Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

I live north of Atlanta, Georgia where it tends to get a bit hot and humid from June through September.

My home has a number of temperature-stabilizing facets to it, the best one being that I have high-efficiency windows with argon-filled, low-e, dual paned glazing. Right now, in fact, I have the windows partly open, and even with an outside temperature of about 88 degrees, it's a very comfortable 71 degrees inside.

But ... there's no airflow through my home office (lucky me, to be able to work from my home, however.) Although I have ceiling fans in four other locations, in- and outside of my home, I have been slow (lazy?) to put one in the office; that ended today. Let's take a reasonably detailed look at how to install a ceiling fan. (Kudos to Kelly Smith for his nice article on this same subject.)

Follow the sequence of the gallery to get a good idea of how simple it is to hang one of these babies.

%Gallery-22095%

• Ceiling fans, in the Summer, don't decrease the air temperature in your home. What they do is increase the evaporation rate of your skin ("wind chill") to make you feel cooler. In the Winter it's a tad different. When the fan direction is reversed, the upward airflow from the fan moves the stratified (your word of the day; look it up) hot air from the ceiling down along the walls to the living space where it hits the cooler air nearer the floor, in a somewhat crude mixing pattern, transferring the warm air to the cooler, via forced convection.
• More fan blades don't equate to more air moved. Too many blades restrict the amount air that can be drawn through the blade area; additionally, extra blades increase the motor load, upping the power use, and reducing the motor RPM, thus reducing the airflow. Many fans have 5 blades for aesthetic and balance reasons; I have four, five, and a six blade fan in my home; I really prefer the four blade fans for reduced noise versus optimum airflow.
• Pick the correct fan size for a specific room; don't get the same fan for different sized rooms. A bunch of research has been conducted to determine optimum size -- go with it.
• The optimum pitch of the fan blades is between 12 and 14 degrees, with increasing efficiency, and increasing motor size and power requirements, above that range. While you can generally choose some facets of the fan's design, like the number of blades, pitch is pretty much not your call. That said, my experience is that an 11-13 degree blade pitch fan is more than suitable for the majority of home installations.
• The distance the fan is from the ceiling, and the floor, is quite important. As you might imagine, the closer the fan is to the peeps in the room, the more breeze you'll feel. Most installation codes (and common sense) require that the blades have a clearance of at least 7'. I mean, if all your NBA pals are wandering about the family room, do you really want to get sued? On the other hand, a minimum of 12" distance is recommended from the fan blades to the ceiling, in order to achieve optimum air circulation. So, you'll have to know the ceiling height in order to ensure that the blades are 8-9' from the floor. That distance will then dictate whether you will require a flush mount, or down rods, available in various lengths.
• Fan power consumption is minimal -- fans use only 10% of the energy of an air conditioner, or about that of a 100 watt bulb (what a deal!) The general consensus is that for every degree you increase the set point on your a/c thermostat, you can enjoy a 6-8% power savings. (Look for an Energy Star fan for the most efficient model.)
• Ensure that your prospective fan has a reversing switch. Except for a real "cheapo", I suspect that most fans do, but it doesn't hurt to check. HINT: some boxes indicate that the blades are reversible; this means that they can be turned upside down to have a choice of color schemes.
• A final note -- be sure that you have your fan rotation properly set for the appropriate season; in the summer, you want the airflow to be down, so the fan should be set to rotate with the leading edge up. The reverse is true for the heating season.

Alright, enough nerd stuff; on to the fun.

There are a bazillion options for fans and light kits and remotes. I bought my fan at a "home store" and was very satisfied. This is the third fan, from the same maker, that I have installed, and I have two of the same model -- 52", four blade, three-speed reversible, sealed bearings, 12 degree blade pitch, three lamps, pull chains for the fan and lamps.

First off -- safety: you're working with electricity here, so extreme caution is called for. Throw the circuit breaker(s) and test the line(s) before you go to work. Don't just "slap" the wire to see if you get a jolt! Please note I mentioned circuit breaker(s) -- some of you folks may have fans that are wired into two wall switches; shut both circuits down and check both of them or you may get bitten.

The time -- took me about one hour and 15 minutes to do this installation, but I was in no particular hurry.

