DIY Life

Tired of burning your fingers each year when the annual "lighting of the pumpkins" festivities come around? Don't worry -- we've got a tip to save those pretty digits, and you can use a surprise tool that you probably already have in your pantry! Curious?

We found the tip from blogger Brooke Reynolds of Inchmark:

"Instead of reaching your hand into the pumpkin with a lit match, light a piece of spaghetti instead. It will burn very slowly, and serves as the perfect tool to light your candle without burning yourself in the process. I realize you can also use glow sticks or touch lights in your pumpkins instead of candles, and not worry about burning your fingers at all, but that's cheating in my book. Half the fun of a jack-o-lantern is seeing it flicker and glow by candlelight."

Smart, right? Go light your jack-o-lanterns and celebrate -- burn free!

I've indulged, oh yes, I have indulged. Last Friday, I spent the day at the spa. Before you go getting all jealous and resentful, it was my tenth wedding anniversary and the only time that my husband and I have ever done something like this together.

Did we enjoy our day there? Indeed we did, but what struck me the most was my phytotherapy massage. This was basically a Swedish massage using essential oils. Yes, it was a simple concept, but they really targeted mind, body, and spirit naturally during this treatment:

• the massage itself was all about the body, relaxing the muscles
• the relaxing music created an atmosphere ripe for calm, stress release, even meditation; just plain mental quiet
• it was an all-natural treatment, using only essential oils (from plants, hence the phyto-)
• the essential oils could be focused on what you needed the most; I chose the relaxing blend to help me zone out for the hour

After the break I'll tell you how you can create a phytotherapy massage experience at home.

In an expansion of a recall issued in February 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with M & A Global Technologies Inc, d.b.a. Spa at Home, has issued a second voluntary recall of gel candles, due to a fire and burn hazard posed to consumers if the candles have an excessive flame height.

The company has received four additional reports of abnormally high flames, and flames coming in contact with nearby combustibles, resulting in minor fires, smoke and soot damage. M & A Global Technologies has also received one report of burns to a consumer's hand.

Manufactured in the United States and sold at Spa at Home stores and at Spaathome.com from October 2003 through December 2003 and October 2005 through December 2005 for between $9 and $50, this recall is for Everlasting Jelly candles, sold in various sized clear glass containers with a smaller glass of gel in the center of the candle. Please see the CPSC press release for models of the recalled gel candles.

Consumers are advised to stop using the recalled candles and contact M & A Global Technologies at (866) 244-8811, or visit their website at www.spaathome.com for instructions on returning the candles.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with The Home Depot, has announced a voluntary recall of about 14,000 candle holders, due to a fire hazard. Sunlight that passes through the glass portion of the candle holder can cause nearby flammable items to ignite. The Home Depot has received one report of a fire.

Manufactured in China and sold at The Home Depot stores in the southern and western regions of the U.S. from January 2008 through March 2008 for about $10, the sun shaped candle holder is glass and metal, and was sold in four colors: red, green, blue, and yellow. Please see the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled candle holders.

Consumers are advised to stop using the candle holder and return it to The Home Depot for a full refund. For more information, contact the firm at (866) 403-5504 or visit their website at www.homedepot.com.

Talk about the ultimate Valentine's Day stunt! Described in this Yahoo news bulletin as a "shameless commercial promotion," an all-chocolate room constructed for chocolatier, Godiva, is now complete and open for viewing in New York City. The styling mouth-watering room, officially dubbed the "Godiva Decadence Suite," is located in an office building in Manhattan's East Village. Its purpose is to publicize Godiva's annual Valentine's Day competition. As if the room itself was not enough, Godiva also brought in a glamorously-clad Ali Larter, star of the TV show Heroes, to help showcase its creation.

Visitors to this room of sweet decadence are given strict instructions not to lick the walls, furniture or artwork, all of which are crafted from chocolate.

Score points this Valentine's day with something truly romantic, original and best of all, homemade. Handmade gifts aren't always received with the excitement that we imagine. Sometimes they are a total flop. So, what differentiates the gift that she calls all her friends to brag about from the one that gets tucked away in the junk drawer?

I think that all romantic DIY gifts should pass a three-point check:

1. Is the gift personal?
   Even if beautiful, something that could have easily made it into a Secret Santa exchange probably isn't going to blow her away. It should be obvious that this gift was made just for your special someone. Personalizing it with a name or picture is the obvious choice. More subtle: try incorporating an inside joke, or choosing a theme using project elements that have significance for the two of you.
   
   
2. Did the gift take time to make?
   She said she'd like something homemade. You raided the kids craft cupboard and made a card. She's not impressed. Are you surprised? The more time and planning that goes into the gift the more you'll get out of it. People love knowing that they were thought of, and taking the time and energy to plan ahead for a handmade gift shows that you truly wanted it to be something special.
   
   
3. Is it really any good?
   We only make a big deal out of poorly painted, ceramic ashtrays when they come from our children. While some failed projects can still be appreciated for the romantic intention, there really isn't room for the ugly, the tasteless, and the poorly crafted ones. Don't knit him a toque out of leftover yarn in colors you know he'd find hideous and then expect him to wear it proudly because it was made with love. Think seriously about what your significant other would like. If you want it to go on display, consider how it would work with their current decorating scheme.

