DIY Life

My scented candles began gathering dust immediately after the birth of my daughter in 2006. Having a child around, I was way too distracted and sleep-deprived to be supervising an open flame in my house -- no matter how sweet the smell!

Happily, I soon received a reed diffuser as a gift. Decorative, yes. However, it also brought delicious and natural citrus and floral fragrances back into my life. Best of all, I discovered reed diffusers are a worry-free alternative to scented candles.

The diffuser consists of a small glass vase or bottle containing perfumed oil or an oil blend, plus other mixers. The fragrance contained therein wends its way towards your olfactory cells via tall reed straws placed upright in the oil.

1980s music and '80s-style skinny jeans have popped back into fashion of late. '80s-style home decor trends have most definitely not. So if you've recently purchased a home that retains an '80s interior, or if your old house needs a style makeover before going on the market, check out these tips from MSN Real Estate on how to de-'80s your home.

The fastest and most budget-friendly way to de-'80s a space, say MSN's style gurus, is to completely rid yourself of the dreaded "Miami Vice" color palette. The hues now considered waaay outdated are hunter green, salmon pink, gray, and teal. Next, upgrade your light fixtures, particularly anything with a shiny gold (fake brass) finish or anything involving etched glass.

Next, replace outdated bathroom medicine cabinets and faucets. If you don't have the time or budget to replace the entire medicine cabinet, at least pull the old one out and hang an attractive mirror over that spot. Next, upgrade the faucets at your kitchen sink. There. The whole house looks better already, doesn't it?

Summer is in full swing, as are outdoor picnics, parties and wedding receptions. If you haven't taken your turn at outdoor dining, then it is time to pretty up your patio or picnic table, and sit down to some char-grilled delicacies.

Evening dining is tops; nothing beats watching the sun set on a glorious summer day. Since you probably love to sit outside after dark, and do not relish the thought of having to go in the house right away as twilight comes, you can stay outdoors a little while longer with homemade paper table lanterns.

This awesome Yoshi mosaic, by Craftster user anneandkita, was made for a university lab that studies video games. What could be more appropriate for that location than one of the stars of the Mario Brothers franchise?

Unlike most of his equally-recognizable brethren, Yoshi doesn't come from the 1980s; he made his debut in 1993's Super Mario World. Since then, though, he's become one of Nintendo's most beloved characters.

The pixelated look of old-school, low-res video games lends itself nicely to crafting: recognizable depictions can be made with a series of modular squares in the right colors. Any medium that uses elements with an equal height and width will work, so there are some especially fun things done in cross stitch, single crochet, perler beads, and square mosaic tiles.

If you'd like to try something like this, please join me after the break for some mosaic-making links and tips.

The other day, I found an interesting and easy decorative glass vase tutorial over at CasaSugar. I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool for around the house, but I bet it would also be perfect as a wedding centerpiece." In fact, it turns out that the project originated at DIY Bride.

This is really as simple as picking up some rub-on transfers you like, along with a clear glass vase that has a smooth surface. After making sure the vase is completely clean and dry, just cut around the transfers you like, then use the burnishing stick that comes in the package to carefully rub designs onto the vase (exactly as you would if you were rubbing them onto paper).

The transfers are sold in almost any store that carries scrapbooking or other craft supplies. Thousands of designs are available, but if you can't find any rub-ons that you like in your area, the DIY Bride post has a list of online resources.

This project is as versatile and stylish as your imagination (for example, the right transfers would make it great for Mother's Day), but this is not exactly a new tip: a few months ago, this concept also ran in the Winter, 2008 issue of Somerset Life magazine, where it was used to decorate glass bottles and jars. Please join me after the break to read more about the appealing ideas that were presented there.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has issued a voluntary recall of about 61,000 Holiday Time candle holders, due to a fire hazard and a laceration hazard. The candle holders could tip over and the glass holder could break.

Manufactured in China and sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from September 2007 through February 2008 for between $13 and $17, this recall involves Holiday Times candle holders that are shaped like a Santa Claus, a snowman and a goblet. Please check the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled candle holders.

Consumer should stop using the recalled candle holders immediately and return them to Wal-Mart for a full refund. For more information, contact Wal-Mart at (800) 925-6278 or visit their website at www.walmartstores.com.

Even though it has rained the last couple days, it hasn't rained enough to wash away all the snow. That is a major bummer for me because I am so ready to bury my hands in the dirt and get started on my planting of gorgeous flowers and necessary garden edibles.

I will have to settle for Springtime terrariums until the snow is all gone, but actually, it will be a pleasant way to pass the time until I can get my hands mucky. If you don't have quite the green thumb that you would like to have, a terrarium that requires less frequent watering is best for you. You'll need a glass jar or vase, aquarium sand and stone, and potting soil and plants.

Homemade indoor terrariums are a great way to teach kids about taking care of plants and the necessary steps to make a new home for plants. They can make their own terrariums and give all their plastic dinosaurs and dolls a new home too.

[via: Curbly]

I always thought that shattering glass with your voice was a myth. A way of illustrating how strong a voice was, but not actually a direct result of voice pitch and strength. I was wrong.

According to these instructions, with the right volume and frequency, you can in fact break a glass with your voice. You'll need an amplifier, a crystal glass, a microphone, ear and eye protection, and a fierce voice. Have a read through the full instructions including their safety advice before giving this a try.

