Asker Patchwork

post from IKEA Hackers on 21 April 2011 11:34:25 PM. © IKEA Hackers

Materials: Asker hanging containers, pretty Japanese paper, Mod Podge, paint brush

Description: Once upon a time these containers looked nice and white. However, after a few months of hanging above our kitchen bench for cutlery storage they became scratched and well, not so nice looking.

Mod Podge and Japanese paper to the rescue!

I love this stuff! Now I'm searching the apartment for more Mod Podge candidates. Mod Podge is an all in one glue, sealer and finisher that can be applied to just about anything.

Step 1: Gather your Asker containers and wipe clean.
Step 2: Cut your pretty Japanese paper into small square pieces, or any shape you like. Smaller 1" pieces bend easier around the container's curves.
Step 3: Using the paint brush spread a layer of Mod Podge on the container. Work in small sections so the glue does not dry out.
Step 4: Stick the paper to the container and spread another layer of Mod Podge over the top, and so on until the whole container is covered (I didn't cover the back to save on paper).
Step 5: Once this first coat is dry, I waited until the next day, spread another layer of Mod Podge over the whole container. Just to make sure all the crevices are covered and sealed. Wait another day to dry.

Voila! Pretty Japanese paper patchwork Asker containers!

Sorry, I didn't take before and after photos, but with this hack it's fairly easy to imagine the before.

~ Cindy, Toronto, Canada

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Art/Chalkboard from IKEA Scratch-and-Dent Pieces

post from IKEA Hackers on 21 April 2011 11:34:25 PM. © IKEA Hackers

Materials: 2 cabinet doors from IKEA's scratch-and-dent section

Description: I found two great cabinet doors in the scratch-and-dent section at my local IKEA. They were begging me to take them home!

One of the doors had two glass panels, and the other had one glass panel and one wood panel.

I've been looking for some way to display my son's artwork, so I had an idea.

I painted the bottoms of both pieces with chalkboard paint. I wasn't so sure about painting over the glass, but it worked well.

I put some artwork behind the glass pieces, and then the chalboards at the bottom are for doodling and my son's daily "to do" list.

The cabinet doors look great in his room and they are useful!

~ Laura Stephens, United States

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scratch-and.html

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Green Thumb Thursday: Revamped, reconstructed and
recycled craft projects for Earth Day

post from Craftster.org Blog on 21 April 2011 10:33:37 PM. © Craftster.org Blog

In honor of Earth Day, our Friends of Craftster dug up some of their favorite revamped, reconstructed and otherwise recycled projects on Craftster. Enjoy and have a Happy Earth Day!

Spoon Pendants by glitterkick

craftylittlemonkey writes, “These are absolutely gorgeous and combine so many things that I love, neat old thrift store spoons and random bits and bobs.” Reclaimed Baby Booties by Onegroovyday

Troublet writes, “Hello! These are “melt your heart” adorable!” Hand Spun Newspaper by frankierevolver

Sarad writes, “One of those things on my list of things to do. The perfect way to keep newspapers out of the landfill (or recycling bin, because I know everyone on here recycles, right Grin )”Recycled magazine gift bows by Miss American Pie

calluna picked this project.

Green Dining Room by miep

rackycoo writes, “This dining room, filled with fabulous ideas for recycling materials” Recycled Cathedral Window Jean Quilt by nevinjp

SevsOnlyGirl writes, “Love reusing jeans and this is soooo pretty! I never thought much of denim jean quilts until I used one… now I WANT one!”Upcycled hanger to Hair Clip Organizer by sunnytuesday

Troublet writes, “This made my daughter squeal with delight so I guess that translates into “Mom! Make that for me!”. “ Photo Album & Scrapbooking Folder by Phizzychick

audio writes, “Great way to use all the fabric scraps instead of throwing them away!”Paper Beads by Antidigger

audio writes, “Paper Beads are the ultimate recycled craft!!”Matchbook covered jewelry box by functionalflea

audio picked this project.

