Introducing My Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 333!

I see so many fantastic DIY, home decor and green living projects on the Internet I want to share with you. I do that mostly with the Condo Blues Pinterest, Facebook page, and Twitter accounts (give me a follow, pretty please?) but oh my goodness friends, you have so much awesome going on I could be sharing your projects 24/7 on those channels and barely make a dent in all of the wonderfulness I admire and want to feature.

Not to mention, there are just as many fantastic and creative projects and recipes out there that I haven't found that I would share if I knew about them.So let's have some fun adn fix that, shall we?

We shall!

I'm joining Jerri at Simply Sweet Home   in co-hosting her Friday Favorites Linky Party! Every week you will have the chance to share your favorite DIY, craft, recipe, and creative projects using the Linky Tools at the bottom of this post. The best part of the party is not only are you sharing your creative genius with the Condo Blues blog community but also on the nine other blogs of party co-hosts!


 

How to Make Flamingo Wall Hooks

I needed several decorative wall hooks to organize my craft room. I want something fun, yet versatile, since I have a pile of conference lanyards, craft aprons, and race medals in need of some serious organizing.

I headed to my workshop and made the perfect wall organizer using my all time favorite pieces of kitsch – plastic pink lawn flamingos!

 Pin this tutorial for later!

DIY Pink Lawn Flamingo Wall Organizer

 

How to Make a Grass Hula Skirt

My husband and I are invited to a friend’s annual August luau.  Last year they had a woman give the party hula lessons. I want to be prepared and wear a grass skirt as part of my Hawaiian party attire.

Unfortunately there is one teensy problem with this plan.

Have you ever tried to buy a grass hula skirt or for that matter any Hawaii themed clothing in August when it is 100% still officially Summer?

You’ll be out of luck because everything in the store is Fall, Halloween, and Christmas is starting to trickle in too. Argh!

Fortunately making a Hawaiian grass skirt is quick and easy with supplies you can find year round!

Hawaiian Inspired Grass Skirt Tutorial

Pin this tutorial to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

21 Unique Bottle Cap Crafts to Inspire You!

I remake and makeover a lot of things using bottle caps but as our collection grows I need new recycled DIY ideas.

If you look at my Pinterest Crafts board you will see I have bottle cap projects on the brain. It seems like after I complete one bottle cap decorating project I see and pin a bunch more. (Follow me @condoblues on Pinterest pretty please?)

I can’t be the only one that doesn't this, can I?

Pint this post for later!

I thought I’d share the bottle cap craft love and show you some of my favorite recycled bottle cap projects from around the web to inspire you.

You can just drool over them like the bottle cap house. I doubt my Home Owner’s Association will let me do that or Husband for that matter.

How to Make an Outdoor Chalkboard Paint Table

My outdoor mosaic bistro table and chairs developed so much dry rot mushrooms grew in the table and chairs. I decided to repair it rather than replace it for a greener, cheaper, and more personalized patio table and chair set.

Also, I didn’t find a replacement that I liked in the store. That’s the real incentive for this project.

I got my reused bottle cap craft on and made four coordinating recycled bottle cap mosaic chairs. Read the bottle cap chair tutorial here on Condo Blues. Now it is time to turn my attention to making over the outdoor bistro table with chalkboard paint.

Outdoor Game Table Tutorial

 

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10 Ways to Reuse Plastic Food and Laundry Measuring Scoops

Even though Husband and I try to run a low waste home with careful shopping and find new reuses for what we can't recycle through our city's recycling program, there is one thing we are swimming in and loathe to regularly send to the landfill: plastic laundry and food measuring scoops.

 Pin this list of ideas for later!

How to Make a Bottle Cap Mosaic Chair

Ewwww!

The cute little mosaic tile bistro set on our patio has lived outside in the rain sleet and snow for a very long time.

How long?

Long enough for the elements to take their toll and dry rot the wood base of the table and all of the chairs.

