32 Gifts for Crafters and DIYers

I asked a bunch of my favorite craft and DIY bloggers what cool gifts for women they received or are on their gift list. While we all agreed gift cards to our favorite home improvement and craft stores are always winners, sometimes the people in our lives are looking for new and unique gift ideas because they have gone to the gift card well a little too often.

Ironically, most of the gift ideas we talked about I've gotten or given as gifts myself. True story.

Gift Ideas for a Quilter

DIY Spray Paint Booth

Sandy and her crazy cold nor'ester is trying to end outdoor spray paint season early because you can't spray paint in temperatures below 40 degrees (F) and expect your project to come out well. Guess how I know?

Eeking out a few more months of spray paint time in the garage doesn't work around here because Husband doesn't like the idea of spray paint splatter on the car. (It was ONE time, barely noticeable, and on MY car -  yeesh!)

That's why I pinned A Crafty Nest's spray paint booth to my Pinterest boards (follow me on Pinterest? I'm kinda lonely over there. Thanks.)

Easy Citrus Basil Aloe Soap Tutorial

We used up the butter maple shea butter soap I made and colored with kitchen spices. A ton of people asked if the turmeric I used to color the soap turned our skin yellow. I’m happy to say, nope not a bit.

I have a bunch of  soap making supplies left from making my first batch of melt and pour soap. I also have some end of the season basil from our garden that doesn't taste that great in cooking. I put them together and made an orange citrus basil soap using an Aloe Vera vegan glycerin melt and pour soap base.

 Save this easy soap tutorial to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

The result is scrubby dubby good and something I plan to make now for holiday gifts later. Hint: Citrus Basil soap makes great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts!

How Make Aloe Soap

How to Hang a Heavy Picture without it Crashing to the Ground

 My new living room accent wall looks good but adding a few pictures to the wall will make it look better.

Especially if I rehang this amazing gift from Michael. He painted it as part of his senior show at Parsons (yes, that Parsons The New School for Design Project Runway fans.) Michael gave us the painting to remember him by before he moved -sniff!

Schoolhouse Rock Costumes

Around here Halloween is ALL about the costume. I keep a running Halloween costume idea list in my head of unique and slightly out there costume ideas.

Last Halloween Husband and I went a Halloween party. The theme was Childhood. After mulling over the costume possibilities, I realized I had the perfect costume on my Halloween costume idea list. It’s something I’ve been wanted to build for a long time School House Rock's Bill from Capital Hill!    Husband got in on the School Rock costume action too. He was the Engineer from Conjunction Conjunction.

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

5 Fall Fun and Howling Halloween Projects

Kristina from Claiming Our Space asked me to co-host her Fall and and Howling Halloween Link Party along with the fabulous  The Chic Geek, Second Chance to Dream, Making My Apt a Home, The Cookie a Day Challenge, and Domestic Randomness here on Condo Blues.

I  love that I got to introduce my super crafty DIY friends to my clever green living friends. I feel like the hostess of a successful dinner party. I'm the Yenta of the blogging world introducing all of you over there to all of you over there!  I met a slew of new people myself too.

Wowzers gang. Your projects knocked my socks off! Kristina suggested the co-hosts pick a few favorites and share them on our blogs. It wasn't easy!

Dehydrating Garden Vegtables

Husband and I grew more than six tomatoes this summer. I can check one more goal off my 2012 DIY Project list. Yay!

I thanks to Food in Jars, I learned how to can five quarts and two pints of homegrown tomatoes for my September One Small Green Change. Double Yay!

Not so yay, our tomatoes are ripening in drips and drabs. It takes forever to collect enough ripe tomatoes to can them. I can one or two quarts at a time at most.

I see a lot of this and not much else.

I had some tomatoes that were getting close to the Eat-Me-Now-Or-Compost-Me-Later stage but enough to make a pint of canned tomatoes.

*light bulb goes off over my head* 

A compact florescent light bulb of course.

Three Halloween Door Decors

Door wreaths are festive and fun but decorating the whole door for Halloween is better! I want to share some of the Halloween door decorating ideas I pinned on Pinterest (follow me on Pinterest @condoblues pretty please?)

