DIY Life

Sure, a vegetable-inspired cupcake sounds like heresy in the minds of dessert lovers everywhere, but with one bite of this corn-on-the-cob, you'll quickly change your tune. Go on; I dare you. The Martha Stewart video gives you step-by-step coverage, including a written tutorial, so the process couldn't be easier. And the ingredients, unlike many Martha Stewart creations, are far from gourmet. Here's the list:

* Vanilla Frosting
* Yellow liquid food coloring
* 24 Vanilla Cupcakes, baked in white paper liners
* 3 1/2 cups small yellow, cream, or white jelly beans, such as Jelly Belly
* 4 pieces yellow fruit chews, such as Laffy Taffys or Starbursts
* 1 tablespoon black decorating sugar
* 1 tablespoon white decorating sugar
* 8 sets of corn holders (optional)

Go ahead; call your family and tell them you'll be bringing corn-on-the-cob for Thanksgiving dinner year. One less vegetable to make Fido scarf down underneath the table, and one more dessert to enjoy later! It's a win-win!

It's time to pack up those pool accessories and face the facts -- cooler weather is here to stay, whether we like it or not. Still, you can have a bit of a last hurrah with those old pool noodles you've got scattered around your back patio. Why not transform your average noodle into a fabulously unique chair with this tutorial from Instructables?

One tip from our expert designer? "The chair's joints are cast aluminum, made using the lost styrofoam process. I know most people don't have access to a foundry, and getting custom work cast is expensive. However, the joints could just as easily be made out of wood, hopefully something that provides a nice contrast to the plywood"

In other words, get creative with a few inexpensive and crafty materials to keep the bill low and the work unique. Sometimes having a budget is the best way to ensure you have a one-of-a-kind piece!

Happy crafting!

I have two dogs, and although neither of them could fit into a sock, I just had to share this cute tutorial for all of you pet-lovers everywhere. And although I don't necessarily promote the act of dressing your animals as if they were human, I suppose the cooler weather could cause a tiny sock-sized dog to shiver:



Adorable, right? And sooo easy to do! If you're looking for a cute sock to use for this project, might I suggest Sock Army (everything is 50% off at the moment!)? I'd love to tackle the tutorial with this cute pattern, or perhaps this design for the preppiest of dogs.

And if you're looking for a few other fun pet-inspired projects, check out How to Sew a Dog-Collar Pouch, and of course, Help Your Dog Rise to the Occasion with a New Tie! OK, I now officially draw the line at dog-friendly formal wear...

It seems that every DIY tutorial I've come across in the past few weeks involves spray paint. Whether I'm transforming a patio set, desk or kitchen cabinet hardware, spray paint often seems to be the quickest and easiest route. Yet when I attempted to create a wooden stand for a project I'm working on, my spray paint job looked a little less luxe and a lot more... well, loser.

AOL's home decor expert Kelly Edwards came to my rescue with this quick and easy tutorial on prepping, priming and spray paint techniques. If you're ever unsure how to create that lacquer-finish look with a can of spray paint, this is the tutorial to watch:

And once you've learned the art of spray painting, why not tackle that old chandelier in your dining room? Even if you don't love the result, you can turn the empty can into a light fixture of your own!

If you've ever shipped posters before, you'll know how inexpensive cardboard tubes can be. And if you've ever shopped for a chandelier, you'll know how expensive those can be. Let's swap the two, shall we?

Instructables shows us how to create a lovely chandelier with a few materials and just $25 (the cardboard tubes used in the tutorial were free, but you can get more than enough for the project for less than $10 right here).

The tools? Gorilla glue, cardboard tubes, seam ripper, clamps, marker, metal wire, light sockets, surge protector, light bulbs. That's it! Easy enough, and definitely worth a trip to the hardware store for a $30 chandelier.

Don't like the industrial look? Why not spray paint your cardboard tubes in a bold lacquer color, such as hot pink or lime green. Or, for a more glamorous look, paint the tubes white and let the bulbs shine through.

However you slice it, this light fixture will score you a permanent spot in the Most Inventive Lighting Awards* next year!

*MILA may or may not exist.

IKEA is good for a lot of things, yes, and my college dorm room would have been ridiculously bare without the extra help from my Swedish furnishers. Yet now that I'm older (and hopefully wiser!), the Billy bookcase just doesn't do it for me. I've seen it lined with gift wrap, wallpaper, and covered with cabinet doors, but I can always spot a Billy from a mile away.

Until Ali Mode's creation, of course. By taking plaster columns and crown molding to her traditional Billy bookcases, she's created a glamorous and customized look that will take any space to the next level. And with a mounted swinging arm lamp? A complete makeover done in a day.

Check out Ali's tutorial from our friends at ShelterPop, and if you're looking for a few good reads to line your newly glamorous bookcases, check out a few of DIYLife's book reviews right here and here.

IKEA is good for a lot of things, yes, and my college dorm room would have been ridiculously bare without the extra help from my Swedish furnishers. Yet now that I'm older (and hopefully wiser!), the Billy bookcase just doesn't do it for me. I've seen it lined with , , and , but I can always spot a Billy from a mile away.Until creation, of course. By taking plaster columns and crown molding to her traditional Billy bookcases, she's created a glamorous and customized look that will take any space to the next level. And with a mounted swinging arm lamp? A complete makeover done in a day.Check out Ali's tutorial from our friends at , and if you're looking for a few good reads to line your newly glamorous bookcases, check out a few of DIYLife's book reviews right and .

