DIY Life

An outdated Stendig calendar gets a new look and everyone (including your peering neighbor) wins.

Maker Mike Boylan created this lovely shade out of yardsticks, pulleys, and my favorite part -- a crystal decanter stopper. You can put your own spin on a similar calendar with this easy tutorial here.

The best part? You can create a drape out of anything; from family photos printed on canvas to screen-printed art pieces. In this case, the typography of the Stendig calendar is a lovely and unexpected addition to an otherwise boring office space or spare bedroom. I always enjoy a traditional medium [drapes] with a more unconventional pattern [graphics and/or bold typography]. A perfect mix every time.

What would you create your drape out of? Have any DIY drapes of your own? We'd love to see them!

The U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission, in cooperation with Galison/Mudpuppy, has announced a voluntary recall of about 90,000 Wire-O bound journals, calendars, and activity books. The paint on the metal spiral bindings of the journals contains excessive amounts of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. No injuries or incidents have been reported.

Manufactured in China and sold nationwide through specialty and gift stores, as well as online, the recalled journals sold for between $7 and $10, from August 2003 through December 2007. Mudpuppy or Galison and the ISBN numbers are printed on the back of the back cover of the journals and calendars. Check the CPSC press release for the journals and calendars involved in the recall.

Remove the back cover of the recalled journal and contact Galison at (800) 670-7441 for instructions on returning the back cover for a refund. You may also visit the firm's website at www.galison.com or email the firm at safety@galison.com.

Have you heard? Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia recently announced that their magazine Blueprint, around for less than two years and full of achievable DIY domesticity, is kaput: the January/February 2008 issue, which should be out next week, is the last.

The news has not exactly been greeted with cheers of joy, and the company is apparently still trying to decide what to do with the brand. It may be folded into Martha Stewart Weddings (a decision they seem to be rethinking, based on reader feedback), or exist only as web content, or as an occasional "special issue."

The November/December 2007 issue of Blueprint directs readers to a nifty little project on its website: a printable 2008 calendar designed for display in a CD jewel case. You need:

• paper
• a printer
• a CD jewel case
• a paper cutter, or a craft knife and straight edge

Pay attention to the comments on the project at the site: you may need to change the printing scale to 85%, and you'll almost certainly have to disassemble the jewel case and flip one side so that it'll stay open as shown in the photos. The calendar itself exemplifies the appealing art direction that the magazine has been known for, but it will probably only look as good as the quality of the printer and paper stock you use. (Time to pull out that resumé paper you bought a while back!) When you're done, you'll have a stylish and practical little desk ornament for the new year.

If you have a definite opinion about the cancellation of Blueprint, or simply an idea about how Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia can address younger women who aren't as affluent as the target Martha Stewart Living reader, they're asking for suggestions on the Bluelines blog. Of course, the top suggestion so far seems to be, "Bring it back!"

Every so often, someone comes up with something new to do with a Moleskine or similar notebook. Often, these are DIY versions of existing products: "I bought a Moleskine knock-off and it doesn't come with a pocket in back, so I added my own." You know the drill.

Mike Rohde's Planner Hack is that kind of site: it uses a regular Moleskine to make a week-at-a-glance calendar. And to be honest, to me, it initially seemed pointless. Moleskine already makes a week-at-a-glance calendar that won't break the bank, and the process of making one by drawing lines all over the pages and labeling them sounds like a tedious one. Why not just buy the one that's out there? Then I thought about it, and further reading confirmed what I realized.

Earth-shattering epiphanies await you after the break!

I don't know about you, but I would never pay $59 plus shipping on the Halloween calendar Pottery Barn had for sale last year. Yes it is the most adorable calendar, but come on already, don't you think you can make a similar one for a fraction of the cost?

Shannon Bolt at frugallawstudent.com certainly knew that it could be done. She has made her very own replica of the Pottery Barn calendar, and I have to say, I like Shannon's calendar much better! Her calendar comes out to cost about $20, a much more tolerable amount than $60. Here are the complete instructions for making your very own Halloween calendar. Get the kids involved with this project this weekend so that you will actually have a Halloween calendar by October 1st.

Here at DIY Life, we like to have a photo with every post. When we don't take the photos ourselves, we often use photos from Flickr that have been tagged with a Creative Commons license. Finding the right photo can require a lengthy search, during which we get to see a lot of great photos that don't quite fit the mood of the post we're trying to illustrate.

I've noticed that many of the photos I've considered lately have been tagged with "project365." I thought that this must be some kind of web challenge, and I couldn't resist trying to learn more about it. It turns out that Photojojo, a great site with lots of DIY photography information, has popularized the concept.

Find out more about Project365 after the break.

Is it August already? If you have school-aged children, you are probably starting to think about getting ready to head back to school.

This means a more structured routine, purchasing school supplies and acting as a cheerleader.

What? C'mon, you know what I mean. Your kids aren't exactly psyched to get up and out the door early every weekday morning, only to do work for six hours straight. Did I mention the hours of homework that would be coming too?

Part of your job as parent is to help remind your kids about the fun parts of school: the amazing books they'll read, the new mathematical concepts they can use to wow their grandparents and of course the useless facts or knowledge they will need for Trivial Pursuit games. And recess.