DIY Life

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Weil-McLain has announced a voluntary recall of about 32,000 Weil-McLain CG's and CGi gas boilers. If a leak occurs in the vent piping, the boilers can leak carbon monoxide into the building in which they are installed, posing a risk of CO poisoning. No injures have been reported.

Manufactured in the U.S. and sold by plumbing and heating wholesale distributors to plumbers and contractors from October 2001 through December 2007 for between $1,700 and $2,700, this recall involves cast iron, gas fired boilers used for space heating. Please check the CPSC press release for model names and serial numbers.

Consumers are advised to contact their installers for a free safety inspection and repair. For more information, contact Weil-McLain at (866) 783-9276 or visit their website at www.weil-mclain.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with L G Sourcing, Inc., has announced a voluntary recall of about 84,000 children's storage bins. Surface paint on the storage bins may contain excessive amounts of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Manufactured in Taiwan and sold at Lowe's retail outlets from March 2007 through February 2008 for about $6, this recall is for the pastel green scalloped edge wood storage bins and the pink scalloped edge wood storage bins. Please see the CPSC press release for more information on the recall.

Consumers are advised to take the storage bins away from children and return them to Lowe's for a full refund. For additional information on the recall, contact L G Sourcing at (866) 493-6563 or visit www.lowes.com.

Summer is my favorite time of the year, not only for the warm weather and outdoor food, but for the endless garage sales and flea markets. I sure do enjoy looking for an unbeatable bargain. Usually, I can find something to drag home that is in desperate need of a makeover, and is fairly cheap.

Kathy Peterson enjoys flea markets too, especially the World's Longest Yard Sale, which is hosted by several states. She managed to find a really ugly chair that was dirty and in dire need of a coat of paint and some new fabric, so she took it home and gave the chair a royal makeover.

To freshen up the chair, she removed the pad and batting, cleaned and painted the chair, and then stapled on some of her favorite fabric. When she was done, she attached fabric with hot glue to cover any exposed staples. The chair was then ready to be used for her daughter-in-law's bridal shower.

For more great chair makeover ideas, check out M.E. Williams' post on giving a new life to a thrift store chair, and my previous post on making over your boring office chair.

Pegboard can be a lifesaver in a workshop, sewing room, or the garage. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to retrieve a favorite tool because the hanger wants to come out of the pegboard along with the tool. While using pegboard can keep a workspace neat and tidy, sometimes reinforcement is needed to keep your tools from elongating the holes.

Popular Mechanics has a great article teaching us how to make our own custom pegboard tool hangers, using aluminum and steel from the hardware store, a hacksaw, a drill and a pair of pliers. Cut, bend, and shape the aluminum or steel, screw it to the wall, and hang up your tools.

With these custom pegboard tool hangers, we really have no more excuses to let our precious tools clutter up our workspace. Not only are the tool hangers perfect for a man's workshop, I think they are also perfect for a sewing/crafting room pegboard too.

via: Curbly

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Onward Manufacturing Co., has issued a voluntary recall of about 4,800 Broil King gas grills. A fire and burn hazard is posed to consumers if the bottom of the cook box containing the burners melts or cracks as the direct result of a grease fire. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Manufactured in Canada and sold at independent retailers from February 2006 through April 2008 for between $450 and $700, this recall includes the Signet, Sovereign and Sovereign XL series gas grills. The Signet and Sovereign series grills each have 3 burners and drop down shelves with side and rear burners. The Sovereign XL series has 4 burners and drop down shelves. Please check the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled gas grills.

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the grill and contact Onward Manufacturing at (866) 434-7455 for a free repair kit, or visit their website at www.broilkingbbq.com.

My husband usually takes sandwiches to work for his lunch. I always cringe when I see how many plastic sandwich baggies we go through in a month, and have often wondered if there was a way to reduce or eliminate using them. The short answer is yes.

The Small Object has come up with an awesome way to make reusable sandwich wraps. The wraps are shaped like an octagon, so that it can be used to wrap odd shaped bread or wraps, and can also be used as a placemat. The wrap is made out of vinyl coated fabric for the interior and regular fabric for the exterior. Velcro closes the sandwich wrap.

This is a great way to use up some of that extra fabric you have laying around. The pattern and instructions are easy to follow, and in a short amount of time you can easily whip one up for each member of your sandwich eating family.

via: Craft

Using a comfortable mat when doing yoga isn't really necessary, but it sure does come in handy against carpet burns, bruises from the hardwood floor, and grass stains all over your lovely white shorts. No matter how much padding you have on your tush, if you don't use a mat, you may notice all the pretty colors on your body the next day.

Your yoga mat is probably in need of a new bag, and Myam has just the thing, with a handy tutorial on how to make a yoga mat bag. To make the bag, measure the length and circumference of your yoga mat, then cut your fabric, adding two extra inches of fabric to your rectangular piece. Cut out the bottom piece. Don't forget to add two strips of fabric to make the strap.

Myam's pictures and her tutorial are perfectly easy to follow. I love the fabric she chose. It is so very energetic, and just the pick-me-up we all will need after our heart pounding yoga exercises are done and we all have to drag our butts out of the class.

via: Craft

Walking into a candy store takes me back to the good ol' days of the corner dime store. Row after row of candy designed to make your teeth rot out of your head, and shelves with glass canisters filled with mouthwatering treats to make you bounce off the walls were abundant.

Those canisters were pretty boring though, with only a metal lid and a metal or plain wood knob. If you have these canisters at home, you can liven them up with a little fabric and new knobs, following the instructions provided by Kate over on Design*Sponge.

