DIY Life

I put Ziploc bags up there with sliced bread in terms of usefulness. They're like the ultimate affordable organizing tool. If you're only using bags to freeze leftovers or tote sandwiches to work, you're missing out! Read on for 10 new ways to use Ziplocs:

1. Compact wet wipe storage. Like traveling light with your baby or toddler? Me, too. I never bought a bulky diaper bag and I also ditched the plastic wet wipes container early on. Instead, I always carry a baggy with a small stash of wipes, which takes up only the tiniest amount of space in my messenger bag.

2. Diaper changing mat. Speaking of diaper duty, a gallon or larger size Ziploc makes a perfect super-compact changing pad. No, it's not padded (unless you add an old t-shirt or something), but it will keep your tot's head off icky public diaper changing surfaces.

Step aside, Hannah Montana! There's a way cooler backpack in town...

As a parent, it's hard buying "branded" merchandise, isn't it? I don't want my son walking around advertising the latest Spiderman movie, and I sure wouldn't want Hannah Montana's face plastered all over my hypothetical daughter's backpack.

In the interest of promoting individuality and all things unique, why not send your child to school with a duct tape backpack... handmade by you, with some kid help, of course!

You know it will be strong -- it's duct tape, after all -- and you can customize the outside colors by using any colored duct tape you can find.

You'll need cardboard, gray and colored duct tape, and some string, shoelace-style. Before you know it, your child will be starting his or her own new trend... you may need a lot of duct tape very soon!

Today's New York Times features an article about exhausted travelers catching sleep while stuck at airports. One enterprising gentleman, Frank Giotto, is even selling an airport camping kit. The "Mini Motel" includes a tiny one-person tent, air mattress, pillow, sheet, alarm clock and eye shades, plus some other extras.

So... how do you fall asleep in an airport? (Assuming the Mini Motel is nowhere to be found.) An awesome list of tips can be found at The Budget Traveller's [sic] Guide to Sleeping in Airports. Top tip: bring an inflatable pool raft so you can spread out on the floor in comfort... if security will allow it. It's cheaper and lighter than a regular air mattress.

What do knitters do as the weather begins to warm up? Well, it seems like most avoid knitting 100% alpaca sweaters (garments that may be too hot on even the coldest of days: there's a reason alpaca is usually sold as a blend!), and switch to smaller or lighter garments like cotton-blend sweaters, fancy socks, and feathery lace shawls.

The new Spring issue of Knitty, released on Tuesday afternoon, is all over that concept. The patterns this time around are, taken as a group, the most attractive I've seen from this magazine in a while: I don't think there's a dud in the bunch.

I'll discuss a few of my favorite patterns, as well as a few good articles, after the break.

We've discussed furoshiki before: the Japanese idea of using a cloth to wrap and carry things, which has made a comeback in these environmentally-conscious times. I believe I mentioned that furoshiki could be many sizes, and here's an example of just that: a furoshiki made out of a bed sheet. Instructables user keng forms it into a gigantic bag, then stuffs the bag with pillows, which he can then carry away and store.

Keng discusses squaring an existing sheet, hemming the edges, and folding and tying into a sling-style bag with a shoulder strap. The bag can be used to move or store a lot, but when you're done with it, you can just fold it up into the same flat packet as a regular bed sheet.

This page of standard American sheet measurements should give you an idea of which size you'd like to use; King size is very nearly square on its own. You might also consider trying this project with upholstery fabric, which should give you a square at least four feet long on each side.

In our previous article on this topic, I linked to the following video, about a famous furoshiki shop in Japan: How to FUROSHIKI wrapping (1:17). The video shows how to make a shoulder bag of average size with a square of cloth. This project is exactly the same thing on a larger scale, so between the tutorial and the video, you should have no problem making a bag that will allow you to easily wrangle and tote almost anything you can actually manage to lift.

(I think it would be useful for a quick clean-up of kids' scattered toys when guests are on the way!)

Over at CRAFT a little while ago, Becky Stern posted this cool pattern for a scarf featuring the iconic O RLY? owl. I have no arguments with the pattern itself: I'd wear that scarf! It's awesome and hilarious. However, in terms of the execution, there are some technical issues worth discussing, particularly since Becky said that she wasn't completely happy with how the scarf came out.

If you want a scarf that has two good sides and the correct tension, it must have reversible stitches. The most common reversible stitch in scarf knitting is garter stitch, but there are myriad other possibilities.

It is not possible for a flat, single-layer scarf done in stranded or fair-isle knitting to have both a clear image and two good sides (you can see that the O RLY? scarf, as made, does not have a completely clear image). By definition, "stranded" means that strands of the yarn not in use on particular stitches are carried across the back of the work.