The tools --

• flat and cross-tip screwdrivers
• wire cutters
• electrical tape
• circuit tester
• ladder
• work light

The materials --

• The fan, of course, described above; it had all the required parts except the electrical tape -- $78.
• A switch to replace the old rheostat -- $.78
• A suitable metal electrical box to support the weight of the fan -- $2.59
• a new cover plate for the switch -- $1.06

The process --

All fans, in general, have to be installed in pretty much the same fashion, and have basically the same parts. That said, there are always nuances, so read the material enclosed with the fan. As my dad used to say, "when all else fails, read the instructions." So, here goes ...

1. Ensure all the power to the fan is off.
2. Remove the old fixture.
3. As necessary, replace the old electrical box if it won't support a 35 or so pound fan; better safe than sorry.
4. Hang the fan support bracket on the fan box.
5. Temporarily supporting the fan -- a helper is really valuable here -- make the wire nut connections between your house and the fan. Don't be surprised to see that you may have to tie the black house power line to the black (fan power) and blue (light kit power) leads on the fan motor. You'll also have to connect the white neutral and the green ground lines to their respective leads. You'll likely have to cram a lot of wire into a little bit of space; that's why I like to tape the wire nuts to the lines so they don't come apart in the "stuffing" phase of the project.
6. Lock the fan motor in place with the keeper.
7. Hang the fan motor cover.
8. Assemble the blades.
9. Attach the blades to the motor.
10. Attach the light kit, if you have have one, connecting the appropriate leads.
11. Install the lamp globes and lamps.
12. Replace, as necessary, the fan switch and cover plate.
13. Re-energize the circuits and test the fan.
14. Ensure the blade direction switch is set in the correct position.

OK, good job. Clean up the mess so The Boss doesn't disparage your mechanical acumen (yet another word of the day -- a three-fer!) by tripping over your tools and junk. (Remember that leftover parts are not always indicative that the manufacturer was overly generous with his nut and bolt inventory.)

If you've found this article helpful, you may be interested in my features on water conservation, rain barrels, and "greening" your home.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Attention, husbands: If you're just planning Mother's Day now, I won't scold you, but I will save you from the wrath you're about to experience if you don't get things together quickly.

Before you move on to showing her your personal appreciation, you'll want to make sure you've arranged something special from your children. If you're in a hurry, here are some quick and easy Mother's Day projects. You can also help them make this precious card, telling Mom just how much they love her.

Some suggest giving Mom a day without the kids, but personally that isn't what I would want. Mother's Day should be celebrated as a family, but once they've served her breakfast in bed, and spent the day honoring her in clever ways, the two of you can tuck in those sweet little ones and get on with some romantic appreciation.

If you're looking for a way to spoil her, follow me through the break, and we'll discuss how you can shower her with appreciation for little or no cost, and with little preparation (yes, you can pull all of these off before Sunday!).

• Don't end with your best song: you don't want to start with it either, but choose those significant songs and mix them throughout the tape.
• Recognize your audience: this tape is for your wife, not for you, so keep her in mind with each song you choose.
• Withhold the track listing: You can still make one, but don't give it to her right away. Let her uncover each carefully-chosen song as she listens to it.

Make a coupon book

We've suggested making a coupon book from the kids, but this is a great gift coming from you, too. Keeping in the spirit of Mother's Day, make coupons that offer to take some of the "mommy duties" off her hands. Depending on how you typically split the household duties, these tasks will vary. Here are some suggestions: This coupon is good for one...

• early morning with the children while you sleep in
• gourmet dinner
• day of packing the family lunches
• week of laundry
• hour of private time while I take the children to the park

Make a memory journal

Buy a nice-looking journal, or decorate your own book cover, and make her a Motherhood memory journal. She'll use the book to record all the sweet things her children do, and to journal her reflections on motherhood. Start off the first few pages by adding in your own stories. Write down a few memories about the children, or moments when you appreciated her as a mother.

Alternatively, you could make a memory album, and add a little interest to the book by including some photos with your stories. If you really want to embellish the album pages, gather some scrapbooking supplies and set up the journal pages for her. You can even design scrapbook and journal paper in Photoshop with Anna's tutorial.

Plan a fireside picnic

A picnic by the lake with fine wine and gourmet cheese may have been replaced by granola bars and juice boxes in a crowded park, but you can bring back a little romance with a fireside picnic. Once the children are in bed, spread out a blanket in front of the fire, and enjoy some of your favorite treats together. Here are some great suggestions for romantic picnic foods.

