A Useful Chain Letter? Who Knew?

I’m not stranger to chain letters sent via email. I used to respond with a link to Snopes letting my friends and family know that while their concern was appreciated, their anxiety could be put to better use elsewhere than concerns about my disposable chopsticks or the danger of flashing my headlights at people for fear of gang related death. In recent years though I’ve gotten far too lazy and I just delete them. However, imagine my delighted surprise when I received my very first useful chain letter. In fact, it’s so full of potentially helpful hints that I’m going to post them here for you rather than clogging up your inbox. So, enjoy these 24 practical tips from my inbox to you:

Ideas to Make Life Easier

Why didn’t I think of that?!  We guarantee you’ll
be uttering those words more than once at these
ingenious little tips, tricks and ideas that solve
everyday problems.

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture
will disguise dings and scrapes.  

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or
computer screen with WD40.

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box
by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets
inside one of their own pillowcases and there will
be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod
in a bowl.  The concave shape amplifies the music.

Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag.  Baby powder
gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?!

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls
against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the
floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a
stocking over the vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting
crosses into a box lid.

For those who can’t stand the scrunching and
bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

Forever losing your bathroom essentials?  Use
magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers
and clippers, behind a vanity door

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty
soles rubbing on your clothes.  And you can
find them in just about every hotel.

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy.  Magnets
hold the plastic cups down to make them
tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so
much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper
bag.  Much healthier and cheaper than the packet
stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough
over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit
or ice-cream.

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing
sunburn relief.

Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your
Christmas decorations.

So, enjoy and share these lovely practical ideas with your friends and family and feel free to just send them a link to this blog instead of forwarding in email. Many thanks to my friend Myrna and her friends who kept this chain going until it made it here to me. If you have any practical chain mail to share, please feel free to leave it in the comments.

Doing Good: The Mitten Commitment

 I received an email from the Simplicty Creative Group today and was delighted to read among their sales listings that they are helping to support a group dedicated to collecting handmade mittens for the indigent. The group is called “The Mitten Commitment“. The website reads:

Handmade Difference

Every year, millions of Americans face cold winter weather without sufficiently warm clothing. Simplicity Creative Group and OttLite have joined together to sponsor the Mitten Commitment – an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate by providing handmade mittens. All mittens will be donated to the Salvation Army for distribution in mid-December, 2011. Handmade mittens are special, unique, and especially warm!

What is the Mitten Commitment?

The Mitten Commitment is a call-to-action for crafters all over the country. We challenge you to knit, crochet, or sew one pair of mittens to donate. They can be any size, as traditional or as creative as you want! Some fabulous designers have donated mitten patterns, and there are more to come – see below. Use the patterns as a base for shape or style, or come up with your own pattern!

Why Mittens?

Excellent Question! Mittens are easy projects to sew, crochet, or knit, and there are endless embellishment possibilities.

How can I commit?

It’s easy as 1-2-3:

1. Make a pair of mittens.
2. Send your mittens to:  OttLite / The Mitten Commmitment
                       220 West 7th Avenue,
                                    Tampa, FL 33602

If you would like to start making a difference by crafting mittens to keep someone less fortunate warm this winter, you can choose a sewing pattern from the Simplicty website (there are two) or knitting pattern from the OttLite website.

Tune In, Tune Up and Put the Hammer Down

Ah, Spring! It’s time to get out the bikes, unpack the padded shorts and shine up those clipless shoes. Mr. Jones and I will ready ourselves for race season. That means that I’ll stand around asking dumb questions while he puts the bikes up on the stand and clucks about the damage that I’ve inflicted on my beautiful bike during the last season. There will be laughs, there will be tears and oh my will there  be cursing. You see his bike, Christine, as we like to call her, has been trying to hasten his demise since she was purchased. His Intense 951 and I have a lot in common, mostly we are  both pretty darn good looking (If I say so myself), quick and likely to result in an early death for Mr. Jones. However, despite his better judgement he still regards us both with adoration mixed with a twinge of minor annoyance and occasionally on the days when we really cause him pain, some deep seated loathing. But I digress, back to the spring prep. Currently my beautiful Transition Syren is getting a tune-up and the addition of a chain guide (thank goodness) as I am finally fast enough to cause the chain to flop off nearly every time I make a decent now. We also have my xc bike and his dirt jumper to clean up and prep for pedaling around town. Those I’m more inclined to assist with because they are less likely to kill me should I not have some of the adjustments quite right. Most normal folks will be readying their rides for fun and exercise now that the weather is beginning to warm. Perhaps you’ll go to your local park or even ride around your street. But, before you do, be sure that the bikes have had a good tune-up. Perhaps you’ll take it to your local bike shop, which is always advisable, but if you want to DIY there’s a video below to help guide you.  You may have read an article that I posted in July of last year about the Recycle-A-Bicycle program in NYC. If not, just click the link and have a catch-up. Either way, the video below features Susan Lindell at Dumbo’s Recycle-A-Bicycle and covers the 5 basics that you should check before getting back in the saddle this season. It’s called the “ABC Quick Check” and everyone should learn it. This is part of the Etsy How-Tuesday series, so check them out, watch the video and get ready to Tune in, tune up and put the hammer down on your two-wheeled steed.

