DIY Life

In this age of doing-it-yourself, handmade gifts are becoming more and more popular. The trouble with that is making sure your gifts are original and unique.

Making a spoon rest out of clay can be as one-of-a-kind as you want it to be, or you can make it simple and use a cookie cutter so your kids can help with the project. The article suggests making a heart spoon rest, but you could make anything you wanted to -- freehand, or use a cookie cutter or stencil of your choice.

You'll need air-drying clay, acrylic paint, both in colors and clear, and any tools you will want to use to work the clay. Suggestions about how to make hole to hang the spoon rest and how to make it rest on a flat surface easily are included in the instructions. You can paint it when it is dry and even put felt on the bottom for a nice base.

If your kids -- or you! -- know your way around a can of Play Doh, you can easily make a clay spoon rest as a keepsake gift for any occasion.

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

The annual Maker Faire in the Bay Area wrapped up this past weekend, and I thought it only appropriate to mention the explosion of DIY'ers and "makers" there are out there. According to the official site, there were over 500 makers and over 65,000 attendees-- both are records for the event. I heard a few people say there were backups on the highways because of the crush of geeky, crafty, clever builders from all over.

There certainly was an impressive showing of talent, no question. From giant flaming sculptures to tiny pipecleaner robots, Maker Faire appeals to a wide range of interests. Perhaps the best aspect of the event is that it is accessible to almost anyone with a project they have built themselves. Unlike stuffy old conferences (or even glitzy ones, like E3 used to be), Maker Faire is a very hands-on, festival atmosphere.

If you want to see more, there are the flickr pics tagged with "maker faire 2008" plus read Guy Kawasaki's post. He describes it well, I think, saying "Macworld Expo meets Burning Man meets MythBusters meets Woodstock." Who wouldn't like that? More coverage from Suicide Bots, Daily DIY and BoingBoing.

Next week I'll be interviewing Bug Labs, who attended Maker Faire. If you have any questions for Bug, leave them in the comments.

I'm simply giddy that sandal season is upon us. If you've made your feet pretty with our home spa pedicure, then you are ready to try your hand at making your own sandals.

If Anna's recycled tire sandals aren't your thing, you might like to order this Make Your Own Sandals Kit. They are customizable and very stylish. The assembly instructions are clear and easy to follow, and you can purchase fun add-ons like charms and other embellishments.

The drawback? At 39.95 for a basic sandal kit, you could just go out and buy a pair of already-made sandals. But if you are a die-hard DIYer, this is an easy way to say, "I made these shoes."

I am wondering if you could use an old pair of shoe soles, buy new leather strapping, and fashion yourself a similar pair of sandals for less -- recycling old shoes, to boot. It would be better for the planet and your wallet!

The other day, I found an interesting and easy decorative glass vase tutorial over at CasaSugar. I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool for around the house, but I bet it would also be perfect as a wedding centerpiece." In fact, it turns out that the project originated at DIY Bride.

This is really as simple as picking up some rub-on transfers you like, along with a clear glass vase that has a smooth surface. After making sure the vase is completely clean and dry, just cut around the transfers you like, then use the burnishing stick that comes in the package to carefully rub designs onto the vase (exactly as you would if you were rubbing them onto paper).

The transfers are sold in almost any store that carries scrapbooking or other craft supplies. Thousands of designs are available, but if you can't find any rub-ons that you like in your area, the DIY Bride post has a list of online resources.

This project is as versatile and stylish as your imagination (for example, the right transfers would make it great for Mother's Day), but this is not exactly a new tip: a few months ago, this concept also ran in the Winter, 2008 issue of Somerset Life magazine, where it was used to decorate glass bottles and jars. Please join me after the break to read more about the appealing ideas that were presented there.

My hair is super straight and pretty boring. I recently bought some of those pink sponge rollers, the kind my mother used to put in my hair every night before bed. I had forgotten how incredibly uncomfortable they were. Not to mention the weird creases they left in my hair where the plastic closing piece connects.

In a search for more comfortable hair rollers, I stumbled upon this brilliant tutorial. It never occurred to me that I could just make my own.

They look really nice, and will give me the opportunity to use up some of my fabric scraps. And, they look really comfortable. No big plastic pieces!

You'll need fabric, buttons, stuffing, thread, hand sewing needle, scissors, and a sewing machine (with zipper foot if possible). If you are uncomfortable with creating button holes, you can always use Velcro. If you do use Velcro, it would probably be best and cheapest to purchase it by the yard since you'll need a lot more of the loop portion of the velcro.

I guarantee I'll have the most impressive and comfortable curlers on my block!

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.

There are 6.1 million women in the United States ages 15 to 44 who are living with an impaired ability to have children. Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility.

Why not brighten their day a bit by making them a fertility-themed bracelet?

For this project, you will need beads, bracelet elastic, charms, or any other findings you want to include.

The writer of the tutorial suggests using moonstone and rose quartz in the bracelet. Both are cost effective and promote fertility.

There are other stones that boost fertility, if you want other color options. Carnelian, coral, chrysoprase, mexican fire opal, and garnet are a few of the other stones you may want to consider.

I would include a card printed on nice cardstock that lists each stone used and their healing properties.

Sometimes it is hard to find the perfect words for a friend that is trying-to-conceive with fertility issues. Gifting this bracelet to your friend will show them how much you support them on their journey, without having to say a word.

