DIY Life

Weddings... it is so easy to get caught up in the moment. After all, your big day is pretty important, right? Agreed, but instead of being stressed over the planning, it makes sense to me to keep it simple and enjoy every moment leading up to your wedding as well.

Zen Habits has thirteen tips to hep you do just that: keep your wedding plans as simple as possible. They make a disclaimer, though, stating that if you want a traditional wedding that you probably still will have some stress. Their sensible tips are to help alleviate some of the needless worrying, so after the break I'll share some of their ideas.

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.

Leave the harsh food-colorings and egg decorating kits on the shelf. This Easter try something new and natural: dye your Easter eggs with natural coloring.

This handy table lists the various ways that you can achieve rich natural colors. Complete with a description of the color along with mixture and setting instructions, you'll be ready to make your own dyes.

Boiled onion skins for example, will give a deep yellow/gold coloring. A blue/teal color is derived from chopped red cabbage and vinegar, while simmering an egg in grape juice will give you a blue/purple stain.

Canned produce results in a lighter color, while adding vinegar deepens the pigment. Setting times vary among dying agents so keep the table on hand for reference. Make sure you leave extra time for your project because some colors require overnight setting.

Making natural dyes isn't just a way to achieve more earthy colors, and better looking eggs, but a fun challenge for your holiday weekend.

When you opened your storage boxes filled with Christmas decorations, did you find bits and pieces of broken light bulbs, ornaments, and cherished keepsakes? Many of us did, simply because we just didn't wrap them properly, or worse yet, we accidentally dropped the storage container.

RealSimple has some great Holiday decoration storage tricks for us, including how to store our precious ornaments and breakable light bulbs. The ideas include: Shredding paper to cushion fragile items, using a leg of pantyhose to keep gift wrap from being destroyed, items to store last when you need them first next year, and how to store your food based decorations so Fido can't get at them.

Every year, my mother always seemed to break a few decorations. Luckily, the ones that she brought from Germany almost 50 years ago somehow stay intact year after year. With the storage ideas from realsimple.com, I can now pass them along to my daughter and teach her about her German heritage.

[via:Lifehacker]

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?

I love disco balls. They are delightfully tasteless, but, like the lava lamp they have their place. Whether you're decking out the dorm room or looking for something unique in your living-room, this is a simple project that is sure to get guests talking. Here's what you'll need to build a Christmas disco ball:

1. Coat hanger
2. 50 SOLO 9oz clear plastic cups
3. 150 multicolor mini Christmas lights with a controler
4. Soldering iron

The author of this article uses colored Christmas lights, but I imagine that white lights would work well too. They would probably give a softer sparkle, so you can choose based on what style you're going for. The full instructions teach you how to make this Christmas disco creation. Put one together this weekend and it will look great over Christmas and carry you right through the New Year's party.

Yes, there are a TON of holiday themed crafting projects out there, but here a few of the newer, better ones that have caught my eye.

Flower Wreath made from recycled sweaters from Betz White. (via Craft)
It's probably meant for hanging, but I kind of want to cuddle with it.

Christmas banner from the Richmond Craft Mafia.
Banners seem to be making a comeback with the crafters, why should Christmas decorations not be part of the fun?

Polymer Clay Gingerbread Houses from Polymer Clay Express. (via Craft Gossip)
I can't decide if these are cute or vaguely creepy. Either way, me likey.

A roundup of tutorials for advent calendars from WhipUp and another from CraftyDaisies. (via Curbly)
Who knew advent was so popular? I don't even remember what it's about and I went to catholic school! I think this one (pictured below) from Split Coast Stampers is my favorite.


Elf Clogs from AllSorts.
I'm not even sure what you'd use these for (or how they could possibly be warm enough for those elves at the North Pole) but they're adorable.

Pine Tree Sachets from the Purl Bee.
I think these would look better done entirely in green yarn but they're still cute, yet understated. Just how I like my holiday decor.

One of the most festive displays at Christmas time is a personalized holiday wreath. For some decorations, like the Nativity scene, there is only one way to go (it's not like you can leave out the three wise men or place baby Jesus in a castle). However, a Christmas wreath has endless possibilities for personalization. Just think about all your options: masculine, feminine, vintage, modern, traditional, glitzy among many others.

To begin, purchase a plain faux wreath (any size) and look for items in your local craft store or florist supply store – or (like me) you may already have what you need packed away with your holiday supplies. Then, personalize your wreath and show it off on your front door or over the fireplace!

Note: Aside from purchasing the wreath, I found everything else in my decorations!

Gallery: Tanya's Family Christmas Wreath 2007

I'm loving this idea for keeping little hands busy on a cold afternoon: make a Hands-and-Feet Turkey decoration. The finished masterpiece can be used to decorate the house for Thanksgiving. Alternatively, it could be a cute dining table adornment for your Thanksgiving feast. Help your children make these every year and you'll have an adorable record of how their hands and tootsies have grown.

I found my instructions on the website, Kaboose. Let's start with tools.

You will need: light card stock or construction paper in autumnal shades like leaf brown, rusty red, pumpkin orange, or forest green. Extra points if you start with white paper and have the kids paint the paper themselves! You'll also need scissors, a stapler, glue, and a pencil or marker pen.

Step one: help your children trace their feet onto the paper. Keep shoes on for this step. Then trace their hand prints. Make one set of two hands on three different colors of paper. Then trace one final hand print on a fourth color of paper.

Before you know it, Christmas/ Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa/ Solstice will be here. Actually, if some of the department store windows are to be believed, Christmas got here about 3 weeks ago.

In any case, what better way to take a step back from the holiday shopping madness than to make some festive holiday ornaments at home with your loved ones. Here are 10 great ideas to get you started.

1. Amy Butler fabric ornament and tree topper featured in Blueprint. If you get the chance, check out the latest issue of Blueprint - there's a picture tour of Amy Butler's House.

2. Button Wreath Ornament from marthastewart.com. I really like this one because after the holiday you can simply re-purpose the buttons.

3. Ribbon pine cone ornament from WhipUp. More traditional but very clever.

4. Polymer clay ornament from craftster. Classy.

5. Mitten ornament from the Feathered Nest. Made with felt, ribbon and glitter - infinite possibilities for customization.

Are you in the process of creating the next great Halloween project? It's time to show off your skills, get some exposure and win cool prizes.

Instructables, MAKE and PopSci have teamed up to create a huge Halloween contest. It's all about DIY and it is sure to bring out some wild and creative ideas. Here is a list of the contest categories:

• Hack-O-Lantern Contest
• Costume Contest
• Decorations, Gadgets and More Contest
• Food Contest

Share your haunted house props, robotic Jack-O-Lanterns and disgusting eyeball recipes. The prizes are yet to be announced, but are guaranteed to be awesome. The top projects will even be featured in MAKE and PopSci.

More details should be coming out in the next week or two, and we'll keep you posted as they do.
You can enter your photos, videos or full Instructable submissions. Check out this page for some more information.