In need of something to do this week with your newly-acquired free time (now that The Bachelorette is over, of course!)? Good news -- Weekend Sewing author Heather Ross is sharing a quick and easy tutorial for you crafty chicas that still have some planting to do before school starts!

My gardening gloves are disgustingly dirty (beyond washing machine-dirty, guys) and I've been dreaming of a new pair all summer long. And alas--- Heather comes riding in on her dahlia-colored horse with the perfect pair... that I can make myself, nonetheless.

If you're less selfish than I am, you could make a pair for a friend and partner the gift with these sweet little cricket gift tags (also created by Heather). Can you handle the cuteness? Me, neither.

Download the gardening glove tutorial right here. In need of fabric inspiration for your new cuties? You can design your own with Spoonflower, or, if you're not quite that crafty, peruse FabricShoppe on Etsy for some great threads at a decent price.

After all, store-bought gardening gloves are sewwwww 2008.

Having previously used wallpaper to cover my kitchen cabinets, I'm ready to change them for a new look. Since I get bored fairly easily with my decor, I like to spruce things up about every six months, and I am so itching for newly decorated cabinets.

Thanks to help from Tipnut, I found the perfect kitchen cabinet makeover project over on Tres Chic Veronique. Using pretty fabric covered in bees and honeycombs, Veronique cut the fabric an extra inch on each side, then hammered in thumbtacks to secure the fabric to the cabinet door.

I read in the comment section of Veronique's post that Scotchgaurd was used to help eliminate grease and stains when the fabric is wiped down. If you, like me, are unsure of whether or not you want to use regular fabric on your cabinets, then maybe the best alternative would be to use oilcloth, since that can be wiped down easily.

I am in desperate need of a kitchen apron. I have been cooking since I was 8 years old, and I have always absentmindedly wiped my hands on my clothing, even though there is always a dish towel nearby. Yup, I need an apron.

DIY Maven on Curbly has written a fabulous tutorial, complete with awesome pictures, teaching us how to turn large cloth napkins into a kitchen apron using a sewing machine. You'll need several yards of ribbon for tie strings and for the apron collar, and of course, some basic sewing skills.

This apron is perfect, not just for the kitchen, but also for gardening. The pockets in the apron could hold your kitchen gadgets, or your gardening tools. Of course, I always absentmindedly wipe my dirty hands on my clothes when I am gardening too.

Check your local thrift stores for some awesome napkins. Mine always seem to have the prettiest sets of fabric napkins on hand, and for the price they sell at (6 for $1.00), there are plenty available to make as gifts for my gardening and cooking friends.

Last week I painted the outside of my front door.

I left the inside of the door alone, so that my kitchen would stay light and bright. I am glad I didn't paint it, since last month I had to move some furniture around to make room for my new freezer-on-the-bottom refrigerator, and the front door is constantly being bumped against the microwave stand. I am desperately in need of a doorstop to keep my door from being marred.

Elizabeth Hartman has a downloadable PDF tutorial on how to make a nine-patch bean-filled doorstop. Choose your fabric, have 5 pounds of dried beans on hand, and sew up that little gorgeous number.

What's really nice about the fabric doorstop is that it has a handle so that you can carry it around and use it for different doors in your house. I also think it would be great to knock out a burglar, should you happen to be so unfortunate as to have one visit.

In any case, I love the doorstop. It's perfect for all my door-opening-and-closing needs.

[via: Whip Up]

I love strawberries, both as a food and as a motif.

Recently, two separate summery strawberry stitching projects were posted over at WhipUp within a couple of days of each other: a pattern and tutorial for felt strawberries from Mr. Monkeysuit, and a felt jam-jar topper with a strawberry applique by Amy at Lucykate Crafts.

Even though they aren't by the same person, they seem like a perfect pair to me! You'll find further suggestions for this adorable project, including links to supplies, after the break.

Make a sprinkler? Why on earth would you do that when you can go out to just about any store and grab a cheap one for less than ten dollars?

I'll tell you why:

• You could be reusing waste materials from other projects to make your sprinkler.
• It's an easy and fun project you could even do with the kids.
• Speaking of kids, you could make an impressive play sprinkler for them to romp about in.
• You could create a system that would water your entire lawn.

OK, so maybe you can't do the whole project with the kids (unless yours are old enough to help drill holes), but you can work with them to plan an elaborate sprinkler that will entertain them on hot summer days.

I admit, even though I know how to sew, it takes a special project for me to actually pull out the machine and get to work. Usually, those projects are gifts, like baby slings in drawstring pouches.

The inspiration to sew may just have crossed my computer screen, with the adorable little girl clothing patterns and tutorials collected by Whip Up.

What little girl doesn't love a twirly skirt? This one is easy to sew, and the tutorial has very clear instructions and helpful photos; if you can sew a straight seam, you can please a little girl in your life.

The only possible drawback? The sizing is European, so you need to know the height of the wearer.

There are more reasons than ever to learn how to burn a CD: to create your own CD wedding favors or to make a story CD for your child, for example.

Are you technically savvy enough to do it? I, for one, am happy to have a husband who is, but in the interest of being a strong, independent woman and a good example to my child, I set out to learn how to do burn a CD myself.

The first thing I learned is that there is this thing called a "Wizard" that pretty much does everything for you; simply drag and drop the files you want to write to the CD and surf the internet during your wait time.

OK, it isn't quite that simple (but it's close), but Worldstart has a tips and tricks page with:

• CD-R versus CD-RW tips
• step-by-step instructions
• a separate tutorial for Microsoft Windows XP, which has its own CD burning software

and more -- everything you will need to know to burn your own CD, in fact. Independence is just a click away!