I know from experience that finding a door wreath that doesn't blend into a green door can make you tear your hair out.  Mel from Mel Designs  solves that by turning her green door into a goofy Frankenstein monster.

Photo courtesy of Mel Designs 

Mid Century Industrial Mood Board

Most days, I like my living room, especially after I painted an accent wall Hootenanny Green. I’m not making that up. Hootenanny Green is the name of the paint color I used. 

 Dancing in the living room! (because it could use more seating for guests)

That’s not to say when I’m watching almost unhealthy amounts of HGTV on the weekend that I don’t wish one of their designers would swoop in, redesign my living room, and punch up the personality and seating options for guests. Can you hear me Room Crashers? I’m talking to you and any other show that will listen.

Make a Louboutin Inspired Bracelet

As a green DIYer and crafter, I sometimes use products that may contain not so eco friendly ingredients. Generally, it is only one small component and I am fine with it because it contributes to the greater good of remaking the object into something clever, useful, or beautiful and saving it from the landfill. However, I am always on the lookout for an eco friendly equivalent that works just as well or better.

When I find a craft supply that promises me eco friendly ingredients AND is no odor AND eco-friendly AND water based AND low VOC I get excited. I racked my brain for an excuse to try them gift idea that lets me use the Delta Soy Stain and Soy Craft Paint I saw for sale on Scribbleshop AND makes a few Christmas gifts early.  

I am not using red for this demo because I don't want to be sued for trademark infringement.

25 DIY Superhero and Villian Costumes

Confession time. With superhero movies hitting the theaters, nephews who like superheros, and needing an escape from last summer's canine cancer battle Husband dabbled a bit in his childhood comic book hobby with an electronic subscription (much cheaper, greener, and he has access to comics published before, during, and after the time he spent all of his childhood paper route money on comic books.)

And he brought me along for the ride.

I had to read the paper books he kept from kid hood to save my marriage.

Are any of you buying that?

I thought not.

Since it is in our backyard, Husband and I got our geek on at the Mid-Ohio Comic Con 'cause you know how we are total sci fi nerds, into supporting local events.

Husband got into talking to the comic book artists he admired and collected. As a former costumer, I got into the cosplayers - the patrons who created and dressed up as their favorite characters from TV, movies, books, and video games. The detail on some of the costumes is amazing. Others were cheesy on purpose - my wacky sense of humor admires that too.

If you are looking for Halloween costume inspiration, this is the place to be.

Hero Costumes

Fall Porch Reveal

All of the projects are done and it's time to reveal my decorated fall front porch. This year I went with a fall theme instead of our traditional Halloween pirate theme. Husband and I aren't feeling skeletons and ghosts since our one eyed pirate dog Captain Blitzkrieg isn't here to pilot our ship this year.

That's why we're going with Fall y'all.

Sorry, can't help it. It rhymes.

I did the new fall porch decorations for under $20 because I remade and reused what I had on hand.

Let's break it down.

Quick and Easy Butter Maple Shea Butter Soap

I love handcrafted soap but figured I shouldn't jump into another hobby that requires so much new equipment, is stinky, and makes a ton of stuff we may or may not like cold process soap. 

Then I found handmade glycerin soap. I can make small amounts if need be and play with scents, colors, and additives more easily - that’s my favorite part. 

Let's give it a whirl.

I bought my soap making supplies from Consumer Crafts and may have gotten a little carried away while I was shopping.   I made an unboxing video to show you what I got in my order because my $50 budget went a very long way. Yay! Now I have extra supplies to make Christmas gifts.

I did a little comparison shopping at Michael's yesterday. Can I just say woo to the hoo for Consumer Crafts bigger selection and lower prices?

How to Color Natural Shea Butter Soap With Kitchen Spices

Fall Drop Cloth Garland

This year I’m going with more autumn fall decorations for our porch instead of Halloween garlands and ghouls. I’m also trying to use what I have on hand with a few little extras here and there. Not only is that greener and cheaper but it will also help me clear a bit of leftover the fabric I have stored in my craft room from my costuming days. High fives all around!