Queen of Hearts Upcycled Fairytale Sweater by smarmyclothes

SevsOnlyGirl writes, “What an awesome idea to reuse sweaters and have a great coat!” Teacup and saucer treat stands by sydniburch

rackycoo picked this project.
Fused plastic Apple bag by a11is0n

Sarad writes, “The Mac geek in me loves the use of the Apple symbol, and the recycler in me loves the use of fused plastic bags! Especially awesome is the bag that says “Recycling is always in season”" Block prints with recycled food packaging by Mleak

craftylittlemonkey writes, “Not only are these incredible, this sort of food packaging is not recyclable in many areas so ends up straight in the trash. This project is brilliant, anyone could do it, even kids.”Latch Hook T-Shirt Rug Sample by WomanofManyHats

Maria Merlino writes, “Here is a clever Craftster using the t-shirt yarn for latch hooking.”

If you’re a Friend of Craftster take a look at the rest of the favorite recycling projects here.

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http://www.craftster.org/blog/green-thumb-thursday-revamped-reconstructed-and-rec
ycled-craft-projects-for-earth-day/

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How to Maintain a Writing Streak on 750words.com

post from How to of the Day on 21 April 2011 08:00:00 PM. © How to of the Day

750 words.com is a site for "dumping your consciousness" without anyone else having the chance to read it. It's not blogging and it's not social; it is personal and it is a great way to get your thoughts out in any way that suits you and the focus on 750 words is deliberate because it is enough to cause you to run "into your subconscious a little bit".[1]Yet, after your initial enthusiasm, it might be difficult maintaining a writing streak on 750words.com. If you're finding yourself blocked or slowing down, whether you lack motivation, time, memory capabilities or are just plain lazy, this article is for you!

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http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-a-Writing-Streak-on-750words.com

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Mario Mushroom [:

post from Cut Out + Keep on 21 April 2011 07:33:57 PM. © Cut Out + Keep

Earrings mushroom form Mario Bross

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http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/mario-mushroom-4

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Atc Card Holder

post from Cut Out + Keep on 21 April 2011 07:33:57 PM. © Cut Out + Keep

sample sample

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http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/atc-card-holder

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Use A Texture Projector to Cheaply Create
Interesting Backgrounds

post from DIYPhotography.net -DIY Photography and Studio Lighting on 21 April 2011 04:51:54 PM. © DIYPhotography.net -DIY Photography and Studio Lighting

Use A Texture Projector to Cheaply Create Interesting Backgrounds Interesting subjects make for great photographs, so are interesting backgrounds. Photographer Karl Zemlin has a great DIY for projecting strobe light to create interesting backgrounds. (He also has a nifty DIY section on his site)

All you would need is a box, a few Fresnel lenses and some textured glass. The main idea is that you could get the texture of the glass projected on a seamless white (or any other smooth) background.

What makes this design really rock is the little tripod socket at the bottom, so you can simply place this behind your subject on a light stand and have a symmetrical background.

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jector-to-cheaply-create-interesting-backgrounds

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Pillows made with T shirt Transfer Paper

Just a couple tips for using T shirt transfer paper.

Transfer sheets cost about $1 each so, when I make mistakes, ouch! The most common mistake I make is not flipping the graphics on my computer before I print.....I bet I am not alone!

This is how the graphics are supposed to look when you print them off your computer, the lettering is backwards.

Not like this...... that cost me $1. I wonder how many times I am going to repeat this mistake??

Her is my other tip, transfers are great for graphics that are contained, when you have letters and a lot of space between the letters you see the transfer paper on the fabric, not horrible, but maybe not what you wanted.

Look close, I increased the contrast of the picture so you could see the transfer out around the letters.
Here's another example, where I did not cut close enough to the graphic, you can see the transfer paper out around the graphic.
Cut as close as you can to the graphic, then iron it on your fabric, it's so easy.

I always have pillows in my booth, they are not a huge, hot, seller, but they do sell, and I like the way they look in my booth.

This was my first attempt at pocket pillows, they were a lot of fun to make

All of the graphics were from Graphics Fairy

The most I can charge for pillows in my booth is $20 for really fancy ones, and $10 for a basic no frills pillow, so they are not a huge source of revenue once I add in my sweat equity.
They are so fun to make though, you can't put a price on that.