 

The thing I like best about the current set is the size and design of the metal ice cream parlor style chairs (minus the mushrooms.)  I wasn’t in love with anything I saw in the stores as a replacement.

Well, when I can’t buy I DIY!

Recycled Bottle Cap Craft Tutorial

 

   Pin this recycled bottle cap craft idea for later!

How to Keep Your Dog From Being Scared of Fireworks

Fireworks are fun for the family to watch but are torture for your dog.

Big bangs, sizzles, and firecracker pops in Dog World mean “Panic! Run away from the noise! It is something that will hurt you! Run!”

In Human World, we stand there and stare at gunpowder exploding over our heads and say, “So pretty!” Which probably isn't very smart Human World.

How to Desensitize Your Dog to Fireworks

 Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to keep your dog from crying, whining, barking, and freaking out during a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

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How to Install a New Doorbell Chime and Button

Normally I’m a fix it instead of replace it kind of gal but neither Husband nor I have any great love for our builder basic doorbell. When our doorbell wouldn’t chime even after I replaced the transformer, we took the opportunity to upgrade it to a door chime we can actually hear from upstairs as well as down.

I wanted a pretty doorbell button to replace the plastic builder grade monstrosity we had. Husband thought the door chimes that played different music and tones are more fun than the faint, “ding dong!” that bit the dust.

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So of course we acted like two dorks testing all of the doorbell chimes in Lowes multiple times to find one we liked.

Sorry Lowes fellow shoppers.

Sometimes we are 12.

We bought the Utilitech Wireless Doorbell and Utilitech Antique Brass Doorbell Button (affiliate links for your convenience) to coordinate with the front doorknob and lock. This particular doorbell comes with a bunch of chimes (we are currently using the Westminster chimes setting.)

I got the opportunity to pick out a prettier doorbell button. Most importantly this doorbell lets us hardwire it to our current doorbell wiring although you can also install it as a wireless doorbell if you like.

We wanted to stay with a hardwired doorbell so we didn’t have to play Where are the rest of the rechargeable batteries? Did you recharge them? game on a regular basis but that’s just us.

How to Replace a Hard Wired Doorbell

How to Make an Iron Throne from a Lawn Chair

Everyone and I mean EVERYONE wants to sit upon the Iron Throne.

If you watch Game of Thrones you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't I'll give you a quick rundown:

• There is a very uncomfortable chair they say is made from 1,000 enemy swords but it is really more like 200 forged by some guy named Shemp. Instead, they say it was forged by a Dragon because that sounds more majestic than A Guy Named Shemp and His Anvil. 

• If you sit on the pointy sword chair you can brag you rule all of the Seven Kingdoms in this made up Dungeons and Dragons kind of world called Westros where everybody hates everybody - eventually.

• Each Kingdom has their own ruler who has a Special Chair or Bench which is more comfortable than the Iron Throne. 

• All of the Comfy Chair Rulers (or their conniving relatives) want the Uncomfortable Sword Chair and will do anything to get it. This usually involves killing people at weddings. So mean!

• No one is smart enough to upholster the Iron Throne so the swords won't cut the person who plops their tush on it.

And I want one.

How to Make a Power Tool Battery Charging Station

It’s funny how one little project like hanging a DIY chalkboard above my workbench quickly turned into a reorganize the workshop project. Well, actually, it was more like an ACK! I can’t find the bench top and the mountain of STUFF is driving me crazy project but why quibble over details?

I made an easy sandpaper organizer and a quick woodworking clamp rack. My latest project – a power tool battery charging station and organizer is the last workshop organizer I need to keep my bench top clean and my power tool batteries charged and organized. Woo hoo!

I built the workbench from reclaimed materials too.

Read my Recycled Cabinet Workbench Tutorial here on Condo Blues

How to Build a Hanging Power Tool Battery Charger and Organizer

How to Install a Delta In2ition Showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology

Replacing the current showerhead with a hand shower shower head in the guest bathroom was always in the plan.   I like how the hand shower in our Delta Faucet Company In2ition showerhead makes it easy to clean the Master Bathroom the soap out of Lacey’s fur.

