DIY Life

Not all Christmas gifts fit easily into a box or a bag and, of course, children's toys never seem to be simple. Wrapping a toy guitar, dollhouse or tricycle can be a challenge even for a professional. For those odd-sized gifts, you need a little creative thinking.

Parenting magazine helps us avoid a bum wrap with these simple steps:

Toy guitar

• Cut a piece of wrapping paper big enough to lay the guitar across diagonally from bottom-right to top-left corner, then fold the bottom corner over the guitar's body to make a triangular pocket.
• Pull the right corner of the wrapping paper over the top of the guitar, then tuck it underneath.
• Pull the left corner across and tape liberally.
• Fold the last corner over the top of the guitar and tape it in place.
  

Dollhouse

• Put it in a jumbo white trash bag that you've decorated, or in a laundry bag or bedsheet that you've covered with stickers and bows.
  
• Add a giant poster-board gift tag to complete the supersize look.
  

Tricycle

• Don't wrap it; hide it in the garage or a closet. Create a trail of wrapped clues ("Where's the first place you go in the morning?" and he's off to the bathroom). By the time he's opened each clue, he'll be so psyched for his actual gift that he won't care there's no more paper to tear off.

Or, of course, you can always ask Santa to supply the big gifts ... he's been know to put presents under the tree with nothing but a bow.

When the Swedish furniture company, IKEA , opened up in New Jersey it was like a celebration for me. Not only could I shop for inexpensive projects to put together, but I felt like my house (and my husband's office) was about to get a whole lot more efficient and good-looking, just like the IKEA catalog promised it would.

Has it? Well, not exactly!

Most everything at IKEA has a slightly modern appeal ... and my house is far from modern. Basically, only my husbands office has benefited. To fit in my house, I needed ideas on how to give their modern pieces more character allowing it to conform to my style ... and just when I thought it was a lost cause, I found Ikea Hacker, a blog devoted to the clever creations people come up with using raw materials gathered at Ikea. Now, the opportunities for DIY projects are endless.

Are you clueless in the kitchen? If so, you might want to tune into this video blog from former home-ec teacher Kathy Maister. Startcooking.com is full of fool-proof tips on turning recipes into actual meals. Kathy's three-minute lessons take beginners from soup to nuts, showing equipment, ingredients and the final product, so you can start cooking fast. You can also print her recipes, and look up techniques for stuff like how to juice a lemon (see video). You can even get great safety tips!

Bon appetit!

One of the most festive displays at Christmas time is a personalized holiday wreath. For some decorations, like the Nativity scene, there is only one way to go (it's not like you can leave out the three wise men or place baby Jesus in a castle). However, a Christmas wreath has endless possibilities for personalization. Just think about all your options: masculine, feminine, vintage, modern, traditional, glitzy among many others.

To begin, purchase a plain faux wreath (any size) and look for items in your local craft store or florist supply store – or (like me) you may already have what you need packed away with your holiday supplies. Then, personalize your wreath and show it off on your front door or over the fireplace!

Note: Aside from purchasing the wreath, I found everything else in my decorations!

Gallery: Tanya's Family Christmas Wreath 2007

As we gather to give thanks and enjoy time with family and friends, Thanksgiving tables will take center stage. If you haven't decided what to put in the center of your table, this quick, beautiful and all-natural centerpiece idea may give you some inspiration.

Think about fall's unusual fruits and foliage, and let them inspire you. Search your local farmer's market or grocery store for gourds, small pumpkins and colorful fruits, like figs, clementines, and star fruit, and gather oak leaves and branches. When arranged on tiered cake stands, or in bowls, or carved out pumpkins these harvest-time items make a centerpiece that takes only minutes to create, leaving you with plenty of time to concentrate on the meal.

Add style and organization to your home by making a ribbon-striped bulletin board ... go even further by making one just for Halloween.

Objects can be either slipped behind the ribbons or pinned directly to the board.

Materials:

• Staple gun
• Scissors
  
• Tacks (optional)
• Cork bulletin board, canvas board, Styrofoam board or fiberboard (available at hardware stores)
• Fabric a bit bigger than the bulletin board
• Ribbon (in various colors and sizes) or you can use twill tape or even seam binding
  

You appreciate your house for its charm, history, and maybe even it's location.

However, the grime between your bathroom tiles and the dust on your windowsills is another story entirely. Basically, you hate to clean, but that doesn't change the fact that you still have to.

So to make things a little easier, I found this great list of 16 essential products, in Real Simple magazine (Nov. 2007), that will help you tackle your entire house with ease.

Welcome guests -- and let them know they're at the right house -- with a custom stenciled doormat that displays your initial(s), last name, or street number.

What you need:

• Spray paint -- any color
• Tape -- various widths for more decorative appeal
• Stenciled number or letters -- approximately 6 inches in height
• Mat -- around 18 x 30 inches (I used a stiff fiber mat)
  
• Craft knife (if making your own stencils)
• Tacks