DIY Life

My husband has a collection of leather belts that sit in his dresser drawer. He wears one belt until it's falling apart and basically useless before he uses another one. Throwing them away seems like a waste -- after all, there are still some usable pieces of leather that could be repurposed into something new-to-you.

Fungus amungus over on Instructables recycles leather belts into bracelets. Fungus uses a laser cutter to make a design on the leather to give it a new look, and then hammers in some heavy-duty snaps, so that the bracelet can snap on the wrist.

I like the leather bracelet idea, as it sure beats throwing away a belt just because a part of it is worn out. I imagine there are other things to make from old belts, such as replacement purse straps, or maybe even leather earrings. What do you recycle your leather belts into?

Berroco, the popular yarn company, releases several new yarns just about every season. Because they're a leader in the category of fashion yarns -- that is, those you might use to make a special-occasion top with a bit of flash, or a fancy scarf that isn't necessarily intended to keep you warm -- their products are often complex, and relatively expensive and delicate. It might not be practical to make a full garment out of some of them.

Fortunately, Berroco is also known for their large archive of free patterns. Their most recent releases are small fashion accessories that you can make out of delicious yarns like glittering Lumina and textural Seduce... without breaking your budget.

My two favorite patterns from the latest update are Lurema and Scarfina. A close look suggests that they're actually essentially the same pattern, written for two different yarns: both are long (64"), slender (5") lace scarves. Lurema is shown as a head-wrap, while Scarfina is depicted as a belt, but you should be able to wear either of them either way: just choose your favorite yarn and run with it.

You may also be interested in Hedda, a small crocheted headband made in two colors of Linen Jeans, which was part of the same recent pattern update.

Your vacuum works hard, picking up crushed fishy crackers from under the couch, sawdust shavings from your latest DIY endeavor, and everyday particles of dust and dirt that find their home in yours. With a little love, you can keep your vacuum working stronger and longer. It doesn't take much, just a bit of consistent maintenance.

This article about how to maintain your vacuum cleaner takes you through the steps of proper at home vacuum cleaner maintenance. Check it out for in-depth instructions and instructional pictures. Here is my summary of their main points and the most important things to keep on top of:

There is nothing sweeter than settling into an ergonomic office chair. You've tried the fancy ones in the store, but how many of us are really going to shell out $600 for a top of the line Aeron. Jon Aquino is certainly not. He's hacked together a wonderfully geeky and apparently comfortable chair for his home office. He used things you'd have around the house anyway, making the cost virtually nothing.

All you need is a regular chair, a telephone book, a cutting board, a towel, and a bungee cord (or belt). Check out Jon's post here for assembly instructions. It's really simple and the height along with the lower back support are adjustable. Just look at his posture in this picture. He's saving himself a lot of back pain and probably getting more work done as a result.

Some commenters wonder if sitting on a phone book would be comfortable. I imagine you could put something over top or use a firm cushion instead.