There is nothing sweeter than a child, arms spread wide, exclaiming "I love you this much!" Sure, it's a little cliche, but it melts my heart every time. This week's Kiddie Craft captures that precious exclamation, their adorable hand-prints, and their complete admiration for Mom or Grandma.

So, skip the Mother's Day display in your local stationery store, and help your children make her a personal card. Here's what you need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape or glue
• Pencil
• A large sheet of paper
• Pens, paints, stickers and other things to decorate the card

This simple Mother's Day card was easy to make, and my boys had a blast spreading their arms wide on the paper, and giggling as I traced their tiny hands. Follow me through the break for full instructions, and take a look through the gallery for your visual step-by-step.

Mother's Day is right around the corner, but if you don't have a gift yet, there's no need to panic. We've rounded up a bunch of posts to spark your creative juices and make your mom feel like a queen.

If you're planning to give mom flowers -- or if you get some yourself -- keep them looking fresh for a long time with these simple steps. Some, like changing the water daily, you might already be aware of, but did you know you should also trim a bit of stem off each day?

Looking for a perfect Mother's Day craft for little tykes? How about terracotta flower pots covered with handprints of the grandkids? Older kids can take a crack at making roses out of maple leaves or coffee filters.

Moms, if you get roses from the kids this year, keep the fallen petals as they drop and make rose petal beads. The project will take some time, but in the end you'll have a beautiful necklace that smells great and will always remind you of Mother's Day 2008.

Speaking of flowers, if your mother likes the look of fancy framed professionally photographed exotic plants, but doesn't care for the price tag, make her one yourself. You don't need to be a photgraphy expert; just use these tips to take some professional-looking pictures, get them developed and framed, then watch Mom smile.

If you're good with your hands and have some nice rocks and stones handy, consider making Mom a water feature for her yard. You can put one together in a single afternoon for about $25, but your mother will enjoy it for years to come.

Remember making a necklace out of yarn scraps and soda can tabs when you were a kid? Even though it maybe wasn't the prettiest jewelry she'd ever owned, she wore it proudly because you made it. This year, make her a necklace out of pink rhodonite. She'll wear it just as proudly, but this time she won't struggle to keep a straight face.

Serve Mom breakfast in bed in a keepsake tray she'll love. Dress up an inexpensive serving tray with pictures, handprints of the grandkids, and some pretty bows, then use it to take coffee and toast to your Queen for the Day.

If you've got a Flickr account, upload some photos you know mom will love, then make a free picture cube. Or, you could go a little more high-tech and build her a digital picture frame. To really amaze your mom with your crafty skills, give her a box of specially covered pencils that, when lined up, reveal a picture of you!

Taking Mom out to lunch? Make her the prettiest corsage she's ever worn. For a more subtle approach, or as a good craft for the kids, make flower pins from fabric, felt, or yarn instead.

For a quick list of some great gifts (including a couple of spa treaments) keep reading!

Give mom a home facial with these steps from our recurring series "The Scentual Life"

Save some money by making fabric flower cards for mom.

Make mom the perfect breakfast in bed with these tips.

Our series "Avant Yard" brings you the top 10 Mother's Day gifts for gardening.

Need a frame for photos? Make this clever fold-out album for her.

Another regular series, "Kiddie Crafts," features a variety of Mother's Day ideas that you can try.

And "The Scentual Life" brings you a how-to on a home spa, with a focus on feet-- because we know how much mom is on those!

Not too long ago I blogged about converting a onesie into a dress. This inspired me to find other things to do with onesies, things not too time consuming. Babies outgrow onesies so fast, so this a great way to recycle these little gems. (I have quite a few nieces and nephews, so lots of onesies to play with!)

One of the most unusual uses I found for onesies was reconstructing them to make a tee for your dog. This project is quick, pretty easy, and only requires a onesie, thread, scissors, and sewing machine.

Of course, being the embellishment addict that I am, there is no way I can stop there. You can add appliques, patches, ribbons, decorative buttons, embroidery, or anything else to jazz it up (Just make sure that the buttons are really secure, you don't want your pet to swallow them).

In the recent past, t-shirt reconstruction has had us scrambling about trying to find cool shirts to revamp. Don't our four-legged BFFs deserve the same DIY goodies? Run out and get those onesies out of storage, from a thrift store, or a garage sale, and make your pup a fab little shirt today.

Bring a bit of vintage style into your bathroom with Julie Reed's crocheted bath rug. The doily pattern that she used is from 1918: authentic and classic. The full tutorial will give you everything you need to recreate this bath mat in your own home.

Julie doesn't just list supplies and steps, but walks us through what works and what doesn't, as she chooses the right yarn and tries to minimize the ruffled edge.

I love her color choice. The juniper and charcoal heather compliment each other beautifully. This is the kind of inspired piece you could build your whole bathroom around. After the break, I'll discuss some DIY ways to finish off your vintage style bathroom.

Is all of this spring rain getting to you? If you have a three-year-old, you are probably outside in it everyday like I am, enjoying projects like making a rain gauge ruler and a rain book. But if your older, slightly more rational children prefer to stay indoors on torrential days, you might like making a rain stick with them.

What is a rain stick, you ask? It is simply a long tube filled with various noisemakers that make the tube sound like a rainstorm when tipped end over end. It has been used in different cultures -- invented in Chile -- to attempt to make the rains come.

This is an easy project that leaves the creativity window wide open, so every rain stick really comes out a unique expression of each creator. You'll need a mailing tube, some dried rice and peas, plastic drinking cups to cover the ends of the tube, aluminum foil and the odds and ends of art supplies, staplers, etc.