I like the garland décor I see all over Pinterest. I think strings of orange pennant flags over the windows and door will be festive. To tie the bunting flags in with the drop cloth house flag I made, I moved into an urban country chic decorating direction (I hope) and made a cloth garland from the leftover orange and drop cloth fabric. Waste not and all that.

If you are looking for a plastic free decorating idea, this one’s for you!

Barnwood Speaker Shelves

Its funny how one little DIY project like painting an accent wall turns into a tumble of DIY projects like installing a TV wall mount, updating the fireplace surround with paint, and now building barn wood shelves for the surround sound speakers. It is like eating Terra Chips around here. I can’t eat just one.

During the mounting the flat screen TV project I did as part of Husband’s birthday present, I originally wanted the surround sound speaker placement to be on the back wall around the TV for optimal sound. I realized I have more TV than TV niche wall space. Plan B: make surround sound shelves from the reclaimed wood I rescued from a broken fence.

Learn how to build these reclaimed wood display shelves. It's easy. Promise.

I feel like I should almost apologies for having a flat TV, surround sound, and TV components because in  having a TV, let alone cable and a video game system is pooh-poohed in eco circles. I’m going to address it but I’m not going to apologize for it.

Fall Drop Cloth House Flag

This year Husband and I decided to go with fall decorations for the porch and yard instead of our traditional sea dog cemetery since our one eyed pirate dog is not here to captain the ship.

I’m starting with our garden house flag. The LisaLand flag (an inside joke that Husband had made into my birthday present) is summery and a tad worn. Normally I replace it with a pirate flag I put up for InternationalTalk Like a Pirate Day (yarr!) and leave up until after Halloween. Yo ho ho and a bottle of chardonnay! (That’s what girlie pirates drink.)

I poked around a few stores for personalized house flags and the luck of being me, the house flags I like did not have a W. Who knew our initial was so popular?

When I can’t buy, I’ll DIY! 

I'm Canning Tomatoes!

Our almost illegal but not quite tomato plants (read the story on Lazy Budget Chef. It involves a police helicopter AND a paddy wagon) exploded into a bunch of tomatoes. We definitely met our 2012 DIY goal of growing more than six tomatoes. Yay!

 

The results are delicious.

But more than we can eat right now.

Last summer, I faced my fear of canning (don’t laugh. It’s true) and canned strawberry peach jam with leftover fruit (our eyes were bigger than our stomachs) and raspberry Moscato jam. No one died of botulism AND we had a nice stash of impromptu Christmas gifts in the pantry. I call that I double win.

You can find the recipes on my food blog Lazy Budget Chef

The use what canning equipment I had on hand method worked well enough for me to consider buying a canning kit to make home canning easier. Fortunately, my mom passed her canning supplies down to me. I was off and running. Well, actually, it is more like trotting.

Fall Porch Whimsy Mood Board

It takes me awhile to get excited about early fall because it means my favorite season is almost ready to hibernate but it is not quite sweater, apple cider, and cute boot season. It is a little too early to go Halloween crazy with the decorating. I’m not sure what we’ll do for Halloween. Husband and I aren’t in the mood for ghosts and skeletons this year.

I guess we should go with fall harvest porch decorations. Leaves, pumpkins, corn stalks, and country rustic autumn décor is very eco and can stay up until Thanksgiving. I appreciate that style at other people’s homes but it is not something I want to stare at for so long in my own home. I want to hang onto to bright colors and whimsy for as long as I can until the snow flies.

I created a nontraditional modern whimsy autumn porch mood board to motivate me to think fall and spark some ideas for our porch.

Enjoy.

How to Install a Flat Panel TV Wall Mount

We have a TV niche (big, fat hole) above the fireplace. When we moved in, Husband and I hefted our TV into the niche. I bought and configured a set of interMetro shelves to store the components above the TV.

The speakers for the surround sound didn't fit in the niche as I hoped. I bought two CD towers to use as speaker stands and to store CDs. We lived this way for many years.

CDs? The seem so quaint now. 

How to Paint a Gas Fireplace

 A fireplace wasn’t a Must Have when Husband and I house shopped but I secretly hoped our first home would have a fireplace. We lucked out when we found our Condo. It has everything on our Must Have and Wish Lists including a fireplace.

