DIY Life

Duct tape has to be among the handiest fix-it tools around. That big, fat roll of tape sure is bulky, though. Consider stowing just a small amount in your pocket, bag, or glove compartment. That way you'll always have some tape on hand, and there'll be no more riffling through the garage searching for the main roll of tape.

Here's how Lifehacker's Brad Isaac made his own pocket-sized duct tape dispenser from a drinking straw. You will need a roll of duct tape, a drinking straw, and a pair of scissors. Carefully wind a length of duct tape around and around the straw, then cut the excess straw on either side. Voila! You have a decent amount of duct tape that slips into your pocket for those unexpected little repair jobs around the house, car, at work, or camping out.

[via Lifehacker]

We've just moved into a new house, and my boys are excitedly adding personal touches to their room to make it their very own. These personalized door hangers are a perfect way for them to express their own taste and take ownership of their new room.

In this project, your child will decorate cutouts of their own initials and hang them on their bedroom door. For their decorations, they'll be reusing cardboard, greeting cards, magazines, and other treasures they find around the house.

Take some inspiration from the gallery, and see how ours turned out. I'll share full instructions and some useful tips after the break.

Mmm-mmm. Fresh basil. It's so very fragrant -- the indispensable ingredient in a host of mid-summer recipes.

My basil is lush, green and ready for picking. Okay, I don't have a whole lot of it out in my garden; however, I'm planning on growing a lot more next summer. In preparation for that lofty enterprise, I thought it'd be cool to find out how the expert basil-growers harvest their beloved herb. Here are some tips I picked up:

1. Know your basil. There are lots of varieties out there, and it's always good to know which one you have, as the flavors vary quite a bit between them. Chances are good that, like me, you've got the most common variety: Genovese sweet basil.

You will need: a canvas drop cloth, upholstery fabric for the appliqué designs, and some other decorative fabric for the trim. You will also need a few sewing essentials: fusible web, iron, sewing machine, and scissors. Interested? Check out the step-by-step instructions here.

I have to admit the finished product looks amazing, atlhough I don't think it would work well in high-traffic areas of the house. A piece of non-slip foam backing underneath would be a must for safety's sake.

For more rug-related advice, check out Debbie's post on rug flipping.

Here's a great idea for bedside storage. Might I add, it's a great idea because it's really easy and, assuming you already have a tote bag to spare, it's free! Makezine put me onto this idea from Five Whys: repurpose an old tote bag as an underbed pocket.

You will need:

1. An old cloth tote bag
2. Scissors
3. Needle and thread or (even better!) a sewing machine
   
4. About 10 minutes to an hour of your time, depending on your sewing skills

Cut the bag down each side, starting at the top end and ending about halfway down. Fold the cut flap down inside the bag. Fold and sew the cut side edges to prevent fraying. Next, lay the bag's handles and top half under your mattress, letting the newly-created pocket hang down the side of the bed. The weight of the mattress should keep the bag in place. Voila! A place for bookmarks, magazines and other odds and ends.

Want to make a tote bag? Anna can tell you how. Oh, and she knows how to make a bag from old jeans, too!

My baby was overdue for her first haircut. She was getting an unenviable grizzly-old-man look thanks to all those straggly hairs falling over her ears and down her neck. Oh, and when dry winter air meets fleece baby clothes you get static electricity...making it stick up and out. Not good. But I was reluctant to pay for a salon cut when just a trim was all that was required. On the other hand, I'll confess I was very afraid I'd screw up and baby would end up looking like Lloyd, Jim Carrey's unforgettable buck-toothed character with a bowl-cut in Dumb and Dumber. So I did a little Web-exploration, seeking advice, then had a go. Here are some tips from me, inspired by other pointers courtesy of EHow. Check out my gallery at the end of this post to see how it went.

Are you looking to add a little flair to your everyday dining? or maybe you want some seasonal place mats. Either way, making your own gives you the most flexibility, and it only costs as much as the fabric you choose (which can be nothing depending on how full your scrap bag is).

The 7 step instructions, accompanying pictures and tips come together to show you how to make fabulous looking cloth place mats. Here's what you'll need to get started.

