Team DIY Storage Challenge 2010!

Written on January 7, 2010 at 11:48 am, by Order in the House (Pamela Porter)

January is Get Organized month for all of us at DIYideas.com, and we’re on assignment to tidy up at least one space at home or work that’s cluttered, unsightly, or otherwise not acceptable. Editor Beth Eslinger will tackle her basement, associate editor Bethany Kohoutek has her eye on her work space at the office, and designer Katie Laporte plans to create a storage-packed craft/studio haven (go Katie!).

What about you? What will you organize this month? DIY challenges you to join the Get Organized party by sharing with us your best organizational endeavor. We’ll chose one reader’s space to feature here, on Team DIY Blog, and DIYIdeas.com!

Here’s the skinny:

1. By January 15 (that’s next Friday!) identify your trouble spot (a room, a drawer, a closet, piles of paperwork), snap a digital photo, and upload it here.

2. Whip that space into shape. Use baskets, bins, labels, shelves, or other storage-savvy tricks to gain control of the mess. In the meantime, visit the gallery to view and comment on other readers’ storage headaches.

3. By January 31, upload a photo of your now picture-perfect space.

Here are some inspiring “after” photos to get your ideas rolling.

We can’t wait to see your pictures! And speaking of pictures, my own personal organizing challenge this month is to organize nearly seven years of digital family photos, which currently eat oodles of space in my iPhoto library.

In my next post, I’ll share my solutions for printing (or not printing), organizing, storing, and backing up digital photos. I welcome your input. E-mail me directly at pamela@porterstudios.com to tell me what works or doesn’t work for you.

In looking ahead, I hope you’ll join me in committing to organize one space a month in 2010! In February I’ll somehow corral all my “chargables” such as phones, iPods, and cameras. Perhaps I’ll invest in a lovely charging station like this one from Kangaroom or maybe I’ll put my DIY skills to work and make one myself.

I’ll sort out the linen closet in March, and I have my heart set on these beautiful baskets from Organize.com.

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Free Printable Gift Tags

Written on December 17, 2009 at 9:58 am, by Girl's Eye View (Bethany Kohoutek)

What’s eco-friendly, super-affordable, chic, and perfect for holiday procrastinators like me? Free download-and-print gift tags! Lucky for me, they can be found aplenty on my fave DIY design blogs this year. Simply download the PDF, print, cut, and attach to your prezzie of choice. 

Orange Printable Pillow Boxes

From: Up Up

 

Deer Gift Tags

From: The Graphics Fairy, via 74 Lime Lane

 

Holiday Lights Gift Tags

From: Creature Comforts

 

Vintage Trim Gift Tags

From: doe c doe, via How About Orange

 

Mini LP Record Gift tags

From: DudeCraft

DIY Gift Tags with Embroidered Stars

From: DaWanda Blog

 

Tree Gift Tag

From: SewTakeAHike

 

More Printables I Love

Mushroom, Tree, and Owl Gift Tags  From: Ed Emberley, via Design*Sponge

Snowman Gift Tags  From: AnnWood.net

Set of Four Frenchie Gift Tags  From: Eat Drink Chic

Beautiful Blue Printable Gift Tags   From: Delicious Days

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Homemade Food Gifts

Written on December 15, 2009 at 2:21 pm, by Team DIY

Nothing radiates holiday love like the gift of sugar, carbs, and/or alcohol. Everyone on our list eats; therefore, there’s a homemade food gift to fit every taste. We searched the web and the blogosphere for some of our favorite homemade holiday food prezzies. Our advice? Go ahead and make a double batch. Do you have any favorite holiday edible gifts? — Team DIY

Recipe: Cowgirl Cookies
From: Bakerella

Recipe: Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts
From: Smitten Kitchen

Recipe: Infused Vodka
From: The Kitchn

Recipe: Hazelnut Mocha Sauce
From: Better Homes and Gardens

Recipe: No-Knead Multigrain Bread in a Jar
From: Our Best Bites

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Granola
From: LifeAsAMom

Recipe: Peppermint Marshmallows
From: Parents.com

Recipe: Homemade Spicy Guinness Mustard
From: Kiss My Spatula

Recipe: Limoncello
From: Epicurious.com

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Make Your Own Paper Ornaments

Written on December 14, 2009 at 10:47 am, by DIY on the Fly (Beth Eslinger)

Creating your own custom ornaments is so simple and inexpensive. Using a mix of white papers for a snowy effect (including an embossed design, blingy glitter, and tone-on-tone floral) I created a few easy shapes using skill learned in preschool. Seriously.