I still like the fireplace but I’m falling out of love with the brass accents. I would love to use the brass as an excuse to buy a new brass free gas fireplace with a clear rock insert that makes it look like fire and ice when you light a fire.

Fireplace Before

However, I can’t justify the resources and expense it takes to replace a fireplace we rarely use. Angie of Country Chic Cottage  and Cara of Moore Craft Time  issued a Craft Lightening challenge – to make something that takes 15 minutes or less, excluding the drying time for paint or glue.

I looked at my 2012 DIY Goal List and took them up on the challenge. It’s time for a quick and easy fireplace update.

How to Paint a Gas Fireplace 

Urban Scrawl Inspiration

Husband and I have the best friends in the world. Our in real life group is so understanding of our devastating loss of Blitzkrieg. We got sympathy cards, personal calls, and condolences from an overwhelming number of friends, neighbors, our family vet, and the vet hospital oncology team. Every single one touched our hearts but none so much as Blitzkrieg's oncology nurse. She made and painted a plaster paw print she took of Blitzkrieg for us on her own. Tears I did not know I had welled up inside me when I unwrapped it.

Many of our friends are calling us for spur of the moment dinners and get togethers too. Thank you friends. Keeping busy helps.

That's how Husband and I ended up at Urban Scrawl. One of our couple friends invited us to join them at Urban Scrawl because they know we like local food and arty things.

Salt Resist Tie Dye T Shirt

I didn’t check a white thrift store t shirt carefully enough in the store. I brought it home and realized it has a stain I can’t remove. Bummer.

Not really.

I tie dyed the t shirt and made it better than new!

Once upon a time, a booth at the Viking Festival sold tie dyed Scandinavian flag t shirts. I wanted a Danish flag tie dye t shirt, but they were out of my size. They haven’t been back to the festival since. This idea inspired my t shirt design.

Make a Danish Flag Tie Dye T Shirt

7 Tips for Buying a Comfortable Backpack

I like to use a backpack when I am traveling because it doesn’t scream, I HAVE AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN HERE PLEASE STEAL IT like my fancy camera bag does.

Unfortunately, once I switched to a heavier DSLR camera my current backpacks (I’ll get to that in a minute) didn’t work for me. The backpack straps sit on a knot I have in each shoulder.

The extra weight of the camera plus whatever else I want to carry (water bottle, etc.) rides the knots like a cowboy on rodeo night. I get a migraine. Dealing with a migraine is not the way I want to spend my vacation, or for that matter, a blogging conference.

As a green blogger, I get information about backpacks made from eco friendly materials all the time. I appreciate that but an ill fitting backpack made from eco friendly materials is useless because I will spend more time and resources replacing it with more backpacks that may or may not hurt my back. If I have to go with a  backpack made from not so eco friendly materials I’d rather it be made from material that takes a beating and lasts as long as my backpack from the 80’s that I still have and use.

Brass Drawer Pull Makeover

I am not a fan of brass knobs and drawer pulls, especially the Chippendale style brass drawer pulls. Too much of an old lady with a house that smells like bad cheese and 80's brass everything combo sandwich for me.

Do not confuse this with Chippendale Dancers. Those Chippendales I like.

If I got a dresser full of Chippendale drawer pulls in desperate need of a makeover, I'd be out the door buying new pulls before the first coat of paint was dry. Diane from in my own style  has a cheaper, greener, and cuter way to go. She remade the drawer pulls with paint and paper napkins.

The colors she used are to die for too. 

Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.

Tool Test Masking Tape vs Painter’s Tape

My insomnia is visiting and won’t leave like an obnoxious relative (not that I have any experience with obnoxious relatives who won't leave my house. My relatives are lovely.) Putting my energy into a project helps me get through the days I miss Blitzkrieg so much that I want to jump out of my skin because I haven't slept in days.

So instead of packing before I left for BlogHer, I grabbed the low VOC paint I had left over from painting the kitchen and used it to paint an accent wall in the living room as a no cost project.

I have several half rolls of painter's tape in my tool stash (this will teach me to keep the garage more organized.) I also had a roll of masking tape I don't remember buying. I remember my parents using masking tape to tape off windows and molding when they painted my childhood fixer upper but I’ve always used blue painter’s tape for painting projects. I’m not sure why.