There are two "correct" ways to make the O RLY? scarf in which it will be reversible and not have visible yarn floats. A third technique is available, but would probably require redesigning the pattern significantly. All of these techniques take much more work than a flat, single-layer scarf.

Read more about it after the break, where we'll discuss various ways to use color charts in small accessories like scarves, bags, and pillow covers, and whether or not you should really worry much about doing things the "right" way.

Christmas is in less than a week: is all of your shopping done? It's getting a bit late to order anything (especially if you don't want to pony up for pricey overnight shipping), but if you're shopping for crafty friends, there's probably a lot available in your own town.

However, bead, paint, and yarn choices are completely subjective, you may not know what tools your loved ones need (beading loom? spinning wheel? umbrella swift? easel?), kits can be hit-or-miss, and I'm not sure anyone needs craft-themed sweatshirts. (Ever.) Have major advances in the world of crochet hooks or embroidery hoops really been made in the past year? Probably not. So when I thought about what makes a great holiday gift in the DIY realm, I kept coming back to one thing....

Please join us after the break to find the best of the latest craft books! There's certainly something here to please almost every creative person on your list: beaders and jewelry makers, people straddling the mixed-media art/craft divide, knitters, crocheters, scrapbookers, and anyone else who likes to learn how to make interesting things with their hands.

(Even better, you shouldn't have any problem finding most of these books at 4:00 in the afternoon on December 24th.)

Most of us used sleeping bags throughout the summer for various camping trips and overnight adventures. Unless you're going survivor style in the snow, you've packed away your camping gear and brought out your down blankets and warm coats. How you packed away that sleeping bag will make a big difference as to how well it serves you next season.

These instructions for proper sleeping bag maintenance and storage are particularly useful. If you read through and find that you didn't clean your bag thoroughly or don't have it packed away in the best manner then you'll want to dig it out of the closet right away. Take care of those things and pack it away confident that it will be ready when you need it. Here's how your clean and dry bag should be stored:

We know that drinking tea has great health benefits. Now your tea bags can be used for alternative healing and other creative problem solving uses. I knew that tea could freshen tired eyes or ease a sunburn, but I had no idea that it could stop bleeding and pain after losing a tooth or even serve as an effective furniture polish. You'll find more interesting tips in these 15 wonderful uses for tea.

A reader comments that a green tea bag can clean stubborn stains off a white board. Here are a few other uses I was able to dig up. What inventive ways have you used tea bags. Share your tips in the comments.

The first key to efficient packing is reducing your load. Of course, it's always wise to check the weather reports for your destination so you won't bother hauling that bulky fleece if it's going to be 90 degrees. And, yeah, multi-purpose items are a great space-saver. Maybe you really don't mind using a shampoo that's also a shaving foam, or rockin' the pants with legs that zip off into shorts. We can even thank TSA for getting us all used to the idea of bite-sized toiletries with its nifty "3-1-1" decree.

But once you've done all you can to reduce the amount of stuff you have to fit into that suitcase, what else can you do to tame the heap of "essentials" mocking your lack of spatial intelligence?

Pack less air -- they have plenty wherever you're going
Not everything holds up well to rolling. Your dress shirts, for instance, might get a bit too wrinkly. Fold these as you normally would, then group them together in a large plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before you seal it all the way. If you want to be fancy you can buy special compression bags designed for this purpose. They have one-way pressure valves that make it easy to chase out the excess air. But you can also just use one of those freaky big Ziplocs. Or better yet, reuse those zippered plastic bags that sheets sometimes come in. Either way, seal the bag almost completely then roll to eke out the last bits of air before you close it the rest of the way.

Join me after the jump for more packing tips.

Plastic shopping bags. So convenient, so everywhere, so permanent. You can't avoid them really. Even if you are one of those super diligent people that have the canvas shopping bags for your grocery shopping. You still end up with a few plastic ones now and then. I promise I won't tell that you forgot your canvas bags that one time.

What can you do with these bags to reuse them and keep them out of landfills and oceans? Craftzine has an interesting article with lots of ideas on how to reuse plastic shopping bags and make some fun stuff in the process.

With everything from a rain coat to jewelry there is something for everyone. My favorite by far has to be knitting with them. They even link to a tutorial on how to make the bags into "yarn" so you can knit with them.

While I love many of the ideas there are a few that seem very impractical such as a dress and a sweater and skirt set. Wearing clothes made of plastic bags sounds very....... unpleasant and sweaty to me. There are some knitting projects that look very cool, including handbags.

Do you have any other ideas for reusing those plastic shopping bags that they didn't mention? If so let us know. I have so many of these things in my pantry that I could knit enough handbags for all my friends and family. Leave me a comment and let me know your ideas for plastic bags.