Tune Up Your Bicycle For Spring from Etsy on Vimeo.

Spring Cleaning Time Again: DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner Recipes

This weekend is spring cleaning time again around my house.  As you may have read in previous posts I try to use inexpensive, effective and natural cleaners wherever possible. I swear by vinegar for cleaning counter tops, stainless steel and cutting boards, but when it comes to all purpose cleaners for bathrooms, floors, etc. I have a new recipe:

All-Purpose Cleaner

1/2 Gallon of Water

2 tsp Borax

1/2 C vinegar

As for everything in the bathroom, when in doubt, just use borax. It’s abrasive and natural and leaves everything clean, shiny and fresh. I sprinkle some around inside my toilet and let it sit while I clean, then I just use my little scrubby brush and voila! It’s clean and fresh! Essentially, some mixture of vinegar, borax and water can clean anything in your house. If you have stains and you need some abrasive, just add the borax.  For dusting, cleaning wood floors and furniture polish though I recommend buying. I use Method’s Wood for Good because it removes scratches and leaves everything smelling almondy and rich,  but there are lots of healhty and natural options out there. You can even use a bit of olive oil and lemon juice to make a good wood cleaner/polisher if you want. I don’t have to use it enough to be concerned about the economic impact of my wood cleaner because I use mostly all-purpose cleaner around my home. What about you? What natural and/or DIY cleaners do you use around your home? Do you have any great recipes to share? If so, leave them in the comments below.  Happy Cleaning!

The Verdict is In: The ‘Buch is Good!

If you have been kind enough to read my blog prior to this entry, you may know that I love kombucha. I enjoy the flavor and the wonderful health benefits, but purchasing ready made can be pretty pricey. So, I have decided to take matters into my own hands and brew my own batch. I bottled it on Sunday and then allowed it to complete a second ferment. My little SCOBY friend was fed a bit of peach puree to feast on during this week. I grabbed my bottles and took them to share with my friends at work and my temple and sent a bottle home with my parents too. So far, everyone seems to really enjoy it. It turned out a bit sweet as you can imagine with peach puree and while it did get that pungent vinegar flavor that I’ve grown to love, it did not get very bubbly. All in all though I’m very happy with my results. It was easy to make and it’s already paid for itself. My next batch is brewing now and I’m hoping to enjoy it soon. I’ll have to figure out how to start brewing more than one gallon at a time though. I’m blessed with many friends and family and I want to ensure that I have enough for everyone so I think that I’ll start up a second fermenting jar with the baby SCOBY growing now. So now that peach is out of the way, what flavor should I try next?

Update: Sweater to Brimmed Beanie Refashion

I just wanted to let everyone know that I did make a hat according to the Threadbanger video directions in my previous post and it really came out great. I made one in brown and now I’m going to make one in black too. I used the leftover sweater bits to make arm warmers, sweater boots and a scarf. I promise to put up pictures just as soon as I can!

Happy Refashioning!

Elizabeth

Threadbanger Tutorial: How to Refashion a Sweater into a Brimmed Beanie

I’ve been busy crafting for Christmas, so unfortunately I haven’t completed any original tutorials recently. However, here is a really cool one that you can use to make last minute gifts for friends and family. The brimmed beanie is loved by boys and girls of all ages, so head to your closet or the thift store and grab an old baseball cap and a sweater that’s really cook, but you totally won’t wear and get to work.

