DIY Life

There truly is something for everyone in this world. I would never have thought to combine kitchen storage with geeky computer stuff, but this idea is well worth crossing the two. After thinking it over, it makes perfect sense to store your server in your extra bread bin.

The tutorial for this project is quite clever -- and clear enough for even the most challenged of DIYers. A bread bin is just about the perfect size for a server, and the material is easily cut to fit cords and the like. Once the server is safely tucked in its new home it can live there relatively dust free and out of harm's way.

Mmm-mmm. Fresh basil. It's so very fragrant -- the indispensable ingredient in a host of mid-summer recipes.

My basil is lush, green and ready for picking. Okay, I don't have a whole lot of it out in my garden; however, I'm planning on growing a lot more next summer. In preparation for that lofty enterprise, I thought it'd be cool to find out how the expert basil-growers harvest their beloved herb. Here are some tips I picked up:

1. Know your basil. There are lots of varieties out there, and it's always good to know which one you have, as the flavors vary quite a bit between them. Chances are good that, like me, you've got the most common variety: Genovese sweet basil.

Planning a road trip this summer, and want the perfect accessory? How about a map purse? Or, for you guys, a map bag. Instead of lip gloss and lotion, you can put... um... manly things in it. Spare socks? A razor?

Perhaps it should best be the "car bag" and hold things to make the trip more comfortable: tissues, a water bottle, sunglasses, chewing gum, and, a little art-comes-to-life, maybe your maps can go in the map bag.

I envision using it as storage inside the car rather than as a purse to carry around town, because I'm just not sure how sturdy it would be. Most women I know carry a load of stuff in their bag. Would a map and two layers of contact paper, no matter how well-stitched, be up to the job?

To make one, follow the instructions here at Sonya Style. If anyone makes one, feel free to report back and tell us how it holds up!

When is the last time you cleaned out your liquor cabinet? You've used and replaced your favorites many times over, but you've probably never made it to the back of the shelf, uncovering those less popular bottles.

Not sure if that bottle of Bacardi is still good? Ask your bartender!

Dave gives the quick rundown on liquor expiry. He outlines the basics, and by keeping them in mind you'll avoid sipping rancid rum. Explaining the "half-life" of distilled spirits, he dispels the mystery that shelving a 17 year old bottle of scotch for 20 years makes it a 37 year old bottle.

Understanding your liquor's shelf life, and making sure that you store the bottles tightly capped, in a dark place, and free from extreme temperature will keep the quality of your drinks high.

Here's a great idea for bedside storage. Might I add, it's a great idea because it's really easy and, assuming you already have a tote bag to spare, it's free! Makezine put me onto this idea from Five Whys: repurpose an old tote bag as an underbed pocket.

You will need:

1. An old cloth tote bag
2. Scissors
3. Needle and thread or (even better!) a sewing machine
   
4. About 10 minutes to an hour of your time, depending on your sewing skills

Cut the bag down each side, starting at the top end and ending about halfway down. Fold the cut flap down inside the bag. Fold and sew the cut side edges to prevent fraying. Next, lay the bag's handles and top half under your mattress, letting the newly-created pocket hang down the side of the bed. The weight of the mattress should keep the bag in place. Voila! A place for bookmarks, magazines and other odds and ends.

Want to make a tote bag? Anna can tell you how. Oh, and she knows how to make a bag from old jeans, too!

You're standing there staring at the ruins of your hard drive. What used to be a fully-functional piece of technological goodness is now, thanks to that bowl of applesauce your toddler just dumped in there, a very expensive paperweight.

You can take it in to some data-retrieval experts, of course, but if you find that the thing is truly irretrievable, all is not lost! Apartment Therapy's tech site, Unpluggd, has a simple way to put your old friend to new use.

Remove the hard drive, scoop out its guts, pop off the casing. Attach a couple of hinges on one side, and you now have a storage compartment... the secret book for the 21st Century!

Are you heading off to college in the fall? The dorms are a great place to live. It's been a few years since I was there, but I'm still in touch with many of my college friends. I'll never forget the late-night Euchre games, parties, reluctant study sessions, and (unfortunately) the complete lack of space.

Even though dorm rooms are usually off-white, bland spaces roughly the size of a shoe box, you can still make them your own. In addition to posters, photographs, and other wall art, decorate your room with items that do double-duty by looking great and serving a purpose.

Storage and other multi-use items are important for your dorm room. You're not limited to milk crates "borrowed" from a local restaurant (not that I know anyone who did that... ahem). I'll share some fun, decorative, and useful dorm room ideas after the break.

My husband is always hesitant to let me use his keys, probably because I'm usually borrowing his because my own are lost. I assure him I can't possible lose his keys while I am using them (it's only once I get home that they disappear), but he's unconvinced.

In our house, it's me who always misplaces the keys. But if your husband or partner is the one who's careless with their keys, then a family key keeper might just make the perfect Father's Day present. Not only will it help him keep track of his keys -- guaranteed to make mornings much easier! -- but it'll remind him of what's important each day, as he looks upon the faces of his family.

I'll tell you more about this project after the break.

Pegboard can be a lifesaver in a workshop, sewing room, or the garage. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to retrieve a favorite tool because the hanger wants to come out of the pegboard along with the tool. While using pegboard can keep a workspace neat and tidy, sometimes reinforcement is needed to keep your tools from elongating the holes.

Popular Mechanics has a great article teaching us how to make our own custom pegboard tool hangers, using aluminum and steel from the hardware store, a hacksaw, a drill and a pair of pliers. Cut, bend, and shape the aluminum or steel, screw it to the wall, and hang up your tools.

With these custom pegboard tool hangers, we really have no more excuses to let our precious tools clutter up our workspace. Not only are the tool hangers perfect for a man's workshop, I think they are also perfect for a sewing/crafting room pegboard too.

via: Curbly

We all have pairs of jeans laying around the house we no longer wear. There are many ways of re-purposing them. Everything from denim purses, reusable shopping bags, messenger bags, to just about anything.

Here is another idea: an organizer made from an old pair of jeans! This organizer goes on the back of a door. It can be your bedroom, laundry room, bathroom, or any other door in your home.

All you need for this project is a pair of old jeans, scissors, glue, tape measure, thread, sewing machine, and a trouser hanger. Measure and cut pockets into the jeans depending on the size of the objects you are going to store in them.

I have some really interesting jeans I haven't been able to wear in years with all sorts of patterns, ribbons, embroidery work, and embellishments on them that I'm thinking of using. You can also jazz up a pair of plain jeans with sequins, patches, scrap fabric, paint, embroidery, ribbons.

In many areas, my own included, now is the time to make summer camping reservations before spots fill up for the summer. Camping is inexpensive family fun and a relaxing way to take a break from this high-tech world.

Savvy travelers can choose a location and reserve a site, without leaving the comfort of their home office chair. State parks can also be reserved online. If tent camping is a big turnoff for you, many state parks offer camper and mini-cabins as well.

If you have more than one camping vacation planned this year, it'll make your life a lot easier if you streamline your camping gear. That way, when the weekend hits, you can eliminate hours of packing and just grab your things and go.

Be perpetually packed for summer fun by keeping your camping gear in plastic storage tubs. The Art of Manliness has a comprehensive list of things to include in your tub, including sleeping bag, tent, flashlight, first aid kit, batteries, small broom, wet wipes, bug repellent and matches.

Next, create a list of things that you want to bring along, but that you don't keep in your tub, including: sunscreen, lawn chairs, clothing, toiletries, and food. Plan a simple menu, pack the car, hit the grocery store, then head out into the great wide wilderness for a back-to-nature experience.

These handy storage containers are an interesting twist on the pencil case, making them a great place to store craft or school supplies. My youngest son suggested that it would also be good for collecting rocks. Really, it's a convenient carrying case for storage or collecting of any kind (and not just kids' stuff either!). While the little ones are making collection containers and pencil cases, you can be designing your own for use as a gift box.

Materials

• Tall chip container
• Plain 8 1/2 x 11 paper
• Scrapbook paper
• Glue
  
• Push pin paper fasteners
• Ribbon
• Embellishments of choice

Depending on how you plan to use them, or who gets to be the artistic director (you, or your kiddie crafter) you'll end up with very different results. Have a look through the gallery to see how ours turned out. Follow me through the break for step by step instructions.

Since you should be storing your winter clothes right about now, you may be thinking about non-toxic alternatives to moth balls. If you aren't you should be. Not only can accidental ingestion make a person or pet very sick, but just inhaling the vapors can cause a health hazard.

It is really easy to make your own moth repellent sachets, and they actually smell good. No harmful vapors, no toxins, just herbs, spices, and wood chips.

You'll need cheesecloth or muslin bags, and any combination of the following dried herbs:

• lavender buds
• cedar chips
• cloves
• rosemary
• mint
• thyme
• cinnamon sticks
• eucalyptus
• peppercorns
• dried lemon peel

Tip Nuts has some specific recipes for combining these herbs into sachets to repel moths. However, it is really easy just to take a bit of your favorites from the list, fill a muslin bag (or some cheesecloth tied with a pretty ribbon) and place among your winter clothes.

If you want to make them extra pretty, see Anna's post on repurposing vintage tablecloths into lovely sachets.

In a corner of my living room, sitting unused and one on top of the other, are two retro style speakers. The only reason that my husband hasn't hooked them up to his entertainment system is that there isn't any place to set them up. They have sat in the corner for almost 4 years now, waiting for the day they can blast The Beatles to my hubby's content.

Our speakers still work, but if you have an old speaker, or even a matching pair hanging around waiting for the day you will fix the broken whatever, you can turn the speaker into a stylin' new media cabinet. Here is what you will need:

• A speaker
• A hand saw and a rotary tool
• Hinges
• Claw hammer or crowbar
  
• Paint and wooden planks
• Screwdriver or power drill

GoodRubbish takes you through the steps needed to turn your old retro speakers into a handy media cabinet to store all your CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. Be sure to read through the comments, as there is important information on exactly what digital and optical media is safe to store with the speaker magnets and what could possibly be ruined by leaving the speaker magnets in place.

Pam Garrison is a relatively well-known artist and craft blogger: you may have seen her work in the Somerset family of magazines, or over at her blog.

Recently, Pam wrote about a decorating project she'd done in her own home: she made over the closet in her art room by papering its interior and adding shelves.

There's nothing so unusual in that, but the paper is entirely vintage (and vintage-style) wallpaper scraps, put up in a patchwork style. The effect is a cheerful and pretty collage. She credits the inspiration for the project to Alicia Paulson of the popular blog Posie Gets Cozy, who has done a closet door in a similar style.

Read more about how Pam did it, along with some further suggestions of my own, after the break.