Living the DIY Life: March 15-21, 2008

Oh, St. Patrick's Day and Easter, how we miss you. The green beer has been poured down the hatch or down the drain, the Cadbury Creme Eggs have been devoured, the Peeps have been microwaved, and most of our cooler posts from last week were about holidays that have now come and gone.

That's OK, though. Most "Easter" ideas aren't exclusive to one Sunday sometime in the Spring: they can be fun all season long, and well into the rest of the year! For example:

• Francesca Clarke wrote about natural dyes for eggs. Colored eggs are cheerful at lunch anytime. Yes, food coloring is safe, but you can get some interesting shades with onion skin and grape juice, among other things.
• Anna Sattler wrote about home-made window clings: sure, the ones in the post are rabbit-shaped, but it's just as easy to make flowers, stars, or anything else you like.
• I hunted down some bunnies and lambs... strictly to knit and crochet. There's a high concentration of adorability per square inch in these two free pattern posts (Part II, for crocheters, is here).

Please keep on reading for plenty of posts that are absolutely, completely, incontrovertibly not about Easter. You'll find a nifty necklace, pretty wildflowers, home and car repair ideas, workshop tips, fun stuff for kids, and one temporarily green river. We'll also reveal our top three posts of the week!

For the home workshop, as well as repairs and improvements:

• Stud-finders are useful and inexpensive, but in my experience, a lot of them are so cheaply made that they don't work for very long. Kelly Smith has a quick stud-finding cheat involving a magnet on a string.
• Kelly also talked about bench-top table saws: why you might need one, and what to look for if you decide to make the purchase.
• Diane Rixon discussed using the Internet to find and purchase repair parts for appliances. The glass turntable tray in my microwave broke several years ago; thanks to Diane's advice, I found a new one within ten minutes!

On the road:

• Mike Johnson experiences an object lesson in car-repair pricing.
• Francesca reminds us that, if you live in an area where warmer weather is on its way, it might be time for a bicycle tune-up.

In the garden:

• Kelly shows us some puddle-busting French drains.
• Bill Volk teaches us about garden fertilizers... so what do those numbers on the bag mean, anyway?
• Diane makes seed bombs, so we can fill barren areas with pretty (and eco-friendly!) scattered wildflowers. The result of using them is much more truly random than any "randomness" we might attempt with our bare hands.

With kids:

• Francesca and her brood make wind-chimes out of small, painted terracotta pots.
• Mike gives us some fun "mad scientist" tricks, bets, and demonstrations that might help someone become the "cool" parent, relative, or babysitter. (This post also contains my single favorite line of the week: "No one wins when someone has to eat a handful of dirt because of a bet." Can't argue with that! Unless maybe you're the person who isn't eating the dirt.)

Who's the craftiest? You!

• Debra McDuffee had a few great posts: she made a pretty-in-pink Rhodonite necklace and moisturizing Springtime body-care products (like soap and scrub).
• More body products: Francesca posted this make-your-own-toothpaste recipe.
• Anna posted about a chocolate Easter Bunny "turducken." It's not appropriate for the whole season, but I still think it's completely hilarious and awesome.

As usual, we had plenty of information about tool safety and recalled products.

Our top three posts this past week were:

1. 8 do-it-yourself wedding centerpieces by Anna Sattler
2. Dyeing to know: turning the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day by Diane Rixon
3. Free knit & crochet patterns: the best of October 2007 by M.E. Williams

See you next week... where we'll begin to come to terms with the fact that the next Federal Holiday in the U.S. won't come around for another two months.