To make the orb-shape design, cut 20 circles all the same size. I used 11/2 inch and 2-inch diameter drinking glasses for a template. Fold each circle into a triangle shape as shown, folding the paper to the right side. Now, it’s a matter of gluing the tabs together. When you’re gluing these, remember you need to end up with intersecting points with five triangles. (I ended up with a few sections of four and had to rework–it’s good to use a glue with a longer dry-time.) Glue in a tie of fine thread (I used a metallic thread here) and let dry.

To make the folded ornaments, cut strips of  lighweight paper (such as rice paper) in various widths: 2 inches and 4 inches were used here. Then, just start folding. The small ornament is made with a basic accordion fold with the ends glued together to secure. The larger ornaments are also made with folds, with the ends overlapping at the center and taped to finish. Snip some of the ends for a ruffled look. Use a pearl button to cover up the tape, and hang from light string.

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Make It Monday: Maple Oat Scones in a Handmade Scone Cozy

Written on December 7, 2009 at 2:29 pm, by Team DIY

This week’s Make It Monday comes to us The Farm Chicks, aka Serena Thompson and Teri Edwards, aka two of the most delightful gals on the planet. This duo does it all: crafting, junk-hunting, baking, and being awesome stay-at-home moms to their little farm chickadees. They agreed to share with us one of their heartwarming recipes, plus instructions for a project with stellar gift potential. It’s not too soon to think about holiday brunches! If you adore this project, there are tons more like in their new book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. Enjoy! — Team DIY

Maple Oat Scones

These scones are great because they’re sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup, making them not too sweet, yet full of delicious maple flavor. They’re the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)
• Maple Glaze (recipe follows

Directions

Mix the dough: Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, oats, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Use a pasty blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Add the cream, maple syrup, and egg; mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Bake the scones: Turn out the dough onto an unfloured work surface and form into an 8-inch round about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned–about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the Maple Glaze.

Glaze the scones: Drizzle cooled scones with Maple Glaze and serve.

Maple Glaze: Combine 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth and lump free.

Scone Cozy

What we really like about this project is that it has great gift potential. Prepare our Maple Oat Scones, place them in the cute cozy, set on a plate, and deliver to a new neighbor or send them to school as a teacher-appreciation gift.

1. Cut two 11-inch diameter circles from a terry- or other thick-cloth kitchen towel.
2. Finish the raw edge of each with bias binding and, if desired, embellish with rickrack.
3. With chalk, divide one circle into six equal wedges, just as if cutting a pie. Place the marked circle on top of the second circle, and sew them together along the lines.

From The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen ©2009 by The Farm Chicks, Inc. Used with permission from Hearst Books, a division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

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Textile Tripping through New Mexico

Written on December 2, 2009 at 9:54 am, by DIY on the Fly (Beth Eslinger)

I’m hot off a long Thanksgiving trip to northern New Mexico, and couldn’t wait to share my discoveries! This part of the county is known for unbelievable mountain scenery and amazing cuisine (did you know this is the only state with an official question: Red or Green (aka What’s your chili of preference?)). But it’s also a land of amazing artists—painters (Georgia O’Keeffe lived and worked in the region), potters and jewelers (the World Heritage Site Taos Pueblo and its resident artists are located here), and weavers (there’s a whole Fiber Arts Trail you can spend days touring).

This trip, with my new knitting obsession led to a particular focus on the region’s weaving and textile shops of Taos. Here are a few of my faves.

Weaving Southwest (www.weavingsouthwest.com)

This shop features hand-dyed yarns for both weaving and knitting. The store sells a few small-scale looms, needles, and finished goods. A beautiful spot to spend an hour. I picked up chunky variegated yarns that will look simply stunning as scarves and wraps. They sell product online for those who can’t make the trip.

La Lana Wools (www.lalanawools.com)

Down the street from Weaving Southwest, this shop also features plant-dyed yarns in amazing colors, real antler buttons and toggles for finishing your projects with major personality, and the most diverse selection of felted wools I’ve seen. This business also sells online.

Common Thread (info@commonthread.biz)

If you’re in the market for fabric, tablecloths, or art paper, swing by this store. It’s a mix of Mexican brights, modern graphics, Asian silks, and everything in-between in a well-packaged mix. This is the most dynamic, interesting fabric store I’ve seen (including the Garment District in New York City).