Being kind of a geek about showerhead and faucets, I wanted to know what the difference is between the Delta In2ition showerhead I have and like and the new Delta In2ition Showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology provided by Delta Faucet Company to facilitate this test and tutorial.

 

 Keep reading for a chance to win a Delta In2Ition Shower with H20kinetic Technology Showerhead sponsored by Delta Faucet Company!

 Each type of Delta In2ition showerhead is supposed to give you a different shower experience while saving enough water to earn the Watersense label -  using less than 2.0 gallons of water per minute (gpm.) Although truthfully after using both of these showerheads, you would never guess less water is coming out of either one. It feels like I'm taking a shower with more water not less!

Handmade Wedding Gift Idea: Mr and Mrs Pillowcases

I gave a few hints about the handmade embroidered wedding gift I was making on my Instagram (follow @condoblues please?) and Condo Blues Facebook page (click here to follow and get my latest updates!) Now that the Bride and Groom are happily Mr. and Mrs. I can spill the beans.

 If you are looking for a thoughtful handmade wedding gift idea, that’s fairly simple and quick to make then this hand embroidered personalize pillowcase idea is for you!

 In all honesty, I would embroider a set for myself if they came in King size.

 
I wanted a project I could work on during our evening Cuddle with Lacey on the Sofa Time. Embroidery fits the bill and I wanted a project to get back in the swing before I start a massive costume embroidery project.

How to Make a Small Space Sandpaper Organizer

It's amazing what you find when you decide it is time to clean and organize a workbench or workshop.

In my case it is sandpaper.

Lots of sandpaper.

Like embarrassing amounts of specific grits I bought because I though I didn't have it, when not only did I have it, I have epic loads of it because I kept losing it in my messy and disorganized garage and workshop.

I'm sure all of you organized crafters and DIYers cannot relate at all to this. (Although I'd feel less like a slob if you do.)

Dollar store sandpaper organizer!

That's what happens when I get tired of storing a mount of objects on my workbench top after creating a motivational gallery wall above the workbench in the garage.

So I started poking around Pinterest (follow me @condoblues pretty please?) looking for workshop sandpaper storage and organizers and coming up empty because I work in a small space.  I'm too short to reach all of the organizers I saw hanging on the wall over a workbench.

Funny thing, I found the inspiration solution on the Craftsman website when I was on there dreaming about lawnmowers. Sorry about the weird stream of conscious thing but our lawn service has given us so many excuses about not cutting our grass (that I'm allergic to) that  is almost as tall as Lacey. Grrr!

But that is a different story for a different day.

How to Make Motivational Chalkboard Art the Easy Way!

I learned in my garage organizing post Organize Your Garage in Three Simple Questions that hanging and storing items high on a wall doesn’t work well for a short person like me. If I can’t easily reach it without a step stool I won’t put it away in its proper place.

That’s why the wall above my recycled cabinet workbench (read the tutorial on Condo Blues here) is blank. All of my tools and DIY supplies are stored low to the ground – like me! – in the workbench.

Since that area is pretty much dead to me for tool storage, why not fill it with some motivational DIY décor?

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I read several interviews from local resident Kelly Harris when she was on Face Off. (Which is the only reality show I watch because it is all about creating cool movie makeups and not about manufacturing drama between the contestants and judges.) When asked in interviews how Kelly learned to how to do  makeup special effects, Kelly always says her personal motto is, “Try. Suck. Get Better. Repeat.”

I immediately scribbled her motto on a Post It Note and slapped it on my computer stand because she summed up how I go about doing just about every project you read about on Condo Blues. My plan was to hang Kelly’s motto above my workbench for DIY inspiration when I hit a spot in a project that makes me sing the blues.