For this project you will need glass canisters, fabric, glue or Mod Podge, decorative knobs, a screwdriver, a foam brush, and scissors. Basically all you need to do is remove the old knob, trace the lid onto your fabric, cut and paste the fabric onto the lid, and then add a decorative knob.

If you can't find vintage canisters at the thrift store or at your neighborhood garage sales, try eBay. If all else fails, Kate says her canisters come from Target. You can find decorative knobs at your local hardware store, and the thrift store is a great place to find vintage fabric.

Weddings are so fun, but for the bride and groom, getting prepared for their special day can be a hassle. It is quite a feat to pull off a wedding without a hitch.

Although it is exhilarating to pick out flowers, the hall, the chapel, and those you've chosen to be in your wedding party, it can get a little frustrating to agree on all aspects of the day.

You can take the hassle out of choosing your wedding invitations with an awesome instructable that teaches how to print and assemble multi-layered wedding invitations.

QVC, in cooperation with the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission, has issued a voluntary recall of about 28,000 SoleusAir Space Heaters. The space heaters can overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers. QVC has received nine reports of flames inside or coming out of the heaters, along with 70 additional reports of smoking, overheating, sparking, melting, and/or burning odors coming from the space heater.

Manufactured in China and sold through QVC's televised shopping programs, website, and in QVC's Studio, employee and retail stores from December 2007 through March 2008 for between $65 and $80, the recalled black and charcoal colored 1,500 watt heater is canister shaped and has three heat settings. Please see the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled space heater.

Consumers are advised to stop using the space heater and unplug it. Those who purchased the heater through a QVC television program or QVC.com have been mailed instructions on how to receive a refund. Consumers who purchased the heater at a QVC store should return the heater to any QVC store to receive a full refund. Consumers who have not received an information packet should contact QVC at (800) 367-9444 or visit their website at www.qvc.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with DEWALT Industrial Tool Co., has issued a voluntary recall of about 13,000 DEWALT DW744 Jobsite Table Saws. The pivot bracket on the saw can seperate, causing the blade and the fence to misalign, causing kick back. Although no injuries have been reported, DEWALT has received one report of the table saw's blade misaligning.

Manufactured in Mexico and sold at major home centers and hardware stores from April 2007 through January 2008 for about $500, this recall involves DEWALT 10 inch yellow and black jobsite table saws, model number DW744. Please check the CPSC press release for more information on the table saws.

Consumers should stop using the recalled table saw and contact DEWALT at (888) 742-9178 to find out the location of a service center to obtain a free replacement table saw. For more information, visit the firm's website at www.dewalt.com.

Graduation is coming up soon. What do you plan to do with your gown when you are done wearing it? Most people just tuck the gown in the back (I mean way back) of their closet and forget about it. Guilty as charged. I see that red gown once in a while when I am looking for something, but pretty much just leave it where it is, lonely and neglected.

Associated Content has a tutorial with step by step instructions telling us how to take old graduation gowns and make pillow covers from them. All you need is your old gown, matching thread, a sewing machine, and a pillow to make the cover for. Just follow the instructions, and in no time at all, you will have a newly covered pillow.

I really have a hankering now to find my satin graduation gown and recycle and reuse it for a few smooth pretty throw pillows. I think it would be really neat if non-matching thread was used though, or maybe some fabric trim in a contrasting color to liven up the pillow even more. Awesome, huh?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Rio Brands, has issued a voluntary recall of about 800 Rio Beach High-Boy Folding Beach Chairs. The rear leg of the chair can break, posing a fall hazard to consumers. Rio Brands has received one report of an incident involving minor bruises.

Manufactured in China and sold at retail stores from January 2008 through March 2008 for between $40 and $50, the recalled chairs have aluminum tubing frames, striped or solid color fabric slings, and wood arms with an attached storage pouch with a cell phone pocket. Please check the CPSC press release for more information.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and return them to purchasing location to receive a full refund. For more information, contact Rio Brands at (800) 866-8520 or visit their website at www.riobrands.com.

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, LivingXL has announced a voluntary recall of about 400 Multi Texteline Hammocks and Striped Quilted Hammocks. The hammock features a metal frame that can crack and break, causing a consumer to fall to the ground. LivingXL has received 3 reports of injuries caused by the hammock collapsing after the frame broke or cracked.

Manufactured in India and sold by LivingXL's catalog or at www.LivingXL.com from May 2007 through October 2007 for between $170 and $200, the recalled hammocks have a 5 piece beige steel frame and a cloth hammock. Please check the CPSC press release for model numbers involved in the recall.

Stop using the hammock immediately and contact LivingXL at (800) 535-7639 for instructions on returning the hammock to receive a full refund, or visit their website at www.LivingXL.com.

I want a new set of curtains, but I want to hang them like a shower curtain, just because I like the look. To do this I need to work grommets into the fabric, and I don't have one simple clue how to do such a thing. I like grommets in my clothing and crafts, but have always avoided using them because I didn't understand how easy it could be to install them.

ModHomeEcTeacher has a simple tutorial on installing grommets. Basically, all you have to do is mark your fabric where you want the grommet to be, take your handy dandy little grommet tool and give it a good thump. Next, cut out the indentation the tool made, and insert the grommet pieces on each side of the hole. Find your grommet tool again, and give it 5 good whacks with the hammer. Voila, installed grommets.

My goodness, who knew it was that easy to install grommets? Imagine all the possibilities now. You can finally put in the string for your new shopping tote, hang your newly sewn curtains, and get busy making your next craft project.