I'm looking forward to cooking Easter dinner for family and friends, my baby boy is in DC and I will miss him
I'm wish you a blessed Easter, a celebration of everlasting life, a time to renew friendships, make new ones, and enjoy time with family and friends.
Thank you for your friendships, they have enriched my life!
Carol

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http://thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.com/2011/04/pillows-made-with-t-shirt-transfer.
html

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Helping a Friend Decorate a Livingroom

I love being asked for decorating help by family and friends. It's rare but being able to pitch in an opinion when someone is doing a room is so much fun. It's important to keep their style and their needs in mind but having an open mind is essential in creating a room they're going to love.
My friend is elderly so she has certain comfort/medical requirements and her apartment is small. She chose a leather loveseat that can accommodate her need to recline and put up her feet, easy to clean and care for. It's similar to the one shown below with dark leather and nailhead trim, but it does have a center console for holding her drinks. Loveseat Sofa Nail Head Trim Dark Burgundy Leather She also has a leather lift chair...as you can guess, style is limited but we were lucky to find one with similar color and shape to go with the loveseat.
Apartment walls are newly painted white but work well with the dark furniture, she wanted to add a little bit of femininity to soften up the masculine vibe of the leather and a fun color to lighten things up. She loved the suggestion of blue color paired with the dark brown.
Here are a few accents we found locally where she could see before buying...
area rug and pillows from KMart: Jaclyn Smith Traditions-Medallion Rug Collection
Curtains and rods (Target).The drapery isn't shown below (only the pretty medallion sheers) but they're a pretty blue/gray-beige pattern that matches the pillows above.
The tv console is perfect height and has a lot of storage (so helpful in a small apartment). APA Alvamar 62" TV Console (source: BonTon)
End tables and coffee tables seem to be the hardest part of furnishing a room. I'm so indecisive. Here are some beautiful accent table options. Which would you choose or is there something completely different you would suggest?
A lift top coffee table might be very functional for her, bringing things within easy reach. Jofran 280 Series Wood Lift-Top Coffee Table in Merlot
Thinner-style end tables would be perfect for the limited space on either side of a love seat in a small apartment living room... Jofran 251 Series Wood Chairside Table in Milton Cherry
Something along the lines of wooden trunk coffee table would also be a great solution for much needed storage... Southern Enterprises Pyramid Coffee Table and End Table Set (images source: Cymax.com)
Any suggestions? What do you think so far? It's hard to tell without seeing the room, but this is a start. I'm sure I can get her to share the completed reveal once we're done. Next up: Art and accent pieces!

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te-livingroom.html

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Cheap Cargo Mats

When I scored my new Family Truckster four years ago, I knew the types of abuse I’d be asking it to put up with. I routinely tote screaming, active kids and their friends to practices, games, and events. I’ve led many a family road trip across the mighty United States Interstate system. I’ve hauled the foulest-smelling goalie gear known to youth hockey. I’ve loaded the Truckster to the brim to support my mother-in-law’s craft show hobby. And I’ve used it to retrieve mulch, haul pavers, and transport bikes and dogs. So I knew I’d need to protect the cargo area, but didn’t want to shell out the $100-$150 for an OEM part. Thus a cheap alternative: rubber floor mats.

I’ve always tried to protect my cargo areas. I had a bed liner in my F-150 from the day I bought it back in 1999. I asked my father to rhino-line the bed of his Kawasaki ATV Mule he uses at the lake home, and I broke down and purchase the cargo tray for the well that the minivan’s third seat folds into. My dad always said if he had his way, the floors of his vehicles would be made of concrete so he could just hose it out when he was done. But I knew there had to be a cheaper way to protect the cargo area — so the first stop after I picked up the 2007 Honda Odyssey was the big box to score some cheap rubber mats.

The mats were less than $15 each and two of them did the trick. They’ve managed to keep the carpeted mini-van cargo area clean from some of the worse loads I’ve thrown into it. They fold up easy, lay flat in the third seat well storage area when not in use, and are easy to clean. So for less than $30 I’ve attained peace of mind for four years and saved at least $70.

Do I miss my big 4X4 truck? Who wouldn’t? Especially after checking out Sean and Chuck’s recently-acquired twin 2008 Ford Rangers. But for people-hauling and a lot better gas mileage, I can’t complain about my past four years driving the Odyssey. Its versatility has been fantastic.