Let’s find out.

3 Art Therapy Projects

Ohio State Veterinary Hospital holds a Pet Remembrance Ceremony every year. Husband and I went and were immediately greeted by Blitzkrieg’s oncologist Dr. B. She hugged us and asked how we are doing before the ceremony.  She is such a good person and a caring doctor. I can’t express how lucky you and your pet will be if she is your veterinarian.

We heard words of comfort.

There were tears.

We went to a small corner near the hospital I passed a dozen times before but didn’t know until now it is the Remembrance Garden. We placed stones with loving messages under the tree.

How to Make a Self Watering Planter from a Plastic Storage Tub

Husband and I want to grow bitter melon this year. Unfortunately, bitter melon will not grow next to any of the other plants in our garden.

Fortunately, our south facing patio is the perfect place to grow bitter melon. Unfortunately, we are better at watering the plants in the front of the house than the plants on the back patio.

A self watering planter would solve this problem nicely. Then I priced self watering planters. Great googly moogly! The price is not so nice.

 Pin this easy gardening tutorial for later and to share with your friends!

    

I did some research and saw a bunch of different designs and directions for self watering planters. There were a lot of you musts and you shoulds that contradicted other people's you musts and you shoulds.

I turned to Rob of Rob’s World AKA the King of Building Self Watering Planters and peppered him with a bunch of questions. Who basically said either way is fine on any of number of things I questioned him about.

I went with using a tub from BPA free #5 plastic (polypropylene) I had on hand to keep the cost down. I'd like something that looks a little nicer and won't potentionally tick off the Bitter Betty neighbor to report me to the Home Owner's Association. I’m considering building a wood surround to make it look a nicer. Eventually. It's on my massive DIY List.

How to Build a Self Watering Planter

Taking Risks at BlogHer 12

My personal and unintentional theme for this year’s BlogHer conference was Take a Risk. I am grieving my dear Blitzkrieg and worried about leaving Husband alone.

It took everything I had pry myself from the house, put on semi happy face, and join 5,000 people in New York for the conference. Husband lined up time out with friends so I wouldn’t worry. He reminded me how important it is to thank as many of you in person as I can for your love and support during our cancer journey. He reminded me I paid for my BlogHer conference expenses months before Blitzkrieg got sick and made the investment in myself long ago. I spent the moola. I had to go.

I brought a little security blanket with me. I made and wore a pin with Blitzkrieg on it backed by the canine lymphoma ribbon (red ribbon with paw prints) on my conference lanyard. The American Cancer Society saw it and asked me to add a pledge to their More Birthdays wall. 

Blitzkrieg donated tissue to the vet hospital’s research tissue bank where any researcher in the US can use it. Husband and I feel it is particularly important to donate because Blitzkrieg’s lymphoma did not play by any of the cancer rules. We hope our donation will keep another family from reliving our cancer story.

How to Paint a Color Block School Desk

Friends, I have a massive treat for you today! Carmen De La Paz host of HGTV’s Hammer Heads and one of my favorite DIY gals, is guest posting today on Condo Blues! 

*Lisa falls over and faints in excitement*

Easily transform an old school desk with vibrant colors using a color blocking technique to create a classic diamond pattern with two tones of color. This back-to-school desk refresh could even be a fun project for parents and kids to work on together!

For high traffic furniture I always recommend a fresh coat of Satin Enamel paint – It has high durability, will accept the next layer of paint well and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth.

 Back to School Desk 

4 DIY Twitter Handle Necklaces

When I go to a blog conference or am lucky enough to be invited to a blogger event, I notice several women wearing Twitter handle necklaces. This is a great way to let people you just met to know your Twitter handle so they can follow you after the conference or event.

Between going to Blissdom and prepping for BlogHer, my world turned upside down. I did not have the time or energy to have a Twitter necklace made even though I had paid for all of my BlogHer expenses pre-canine cancer and everyone insists I still go to BlogHer.

A free-to-every-customer-who-walks-through-the-door Mod Podge make and take event at Michael's (AKA not a blogger thing)  gave me the idea to try to make a Twitter necklace. 