Spend your time just visiting one another, and enjoying your alone time. If you want to bring in some added romance, read her some poetry. Share some of these poems and stories inspired by mothers. If you really want to impress her, write your own poem.

So, while you should be feeling a healthy bit of panic due to having left planning Mother's Day until this late date, you are not entirely out of options. Enjoy a family day together, talk to your kids about ways to celebrate Mom, then spoil her yourself at the end of the day. You notice things daily that remind you of what a wonderful mother she is: now take this opportunity to celebrate and thank her.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Back in March, I wrote about Hinamatsuri, a Japanese traditional festival celebrating the happiness and growth of young girls. Hinamatsuri is interesting, but it's not a national holiday in Japan: that distinction goes to Children's Day (Kodomo no hi), which was known as Boys' Day until the late 1940s, when it was expanded to include girls. And Children's Day is today!

The most visible symbol of Children's Day to most people is probably the koinobori, or fish kite (sometimes called a koi kite or carp kite). These are colorful windsocks shaped like a long koi. They are usually tied to a bamboo pole, where the wind catches them and makes them look like they're "swimming."

There are a few legends attached to why the koinobori are displayed, but most relate to the koi being energetic and courageous in the way it goes against the current, leaping out of the water when it swims. The koi becomes a metaphor for parents' hopes for their children, particularly their sons.

Today is a perfect day for family members to make simple paper or fabric fish kites of their own. After the break, we'll explore some of the history and motifs of this holiday, and check out a variety of related crafts: not just koinobori! We'll also talk about some non-traditional, totally American ways to celebrate the kids in your life.

%Gallery-22135%

Customs and Traditions

• Tango no Sekku?: The Los Angeles-area Venice Japanese Community Center presents a detailed article about Children's Day, explaining that in spite of the re-purposing of the holiday about 60 years ago, most families still celebrate it in the traditional way as Boys' Day. If you are interested in the story behind some of the holiday's other elements, like its traditional foods and the samurai warrior dolls associated with it, this is a great link to check out.
• Children's Day Traditions: Stories for Children Magazine sheds more light on the topic of fish kites and how they are often displayed.
• Japanese Boys' Day: Little Buddha Baby discusses some other ideas about the origins of koinobori: as a sort of ancient "scarecrow" for crop-devouring insects. You'll also find a recipe for pink mochi, a sticky baked rice treat.
• Koinobori: Celebrating the Spirit of Boys' Day: The Japanese-American National Museum site talks about fish kites, how to display them, and the meaning behind the display. You can also purchase pre-made kites at this site.
• Koinobori, Boys' Day, and Children's Day: Ginkoya shares some fish kite photos, including a few related to home decor that show the truly giant scale of some of the kites and offer some creative ideas for using them.

Crafts and activities

• Children's Day, Japan at Activity Village: The best page I've found on the topic, with regard to the number and variety of projects on it (a few of the links below are also listed on this one).
  
  There's a printable coloring sheet that can be cut and glued into a koinobori (the fastest fish kite project on this page), an origami version to make, printable bookmarks and stationery with koi on them, paper samurai helmet and sword projects, and links to numerous educational sites with tons of other downloadable projects and activities related to the topic, like coloring pages and puzzles.
• Children's Day at the Teachers' Asian Studies Summer Institute: A complete educational unit based on the holiday and geared towards instructors. It features plenty of ideas for activities, and uses the occasion as a chance to launch a deeper exploration of Japanese culture. This one may be particularly helpful to homeschooling families.
• Fishy Business carp kite tutorial at Recreate.com: A paper fish kite made with individual scales. This is fast and easy, with a colorful and appealing final result. This version uses mostly tissue paper, scrap paper, a small amount of construction paper, glitter, and glue.
• Koinobori tutorial at PBS's Zoom: This fish kite is unlike most of the other tutorials here in that it's made with scrap fabric from an old pillowcase and fabric glue. That means the resulting kite should be comparatively durable.
• Japanese Carp Wind Sock at makingfriends.com: A tutorial that uses wrapping paper and a small wooden hoop for an interesting stylized kite. It's probably the simplest version of this project in this list.
• Printable paper koinobori: Just print out this page (from a Japanese site), then cut out the shapes, fold them in half, and glue them together. You'll wind up with four different styles of streamers that could be used as bookmarks, to make a banner (if you fold them over a thread before gluing them), in a diorama, and so on. You could also try folding them around a thin bamboo skewer, then displaying them traditionally... in miniature!
• Kabuto-Kazari papercraft: A complex paper model from Yamaha. The kabuto-kazari is the samurai helmet traditionally displayed on Boys' Day. Totally cool, but not recommended for younger children, due to its relative difficulty.
• How to Celebrate Children's Day at eHow.com: Suggestions that have nothing to do with the traditional Japanese observance of the holiday. Instead, they focus on making your kids feel special and having a fun time as a family. Although these ideas are geared towards May 5th, they could help make any day into a special day for your favorite child.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