1. Fabric of choice
2. Scissors
3. Sewing machine
4. Thread

Have fun and get creative with the fabric. You could make a holiday set as a gift, or craft something for your own dining room table.

Now that the holidays are upon us, it's time to start making our lists and checking them twice. Lists are important, as they help you stick to what you need. When you have a list, you'll always remember what you need, and that's exactly why I am always carrying stray pieces of paper with me. Having too many of them ends up being a cluttered mess, though.

Derek and Lauren on Design*Sponge help us make pocket notebooks to keep all our stray lists in one place, thus effectively ending that cluttered paper mess. Using three pieces of heavyweight paper, eighteen small pieces of scrap paper, and one piece of cardstock, you can construct three notebooks, effectively having all your lists handy in one place.

I think the notebooks are perfect to give as a Christmas gift, or just as a gift for that special someone who never seems to be organized. The pocket notebook can be used for years to come, fits nicely in almost any size purse, and when it wears out, recycle it, and construct a new one.

My son has a pair of light-up sandals. Everywhere you go, there are kids sporting these shoes with light flickering on every step. How often have you wished they made such cool things for adults? Why wait until they come around? Hack together your own pair of light up shoes.

What you'll need

1. Craft knife
2. Heavy-duty scissors
   
3. Pliers
   
4. Soldering iron
5. Electric drill
6. Glue
7. Old kid's shoes with lights (can get cheap worn out ones at the thrift store)
8. Your shoes of choice - Are you going to spice up your work shoes or add some light power to your favorite clubbing shoes?

DIY adult light shoes are a great way to add a little originality to your step and stand out in the dark. The full instructions and pictures along the way will walk you through the whole transplant process. I wonder if your kids will still think these shoes are cool when Mom and Dad are sporting the same ones?

Duct tape is one of those essential materials in every DIY tool box. I am a big fan of duct tape, and admittedly, I've never used it to actually tape ducts. We've looked at all sorts of ways to use this multi-purpose tape. As Ryan cautions, don't use it to tape your baby to the wall. Heather taught us how to create a pretty cool wallet, and now I'm going to bring you yet another use for duct tape: make a journal cover.

What you'll need

1. Book
2. Scissors
3. Duct tape (assortment of colors if you choose)

The method that is outlined in the how to article is probably your best one. You'll actually make a piece of fabric out of duct tape, measured to fit the book. You'll then apply that to the book. Personally, I'd be inclined to cover the book in paper then apply the duct tape to that. Try this as a way to protect your text books or make a funky looking journal cover.

Origami is one of those crafts that requires real skill. Some people just get it while others don't. I am definitely in the don't when it comes to folding origami. These instruction detailing how to make an origami flying bird, take you through all the folding steps. There are 20 steps and it is recommended that you keep your folds as clean and precise as possible, making the whole project easier.
Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Table or hard surface
• Two hands
• Paper
• Reading skills
• Patience
• Scissors

I suspect my main reason for failure is that I never bring enough patience. Still, if you think you can tackle it, this is one of the neatest origami projects I've seen. This isn't the traditional Japanese peace crane, it is a bird with flapping wings. The simple fact that it's animated will be a huge hit with the children.

Crayola has come out with an innovative new line of supplies for school and crafts, called Total Tools. They're aimed at kids, but might make an interesting addition to your home craft box, too. Most aren't completely new ideas, but similar products have often been pretty obscure, and I don't think they have been widely produced for the American children's market before.

The tools include:

• a paper cutter that works on curves and won't cut skin
• fine-point markers with washable ink
• super-thick markers for posters
• a stapler that doesn't need staples and also leaves a stamp
• double-ended pencils that have a colored pencil on one side and regular graphite on the other
• a pen that applies non-goopy purple glue, which dries clear
• an "Audio Ruler" that announces the measurements as they're being made
• a few more

Crayola also has project ideas for the Total Tools, with some crafts that you can do with your kids. "Names in Outrageous Outlines" looks like it would be perfect for a child's desk or bedroom door; other projects are listed on the Total Tools page. Registration with their site is required to see the projects, though.