DIY Life

The box air-conditioning unit is a necessary evil for many apartment dwellers. (Those of you about to head off to college, take note!) These things come with a few big cons: they are noisy, they are unsightly, they block the view out of your window, and they are a pain in the neck to install and uninstall.

At least the unsightliness factor is something you can fix! Here are a few suggestions for hiding your air conditioning unit from New York Magazine:

• Decorate it with something pretty like wallpaper scraps.
• Build a decorative cabinet around it, but be careful not to block air flow.
• Disguise it from view with a sheer curtain.
• Hide it with a screen.
• Cover it with artwork and frame it.

[via Apartment Therapy]

The rich history of stained glass art is one that I've enjoyed learning about. The science of glass is fascinating in and of itself, so if the kiddies that you're crafting with aren't really kiddies anymore, then it might be worth turning this into a little art history class too. We won't be actually working with glass, but learning a bit about the origins of a given medium are always beneficial.

The actual project involves wax paper and is fool proof for your toddlers. They can make a picture or deliberate design if they are able, but scribbles will look great too so there really are no rules. This easily created stained glass look-alike is great for school age children too. They will be more detailed in their design, and you can encourage them to apply techniques they learned about while exploring the art's history. Suggest that they choose an artist or a period to reflect in their work.

Here's what you'll need:

1. Wax paper
2. Scissors
3. Glue
4. Tape
5. Construction paper
6. Crayons

After the break I'll explain how to take the few materials listed above and make a fun window decoration. The gallery shows each step along the way so make sure to check it out.

If you're missing the bright days of summer you might be finding some rooms in your house too dark. A dark room can affect your work, change the impression of your decor and impact your mood. Learning how to brighten up a dark room can change your space so drastically. Here are the 11 suggested ways:

1. Turn on a lamp
2. Install a light fixture
3. Add task lighting
4. Replace bulbs with higher wattage
5. Open curtains or blinds
6. Install a skylight
7. Use diffused lighting
8. Mimic the sunrise
9. Use mirrors
10. Paint and decorate the room
11. Clear the clutter

After the jump I'll share the details of my favorite tips.

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]

If you're like me, you crave sunlight streaming in from those windows during the daytime. But, at the same time, you prefer the privacy of outside onlookers or peeping toms (or burglars) at night or when you prefer in-home privacy. Hence, venetian, vertical and two-inch window blinds are popular with almost every residence I know of.

Many (if not all) of us use window blinds on windows and vertical blinds on those sliding or French doors. But, it continues to be a pain to constantly open all these blinds during the day (for all that natural light) and closing them all at night (for all that privacy). Ever wish you could push a remote control button and have all that effort done for you?

This hack made my favorites list instantly, and I will be trying it soon. I'm still working on some kind of gear-driven, battery-operated horizontal blind closer that works on a timer instead of a remote control, but have not started working on it yet. Until then, it's back to opening and closing my 10+ blinds every day and night. Ehh!

While your new fall wardrobe may never see an old wire hanger, you probably still have some hiding in the back of your closet. Most of my clothes are hung (when they are hung!) on wooden or plastic hangers. The back of my closet, and admittedly, the floor, still overflow with old wire ones. It's time to put them to use.

1. Shoe hanger
   Bend up each end of the hanger and it will nicely hold a pair of shoes. This is particularly useful for some of your nicer shoes that you don't want scuffed around on that hall closet floor. You'll need to allot them some closet space but it will keep them clean and organized.
   
2. Go fishing
   I'm not suggesting you use an old wire hanger as a fish hook! You can use it to make a net. Bend the hanger into a circle and stretch old pantyhose around it. The children can take this to look for little fish in a stream, or sift out seashells at the beach.
   
3. Unlock car doors
   While this is most successful on TV, it will still work on some older model cars. Stretch the hanger as long and straight as you can with a hook on the end. Reach down between the window and door until you feel the latch. Pull it up and you'll unlock the door.
   
   If you've locked the keys in the car with the window slightly open you can use the hanger to fish them off the seat and bring them through the window.
   
4. Unclog drains
   Wire hangers are great for unclogging drains, both toilet and sink. You can go fishing around in the drain and try to remove the obstruction.
   
5. Radio and TV antenna
   I'm sure many college students are tinkering with their old TV, trying to get reception where it doesn't seem possible. Wire clothes hangers are great, and unlike regular antennas they can be manipulated in just the right way to optimize reception. Adding tinfoil will go a long way here too.
   
6. Mobile
   This could be a really fun project for an older sibling to make for the new baby. Use the hanger as your base and attach string and decorations. Colorful ribbons, or bells and seashells would work well. You might also like to hang pictures of family and friends from the mobile. I know you don't need me to say it, but I just can't help myself: Make sure you secure everything really well so baby doesn't choke.
   
7. Bubble wand
   This is another fun one for children. With your help the hanger can be bent into any shape and used as a bubble wand. Pour bubble soap into an old ice cream lid or other large shallow dish, dip the wand in and have fun.
   
8. Hang your clothes
   While it sounds like wire hangers are a thing of the past, there really isn't any harm in using them on most of your clothes. It may distort the shape of a delicate sweater, but if you're like me, there are far more T-shirts than pretty sweaters in the closet, and wire hangers will do just fine for those.

Those are just a few of the uses for wire hangers. I spared you the slingshot and modern art, but I have to leave something for the comments. Let me know what uses you've found for the old hangers kicking around your house.

I hate blinds. Don't ask me what I like better, because there isn't an answer, I don't know what is better, I just know I hate them. Blinds of all varieties, venetian (who doesn't hate those), vertical, roman (slightly better, but still), cheapo-plastic, mini-blinds, and I think you get the idea.

We have vertical blinds in our home now, and I suppose the thing I vehemently despite and loathe with all my heart is the fact that these dumb blinds always lose the "control rod," you know, that little stick you turn to open the blinds and let the glorious sunshine in. That small piece of the entire blind apparatus is the most frustrating. Why? Because as soon as you get done turning it, and get the blinds slid over to the end where they can be out of the way, right then, it happens, you barely let go and the darn thing falls to the floor. Putting it back is even more frustrating. I must admit that this one item in my home is the one that would incite the most cussing and swearing ever, except I don't swear. Either way it is infuriating.

A simple fix for the devil in this set of blinds is to use a small piece of transparent packing tape and complete the loop of plastic artificially where it was left open by the manufacturer. This simple piece of tape will be nearly unnoticable to guests, and will make sure your blind control rod will never fall off it's hook ever again. I enjoy blissful blind-opening every morning now because of this simple trick. It is amazing how one simple quick-fix can turn your run-down ghetto home into the grand villa in Tuscany. That my friends, is what DIY is all about.