How to Make a Pallet Wood Clamp Storage Rack

The small downside to insulating the garage walls is I lost my free wood clamp storage organizer. I can’t store my clamps on wall stud like I used to now that they are filled with insulation.
Currently my wood clamps are stored in a pile of stuff on top of my workbench. At least I think they are. There is too much junk on top of the workbench to tell. Sigh.

During Operation: Clean and Organize my Workbench and Clear My Recycled Materials Stash, I added a woodworking clamp storage rack is a quick and easy wood pallet stash bust project that took practically no time and with very few tools to make to my punch list.

Quick and Easy Workbench Woodworking Clamp Rack

 

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You will need:

How to Make a Colorful Year Round Wood Wreath

I found a bag of round hole saw scraps in the reclaimed wood stash in my workshop.  I’m not sure why I kept them. Most of the “wood holes” in the bag were cracked, split, and otherwise wonky because that’s how hole saws work.

A hole saws is designed to cut a round hole in wood and not for cutting a piece of wood into a perfectly round shape.

I could blow it off as part of a being DIYer who works with recycled materials but the fact of the matter is, my reclaimed wood stash is starting to outgrow its storage area. I need to either use it or start making up gift boxes of scraps for friends to use as kindling in their fire pits. Which I may or may not have gotten puzzling looks when I may or may not have tried to pass off a box of wood scraps for a fire pit as a hostess gift in the past.

 Hole saw scraps!

Fortunately, there were a few wood rounds that were in good enough shape - or could be with a smattering of wood filler and some sanding - that I decided to use them to make a scrap wood wreath. And you can too! Read my step by step tutorial to learn how!

How to Make a  Wood Wreath

7 Dog Owner Hacks: Number 3 Makes Life So Easy!

This blog post is part of a paid Megan Media and Petco Repeat Delivery blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. #PetcoDelivers 

Being a rescue dog with a truck load of fear and anxiety issues makes living with Lacey sometimes a little difficult. That’s why I try to make the day to day dog owner stuff as easy as I can as we work with Lacey on her issues.  Here are a few of my favorite dog owner tips and tricks.

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1. Use two plastic bag dispensers to collect extra plastic bags for doggy duty. Keep the empty disposable bag dispenser in the kitchen to fill with plastic bags. When it is full of plastic bags hang it by the door next to your dog’s leash and put the empty grocery bag holder in the kitchen to fill with empty plastic bags.  That way you’ll always have potty where you need them - before you walk out the door with your dog.

How to Make Rosemary Mint Salt Scrub

I recently declared a Treat Yo’ Self weekend after buying a massage special from Groupon (so much cheaper than going to the massage school and I got a much better massage too!)

A fun little family adventure with Lacey, dinner and drinks out followed. Sunday, prompted by the desire to wear a skirt on a gloriously warm day, and the state of some winter skin in desperate need of exfoliation, an in home spa day was in order since everything was closed. Otherwise - you guessed it - Groupon time.

Fortunately, everything I need to make a fantastic nontoxic and natural exfoliating skin scrub is sitting right here in my kitchen. I bet you do too!

Exfoliating Rosemary Peppermint Salt Scrub: The Step by Step Tutorial

 

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How to Hang an Old Window From the Ceiling

On sunny afternoons, the sun hits the kitchen window just right to make a prism on the ceiling.
Lacey thinks this dazzling array of luck and science is a formidable threat to our house and home. She barks her head off all. afternoon. long. no matter how many times we try and fail to shush her.
Apparently light theory is lost on dogs.

A window treatment will solve the nefarious prism problem. I want something that lets in light, is easy to clean, and won’t wrinkle like my DIY cardboard corner window cornice and curtains I made that brought out the haters on Hometalk.

Call it shabby chic, Fixer Upper, or my own Mid-Century Modern-Bauhaus-Contemporary-Found-and-Funkified-Retro-DaDa-Danish decorating style. I repurposed an old flea market window as a kitchen window treatment.
 

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Here’s how.

DIY Old Window Window Treatment