New Storage Products

Written on February 11, 2010 at 9:04 am, by Order in the House (Pamela Porter)

I’m just back from the New York International Gift Fair where I spied these must-haves for organization lovers. Check out company websites for pricing details and retail locations near you!

1 .This non-shedding stoneware pup by Johathan Adler will keep your favorite reads in order. If you can’t swing the $150 price tag, check out the designer’s resin version for $40 at Barnes & Noble.

2. As a decoupage lover, I’ve always been a fan of Margaret Josephs’ cheery company The MacBeth Collection. This spring, she offers all new patterns in which to dress her wide range of metal containers.

3. Resource International uses 100% post-consumer material for these sturdy fiberboard Cargo collection of boxes, bins, and cases.

4. Because my on-the-run lunches too often consist of handfulls of M&Ms, Thorsten Van Elten won me over with this glazed earthenware dish. Ah, M&M heaven!

5. This bamboo Tuck storage box from Umbra swivels into a compact 5-inch cube. I’m also hooked on their new magnetic and beak clip bird hook.

6. Danica Studio caught my eye with their fabric-covered office accessories. Hmmm….I think an office makeover is in my near future.

7. I couldn’t resist this blue ceramic bird container from Lazy Susan. Perhaps another home for my stash of M&Ms?

8. If you love lacquer (and who doesn’t) let these accessories from Pacific Connections help you stay organized.

Here’s to Order in the House….both yours and mine! Have fun containing your clutter with these and other storage-savvy products. If you find a storage solution you can’t live without, share it with us at DIY’s page on Facebook.

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Team DIY Month of Storage: Tip of the Day

Written on January 20, 2010 at 9:58 am, by Team DIY

We can’t get enough of new online tools designed to help us conquer clutter in the most frustrating spaces. These digital tools offer awesome customization options. So you can map out a storage strategy for that weird space under the stairs. Or a bizarrely shaped pantry in your 1900s-era house. Or figure out a way to fit your not-so-teeny wardrobe into a teeny apartment closet. Here are a couple of our favorite tools. Hope you find them as helpful as we do!

Closetmaid’s Visual Storage Planner

Use it to customize and tackle your garage, kitchen, closet, or pretty much any other space. This tool is incredibly simple to use and it makes organizing, well, kind of fun.

 

EasyClosets.com

Easy Closets allow you to design your own closet solution or get a free closet design from a professional. Plus, measuring tips and product suggestions.

 

ClosetOrganizersUSA.com

If you’re a right-brainer, you’ll dig Closet Organizer’s online design tool. You can pick colors for shelving, even hardware styles (are you polished chrome or oil-rubbed bronze?). Bonus: The tool is really easy to use.

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Awesome Storage Finds on Etsy

Written on January 8, 2010 at 12:03 pm, by Team DIY

Here at DIY headquarters, we’ve got storage on the brain. It could be because the hectic holidays are over and we’re packing up our Christmas decor or maybe the arctic temps have us itching for spring—even if it does come with a little cleaning. Whatever the cause, Team DIY is ready to get orderly and organized. And we’re turning to some unexpected friends for help.
Artists.

They’re the last people you’d probably turn to for help cutting the clutter in your home. Until now. We’ve discovered a few new friends over at Etsy who are catering to our craving storage products that are actually stylish.

We’re in love with this hand-printed canister ($32) from Acero Studio. It would be perfect for storing sugar, flour, coffee, tea, or even pastas in the kitchen. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

No two of these ultra-mod bookcases ($150) built by Furniture From Red are ever the same. We love the asymmetrical angles of the shelves and the fun colors they come in

Create streamlined style on your shelves with the help of baskets or bins like these sweet little things ($38.99) from Sewing Momma. Check out the whimsical detail in the fabric rosettes, wool trees, and hand-stitched stems and tree trunks.

Take it from Team DIY project designer Debra Wittrup, labeling makes life easy. That’s why we love Bradens Grave Wall Art. Apply these removable, repositionable, and erasable chalkboard labels ($10 for a set of 12) to any smooth surface for instant organization

We can think of about a million ways to use these felted nesting bowls ($144 for a set of three) from Papaver Vert for storage around the house. Set them on your bedside table for spare change. Keep them on your dresser to hold jewelry. Create a key corral on your entry table. We could do this all day.