With these three guidelines, I've put together a list of romantic DIY Valentine's day gifts. Some are old favorites-- tried, tested, and true for generations of lovers. Others are new and inventive, but they are all incredibly romantic and sure to make him or her putty in your hands. Follow me through the break and I'll share them with you.

I'm sure you have seen candles decorated with everything from cinnamon sticks to rose petals. Have you ever wished you could have one that was a little more personal or ever quirky?

With DIY Alert's celebration candle project you can make a candle that says who you are. Cover it with pictures you got from a magazine as the article suggests or make up your own photo collage to showcase family and friends.

This craft seems to be a fairly easy decoupage undertaking. All you need is a basic pillar candle, Mod Podge and your magazine cut outs or photos printed on regular paper. I also think that this could be easily done with children or even on their own for slightly older kids.

Just be careful when you burn your creation. You did just add paper to a flammable object. I really like the suggestion of burning it carefully until you have a deep enough hole to place a battery operated tealight inside to keep your candle forever.

[via: CraftyPod] Photo by Liel Bomberg

Get out a buncha' tea lights, 'cause you're gonna need 'em. Well, that is, if you'd like to have some inexpensive steam-powered holiday lighting this Christmas Eve. Should you be able to find some extremely thin copper tubing, a 10-pack (or more) of those dollar-store tea lights and some ordinary juice glasses, you can have some dazzling lighting effects adorning your home early next week or even if you're hosting a New Year's party a little over a week from now.

All that is required here is some simple copper tubing, the tea lights, needle-nose pliers and a little time (and maybe a blowtorch...seriously). These materials can create some really neat and authentic lighting effects for that get-together and you can dazzle your guests by saying your holiday lighting is ram from steam power! It's true -- this is probably the smallest steam engine model I've yet seen. All for a few dollars and a little time.

In ye olden days -- those innocent days before electric-powered candles and robotic Santa yard decor -- people would handcraft their holiday decorations. And in the 19th century, the well-to-do would use oranges because at that time oranges were considered an exotic treat and, therefore, a bit of a holiday splurge. Quaint, huh? Makes sense, too, given that oranges are -- when you think about it -- extremely beautiful to look at. Then there's the heavenly citrus fragrance.

Back in those days, the ladies would make Christmas pomanders by decorating oranges with cloves. Not only did they look pretty, the combination of oranges and cloves also smelled terrific. Which I'm guessing was a refreshing change from normal household odors of the day like beeswax polish, horse manure, and oil lamps... Read more about the history of pomanders here.

Want to have a go at making your own orange pomanders?

To me candles are simply a part of what I have come to expect to have around during the holidays. I love the scent, the lighting and the simple but lovely ambiance they provide. Candles can be a bit pricey sometimes, especially when they aren't the color or scent you want. There have been many times when I have wanted a color to match a room and the smell was...... not so nice.

If you're like me, you prefer the natural warmth of a candle's glow over the eerie dullness of a long fluorescent light bulb. Although I'm a fan of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), I regularly light candles around my home all seasons of the year. It just creates a feeling of extreme coziness, you know?

Anyway, talk about a neat idea. The "Candull" is a candle series that features wax-base 'screw grooves' that allow you to use normal candles in any light socket that takes a medium-based light bulb.

Want to save quite a bit of electricity with the lights you normally use all over your home? Think about buying a 10-pack of normal, vertical candles and using them for much of your in-home lighting needs. No electricity required, no wattage wasted.

I may be picking up some of these myself if I can order them over the web. Although, with a little ingenuity, we can all probably make these ourselves with an older socket and some melted wax (and patience). See where I am going here?

Hot air balloons are known to be the oldest successful human flight technology. While they didn't grow into our main form of transportation, they certainly have evolved as a huge fascination and in this case fun inspiration for a little project.

This video shows how to make one with a produce bag, balsa wood and birthday candles. It costs less than a dollar and comes together in just a few minutes. You could have a little fun with your neighbors, pretending there is a UFO in the sky. Sightings have been reported after seeing these things floating around! They might also make a spooky Halloween project.

This isn't something for the kids. This is pure adult fun. As the video warns, make sure you keep it away from the house and any dry grass.

Vance Kitira and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have announced a recall of their Cinnamon Spice candles due to a fire hazard. I know what you are thinking, all candles pose a fire hazard, why are these candles so different? The candles have cinnamon sticks in them and tied to an extra long wick that can catch on fire.

There are no instructions with the candles to trim the wick either which could lead to them being lit with a far to long wick. Also causing an extra fire hazard.

The candles were sold from May 2006 to June 2007. You can contact Vance Kitira at (800) 646-6360 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to seek a remedy.

Do you like the look of photos, books and other knick-knacks arranged on a table, just so? Maybe they were haphazardly strewn there, creating the perfect lived-in look. Yet, they are displayed so deliberately that they must have been placed there on purpose.

Home style icons like Pottery Barn have perfected this look, but you can do it yourself in your own home -- easily, quickly and using items you already have in your home.

I used this picture from the Pottery Barn online catalog as inspiration to create a couple of different looks.