These are just a snippet of all the amazing shops. For more information on the trail, visit www.nmfiberarts.org.

Now, I’m thinking about starting a new obsession: Weaving. In fact, I’ve been watching this loom at Urban Outfitters. Could be the perfect holiday gift for the adventurous DIYer on your list. 

www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=17124389&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=000

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Learning to knit—from YouTube

Written on November 30, 2009 at 1:02 pm, by DIY on the Fly (Beth Eslinger)

I’ve been wanting to learn how to knit. But sitting through a night class, spending a weekend with mother-in-law instruction, or figuring out knitting code from a book was just not happening any time soon. So six weeks ago I decided to learn DIY-style: on the Web (and wearing my PJs).

First things first: I picked up a few balls of medium-weight yarn, some bamboo needles (which I now love and have several sizes), and a darning needle. After an hour of surfing YouTube videos, I landed on these easy-to-follow links, and by night one had finished a pair of fingerless gloves. The addiction had started. (By the way, if you’re looking to learn how to knit, start small like I did. Knitting is labor-intensive, so if you’re looking for instant gratification, do a quick project like gloves or a neck wrap. Heavyweight yarn speeds the process, too).

The Videos

I landed on a video series from Expert Village. Easy to follow and few distractions.

1. Learn an easy casting-on stitch.

2. To create a basic knit stitch.

3. To create a purl stitch.

So over the past six weeks, I’ve dabbled in a few patterns using these basic stitches and have made several scarves, fingerless gloves (they’re hot with all the little girls in my ‘hood), a wrap, and a pillow. I’ve figured out how to switch yarn colors, and bind off so I actually can finish projects (also from YouTube). Not everything’s perfect, but that’s part of the charm, right?

Now I’m crazily knitting up projects for holiday gifts. Fingerless gloves for the little girls (check), scarves and neck wraps for the big girls (check). And for me: I get the pink wrap with the flower pin. It took me a week of nights knitting, and is oh-so my color (check).

Next month, I’m thinking about digging into hats and maybe cableknit patterns. But that’s another whole round of videos. Stay tuned for the results.

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Make It Monday: Picnic-tastic Placemats

Written on November 23, 2009 at 3:39 pm, by Team DIY

There are a lot of ways to plan and present a Thanksgiving dinner. Looking for a twist on tradition this year? Have some friends over for a post-Thanksgiving leftovers picnic! Spread a blanket on the floor, break out your cutest picnic basket, and whip up a set of these fantastic DIY placements. Turkey sandwiches never looked so rad!

This project is just one of 101 in a brand-new book, One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects. We interviewed Patricia Hoskins, one of the book’s editors, a couple of weeks ago. Today’s project comes from Patricia’s co-editor, Rebecca Yaker. She designed it with warmer temps in mind, but we think it’s perfect for combating chilly November weather. You could even make a batch of lemonade! Enjoy! – Team DIY

Picnic-tastic Lunch Mats

Designed by Rebecca Yaker
Prepare to enjoy a lovely outdoor meal on these very stylish picnic-ready placemats! They’re perfectly portable — just slip your utensils right into the pocket. And don’t worry about losing your napkin on those breezy days, because there’s a handy spot for that, too!

MATERIALS

• 1 yard of 44/45″ fabric
• 1 spool of coordinating thread

Finished dimensions — each placemat is 11″ x 15″ (1 yard of fabric makes 4)
Seam allowance — 1/2″ unless otherwise specifi ed

1. MEASURE, MARK, and CUT
With right sides together, fold your fabric in half lengthwise, aligning the selvages. Measure and mark the following pattern pieces directly on the wrong side of your fabric, then cut them out:

• Placemat 22″ wide x 16″ tall (cut 4)
• Pocket 7″ wide x 4″ tall (cut 4)
• Napkin holder 2″ wide x 4″ tall (cut 4)

Note: Place “tall” dimensions along the grainline of your fabric.

2. MAKE the PLACEMATS

With right sides together, fold a placemat in half, matching short ends. Stitch around all three raw edges, leaving a 41/2″ opening along long edge for turning. Clip the corners and turn right side out. Neatly turn the raw edges at the opening to the inside; press. Topstitch around all four sides of placemat, stitching the turning opening closed as you go. Do the same for the three remaining placemats.