Easy Refashion: Dress + Tshirt = Fold-over Waistband Skirt

This tutorial is short, sweet and perfect for a beginner. I’ve made variations of this skirt at least five times already this year and I never grow tired of the supremely comfortable, soft and stretchy fold-over waistband skirt. I am petite which means that dresses rarely ever fit me right. My proportions just aren’t the industry standard. I do however, frequently fall in love with the pretty fabric of dresses at my local thrift store and this is the solution to my former dilemma. For this refashion I used a thrifted dress with a cute floral pattern that was ill-fitting and had a few stains on the bodice. I also used a tshirt that had bleach stains and underarm stains, but would still had enough usable fabric to form a waistband.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Cutting tools (pinking shears, fabric shears and a rotary cutter). If you don’t have all of these, you can get along just fine with a simple pair of shears or scissors.
• 1 Dress that will fit comfortably over your thighs. Take a dress that you want to work with and hold it up to see how it will look as a skirt. If it looks good, move on.
• 1 tshirt that fits comfortably around your waist and over your hips.
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Ruler or Cutting mat (or both)
• Tailors Chalk

How-To DIY:

1. Hold the dress up to your body and determine the length by folding it where you want it to hit on your waist. I chose to make my new skirt knee length. I folded in half and then marked with chalk. Cut the dress through all layers just above the line.

2. Measure 5″ from the bottom of your tshirt. This will create a fold-over waistband that is approximately 2″ wide. Mark with chalk, then cut through all layers to form a tube.

3. Slip the skirt into the tshirt tube and align the seams. The bottom hem of the shirt should be facing down toward the hem of the skirt. The right side of the dress (pretty side) should face the wrong side of the tshirt tube (inside).

4. Gather and pin the skirt to the tshirt tube waistband. Start by pinning the skirt seams to the tshirt seams. Next pin the center and then gather and pin at 1-2″ intervals until the skirt is secured to the waistband. You may need to gather and form a few small pleats if the skirt is wider than the waistband. You can do this at random around the waistband by spacing them evenly. You don’t have to be precise. Ensure that the top of the skirt meets the top of the tube.

5. Sew the waist band to the skirt using a zig-zag (or other stretch knit stitch). The zig-zag stitch allows the waist band and skirt to be stretched without breaking the thread. If sewing by hand, use the whip stitch.

That’s it! You’re done! See how easy that was? Now, just slip on your skirt and fold over the waistband so that it hides the top layer of stitches. Do a little dance, twirl around and show your friends and family how cool you are. You just made your first fold-over waistband skirt from a dress and a tshirt; how exciting! If you are lucky, you may even get a warm compliment like the one I received from my daughter, “Wow mom, it doesn’t even look like you made it!”

Threadbanger How-To: Spring Skirt from Old Dress Shirt Sleeves

That’s right, you read that title right. Take some old cotton dress shirts from your friend, father, or significant other, cut off the sleeves and make a really cool spring skirt with cute button embellishments. I’m planning on whipping myself up one shortly. I’m thinking I could also grab some corduroy or flannel shirts for some fall/winter wear skirts layered over tights; oh the possibilities.  Thanks to Threadbanger and Brooksie of Haute Stew for this awesome refashion tutorial! I’ll post pictures of mine once I have it finished; if you make one comment and let me know how it turns out.

Refashioned T-Shirt Gauchos Tutorial

In Megan Nicolay’s newest book titled Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt she shows you how to make gauchos out of a tshirt on page 69. This is a photo tutorial to review this project. You can make these eco-friendly refashioned gauchos with just three t-shirts and a bit of your spare time. The length of time needed to complete these will be determined by your skill level and whether or not you choose to sew by hand or machine.

Here’s how DIY:

1. gather 3 tshirts (l or xl), chalk marker, ruler, scissors, pins, needle thread and Megan’s book.

2. Turn your shirts inside out and cut two of the shirts into 15″ wide rectangles that extend through the bottom seam.

3. lay all four pieces together and cut off the bottom seams.

4. separate into two pairs of rectangles and pin along one side of each to create the legs of the gauchos.

5. Lay the pinned legs together and draw a gentle arc on each side to form the crotch of the gauchos about a 1/4″ from the edge and extending about 2″ long. Cut along the chalk line to finish shaping legs.

6. Open the panels and place them design side together, matching the curved edges and lining up the seams. Pin and sew with at least a 1/4″ seam allowance.

7. Use the third shirt to cut 2″ wide tubes of fabric from the bottom, just above the seam to create the waistband ties.

8. pin to the tops of the pants with an even amount of fabric hanging off both sides of the pants and sew on.

9. Turn your pants inside right and rock out! To wear, start in the front or back and tie the first panel around your waist like an apron. Pull the other panel up and tie to overlap. Now go show everyone how awesome your new pants are.

If you don’t want to make these pants yourself, pick up a pair in my Etsy shop. If you don’t see the ones you want, just convo me with your measurements and color preferences I’ll make them to order.