Every glass will have a different frequency at which it will shatter. You'll want to play around with different glasses and pitches. You can test the needed pitch by dipping your finger in water and running it along the rim of the glass, or tapping the glass gently. If you mimic your sound after the sound that these produce, you'll probably hit the right note.

Just don't try this with your wedding crystal in case it actually works.

I think it's safe to assume that you all know how to change a light bulb. What you may not know is how to change a broken light bulb. Broken bulbs that are still in the socket can be hard to change and very dangerous. A potato can be your saving tool.

What you'll need

1. 1 raw potato
2. 1 knife
3. 1 replacement light bulb
4. 1 bag for trash/glass shards
5. Gloves
6. Protective eye wear
7. Vacuum

The instructions on how to change a broken light bulb with a potato are simple, but you should pay particular attention to the safety tips. Next time you break a bulb in the socket don't mess around trying to pick through glass, just grab a potato and remove the bulb with ease.

Curbly user erinloechner points us to this tutorial for an Etched Mirror Silhouette. All you need is an old mirror, contact paper, etching compound, a silhouette you like, and a well-ventilated space to work in.

This technique could also be used to add a border to a mirror or create a patterned mirror.

About.com has more detailed instructions for etching mirrors or glass.

Everyone loves stained glass but not everyone knows how to do it. With this glass glob stained glass tutorial from knick knacks & ric rac you can easily achieve the look of of stained glass with glue, glass marbles and grout. While this is not your traditional stained glass it still gives a lovely effect that I personally love.

If you don't want to permanently stick these marbles to your door or window you could do the same thing to framed piece of glass and hang it in your window for an equally lovely suncatcher. The blog's creator also added them to her entertainment cabinet. I think that a china hutch would also love a little TLC with pretty glass marbles.

Wherever you decide to apply this craft, have fun and enjoy the color and pizazz this will add to your door, window, cabinets or whatever. Remember, you can never have too much color in your life. While your at it check out M.E. William's post about using these same glass marbles to make some pretty magnets to add even more color to your home.

[via Craftzine]

This DIY chandelier projects is a little over the top for me, but I think it would have a place and if it is used tastefully could be an artistic addition to your room.

Last week, Brian wrote about the cutlery chandelier. Along the same lines, I found this wine glass chandelier. It also has an industrial look, but the bare cabling and glass make it much softer than the knives and forks. The wine glasses can actually be removed and used from the chandelier. Personally, I don't dust my chandelier often enough to make that palatable, but I might if I knew I'd be drinking from them. The Swiss designer, Tina Roth Eisenberg now living in NYC saw this a a practical, attractive space saver. This project has a moderate difficulty level. Here are the instructions for using your own wine glasses as a chandelier.

Have you come up with any useful lighting projects using everyday materials? Share them in the comments.

Is your refrigerator boring? Marble magnets are one of those fun, simple craft projects that have become very popular in the last few years. They've shown up on plenty of craft communities, shows, and books, sometimes with a theme. Once you learn how to make them, you can churn out a nearly endless variety, and you can also find other ways to use the pictorial marbles. But there are a few potential pitfalls in the process, so it helps to have someone show you how.

First of all, what are they? Flat glass marbles, sometimes called half-marbles or cabochons or glass pebbles, have long been sold to line plant pots and fish tanks. At some point, someone noticed that the marble acts like a lens if you place it over a picture or printed design. Eventually, people started gluing these pictorial marbles to things, particularly magnets, and an endless craft trend was born.

They're a great project because they're easy and inexpensive, but also relatively unique. They make good gifts: you can tailor them to the recipients' tastes, and they cost very little to make, so for $10 a teenager can cover presents for a whole group of friends.

To learn how to make pictorial marbles for magnets and other projects, join us after the break!

Have you ever tried to glue two things together, and for some reason, they just wouldn't stick? Oh, you made sure the surfaces were clean. You even sanded them slightly where you wanted them to bond! But nothing seemed to work: you were using the wrong glue for the job.

Enter This To That. This website exists entirely to tell you which glue is a good product to use to stick one specific thing to another specific thing. If it has limitations, it's that there are only eleven substances on the "this" and "that" lists, but those combinations should get you through most applications. And it's nice to know that the editors of the site consider the toxicity of a glue before they recommend it.

If you can't find the information you need by using the site the regular way, check the This To That FAQ; they might have the answer there. This should get you up and running for your home repair and craft projects, but it'll probably be just as helpful the next time your kid has to build a log cabin out of popsicle sticks.

Finding new life for materials that would otherwise be headed for the city dump is always such a satisfying endeavor. It's recycling at its most instantly gratifying. Plus, people come up with such clever repurposing projects. Case in point: this slightly dangerous Instructable on turning a wine bottle into a drinking glass.

This project requires some specialized equipment, but what better excuse to acquire some new tools? For starters, you'll need a bottle cutter, which you can purchase new for less than $30 and used for considerably less. (The clever being responsible for this Instructable, fstedle, recommends getting a cutter with a metal frame rather than plastic.)

The priciest parts you'll need are a rotary tool with a grinding bit and drum-sanding attachments. You might also want to invest in some etching cream and glass stencils to decorate your glasses (fstedle suggests initials, and you also can find stencils for all kinds of decorative designs). Bottles, of course, you can get for free from wine-guzzling friends, relatives and neighbors. Oh, and don't forget a mask! There's nothing good about inhaling ground glass.

On the other, um, hand, if you prefer things you can make with no tools other than your own lovely mitts, try this Instructable (more like a Destructable) on how to break a beer bottle with your bare manos. Not as functional but such good fun!