Vintage glass or apothecary jars like these etched beauties ($35) from la Vintage Maison are perfect for storage in the bathroom. Fill them up with bath salts, soaps, and shampoos and pitch those plastic bottles into the trash.

Organize your mail in your entry or office with a little help from
Uncommon Things for the Home. The “O” stands for out, the “I” for in, and the “R” for random on their awesome organizer ($28). Did we mention it comes in a number of bright, happy colors? It does.

After ooohing and aaahing over Mod Mom Furniture’s eco-friendly Owyn Toy Box ($350), we’ve decided this piece isn’t just for the tots. Of course, it would be perfect for stashing away toys. But we think it could make for a great bench in the living room or bedroom with added storage for extra blankets or pillows.

Do you know of any other Etsy finds that make for great storage? Post the links here!

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Happy NYE from Team DIY!

Written on December 31, 2009 at 11:42 am, by Team DIY

Hope you’ve been enjoying the heck out of your holiday season. We sure have! There’s been lots of crafting and DIY projects going on in the various households and apartmentholds of Team DIY bloggers, and we’re excited to share them in the New Year.

No matter what you’re planning for New Year’s Eve — a blow-out bash with 250 of your besties or watching the ball drop on the TV screen with the cat — here are a few ideas we’ve gathered from around the Web designed to make it a bit more festive. These DIY projects, eats, and drinks can be made this afternoon.

Here are three fast, cheap, and eco-friendly DIY party favors, complete with step-by-step illustrations and directions:

 Make midnight sparkle with these super-quick custom sparklers:

 Make a batch of these to hand out before the countdown: personalized party crackers! You can use leftover wrapping paper.

 

We love, love, love this DIY countdown candles centerpiece. Check one of our fave party sites, Hostess with the Mostess, for six complete NYE party theme ideas, each complete with drink, food, decor, and tableware suggestions.

 

Here are 18 easy party dips from Better Homes and Gardens. Easy to throw together, easy to transport to the party, and easy to eat.

And, finally, a super-delish cocktail idea from PDT (stands for Please Don’t Tell), a secret bar in Manhattan. This recipe comes by way of Gwyneth Paltrow’s new-ish newsletter, GOOP.

 Cranberry Cobbler Cocktail

For One Cocktail:

• 1 orange wheel
• 1 lemon wedge
• ½ ounce Cranberry Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
• 2 ounces Beefeater Gin
• ¾ ounce Lustau East India Sherry
• 4 macerated cranberries (leftover from Cranberry Simple Syrup)
• mint sprig

Muddle the orange, lemon and syrup in the bottom of a shaker. Add the gin, sherry and a handful of ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the cranberries and mint.
(Jim Meehan/Michael Madrusan, 2007)

Cranberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 ounces Beefeater Gin

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan set over high heat. Add the cranberries and cook over medium heat until the cranberries start to split. Remove from the heat, stir in the gin and cool. This mixture can stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks. When you’re ready to use it, strain the syrup, reserving the cranberries for garnish.

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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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Handmade Holidays: Ornaments We Love

Written on December 9, 2009 at 12:38 pm, by Team DIY

Instead of a cookie party, shake things up this year with a handmade ornament party! The blogs are ahoppin’ with gorgeous DIY ornament projects! Here’s a quick roundup of some of our favorites. Enjoy! – Team DIY

Kristen’s Fluffy Felt Wreath (via Design*Sponge) – by Kristen of Domesticfluff

 

 

Felt Birdcage Ornament  – by Zakka Life

 

 

Origami Glitter Cranes — by Zakka Life

 

 

Flocked Ornament — by Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

Felt Polaroid Ornaments – by Katie Cupcake

 

 

Easy Paper Globe Ornaments — by Just Deanna

 

Teardrop Holiday Ornament — by Patricia Zapata of A Little Hut

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DIY Advent Calendar Kit

Written on December 1, 2009 at 3:29 pm, by Magic Touch (Angie Packer)

Let the holiday countdown begin! To help keep track of the dwindling days until the big day, we love fabric designer Laurie Wisbrun’s super-cute Advent Calendar Kit. In about an hour, you’ll have a fun addition to your holiday decor. And you don’t even need to know how to sew. (No-sew seam tape is every good DIYers best friend, right?)

Get yours at her store on Etsy. While you’re there, check out her new line of holiday fabrics.