3. MAKE the POCKETS
On the top edge of a pocket piece, make a narrow 1/4″ double-fold hem (see page 19). Topstitch. Fold and press the napkin holders as you would to make double-fold bias tape (see page 18). Topstitch along both long edges. Position napkin holder on pocket, 2″ down from the top hemmed edge, aligning raw edges. Baste in place along sides. Press the three raw edges of the pocket (and attached napkin holder) 1/2″ to the wrong side. Place on the right side of placemat, 1″ from edge, and 1″ up from the bottom. Topstitch around bottom and side edges, leaving top open to insert utensils. Repeat these steps for remaining three placemats.

Reprinted with permission from One Yard Wonders, published by Storey Publishing, LLC., October 2009

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DIY’s Thanksgiving Tabletop Tips

Written on November 18, 2009 at 1:34 pm, by Team DIY

There’s a fine balance between impressing the socks off of your friends and fam with your mad dinner-party decor skills…and having enough in your checking account to score some super Black Friday deals the day after. DIY to the rescue! Here are six simple and inexpensive ways to add drama to your dinner table on T-Day without sacrificing your wallet. Look for six more fun and frugal ideas tomorrow.

Think Outside the Gourd. Sure pumpkins are pretty, but we think you can do better. Find interesting shapes and colors in the produce aisle or farmer’s market. Garlic, nuts, pears with stems intact—even a pile of multicolored fingerling potatoes. Best of all, today’s centerpiece is tomorrow’s dinner menu.

Duly Noted. Tuck a personalized note into the napkin at each placesetting. Jot down a few reasons you’re thankful for that particular person or a memory of the two of you that makes you smile. It’ll keep them warm long after post-dinner hot toddies.

Bright Lights. Fill inexpensive glass candleholders or hurricanes with golden corn kernels from an ear of decorative corn. Find a pillar candle in the same color to set inside.

Berry Good. Use raffia to tie a stem of berries with a sprig of greenery. Add a handwritten note on parchment paper to indicate each guest’s place at the table. Look for bright colors that match your tableware. So festive!

Pumpkin Recycling. Jazz up pumpkins leftover from Halloween. Drill tiny holes through the pumpkin and tuck a mum into each hole until the pumpkin is covered in blooms.

Yard Sale. Pick up an inexpensive wreath frame from your local crafts store. The morning of your Thanksgiving soiree, head out to the backyard and collect flowers, pinecones, ornamental grasses, and other garden goodies to decorate the wreath. You can hang this one on the wall or your front door. Or, lay it on the dinner table for an impressive centerpiece.

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Make It Monday: Page-Turner Art

Written on November 16, 2009 at 6:05 am, by Art Actually (Katie Leporte)

No worries. I didn’t cut up my collector’s edition of Lord of the Rings. But that book I bought in haste at the airport five years ago? Not the page-turner I’d hoped for, so I turned it into art.

Hated a book? Hang onto it. Tear out a few pages, set aside. Better you destroy it than let someone else read it.
Plexiglas. Way more affordable than buying picture frames. I found five pre-cut Plexiglas pieces at the hardware store (8 x 10 inches). Or, you could buy a larger sheet of Plexi, measure equal sections to your desired size, score repeatedly with a utility knife, and snap.
Magnets. Get those tiny round ones in a package, found at the crafts store. You’ll want 36 small magnets for five Plexiglas sheets. See layering instructions below.

Make layers. (See diagram below for layering.) Position four magnets in the four corners on top of the first sheet of Plexi; adhere with tiny dots of strong adhesive glue (or glue that dries clear). Place four more magnets on top each of those. Add a dot of glue only to the tops of these.
Layer another Plexi sheet on top of the double-stacked magnets, making sure the sheet is perfectly matched and adhered in position to the sheet below. Add four dots of glue in the corners on top of this second Plexi layer, then add magnets. Stack another layer of magnets, add glue dots to the tops, layer Plexi. Repeat until you have the desired thickness/layers. The more layers, the more dimension your art will take on. Along with book pages, I used scraps of colored vellum, printed acetate, and photographs to layer in between the Plexi.

TIP: Using a black fine-point Sharpie, number the layers, top to bottom. A small number in a corner won’t be noticeable. If the layers get mixed up, some of the magnets will actually repell each other and not lay properly.

Total? Less than $20. Plexiglas: $12. Magnets: $3. Glue: $2. Picture hanger: $2 (adhere to the back of the bottom Plexi sheet with glue).

Photos: Marty Baldwin. Projects: Katie Leporte.

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