31 Insanely Easy And Clever DIY Projects These are the kind of simple projects for the laziest and most inept of crafters. Even if you can barely operate a drill, you can do most of these projects — and in less than an hour. posted about a week ago Peggy Wang BuzzFeed Staff posted a few minutes ago Share 7K 16k Email 2K Stumble I know, right? Now tell your friends! 31 Insanely Easy And Clever DIY Projects Peggy Wang Share Stumble Email 1. Make a Sharpie Mug
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31 Insanely Easy And Clever DIY ProjectsThese are the kind of simple projects for the laziest and most inept of crafters.
Even if you can barely operate a drill, you can do most of these projects — and in less than
an hour. posted about a week ago
Peggy Wang BuzzFeed Staff posted a few minutes ago
Whether it’s extra seating you need or a plush spot to put your feet up, this cozy circular beanbag pouf fits the bill. The playful dot pattern adds retro-inspired whimsy and visual interest.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Materials: 3 yd fabric; tape measure; water-soluble marker; string and tape (optional); scissors; pins; iron; thread; sewing machine with zipper foot; 20" zipper; 6 yd 3/8" cording; polyester bean filler (we used Poly-fil Beanbag Filler from Fairfield Processing).
1. Measure, mark and cut one 31"-diam circle of fabric for cushion top and one 33"-diam circle for cushion bottom. To create circles, tie a piece of string around a pencil or marker. Holding the marker straight down, stretch the string and mark it at a point half the diameter of the circle you’re drawing. Apply a piece of tape in alignment over the mark and tape to the center of the fabric. With the marker pointing straight down and string taut, begin rotating the marker around the center, compass-style, to trace circle.
2. For cushion side, cut two 15"x491/2" pieces of fabric. For handle, cut a 6"x12" strip of fabric.
3. For piping cover, cut enough 2"-wide bias strips of fabric to create 6 yd. Bias strips will need to be pieced.
4. To add the zipper, fold cushion bottom in half and press. Cut along pressed line. Using a zipper foot, machine-stitch zipper along the cut straight edges of the fabric, following package directions.
5. To make the piping, wrap bias strip around the cording with the right side out and the raw edges even. Machine-baste close to the cord using zipper foot.
6. Pin piping to the cushion top, keeping the raw edge of the piping even with the raw edge of the cushion fabric. Clip seam allowance of the piping as needed to ease around edge.
7. Baste the piping to the top, beginning and ending the stitching 2" from the cut ends of the piping. After stopping stitching 2" before your starting point, open out the piping. Trim the cord on one end so it butts up against the cord end at the starting point. Turn the raw end of the bias strip under, wrap it around the 2 cord ends and complete stitching. 8. Repeat step 7 for cushion bottom.
9. Fold the handle in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together and raw edges even. Press. Open out and fold each long edge to the center fold and press. Refold along the center crease. Stitch close to folded edge.
10. Turn under and press 1/2" along each short end of the handle. Center the handle on the right side of one cushion side piece. Stitch at each end, leaving a bit of slack for your hand to fit through.
11. Pin cushion sides together along short ends, with right sides together and raw edges even. Stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance and press seams open.
12. Open zipper. Pin cushion side to cushion top, with right sides together and raw edges even. Clip fabric as needed to ease around edges. Stitch just inside the basting stitch line along the piping. Repeat with the cushion bottom. Turn right side out through the zipper opening and press. Pour in the polyester beans.
Make peace with your closet
It’s not easy to part with items that have sentimental—or monetary—value. But if you only wear a fraction of the clothing in your closet, getting rid of the excess will help you rediscover classic items and determine what additions could take your wardrobe to the next level. Start by only pulling out items you’re sure you won’t wear again. Then, turn all the hangers in your closet so they’re facing in the same direction. Every time you wear an item, flip its hanger the other way. Got items you always say you’ll wear again someday? Make an effort to actually do so, and see if they still suit you. Resolve to remove any items that haven’t been worn by next New Year’s (those whose hangers remain un-flipped), and either donate them to charity, or in the case of expensive items, bring them to a consignment shop or post them for sale on eBay or Craigslist. You’ll find that having extra space in your closet encourages you to mix-and-match more, creating outfits that look brand ne
Read more: How to Reinvent Your Look - Tips on How to Get a New Look - Woman's Day
Handmade
Custom Paper Tape
Monday, June 13, 2011
I’ve found a new obsession in paper tape. So in an effort to feed the need, I decided to simply
make my own. It’s crazy easy, if you have the right materials and tools. This tutorial is for
making peel-away backed tape.
I ordered of 3M
Positionable Mounting Adhesive roll from Amazon.com. This is the perfect stuff for
creating your own tape.
It is a bit costly
at $40 per roll, but possibly you can split it with a friend or plan to make enough tape to gift
or sell. There are other double-sided adhesive options you can look into that may cost less,
however, the large roll allows for much longer sections of tape for spool rolling.