PS: Be on the lookout for more of her gorgeous fabric in the spring issue of Do It Yourself magazine!

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Must-Read Knitting Books

Written on December 1, 2009 at 2:41 pm, by Team DIY

Several members of Team DIY have decided this is the year to take up knitting. In our quest to learn all things yarn and needles, we’ve come across some invaluable resources. Yesterday, DIY Editor Beth Eslinger wrote about the You Tube videos that took her from beginner to neck-warmer-knitter in just a couple of weeks. Today, we’re sharing several books we’ve found super-helpful. Have any other suggestions? What books have helped you along your knitting path?

Lily Chin’s Knitting Tips & Tricks

This small but mighty guide has a permanent home in our tote bags. It contains everything the beginning and intermediate knitter needs to know, from buying materials (differences in needles, yarn weights and types) to specific stitches, to joining new yarn, to binding off and finishing. And everything in between. Knitting Tips & Tricks has helped us pick up a missed stitch (more than once…or twice). We can’t say enough about the book’s simple how-to instructions and clear illustrations — essential for beginners like us! If you’re into crocheting, check out a sister book, Lily Chin’s Crochet Tips & Tricks.

400 Knitting Stitches: A Complete Dictionary of Essential Stitch Patterns

When the subtitle promises “complete”, it means business. You’ll start with the simplest knit and purl stitches and work your way through crossed stitches and cables, cast-off stitches, slipped stitches, fancy stitches, lacy stitches, and more. We found ourselves gazing longingly at stitches that are just a wee bit out of our beginner league (lookin’ at you, rose bud, blackberry, and Moroccan screen stitches), but the straightforward directions and diagrams actually put them into doable (eventually) range. 400 Stitches is an ideal reference for demystifying the patterns we found online and in other books.

Vintage Knits for Modern Babies

by Hadley Fierlinger

Awww. It’s impossible not to page through Vintage Knits for Modern Babies without making cute noises. Because not only are the projects awww-inspiring, the photography of soft ‘n’ sweet babes is equally adorable. This beautiful book ranks projects by skill level — beginner, intermediate, and experienced — so those of all skill levels can take part in the fun. Talk about gift potential! These aren’t your typical baby sweaters. New Zealand-based author Hadley Fierlinger gives us baby-fied versions of an angola bolero, a matinee jacket, cabled booties, even a double-breasted car coat. We think her vintage pixie cap and organic heirloom blanket would make fabulous gifts for friends with wee ones. Check out Fierlinger’s online shop at shescraftyknits.com). She’s been creating knit duds for cool kiddies — including her own two sons — since 2002.

Hat Heads: 1 Man + 2 Knitting Needles = 50 Fun Hat Designs

by Trond Anfinnsen (aka Knitkid)

Let’s just start by saying this is the funnest knitting book of the bunch. By the end of the book, you want to be BFFs with author Trond Anfinnsen and the cool cast of friends and family he recruited for Hat Heads. Here’s the concept: Anfinnsen created unique hat patterns for 50 people in his life, including his parents, his girlfriend, old band mates, friends’ kids, and other members of his community. Each spread in the book features a hat pattern, a lovely photo of the person for whom it was created, and a quick story about that individual. The result is absolutely delightful, even for non-knitters. (Did we mention the hat patterns themselves are totally hip? Any one of them would make an excellent gift.)

One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit

by Leigh Radford

Want to splurge on a skein or two of pricey yarn? Looking for a way to use up half a skein leftover from a different project? This is the book we’d turn to. The follow-up to One Skein, One More Skein features projects in four categories: wearables, baby stuff, bags/gift bags/totes, and home decor. The ideas are diverse in style and execution, from ribbed linen placemats to wool kitty toys to a swanky silk gelato clutch. This book would be an ideal gift for friends who pick up new projects but never seem to finish them. Each of these patterns is designed to create quickly.

This just in! We received a very early copy of Melissa Leapman’s book, Color Knitting: Essential Techniques, Perfect Palettes, and Fresh Designs Using Just One Color at a Time. The book is due out in March 2010, and from what we can tell, it’s gonna be a good one–particularly for knitters who crave gorgeous color. Leapman provides step-by-step instructions for lots of color knitting techniques, from two-color double-knitting to picture knitting.