Then I made three more. (It pays to tidy up your craft room, you find stuff to make stuff.)

Two of them use reclaimed materials because I gotta be me. 

The History of Glitter

All that glitters is well, usually glitter. At least around here.

After developing a few glitter projects for companies, I now understand why people call glitter the herpes of craft supplies. No matter how well you think you clean up after using glittler, you never fully clean up after using glitter.

What is it that makes glitter so, happy, shiny, and a pain in the tuckus to clean up from a craft room?

Wonder no more. I give you The History of Glitter!


 
All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things from Etsy on Vimeo.

After watching the video it looks like glitter isn't as green as I hoped. Little pieces of plastic? Bummer.

Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.

Epic AT AT Loft Bed

The first movie I remember having to stand in a line to buy a ticket (instead a walk up ticket counter) is Star Wars. And just like every other kid at the time, I was nuts for it.

Before we proceed with the rest of this post, point of order: Han shot first!

Moving on.

The closest I ever got to themed bedding was a set of Mickey Mouse sheets and Star Wars posters on my wall (a gift with purchase of a fast food kid's meal.) It was probably the most practical thing for my parent to do given most kids have fickle whims on what's hot and what's not in character room decor.

But I would throw that practical decorating out the window if I had a Star Wars loving kid (who because they are my kid and I have passed down the awesome would naturally despise Jar Jar Binks and everything but the Yoda scenes and Mace Windo in the first three movies) and that kid wanted me to build them an At At loft bed like The Dutilly Family did for their son.

Well done, I salute you sir!

Save Money: Use an Electric Razor

Summer is my favorite season! I take full advantage and wear skirts and shorts almost every day.

Learn how I made an Anthropologie knock off skirt from a tablecloth here 

 That means my legs are on display and are in need of occasional deforestation. 

Up until now, I’ve taken care of the fuzz with a disposable razor even though I’m not a great fan of throwaway disposables. Preserve sells a disposable razor they take back for recycling but I haven't tried it.

 Beth of My Plastic Free Life uses a metal safety razor with recyclable blades but I am chicken. I have a gift for nicking the crap out of my ankles and knees with just about every razor I use including the disposable razors that are supposed to be nick free.

Plastic Free How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and You Can Too

When I first stumbled upon Beth Terry’s blog My Plastic Free Life (formerly Fake Plastic Fish), I appreciated her trying to green her efforts and reduce waste but thought she was nuts for trying to get rid of all the plastic in her life because that’s what we have recycling for, right?

Well, four years later, I now know Beth is trying not to bring NEW plastic items in her life via plastic bottle, tube, tub, or bag (and surprisingly more stuff than I realized) and tries to find USED plastic alternatives if plastic is the only option such as a smart phone or a computer. I also now know that recycling isn’t always the answer to our trashy problems, but reducing and refusing may be.

I still think Beth Terry is nuts but now for an entirely different reason. We are friends and share the same sense of humor.

I think it is important that you know I know the author and one of my tips is featured in the book before you read my review of Plastic Free How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and You Can Too by Beth Terry even though I will try to be as objective as I can in this book review.

While recovering from surgery, Beth Terry read an article about the large amount of plastic polluting the ocean – which is practically her West Coast backyard. Beth saw various items from her daily life in the photos. She decided to reduce and later remove those new disposable plastic items from her life. Beth started a blog called My Plastic Free Life (formerly known as Fake Plastic Fish) as she started her plastic free journey and took the rest of us along for the ride. Now her blog is a book and includes more details about the how, when, and whys of living a plastic free life.

Cinderella Coach Playhouse

My best friend's dad built her and her sister a wood playhouse that looks like a little red school house. It had sliding glass windows with bug screens, a locking door, and bench seats that doubled as daybeds for the most AWESOME LITTLE GIRL SLEEPOVERS EVER!

I was more than a little jealous because we rented at the time which meant no epic cool playhouse for me. Instead I made elaborate blanket forts in our rec room.

I've more than a little obsessed with playhouses ever since.

Especially when I see something like the La Belle Au Bois Dormant Coach playhouse. Just look at this thing!

I want one for my backyard