DIY Life

For the last couple of days, the weather has been humid, without much wind to cool it off. It was hot enough outside that I had to split the lawn mowing into two days. I will not complain, though, as I will take the heat, sans humidity, any day of the year.

Unfortunately, it gets pretty hot in my house too, as we don't have much shade or air conditioning. It wasn't enough that I had cold water to drink: I needed something more to help cool down my body temperature. I wasn't prepared, but next time, you can bet I will be with these 6 simple frozen treats I can concoct myself.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

I know what you are thinking: Why, oh why, would I want to own that smelly tea tree oil? I certainly can't make something aromatic with it, so what aromatherapeutic good is it to me?

It's true, tea tree oil doesn't smell as pretty as some of the essential oils (it sure doesn't stink like some oils -- neem, for example), but it can enhance some blends, especially mints. For all of the following reasons, you'll want to have some tea tree oil around:

Thought you had to spend a pretty penny to eat healthy? Sometimes it seems that way, with organic packaged food being all the rage these days. You know you are a creative do-it-yourself-er, or you wouldn't be reading this post, so I have faith that you can eat healthy without losing your shirt.

What we all may forget is that most healthy foods aren't found in the packaged foods section of the market. Instead, WebMD suggests that there are ten healthy foods you can purchase, each for under a dollar or close to it.

Some produce makes the list, like bananas and apples, while some canned and dry foods, like beans, tomatoes, and lentils round out the list. And let's not forget the yogurt!

What does this mean to you as a healthy DIYer?

• You can save money and eat healthy foods.
• It is easy to keep your pantry stocked with healthy foods.
• Teaching your kids about healthy foods and being frugal is a snap.
• Making dinners such as Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans can be second nature.
• Compiling your own additions to the list of cheap, healthy foods is on your "to do" list. Here are some of mine: frozen organic spinach, fresh broccoli, kiwis, eggs ...
  

Weddings are so fun, but for the bride and groom, getting prepared for their special day can be a hassle. It is quite a feat to pull off a wedding without a hitch.

Although it is exhilarating to pick out flowers, the hall, the chapel, and those you've chosen to be in your wedding party, it can get a little frustrating to agree on all aspects of the day.

You can take the hassle out of choosing your wedding invitations with an awesome instructable that teaches how to print and assemble multi-layered wedding invitations.

Got a big ugly space in your yard that needs filling? Adding yet another evergreen shrub seem boring? Consider pampas grass! It's a big beauty of a plant, one that -- like all ornamental grasses -- is frequently overlooked by home landscapers.

Here are a few reasons why I love pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana):

1. It grows fairly fast, so is an ideal choice for filling in large, barren landscapes.

2. It grows nice and thick, creating an effective privacy screen, wind break or sound barrier.

3. Its long, graceful blades and delightfully fluffy pannicles (flower plumes) are beautiful.

4. Its vertical angles evoke the tropics, bringing an exotic feel to suburban yards and otherwise drab mall parking lots. Its long blades also create a dramatic and pleasing visual contrast with other garden shrubs and trees. Meanwhile, its rounded and slightly wild shape makes it an excellent softener of hard urban surfaces, like brick walls or metal signs. (See the photo above for a perfect example of this.)

When I get a flyer in the mail that is advertising sale prices on their furniture, I quickly browse through it, and then pitch the flyer into the burn bag. Even though the furniture is on sale, it is still way too expensive for my budget.

If you are in need of a new sofa or loveseat, check out diydiva's memory foam queen sized bed turned loveseat. By buying a bed on eBay and using an electric saw, she transformed the bed into a cool loveseat, complete with custom slipcover.

What more do you want for under $200? I think her loveseat is adorable, and is nice to have especially if you have pets that are on an evil mission to destroy any furniture you may own.

Day after day, we all have to look at the same walls. I know just how boring that can be, considering the fact I am a work at home mom. Surely there are ways to liven up drab walls, but what do you do if you have ceilings or walls that are crying out for something unique; something that isn't going to cost you an arm and a leg, not to mention your other arm? How about dressing up your walls with fabric?

With just some fabric and wood framing, you can make gorgeous fabric panel wall art. You can liven up any wall, using fabric as bold or docile as you choose, depending on the needs of your particular walls. Super simple and easy to do, and the best part is, your finished art will be easy to hang since it is lightweight, and you can move it around without breaking your back.

Fabric wall art is perfect for those of us who have vaulted ceilings or even just a wall that is crying out for a grouping of artwork. Cheap, easy, and trendy! What more could you ask for? Just in case you don't have the budget for fabric wall art, don't despair, maybe you can make wall art from Styrofoam.

Have you noticed that pet beds cost an arm and a leg? Like this one from LLBean or this one from Drs. Foster and Smith ($119-$199!). Or how about this one for $89.99 -- are you kidding me, Petsmart?! There are cheapies out there, but many of them are sewn into their covers and, hence, not machine washable. Ick.