I found this sweet pattern-stripe gift wrap, Fairground Stripes, at the fabulous shop
Sunnyside Cottage in Santa Rosa, CA. Stripes are fun, you can cut along them or across
1. Stop It Before It Starts “We live minimally, so things look clean and organized without much effort on my part. When we go away we don’t buy souvenirs, I don’t save my kids’ report cards, and their art projects don’t even make it into the house. I know, I know, you’re thinking I don’t have a sentimental bone in my body. But really, in 10 years, are you ever going to look at your kids’ kindergarten report card?” Sheryl Balfan, 42, Boca Raton, FL
2. Faster Food “We have a ‘fast food’ basket in our fridge that contains sandwich condiments, meats, cheese, tortillas, flatbread and other things that can be used to make a quick lunch. Everything is in one place and I don’t have to spend hours searching for the mustard.” Amy Bayliss, 34, Baton Rouge, LA
3. Kid Power“With four kids, it’s tough to keep everything in order, but I use the children to my advantage. We play ‘Beat the Clock,’ which turns cleaning into a competition. I set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and send the kids off to straighten up. They need to pick up everything from the common rooms and clean their own rooms. Whoever finishes and makes it to the family room couch first wins.” Nina Restieri, 41, Old Greenwich, CT
4. Bag It“Our pantry used to be a huge mess—lots of forgotten, half-eaten bags of stale chips, pretzels and Goldfish sprinkled throughout the pantry shelves. Now when I get home from the grocery store, I portion snacks into ziptop bags and keep them in
a pretty basket. It not only neatens up the pantry, it keeps bugs away, makes packing lunches easier, and gives us built-in portion control.” Alethea Elkins, 38, Newtown, CT
5. Use It or Lose It“I have four kids and no room for clutter. The rule is, if you didn’t use it, wear it, play with it, eat it or know of it in the past six months, it goes out the door. They can do what they want in their own rooms, but the rest of the house is mine! So if you spill it, drop it or leave it lying around, chances are you won’t ever find it again since I’ll throw it out.” Ronit Rogoszinski, 43, New York City
6. Do a Sweep“Every morning I walk around the house to open the shades and I take a basket with me. Anything that doesn’t belong in a room goes in the basket and gets returned to where it should be. By the time I get to the kitchen, most of the clutter has been organized.” Leanne Naidoo, 28, Fort Lauderdale, FL
7. Hide In Plain Sight“I buy pretty boxes to hold all the things I like to save. Small boxes for tealight candle refills, makeup, photos that need to be scrapbooked, recipes I want to try. Larger boxes work well for magazines and storage for winter clothing. I use old cigar boxes, antique leather boxes and pretty paper boxes. This creates handy storage while adding a decorative touch to my house.” Elli Frank, 32, New York City
8. Neaten as You Go“I use my mother’s mantra of organization: If you don’t make a mess, you won’t have a mess to clean up. I get undressed in front of the hamper, so there are no dirty clothes lying on the floor. I also get dressed in the closet so I can put the hangers right back. In the kitchen, I don’t wait around until the meal is over to clean, I do it during downtime while cooking. When I load the dishwasher, I put like items together so there’s no sorting when the dishes come out.” Karyn Beach, 40, Charlotte, NC
9. Make a Mudroom “Our entry used to be a dumping ground for everything, but I fixed that by adding three simple things: Each person has his or her own color hook for bookbags and coats; basket for the things he or she wants by the door, like cameras and certain toys; and rug for shoes. I have two rules: Your stuff must be hanging, in the basket or on the rug, and baskets get emptied every week.” Chela O’Connor, 40, Madison, WI
10. File It “To cut down on clutter on my kitchen counters, I hung a vertical file folder holder on one of the kitchen doors and put in folders labeled things like Sports, Camp, Church and Bills. As soon as we get paperwork, I stash it in the right folder so it doesn’t pile up. At the end of each season of activities I clean it out and start over again.” Wendy Hagerty, 42, Columbia, MD
11. A Spot for Your Spouse“I have a honey-do basket where I put all of my husband’s miscellaneous stuff that spreads like mold around the house. That way he can’t ask where something is—he knows it’s in the basket.” Jill Pollack, 41, Los Angeles
12. Say No to Piles“When I go to put something on top of something else, I stop myself and instead figure out where it goes. If it means a trip up or down the steps, so be it. It’s good exercise.” Diane Goldstein, 43, Cincinnati
13. Make a Package“I could never find a full set of sheets, especially during late-night bed changes. Now when I fold them, I put the entire set inside a pillowcase, so they’re in a neat little package.” Jessemyn Libero, 38, North Haven, CT
14. Hang ’Em Up “This may sound silly, but my simple solution for keeping my bedroom organized and neat has been to buy new, cheap hangers! There’s something really satisfying about having all of my clothes on the same type of hanger—it’s almost a work of art. I now find myself almost eager to hang up my clothes.” Lorrell Walter, 32, Chittenango, NY
Read more: Organizing Tips - Home Organization Strategies - Woman's Day