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Roundup: Weekend DIYs

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:07 -0800

Time to get your Thanksgiving DIY on! I've found some great seasonal projects that will add feast-day spirit to your casa, as well as a few other projects that are just too lovely to pass up.

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Website of the Day: More Cloth

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:15:30 -0800

I'm a total DIY freak, and appreciate websites that help me reach my crafting goals. Take my last DIY project: the charging station I made from an Ikea shelving unit. Now if I wanted to take that a step further, I could add some decorative fabric to the back panels and really make the shelf pop. But how do I find the right fabric? I could browse racks of fabric at my local craft store, or I could do it the easy way (without leaving the warmth of my computer) and hit up More Cloth.

This site works seamlessly with Etsy to lead you to your perfect fabric. First it offers up a ton of color schemes to choose from (like in the photo to the right), and then directs you to the exact fabric patterns that contain those colors. Finally, More Cloth shoots you over to the Etsy page where you can add your chosen fabric to your cart, and prep your craft room accordingly - just sit back and wait for your fabric to arrive!

Have an interesting website you want to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click "New Post" under the website of the day tab at the top of the page.
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Type "Technology and Gadgets" in the Categories box
Add keyword(s) in the tag field with relevant tags (for example mine for this story was "Website of the Day").
Choose whether you want the post to be private or public.
Click "Create Post" to submit content.

DIY: Advent Calendars

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:40 -0800

The anticipation of Christmas facilitated by my mother's advent calendar was always my favorite part of the holiday season growing up. (These days, it's mulled wine.) But I've never been a fan of those store-bought advent calendars where you opened a little paper door each day. They're cute, but certainly not as fun as a calendar filled with treats or activities. The possibilities for making your own advent calendar are endless, but I thought I'd round up a few DIY projects to inspire you (and woo you away from the drugstore variety).

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How to Prep a Butternut Squash

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:50:09 -0800

Recently, I praised butternut squash for its mild sweetness and versatility - but I was surprised when so many of you said you'd never prepared one before, or find it hard to work with. Since it'd be a bummer to miss out on this Fall vegetable at home (unless you can afford $400 for an automated butternut squash peeler!), I thought I'd help you out with instructions on how to prep it yourself. Here's a step-by-step lesson.

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DIY: CB2 Ornament Wreath

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:21 -0800

The super stylists at CB2 DIY'd a stunning, colorful holiday wreath using ornaments from their holiday collection. The wreath can definitely be re-created with any standard ornaments, but I love the nontraditional colors and various shapes on this wreath. To make it, you'll need strong stiff wire to bend into a ring (like aluminum wire gauge 20 or a wire hanger), 30-90 ornaments depending on the size you want, strong tape or pliers, and ribbon. To check out the instructions, read more.

Here are the steps from CB2:

String one ornament at a time onto the wire ring, alternating colors, using smaller ones to fill in the gaps.
When the ring is completely covered in ornaments, fasten the ends together.
Use a ribbon to cover the spot where the ends are fastened together, and hang!

Tip: Best not to go too large in diameter as the wreath could become too heavy and stretch out.

DIY Spa Treatment: Delicious, Softening Yogurt Cocoa Mask

BellaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:25 -0800

Want something that smells good enough to eat and is incredibly moisturizing for dry, cold-chapped skin? Try a simple yogurt cocoa face mask. You just need a tablespoon of cheap cocoa butter ($1) and a half tablespoon of yogurt. Melt the cocoa butter in a saucepan over low heat, then mix in the yogurt until smooth. Pour your concoction into a bowl and let it cool to a comfortable temperature, then apply for 15 minutes and wash off with warm water.

Roundup: Weekend DIYs

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:17 -0800

It's time to start your holiday crafting! Thanksgiving's just around the corner, so I've rounded up a few great crafts for decorating your home for the harvest feast. Additionally, there are some year-round-appropriate DIYs to keep you busy this weekend.

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DIY Gift: Heat Soothing Neck Wrap

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:30 -0800

I'm all about the holiday season, and I love giving gifts that my friends can actually use. With that in mind, I've decided to replicate my homemade neck wrap, and give the gift of easy relaxation to all my friends.

Making your own at home is super easy and inexpensive -plus your friends will love using the wrap to unwind. All you need is a sock (preferably a longer, knee sock, but most will stretch out), a bag of rice, and lavender or eucalyptus oil, or dried, if you prefer, and some ribbon and note cards (optional for decorating). To learn how to make your own great gift, just keep reading

Yummy Links: From Cranberry Bars to Drink Sticks

partysugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:50:34 -0800

Make your own Starbucks-style cranberry bliss bars. - Serious Eats
An inside look at New York's Top Chef season seven casting call. - Eater NY
Speaking of Top Chef casting calls, here's what the head of casting has to say. - Andrew Zimmern
Why you should give Spanish paprika a try. - The Atlantic
Jay Leno does his best impression of Gordon Ramsay. - Eat Me Daily
Feeling adventurous this Thanksgiving? Then learn how to deep-fry a turkey. - Chow
Catch up with Top Chef season three alum Chris CJ Jacobson. - Grub Street LA
At your next party, serve cocktails with homemade swizzle sticks. - Hostess With the Mostess

Before and After: A Sad, Sad Daybed, Rescued!

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:19 -0800

One Living Etc reader had been looking for daybeds by Ercol, a British furniture manufacturer known for its bentwood designs, for ages and finally bought this one off of eBay for a good price. But it required a bit of work. She "sanded it all down, oiled it, replaced the webbing which had crumbled to dust." And it needed a cushion! So she embarked on her first upholstery project and also made throw pillows to go on top. You'll be wowed when you see the finished project, so read more.

Doesn't it look great!? The shape of the daybed really is beautiful, and I'm so glad that she rescued it. I love the mixture of pattern pillows, too.

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