As an experienced pet-mama, here are my requirements for a good pet bed: 1) inexpensive, 2) durable, 3) a color that hides grime, and 4) easy-to-remove, machine washable cover. If you have access to a sewing machine, consider a simple DIY pet bed like this one. Just use a cheapo bed pillow for stuffin' and use whatever fabric you like for the cover. Bonus: you can buy fabric that matches the rest of your decor.

What I love about these instructions is that the designer, Candace, keeps it super-simple and affordable. You're basically sewing a big open-ended pillow-case. No fussing to attach a zipper, velcro or button closure. For a bigger dog, you can use multiple pillows. However, in that situation you will have to have something to hold them all together in one unit. Here's what I do to make my own DIY beds for larger dogs: I use an inexpensive under-bed storage bag. Choose one like this, made of fabric that breathes, not a plastic one. Stuff the pillows into that, zip it closed, and stuff that bag inside your homemade cover. Voila! Your dog will be in hound heaven.

Your family is coming over for Thanksgiving. Your brother is bringing his girlfriend and the neighbors that first declined your invitation are now going to make it. The more the merrier, right? You're happy to have the extra people, but visions of grandma balancing a plate of turkey on her lap while sitting on the couch, or sending your 15 year -old cousin to the kid's table are not your idea of a relaxed holiday meal.

If you have 1 hour and $40, Tim Carter will show you how to build a big dining room table. If you have no table at all, you'll need two empty cable reels and a large piece of plywood. You'll find the cable reels at an electrical part distribution center. They should have a bunch of them out behind the warehouse.

Halloween might be over, but toddlers and preschoolers never stop having fun with dress up. If you're a parent or grandparent of little ones that means that your job as the great creator never stops either. This Grandpa made his grandchildren a Flintstone car and it was a huge hit.

From planning to flawless craftsmanship to the priceless smiles of his grandchildren taking it for a spin, this is DIY project was a definite success. There was a lot of trial and error, and this DIY'er ended up spending more money than he needed to. Lucky for us, he lets us in on what worked best and the choices he eventually goes with can be achieved for less than $100.

If you're looking to win some points with your little one, or want to help them out with the coolest show and tell, or just feel inspired to mess around with these ideas, you'll find his instructions and pictures very useful.

Everywhere you look, you see someone wearing a skull cap or a bandana. Cowboys, whether in movies or real life, wear them tied across their face to keep the dust out of their nose and mouth. They also keep them tied around their necks to wipe the sweat off their face. My dad used a bandana as a handkerchief.

I came across an article on Wisebread, written by the very talented Myscha Theriault. She writes about bang up ideas for bandanas, and sends you off to read the many links that accompany her awesome article. I absolutely love her article and I too have put many of the fascinating ideas to use.

I like the fact that Myscha mentions using bandanas as no sew window valances, as I had written a blog for DIY Life about that very thing back in July. Some of her other ideas I like for using bandanas include making toddler pants and a toddler dress, no sew pillows, using bandanas to wrap up a homemade gift and making a beach bag. Be sure to read the article, as it will keep you busy with things to do with bandanas for quite some time, and give you lots of ideas for Christmas gifts.

If you've had the same workbench for years, it's probably well used, and ready for replacement. It can be hard to decide what you need, and even harder to justify a big price tag. Ultimately, you want something sturdy and inexpensive. If that appeals to you, then try making your own for about $20.

Here are the plans for a simple workbench. It looks quite simple, and you might even have some of the materials on hand, reducing your cost even further. Here are the tools and materials that are listed for this project:

If you've ever been in a blackout or perhaps out in the country somewhere with unpredictable electricity service, the term "generator" has probably been in your mind more than once.

Problem: any generator that will be powering more than a few lightbulbs probably costs an arm and a leg. In fact, some cost more than a few whole human bodies. Okay, enough with the goofy analogies: let's move on.

We've all been there - -the removal of stains from countertops, carpets, couches, beds, shoes, clothing and just about anything else that something vibrant can be spilled onto.

Instead of spending precious dollars at the nearest Home Depot or Lowe's to get that flashy bottle of "Oxygen" stain remover, what may you have around the house that costs next to nothing and performs the same job better?

How about cigarette ash, mayonnaise and Alka Seltzer? Those household goodies could come in handy when used as proper stain-removing aids, but since the suface effectiveness varies (carpet and formica are, um, different of course), you may want to take a gander over here and see if any of the surfaces you need cleaning could be blotted, wiped, steamed and washed with some ordinary objects probably within your sight somewhere in your home.

My favorite: using a load of table salt to get that wine stain out of that nice tablecloth. There's plenty more, so have at 'em here. File these away for future reference as well, should you desire.

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.