Staying Organized

Today is an exciting day! Let's take a peek inside the charming townhouse of an equally charming Canadian couple, Trenton and Cambria. Located in a quaint town just 20 minutes outside of Calgary, Alberta, you will find this darling and minimal home, full of bright light, airy spaces and crisp white walls that really allow their handmade furniture pieces to shine. Plus, they share some tips and tricks into how they live this perfectly simple and minimal life. Enjoy!    

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
How to Sew a Pool Lounger Organizer

by Holly Wade
How to Sew a Pool Lounger Organizer
Photos by Holly Wade

As the weather heats up, you can find me poolside every weekend with a good book and probably my giant avocado pool float. Hanging out by the pool is a relaxing luxury, and wouldn't it be easiest if everything you need is conveniently within reach? Instead of digging through your giant bag for your sunscreen and cell phone, simply pull it out of the side pocket of your own DIY pool lounger organizer! This easy-to-sew organizer lays over the seated part of a pool longer with pockets on both sides for easy access to your most use items. Get ready to lounge extra hard this summer!

Continue Reading

Curbly Original
We Guarantee You Won't Kill These 10 Houseplants

by Lidy Dipert

 

Best Low Light Houseplants

Believe it or not, I use to be a professional plant killer. Turns out, with a little love and care, keeping plants alive is really not that hard! You just need to know a few key tips. So today I'm sharing 10 low light houseplants (I actually own all of these) that are tough to kill (because I haven't killed them yet!). So, if you want to introduce a few plants into your home, but you're not sure you can keep them green, here are some you might want to look into! 

Continue Reading