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Shopgirl’s Product Friday

Written on October 23, 2009 at 11:51 am, by Shopgirl

OK, totally digging this new rotary tool kit. It’s like the Dremel I already have and cherish—except better. The new kit (Dremel 4000-3/34) comes with a ton of fun stuff. And really, it’s all about the accessories, right?

Inside the super-handy storage case you’ll find a high-performance rotary tool and three different attachments—a cutting guide, a sanding/grinding guide, and a detailer’s grip. You’ll also get an accessory case to hold—and this is the best part—34 different accessories!

That means you have 34 options for carving, engraving, routing, grinding, sharpening, cleaning, polishing, cutting, and sanding. Seriously, think of the possibilities: cutting floor tile, drilling, etching glass, decorating pumpkins, and way more. (Find step-by-step project videos here.) There are also other Dremel 4000 kits on the market so you can find the one that best suits your creative needs.

If you already own one, think about an upgrade. The Dremel 4000 is the only rotary tool that works with all other Dremel accessories and attachments.

Available at hardware stores and home improvement centers; $79-$149

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Five Fab Ideas for Fall Parties

Written on October 23, 2009 at 9:05 am, by Guest Blogger

We think Stephanie Tait has a pretty killer job. She works with two of our fave home decor companies—Blissliving Home (adore the bedding!) and Chesapeake Bay Candle. Thanks to her crafty lineage and the time she’s spent at these design-savvy companies, Ms. Stephanie is pretty much brimming with cool ideas. Team DIY asked her to dish out some tips for throwing a fabulous fall party. Enjoy! – Team DIY

I’m crafty. Not in the cheat-you-out-of-money way, but in the “oh-look-construction-paper!” way. When I was growing up, my mother was always into some sort of DIY decorating project—stenciling the hallway, spray-painting the wicker furniture, installing tile in the basement, you name it. Naturally, I’m the same way with home decor and entertaining. And now I’m passing my craftiness on to you.

Fall is an amazing time to entertain. The weather is turning cooler, the leaves are brilliant, and the kids are out of the house (for the most part). When you’re planning an autumn get-together, don’t be afraid to let your inner-Martha Stewart out.

Here are five of my favorite entertaining tips for fall:

1. Put pillars in the fireplace. It’s cooler outside, but not cool enough to light a roaring fire. Pillar candles in a fireplace make a phenomenal statement. Choose any one color or combination of colors (I prefer all white pillars), then vary the sizes. Arrange them in a staggered, non-geometrical way inside your fireplace and light. It creates a real wow factor for your guests. This photo was shot by Dan Whipps at Mei Xu’s own home–she’s the founder of Blissliving Home and Chesapeake Bay Candle.

2. Use natural bounty. Fall is a time for harvest—use it to your advantage! Most fruits or vegetables with a rind or a tough skin are great to use in entertaining decor. Create a beautiful serving bowl by hollowing out a pumpkin and filling it with a rustic pasta salad. Slice off the top of a lime, scoop out the fruit, and use the rind as a votive holder—or try the same technique with a mini-pumpkin. The possibilities are endless! (I found the photo above in a great book — The Candlelit Home: Decorating with Candles Year-Round by John Terrell Fry.)

3. Stagger your buffet. If you’re having a buffet-type of meal, a multi-tiered buffet table is an amazing idea. Place a tablecloth on your empty buffet table, then gather boxes of different sizes. Make sure they are sturdy enough to support platters of food (milk crates work really well). Place the boxes facedown on the table. Then place a second tablecloth over the boxes, tufting the extra fabric between the boxes. Set a platter of food on each flat surface and voila: incredible presentation.

4. Scatter votives. I can’t stress this enough: Everything looks better in candlelight. Everything – you, your home, Mr. Stitches the family cat – everything. Scatter votives everywhere: on the buffet, on the dinner tables, around the bar, the side tables, on the mantle.

5. Use mirrors. Chances are, you’ll have tables at your get-together, whether it’s a sit-down dinner or a casual cocktail party. Placing mirrors on these tables will add a touch of glamour to your decor and set off the candlelight from your pillars and scattered votives. I prefer small round mirrors for this purpose; find them at IKEA or Target. Place the mirrors face up on tables with a votive on top. They reflect the light and sparkle of your party, and pump up the class-factor.

Have fun with these ideas and be crafty. That’s what it’s all about! You can even take all the credit for them. I won’t tell.

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