At last, the fifth of the five articles I promised! I have previously written about walls of natural stone, engineered wall blocks, cultured stone, and pressure-treated timbers.

Mortared stone is technically not the most difficult, but it is the most labor intensive; essentially you're taking big rocks and making them into little ones. Done correctly, mortared stone is, in my mind, the nicest looking work you will ever see. I think that you'll agree when you see some of the gallery photos.

That said, take a gander at the gallery and we'll move on to the fun stuff.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

For the sake of this article, I will limit the scope of the work to a free-standing wall about 2' tall and 10' long. Bigger walls than that, or those cutting into a slope, really require something more than DIY experience, and you might want to get a price from a contractor.

First off, safety. On the possibility that you'll be building a wall somewhere in the vicinity of the power or gas lines, make sure you get your utilities marked. My experience is that the power and natural gas guys generally put their lines down fairly deep, but not so with the telephone, cable, and water folks. In any case, if you cut any of the utility lines, you will have, at the minimum, angry family members or neighbors on your hands. If you cut off service to your entire area, you will then be in BTT (big time trouble). Don't take a chance; it only takes a phone call. For this project, you will need hand and eye protection and maybe some knee pads, unless you have very young knees.

The layup of the stone is pretty much confined to two principal dimensions. You can install the stone horizontally (stacked) or with the long axis vertically (veneer). Look again at the gallery to get some sense of the appearance; veneer has the advantage (for the same square footage) of requiring requires less material and less labor.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The materials:

• The rock, of course -- You should have some notion of the kind you want, but I recommend that you not actually buy it until you have either a very good idea of the scope of your project or the base of the wall already constructed. It's much easier to measure the base construction and then purchase the stone, so you don't have to sheepishly return to the rock yard and get six or seven additional square feet of material in order to finish the work -- not that I have ever had to do anything like that. Check with your stone supplier, but for stack stone material you can expect to pay about $250 a ton with coverage of approximately 35 square feet per ton. For veneer stone, you will pay approximately the same amount and get about double the square foot coverage. These prices reflect the stone available in the Atlanta, Georgia area and are not necessarily representative of your neck of the woods. The big determinants of the cost will be the freight from the quarry nearest you. Measure the project and add 10-12% extra; remember you will be chipping the rock away, so the waste is fairly significant. In any case, you will probably have to buy the rock by the pallet, so be prepared. Have it delivered; don't mess around hauling the stuff in 14 trips to your home. Don't forget to include the cap rock for the top of the wall.

• The cinder block sub-structure -- block comes in several dimensions, but a very popular size is 8" x 8" x 16". You'll need about 9 blocks for each 10 square feet of wall; get enough block for your work plus 10%, of course. Blocks generally cost about $2 each.

• Masonry cement -- Your vendor will have the necessary masonry supplies. You will be looking for Type N, generally used for above-grade projects; it will run $8-9 a bag. I like to mix the mortar, fine sand, and portland cement in a 1:2:1/4 ratio, by volume. (In some locations you can find a "mason's mix" of all the required ingredients.) Check with your vendor, but you can generally expect coverage of 30-40 block and 25-35 square feet of stone. You'll use this for laying up the block (unless you pour the cavities -- see below) and sticking the rock to the wall.

• Concrete for the footer-- the footer is the solid concrete base upon which you will erect the cinder block wall. Get enough bagged "sakrete" (pre-mixed cement, sand, and gravel) to build a foundation a foot wider and longer than your project and below the frost line of your area. You'll pay $3-7 a bag, depending on the size and type; coverage is noted on the bag.

