Duct Tape Flash Drive

When any of The Ten has a USB flash drive on their back to school shopping lists, they know they can count on Aunt Lisa, The World’s Most Fabulous Aunt ™ for a freebie. I always have spare thumb drives.

I’m extremely lucky that some of the brands I ask for information for you guys The Best Readers in the World (trademark pending) give it to me on a flash drive. After I move the files onto my computer, I have a storage drive to pass on to any kid who needs one for school.

While I won’t accept information from a brand I wouldn’t be proud to be associated with for my readers, some of the printed drives may unintentionally break a school rule. For example, while this USB drive from Zippo had information about a Zippo refillable candle lighter (that I keep forgetting to buy) a teacher may think it is promoting smoking because Zippo also makes cigarette lighters.

Washi Tape USB Flash Drive

I have another decorated USB flash drive project for you. I’m using washi tape to spiff up a flip around flash drive. This is an easy, quick, and cute way to identify your flip around flash drive from everyone else’s flip around flash drive in school or in my case, the car. Husband and I keep our personal playlists on separate drives in the car.

How to Decorate a Flash Drive with Washi Tape

How to Make and Decorate a Decoden USB Flash Drive

Do you decoden?

Decoden is a Japanese craft that uses a thick silicon clay/glue that looks like cake frosting to bling out objects. It is addicting!

Not to mention decoden is a great way to use up the little bits of crafty this and that I found when I built my wrap around fence board shelves, reorganized my craft supply storage, and cleaned out my desk and closet in the computer room.

Decoden started with decorating phone cases. Now it is moving toward using decoden to decorate any object that doesn’t move. I have a USB Flash drive that is sitting still and wears a logo that I want to cover and a few beads left from my grandmother’s craft stash. Let’s do this.

Seashell and Pearl Decoden Decorated USB Flash Drive 

How to Pad and Tape a Color Guard Rifle

The same band I marched with in in the Presidential Inauguration Parade last year has another amazing performance opportunity. I’m stoked to be spinning flag in a real blow and go drum and bugle corps style show since that is absolutely not the type of show my small town marching band did and my drum corps loving heart desired. YES! *fist pump*

Then I found out the color guard is twirling rifle too. I haven’t done that since high school winter color guard.

Gulp!

I bought a color guard rifle which is basically a big hunk of non firing wood in a rifle-esque shape. Before I practice throwing it in the air like I don’t care (as one does when spinning rifle) I need to reinforce the rifle with tape and pad the ends so it won’t break in two if when I drop it during practice.

Recycled Tire Rim Ottoman

In the little fantasy land of my imagination, I would spend endless summer days, lounging in the summer sun with my feet up on fantastic outdoor furniture.

This will probably never happen because whenever I get down time in the summer I use it to build something that is - you guessed it - not fantastic outdoor furniture.  

Instead I'm going to live vicariously through The Charming Farmer and her comfy, ready for a glass of iced tea put your feet up upcycled outdoor ottoman. You will never believe what she used to make it - a tractor tire rim!

Upcycled tractor tire ottoman photo courtesy of The Charming Farmer

A little rustic, a little modern and a whole lot of genius! Learn how The Charming Farmer made her tractor tire rim ottomans here.

What do you think?


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How to Purge and Recycle Old Electronics

I swear our house is shrinking. Once upon a time, had storage space to burn. (Don’t. It wastes a perfectly good space and might catch the rest of your house on fire.)

It didn’t take any great detective work to determine why our house is shrinking. The answer is easy.

We have stuff we don’t think/aren’t sure if there is a place to recycle or responsibly dispose of it. The last time I checked this wasn't the case, or if there was such an animal, it was only accepted those things on that one day during a full moon when cows do backward sneezes kind of thing. Hello hazardous household waste collection, I’m talking to you.