DIY Diversion

I began DIYing to either make gifts for other people, or things I needed to organize my room. Those types of things are still the bulk of my crafting. I also make things for my Etsy shop.

I rarely make something for myself like this cute bracelet. However, when I saw these ceramic owls by Blue Moon Beads on sale at Joanne Fabric's recently, I could not resist.

The best part is that this custom-fit bracelet (which would easily have cost 2x more in a store) was so simple to make. Just thread 1.8mm Stretch Magic through the beads. It was done in minutes. Knot three times, and glue the knot if desired.









This was my first time using 1.8mm, and it worked out quite well.

Dewey's Homemade Organ

Watching a few 'Malcolm in the Middle' reruns, recently, I was reminded of one of my favorite episodes. Dewey (the youngest child for much of the show's run), builds his own organ. He pieces one together out of odds and ends from around the house.

The thought of being able to learn the organ by one's self is staggering enough, let alone building it that way. It would be the ultimate DIY project.

No, sadly, I am not about to reveal my freshly homemade organ to you. For now, it is a bit above my pay grade. I love the idea, though.

A search revealed a plethora of homemade organs. (Unfortunately, no tutorials on how to make Dewey's).

I am not leaving you empty-handed, though. Here are two DIY organs which are just amazing:


Pipe organ chair from the crew at 2pointhome.com.

PVC pipe organ by TheCshamblen. Using flip-flops as mallets is a truly inventive revamp. Not to mention the execution of a Sound of Music/The Office/Rugrats medley on PVC pipes. Bravo.

C is for Counter, That's Good Enough for Me

How many of you have a multiple towel system in your kitchen? Maybe you have one to wipe spills on the counter, but another to dry dishes? Perhaps some have a separate one just for the hands? I have known people with many different styles.

Whatever your system, no matter. This is not about how one keeps his or her kitchen. However, if you have more than one towel, let me suggest a tip for keeping them organized. 

Try initial monogrammed towels to keep your kitchen towels apart, easily. For example, get a D for your dishes, or an H for your hand towels. (And now, the title makes sense). If one is a strict adherent to his or her system, there is an added benefit. The alphabetic drying apparatuses make it easy for guests to remember which cloth to use, and when.

19 Twenty Apartments has a brilliant tutorial on simple, chic, monogrammed towels. I would buy these somewhere. I am glad I found the site instead. If you are looking to buy, not DIY (and who doesn't sometimes?) please support a fellow DIYer if you can. Check out these great towels on Etsy, where you can get custom goods and support a fellow artist.  

How Have I Never Blogged About These?

I cannot believe I neglected to mention these. Several months ago (maybe even a year prior) a friend had a birthday. Low on budget, but wanting to bring a gift, I made one of my first jewelry revamps. I also made really cute wrapping (and protective packaging) out of a nice pill package, two pieces of decorative paper and some left over tissue. (You have to love a festive upcycle).

The greatest upcycle trick is all the wonderful things you can do with scraps. Look at the "bow" I made with them. In the bottom picture, you can check out the gift tag I made with a larger scrap. Just punch a whole in it, write your message, and use a metallic twist tie.

As for the bracelet, you can find the tutorial here.

Sticking to It

I recently made some magnets for my friend, M. They were like the My Little Pony magnets I made last year, only I used glass pebbles and origami. I met M in Japan, so the origami felt quite appropriate.

Wrapping them was a challenge. I wanted them to look nice when opened, but the gift was going to be shipped across the country. They were going to end up all over the place in the box while shipping.

 I tried using 3M Removable Mounting Squares to affix them to cotton lining the box. They stayed put nicely, but still fell if I turned the box upside down.

I glued the cotton lining to the box next. Perfect. Much to my surprise, even when I flipped the box upside down, the magnets did not move.

They're not falling!

This is my Martha Stewart moment. Wrapping this presentably and functionally may have been my finest crafting move yet. (Of course, I will never attain Martha's level of perfection, but trying is a good thing).

Nail Art is Hard

Bert and Grover

This is my first try at character nail art. I have not painted since elementary school. Moreover, I have the tiniest nails imaginable; not a great canvas. As such, I am thrilled they turned out as well as they did, especially considering it was my first time making the effort.

•Bert and Grover turned out the best. Oscar was decent, too.
•Ernie did not work out... at all. He's a sad mix or orange and black smudges on my pinky (situated next to Bert).
•Snuffy was less of a disaster, but not photo worthy.
•Cookie Monster actually turned out well, but I did not get a great photo. I was especially pleased with Cookie since that sweet-toothed devil is on my right hand. (Quite hard to do this with my left).
 •Poor Big Bird never got past the idea stage.
 •I got Telly's features correctly, but he ended up looking more like Mimi from the Drew Carrey Show.
 •And to my surprise, Kermit actually ended up looking pretty okay, too, especially for my right hand.


         

Oscar

If I am not saying "yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" like a Muppet, why did I post my work? Here is the lesson: sometimes, when starting a new hobby, whether it's crafting, learning a new instrument or what-have-you, we are unsatisfied with the results. So it goes. It is a challenge, but keep working at it. This serves as a reminder.
I hope to get back to all of you with better looking character nails                                          in a few months. I will try to work out a few other things, too.

Kermie!

10 Minute Necklace

  I had a few agate beads left after making my agate beaded stretch bracelet. What could I do with 3 beads? I made a great necklace. It probably took me less than 10 minutes, and I love the result. Simply thread the beads on the cord, knot them on either side, then do a simple slip knot in lieu of a clasp. It is a great solution to a few leftover beads. Try it when you have a material surplus!