Archive for March, 2010
Recycling the Recycling
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Image compliments of Craftzine.com.
A No-Sew Tutu for Your Favorite Ballerina
Posted by: | CommentsBlog Post by YAY! DIY contributor Lauren, one very talented crafter!
I started making tutus when my daughter was a few months old. I am always looking for new creative things to do, and came across some cute tutus on the Internet. I decided I could do this myself, and went about learning how. These tutus are easy to make, even a novice crafter can do them. And, they are so inexpensive, you can make one for every occasion if you so choose!
Lauren's Adorable Daughter Modeling Mom's Handiwork
Supplies:
Ribbon (something that matches your tulle)
3-6 yards of tulle (one color or multiple colors)
Yes, that is it for supplies!! You could really make this tutu for about $5-$8!
How to: The Hat Brim Necklace
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This Anthropologie bib necklace served as inspiration.
As many of you know, we are the DIY experts for University Chic, a great blog and resource for college-aged women. One of our editors there mentioned that she recently bought a necklace at Anthropologie for $10, marked down from more than $200. Upon inspection, she discovered that it was little more than a hat brim, ornately covered over in fabric and beads. Then she asked if we’d give it a shot at recreating it.
I totally balked. As much as I love DIY, I have never attempted to make a piece of jewelry – nevermind the recreation of an Anthropologie piece! But I had to admit I was intrigued by the challenge. Who wouldn’t want to make their own jewelry? So with some trepidation, I said yes. Then I combed the Anthropologie site for a full two days looking for inspiration and trying to figure out how in the world I could pull this off.
Say WHAT? Crunchy Eggs Benedict
Posted by: | CommentsWe all TGIF, that’s a given. But do you ever find yourself on Sunday morning saying “TGISB?” Thank God It’s Sunday Brunch? I do! Every Sunday!
This weekend, I am stoked to try this amazing sounding recipe from The Kitchn - Crunchy Eggs Benedict. I mean – can you even fathom? Why didn’t I think of such a delicious sounding thing? The power of eggs benedict combined with the power of fried food? It’s like someone looked in my brain and made a recipe out of my deepest (fried) fantasies.
I’m going to give this a go this weekend because this needs to be in my life yesterday. Any other interesting twists on Sunday brunch out there? As always, we’d love to hear them!
Why didn’t I think of this first?
Posted by: | CommentsI can’t even say anything. Why or why didn’t I think of this genious idea first? I’m going to make it, although I may give it my own spin. Stay on the look out over the next few months! Check it out at CraftZine, if you can’t wait for my tutorial! 
Paper Mache Easter Eggs
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Centsational Girl's Paper Mache Eggs. Amazing!
The lovely Leslie of The DIY Diaries recently introduced us to the crafty and amazing Centsational Girl. If you haven’t already discovered her, mosey on over – you’ll like what you see.
We especially loved her post today on creating these pretty little paper mache easter eggs, using nothing more than regular eggs, tissue paper and a bit of glue. The total cost of supplies was less than $3! I just love how this looks so much like Spring. (If only the weather outside would start looking like it, too, we’d be all set.) It would also be really cute paired with this Peeps Wreath that ReadyMade posted last week for Easter
Have you seen any other cute spring decorations? Or working on any yourself? If so, please share in the comments!
Crackers & Lox
Posted by: | CommentsThis weekend I went to a lovely family engagement party for my dear cousin, Maury and her fiancée, Michael. My uncle hosted the party and I decided to bring a light appetizer to add into the mix. My cousin is a vegetarian who eats fish, so I settled on making smoked salmon and cream cheese crackers – something that would resemble the bagel and lox breakfast you’d find in every diner in New York City.
Finished!
These little treats are easy and fast to assemble. They can be prepared in just about 20 minutes.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 package of mini breads (I like these pumpernickel ones) or crackers
- Smoked Salmon – we made 18 with 6 ounces of salmon
- 1 package of cream cheese, whipped. 1 tomato, diced
- 1 small jar capers
- 1 small red onion, diced
Directions:
Faux-casso
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Turn the image on the left, into the painting on the right!
I’ve been burned one too many times searching the Web, combing through stores and generally just driving myself crazy trying to find a perfect wall painting. This time around, looking to fill up some major blank wall space in our new master bedroom, I took matters into my own hands and went all Faux-casso on a canvas.
The novio and I decided that our new color scheme in the room would be blues and browns. I really wanted a painting that was a simple blue background with a brown image front and center. As usual, endless searching led to nothing I wanted (and nothing under a gabillion dollars.) So I took matters into my own hands! Going down an internet rabbit hole for “simple patterns” led me to a Web site about the art of Diwali Rangoli patterns, which are rich in meaning and history, but also fairly simple in their construction. This one especially struck me and I was off to the races. Oh – and this whole painting can be made for just $11.50!
DIY Cleaning Solutions?
Posted by: | CommentsI already know that this is the sort of post that is going to have our readers on a divided front. Those of you who think we must either be incredibly crazy or cheap, and those of you who are going to try to make some of these this weekend. What are we talking about? Making your own cleaning solutions.
I’m slightly obsessed with the new influx of green cleaning options lately, whether its Method, Green Works, or Martha Stewart’s new line – I’m absolutely sold on them. (Except for when I helped my BF clean his new bathroom for the first time. Then I used Clorox, and lots of it.) But honestly, since they still come in a bottle and are sold right next to the Clorox - how different could they be? They still seem somewhat of a non-friendly option. Maybe that’s weird but it’s how I feel.
Enter in Southern Living’s latest Live Healthy blog about do-it-yourself cleaning solutions. I wouldn’t trust these concoctions to disinfect a bathroom for the first time, but really, for all other day to day cleaning, I’d much rather use a natural solution that I can make with ordinary things. They use less packaging, less chemicals and they’re just healthier. Plain and simple. Here are a few links, if you’re interested in trying them out!
Tree Trunk Book Case
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Image courtesy of RobAroundBooks.
If I lived in the forest – and believe me, sometimes life in NYC makes you crave a solitary log cabin far away from civilization – this would be a priority project.
Seen on the streets of Berlin, this is a book case carved out of solid tree trunks. We found the link on a very cool site called Rob Around Books, a blog dedicated to a love of books. (My inner nerd did a dance.) One particular comment on the post caught my eye, saying “I want one in my garden.”
I mean, a garden would be great but that’s a dream this Queens girl dare not dream. But a BOOKCASE IN THE GARDEN? MADE OF TREES? That’s something to covet.
Erin Go Bragh!
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More like, Erin Go NomNomNom. Image thanks to sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery.
Erin and I are both half-Irish which means we love beer, carbohydrates and St. Patrick’s Day in equal measure. This holiday, rather than go out, I think I’m going to stay in and pay homage to all three by putting my new muffin tin to good use and baking up some Guinness Cupcakes.
I’ve found several recipes , but here were a few of my favorites. Wherein favorite means what seemed the least amount of work for the most amount of taste:
- Chow.com: Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
- Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery: Nyam’s Kitchen Guinness Cupcakes (they had me at no mixer)
- I Heart Cupcakes: Choc Star’s Guinness Cupcakes
This plan seems like a win-win for everything but my waistline, but like any good Irishman, I will shove just about anything aside for the perfect pint. And pints in cupcake form sounds pretty damn perfect to me!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
