DIY Life

Notebooks are a necessity for school, but your kids may not get excited about the plain white paper and solid-colored cover. Sure, they are likely to plaster the front of their notebooks with the likes of "I [heart] David Archuleta 4-eva'," but why not suggest a venture slightly more creative than that?

There are some fun ways kids can decorate their notebooks for back-to-school, and make them uniquely theirs. For instance, using spare scrapbooking supplies, your kids can make their notebooks fit their favorite theme, whether that be cupcakes or super heroes.

Or, get some stencils, gel and glitter pens, and construction paper to embellish those notebooks and unleash those kids into a decorating frenzy.

A project like this one could go in so many directions; only time and creativity are the factors. So let your kids use the backs of their notebooks for their love graffiti, and proudly show off their artwork on the front covers.

My husband's birthday was on Valentine's day and our two boys wrote him a song. Our 4 year old made up the lyrics, and together with his 2 year old brother, practiced tirelessly until they got all the words, music and moves exactly how they wanted it. Their performance was nothing like some of the little rehearsals I'd seen them do (what do you mean they aren't robots!) but they sure were proud of their song and Daddy thought it was the sweetest thing ever. Children don't need how-to articles to tap into their creative side. They simply have it. It might be because they aren't clouded by the same daily stresses, or that they aren't afraid to look silly, but they just go for it and as a result, tap into their personal creativity so much more freely than we do.

Songwriting isn't just for worry-free preschoolers, tormented teenagers and professional musicians. You can do it too. Maybe you're writing a song because you didn't live up to your Valentine's day responsibilities, or maybe you're inspired to put some of your thoughts to music. It doesn't matter what your style or topic, these guiding principles will help you write a great song. Offering 17 tips, the article walks you through everything from tapping into your creativity, understanding the building blocks of song creation, lyrical and musical choices, finding the hook, and getting feedback.

You might sign a big record deal, perform for a friend or add a new song to your shower set. Regardless of where you go with your songwriting skills, you'll get huge satisfaction from having produced an original piece of music from scratch.

There are dozens of ways you can save money and protect your budget while gift shopping. This is especially important during holiday time because most people will be spending money in amounts above their normal budget and they'll be spending that money in places they might not normally shop. It's the responsibility of each of us to be our own smart shopper. With some assistance from Consumer Action, I have brought you this list of suggestions for saving and protecting your money during the holiday shopping season.

Do you have some leftover wallpaper that you just don't know what to do with? Maybe you purchased something you thought would work, but have since changed your mind. In any case, don't throw away those partial rolls of wallpaper.

Using scissors and glue, there are many things that you can create with those leftover wallpaper scraps. Use your imagination and your creativity, and get busy making some homemade Christmas gifts.

1. Cover up your boring kitchen and bathroom cabinets with complimentary wallpaper scraps. Paint the outside frame, and just wallpaper the insets of the cabinets.
   
2. Use wallpaper to cover an old lampshade.
3. Cover a waste basket to match the decor in any room.
4. Use scraps of wallpaper to cover the white mats of a picture frame to give it some vibrant color.
5. Make a framed wall art collage.
6. Create a room divider or folding screen.
7. Cover a desk or a coffee table top.
8. Bored with your headboard? Why not wallpaper it!
9. Line your kitchen cabinets or drawers with wallpaper scraps rather than buying expensive contact paper.
10. Cover an old shoe box with wallpaper scraps and use as a gift box.
11. Use as gift wrap for any occasion.
12. Cover light switchplates in your house with tiny scraps.
13. Make fancy greeting cards by covering construction paper with wallpaper scraps.
14. Laminate two large pieces of wallpaper and make fancy table placemats.
15. Use small strips to create bookmarks. Laminate, punch a hole near the top, tie some ribbon through, and make a tassel. Viola , a new bookmark.
16. Wallpaper the inside of a bookshelf.
17. Use wallpaper to cover a closet door or other interior door.
18. Wallpaper the risers of your stairs.
19. Cover a popcorn tin with wallpaper to give yourself a nice new wastebasket.
20. Wallpaper an old oatmeal container or similar cardboard container and use as pretty, decorative storage bins.

When I was at the thrift store the other day, they had rolls of new and used wallpaper. They were very cheap, and some of the rolls were very pretty and I must say, I was very impressed with the selection the thrift store had. In any case, what do you use wallpaper scraps for? Feel free to tell us in the comments.

Lifehacker pointed us to this mailing tube wine rack project. If you need a place to store your wine bottles, but aren't going to shell out for a classic wine rack, then this weekend project solves your storage issue and appeals to your DIY personality. All you need is some cardboard mailing tubes. You can find these at any office supply or postal store. You might want to paint them, or line the insides with patterned paper. The natural look is appealing too, so choose what compliments your style and space. The result is really attractive and doesn't take up much room.

This project isn't for the wine drinkers who carefully consider the temperature, humidity and vibration control of their at-home cellar. This is for the rest of us, who have wine on hand, but keep it up in the cupboard. This is for those of you who would enjoy taking on a little project and displaying your wine in a creative way. It is however recommended that you don't store wine in direct sunlight or any place where the temperature will fluctuate too much. The bottom of a bookshelf away from a window should work just right.

How do you store wine at home? Share your wine rack hacks in the comments.