• Reinforcing bar ("rebar") -- in combination with the poured cavities, to strengthen the wall. I recommend that you get enough rebar to put in every third block, with the bottom 12" of the bar in the footer and the length to be as tall as the wall. In addition to the rebar, especially for walls under 2' in height, you can fill all the cavities with concrete and you have, essentially, a poured concrete wall. The advantage here is that you don't have to mortar the blocks together (a big plus for a DIY project) so you save substantial labor time.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Time:

A wall 2' tall and 10' long (the scope of our discussion), from start to finish, will eat up a weekend. That said, if you can get help with the hard part of the job (which covers pretty much all of the job), that is to your benefit. The more, the merrier. There may be a trade-off, however, for the next time someone says "Honey, will you go look at curtains with me?" Think about it...

Tools:

• Shovels -- round-point and flat, for the excavation part of the work and mixing the concrete and mortar.

• A brick hammer -- to knock the stone into an acceptable shape.

• A 4' carpenter's level -- to keep the block wall horizontal.

• Mason's trowels -- for applying the mortar.

• Grout bag (optional) -- to get the grout into the joints; alternatively, you can use a small trowel, if the joints are large. For stacked stone, you should try to chip the rock neatly enough such that joints are not visible; no joints, no grout! What a deal.

• Wheelbarrow or just a piece of old plywood -- to mix the concrete and mortar.

• Brick ties -- generally used for brickwork, sometimes a mason will use these guys to stabilize the wall rock as it's put up.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The process:

• Dig the foundation below your frost line, and about a foot wider and longer than the finished work. Pour your footer with the "sakrete" at least 12" deep, or more, depending on the frost line. It doesn't have to be perfectly level -- you can let gravity take care of that. If you are going to add rebar to the block wall, now is the time to insert the steel about a foot into the concrete, after eyeballing about where the cavities of the block will end up. Let the footer cure for about 24 hours, unless you used the rapid-hardening type of "sakrete", in which case you're good to go in about four hours.

• Lay the first row of blocks over the pieces of rebar, with the ends of the blocks as close as possible, and check that the tops are level. If not, you can shim the bottom of the blocks with flat stone chips. Lay up the succeeding rows of block, making sure that you don't line up all the block joints on top of one another. (This will, of course, ultimately cause the wall to fail and subject you to muffled laughter from family and friends alike.) As you lay up the block, you may mortar the joints together, or pour the cavities with the rebar, or pour all the cavities. As opposed to other walls, you don't have to batter or set the walls back; they go straight up. Again, let the wall cure from four to 24 hours, depending on your choice of concrete.

• Now the fun begins. With the rock hammer, chip a bunch of rock to shape. For stacked stone, the usual configuration is akin (your word of the day -- look it up) to a small loaf of bread. If you want to veneer the rock, knock the stone into pieces about the size of a piece of paper (legal or otherwise, your choice). You'll break a lot of rock to get the shapes you want, but don't be discouraged. This work is labor-intensive, but you'll be surprised how quickly you get the knack of it; press ahead.

• With an inventory of prepared rock at hand, apply the mortar mixture to the wall and the stone and then stick it on the wall, with a slight twisting motion, to squish the two layers of mortar together; hold it for a few seconds. For stacked rock, set the succeeding row on top of the one below it, making sure you alternate the joints, for the sake of a good look. For veneer, you can use stone chips (not to worry, you'll have an ample supply) to use as spacers for later grouting (there's a pic in the gallery).

• Alternate colors, sizes, and shapes as you move up the wall. HINT: When you get about halfway up the wall, start thinking about the rock that will be in the top half and cut them so they they aren't all little tiny pieces just below the caprock level, leading some of the bystanders to ask " how come all the rock at the top is about the size of a little tiny piece?" Plan ahead.

• OK, getting to the finish line. Hammer your caprocks into shape and mortar them to the top of the wall; if you filled all the cavities, this will be a snap, as you have a very flat surface to work on. It's only a little more effort if you filled only the cavities with the rebar. Make sure the caps are stable and don't rock and roll -- at some point someone will sit or walk on the wall and you don't want them (the peeps or the caps) to fall off and break.

• Grouting. Using the grout bag or a small trowel or your finger push the grout into the joints (after removing the spacer chips, as necessary). Let it dry a few minutes then smooth it with a damp rag. Avoid getting grout on the face of the rock; it's hard to remove when dry, as you might imagine.

Clean up the mess and wait for the adulation (yet another word of the day) to begin. You will be the envy of the neighborhood, oh yeah!

(Thanks to the good folks at Stone Forest Materials in Kennesaw, GA for the use of their displays for several of my photos.)

%Gallery-21616%

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Did you know that we have regular columns here at DIY Life? They run weekly, and each has a different focus. Our current schedule is:

• Monday: You're reading it! Living the DIY Life is our list of the previous week's best posts, as well as some top-ranked past material.
• Tuesday: The Scentual Life by Debra McDuffee is all about pampering yourself with home-made bath and body products and other excellent-smelling things. Most recently, Debra wrote about creating effective insect repellents with essential oils.
• Wednesday: In Kiddie Crafts, Francesca Clarke demonstrates simple, fun crafts that small children can do with supervision. The most recent installment addressed using "fingerprint art" to make stationery.

But where are the rest of the columns, you ask -- and what about the best posts of the week? I have carefully hidden them after the break! Click on through to see plenty for your house, yard, and craftiness... as well as a link to the huge collection of eco-friendly posts we put together for Earth Day, 2008. It'll be fun for the whole family.

• Thursday: Kelly Smith's Perpetual Remodeling Syndrome. What does DIY mean to you? If your answer is primarily, "Doing traditionally manly things around the homestead," this may be your favorite column. With characteristic good humor, Kelly tackles topics having to do with renovation and home maintenance. He discussed keeping track of your landscaping tools this week.
• Friday: Avant Yard, by Diane Rixon, is our yard and gardening column. In it, you'll find solid information and fresh ideas for your green thumb. Avant Yard was all about keeping your wisteria in line this week.
• On occasional Fridays, you'll also see Ian Lesnet's amazing electronic wizardry. Lately, he's been demonstrating how to build a digital recorder from simple parts.
• Ryan McFarland's "Re-Crafted" series, in which he demonstrates how to remake old stuff into something new and interesting, also appears on Fridays, but is currently on hiatus.

If any of these topics is relevant to your interests, you'll know when and where to find fresh information about it, almost every week (assuming life doesn't deal a blow, like sickness or a broken computer, to a given column's author).

We have a lot of interesting posts outside of our weekly columns, too. Here are a few of this week's highlights....

Home and garden:

• Bat-proof your house and Make your garden a Certified Wildlife Sanctuary by Bethany Sanders
• Rain barrels made easy by Bill Volk
• Emergency pipe leak repair, Deadbolt hack for heightened security, and Stripped bolt hole thread repair, all by Kelly Smith
• Choosing the right fencing material for your project by Mike Johnson
• Revamp furniture with new hardware by M.E. Williams

Lifestyle:

• Tips for a close shave by Debra McDuffee
• Organic produce wash made with lemon and vinegar by Anna Sattler
• Win a hot-dog-eating contest by Francesca Clarke
• DIY for Earth Day is a collection of some great "green" posts by our entire staff!

I, for one, welcome our new _______ overlords:

• Make an ant farm by Francesca Clarke
• Build an earthworm habitat by Bethany Sanders

Crafts:

• Free pattern: Nintendo Yellow Pikmin felt doll and Crafty Chica's decorative concrete coasters by M.E. Williams
• Using a rock tumbler without the refills by Maggie Vink
• Homemade sidewalk chalk for your little artist by Bethany Sanders
• Create sidewalk art with free stencils by Debra McDuffee
• Recycle an old book, get a new handbag by Francesca Clarke
• Make an organizer out of a pair of jeans and Make a flower brooch from a tape measure by Jamie Dobbs

Our top three posts for this week were:

1. 8 do-it-yourself wedding centerpieces by Anna Sattler
2. Free knit & crochet patterns: the best of October 2007 by M.E. Williams
3. Make your own 100-calorie snacks to go by Debra McDuffee

See you next Monday!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

This can be a great way to source out a rare vintage find, or expand your collection of designer handbags without shelling out the big bucks. Keep your closet fresh this spring by getting rid of stuff you don't wear, and swapping them for things you will. And needless to say, this is a great way to find those rare pieces you've been coveting for your next DIY fashion creation.

[via: Lifehacker]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments