He offered to buy me a new yoga mat bag too. I told him I had all of the materials I need in my craft room to make a yoga mat bag.
Three months later I finally got around to making it.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Zipper Yoga Mat Tote Bag Tutorial
Yoga is my favorite form of exercise. Husband thoughtfully gave me a better and slightly thicker sticky yoga mat so I didn’t have to borrow his mat anymore. Awww. What a guy!
He offered to buy me a new yoga mat bag too. I told him I had all of the materials I need in my craft room to make a yoga mat bag.
Three months later I finally got around to making it.
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My bloggy friend Jen Goode from 100 Directions asked me to be part of her National Craft Month celebration. Jen’s blog collaboration was the kick in the seat I needed to design and sew the yoga mat bag I planned from recycled and stash bust craft materials.
He offered to buy me a new yoga mat bag too. I told him I had all of the materials I need in my craft room to make a yoga mat bag.
Three months later I finally got around to making it.
Pin this post for later!Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Felt Peep Easter Bunting
You know it is Easter season when Peeps start peeping their wee little face at you from rows upon rows of packages in the candy aisle. Love them or hate them - their seems to be no in between - it is full on Peep Season.
I like marshmallows but for some reason, eating marshmallow Peeps is not my thing. But decorating with Peeps? That's something I am into.
I like marshmallows but for some reason, eating marshmallow Peeps is not my thing. But decorating with Peeps? That's something I am into.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
How to Make a Corner Window Cornice
Our Master Bedroom has a windows on each wall in a corner and high ceilings. Installing a corner window cornice will tie the windows together and solve several window decorating problems:
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- A window cornice will add visual height to the wall while also visually bringing down the high ceiling.
- I can use small scale curtain rods I already have. I don't need to buy new curtain rods that meet in the corner or need to have a custom corner window curtain rod made or cut to order.
- I can hang off the shelf curtains lower on the wall and just touching the floor so they look like custom length curtains. The cornice hides the curtain rod and hardware.
- I can make a lightweight custom window corner for practically nothing because I am using cardboard boxes to build it.
- It’s a no sew project. If you can use a stapler, you can make this project!
How to Make a Cardboard Window Valance
Pin this post for later! Friday, March 11, 2016
20 Rainy Day Weekend Projects
Around here weekends are for building, home improvement, and a big bunch of DIY projects because I have two uninterrupted days of outdoor work time.
Unless it rains.
Unless it rains.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
How to Adjust a Shower Water Temperature Valve
The shower in our guest bathroom runs cold and takes forever to heat up. It can be sign your water heater is ready to heave its last breath. Sure enough after 11 years of faithful service, our water heater went to that great metal recycling plant in the sky.
Well, actually, it went to a metal recycling plant down the round but in the sky sounds more poetic.
Shower water still took forever to heat with the new water heater. I thought it was set at a lower temperature until we passed inspection from the natural gas company.
Nope.
The natural gas inspector told me our hot water heater passed with flying colors and is already set at the correct temperature. He said the issue is with the faucet not the water heater. The water temperature regulator (also known as a scald valve) on the faucet is set too low.
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Well, actually, it went to a metal recycling plant down the round but in the sky sounds more poetic.
Shower water still took forever to heat with the new water heater. I thought it was set at a lower temperature until we passed inspection from the natural gas company.
Nope.
The natural gas inspector told me our hot water heater passed with flying colors and is already set at the correct temperature. He said the issue is with the faucet not the water heater. The water temperature regulator (also known as a scald valve) on the faucet is set too low.
How to Adjust the Water Temperature Regulator on a Kohler Shower Faucet
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Monday, March 7, 2016
How to Make Bottle Cap Tiles
I want another ear phone, phone, and table charger organizer for the living room to hold the overflow from the Cigar Box and Wine Cork Storage Box I made last month.
I found a decorative Indian spice box during a 10 minute tidy in the kitchen that will a few quick tweaks will fit the bill just fine thank you.
The interior wood dividers easily popped out of the box in my hand. I wanted to add feet to the bottom of my DIY decorative storage box. What to use?
Bottle caps!
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I found a decorative Indian spice box during a 10 minute tidy in the kitchen that will a few quick tweaks will fit the bill just fine thank you.
The interior wood dividers easily popped out of the box in my hand. I wanted to add feet to the bottom of my DIY decorative storage box. What to use?
Bottle caps!
Pin this post for later!Sunday, February 28, 2016
DIY Allergy Friendly Homemade Furniture Dusting Spray
Dusting is not my favorite chore. I tried to make it easier by using a feather duster to dust the stuff on bookshelves and other hard to reach up too high places.
Until my allergist put the kibosh on that. He says feather dusters push more dust around than they pick up (including my fancy ostrich feather duster as well as the even fancier lambs wool dusters.)
Which for most of you will still work all fine and dandy but not for me. I have a litany of seasonal allergens including and especially dust mites. So how exactly am I supposed to dust the furniture without commercial dusting sprays or a feather or lambs wool duster?
In this instance, my allergist recommended the best way to clean dust and dust mites is also the most non toxic and cheapest cleaner in the world – water!
Until my allergist put the kibosh on that. He says feather dusters push more dust around than they pick up (including my fancy ostrich feather duster as well as the even fancier lambs wool dusters.)
Which for most of you will still work all fine and dandy but not for me. I have a litany of seasonal allergens including and especially dust mites. So how exactly am I supposed to dust the furniture without commercial dusting sprays or a feather or lambs wool duster?
In this instance, my allergist recommended the best way to clean dust and dust mites is also the most non toxic and cheapest cleaner in the world – water!
How to Make Nontoxic and CHEAP! DIY Dust & Allergen Furniture Spray
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Sunday, February 21, 2016
12 Things I Do Not Buy and What I Use Instead
Like most of you, I buy things on sale to save money where I can. Unfortunately, I’m just as guilty as anyone else who ran to the store to
buy two things and came out with a buggy of stuff because I found a sale or a deal.
Sometimes I saved money and often times I didn't. The light bulb went off when I decluttered and
organized the basement of our old place. Most of the Donate Pile was
stuff I bought on sale because I thought I was saving money at the time.
The easiest way to stop those intermittent money leaks disguised as saving was to stop buying things I didn't need even if they were on sale. I either gave up using it, found a reusable for a disposable, or repurposed something to take its place - all are extremely green, painless, and low cost options!
So scoot over to my food blog Lazy Budget Chef to read my post:
Make sure you read the comments. A bunch of super smart folks shared their money saving tips there too!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
The easiest way to stop those intermittent money leaks disguised as saving was to stop buying things I didn't need even if they were on sale. I either gave up using it, found a reusable for a disposable, or repurposed something to take its place - all are extremely green, painless, and low cost options!
So scoot over to my food blog Lazy Budget Chef to read my post:
12 Things I Do Buy
Make sure you read the comments. A bunch of super smart folks shared their money saving tips there too!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Condo Blues RSS Feed or to Condo Blues by Email.
Monday, February 15, 2016
How to Make a Reversible Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day Garland
I don’t decorate for Valentine's Day or St Patrick’s Day very much, if at all. I’m not hating on either holiday. I don’t have much room to store extra decorations that will be up for only a few weeks for Valentine's Day only to take them down and put up new decorations that will be up for only a few weeks for Saint Patrick's Day.
I got a flash of inspiration when I saw the servants hall in Downton Abby decorated with colorful cloth pennant garland in a recent episode. I know I’m a little late to the cloth garland party but a Valentine’s Day decoration I can flip over and reuse as a Saint Patrick’s Day decoration will solve my storage and holiday décor problem nicely.
Let’s get our DIY on!
I got a flash of inspiration when I saw the servants hall in Downton Abby decorated with colorful cloth pennant garland in a recent episode. I know I’m a little late to the cloth garland party but a Valentine’s Day decoration I can flip over and reuse as a Saint Patrick’s Day decoration will solve my storage and holiday décor problem nicely.
Let’s get our DIY on!
St Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day Garland Decor Tutorial
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(No dog Project Mangers where harmed in the making of this project.)
Pin this post for later! Sunday, January 31, 2016
Tiny House Living Lies
I think tiny houses are twee and adorable. I have dozens pinned to my Pinterest boards (follow me @condoblues on Pinterest, pretty please?) I applaud living in a small ecological footprint. There positive financial aspects too. I understand how freeing that can be.
But.
I find it hard to believe that living tiny is nothing but utopia.
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We never hear about the downside of living in a tiny home. Sure, there is talk of how difficult it can be to decide what to keep and what needs to go. However the elephant in the itty bitty room no one will openly admit or discuss especially on tiny house TV shows is this:
But.
I find it hard to believe that living tiny is nothing but utopia.
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We never hear about the downside of living in a tiny home. Sure, there is talk of how difficult it can be to decide what to keep and what needs to go. However the elephant in the itty bitty room no one will openly admit or discuss especially on tiny house TV shows is this:
- It is illegal to park and live full time in a tiny house on wheels in most parts of the United States. Legally parking a tiny house is the most problematic issue and absolutely not addressed. Most camp grounds and mobile home parks forbid tiny houses - which is their right - as they are privately owned. Buying or renting land and plopping a tiny house on it may not solve the problem either. Local zoning laws often include minimum square footing for a house on a foundation and prohibit full time camping in a RV which is how tiny houses on wheels are classified. And sometimes what must be done to make a tiny house legal makes living in it all but impossible as Rowdy Kittens discusses here in her post On the Road Again…
Thursday, January 28, 2016
DIY Cigar Box and Wine Cork Storage Box
More often than I want to admit, phone and table cords, earphones, and eyeglasses are strewn about the side tables in my living room. I put the stuff away. The next evening we need the stuff to read books or watch movies on our tablets and plop it on a table before heading off to bed. I put the stuff away…
It’s a never ending cycle.
A friend found a bunch of empty wood cigar boxes in the basement of her wine shop. I was drooling when I found out. Old cigar boxes are the gold standard of recycled project material just begging for an upcycle!
Needless to say, I made my way over to her shop and came home with a cigar box to make into a decorative storage box with wine cork feet to contain the flotsam and jetsam littering the living room.
It’s a never ending cycle.
A friend found a bunch of empty wood cigar boxes in the basement of her wine shop. I was drooling when I found out. Old cigar boxes are the gold standard of recycled project material just begging for an upcycle!
Needless to say, I made my way over to her shop and came home with a cigar box to make into a decorative storage box with wine cork feet to contain the flotsam and jetsam littering the living room.
You have no idea how much work it took to to win the eBay auction for these vintage metal frames. I had my optimist fill them with my prescription. I love them!
How to Make a Decorative Cigar Box Storage Box
Thursday, January 21, 2016
How to Cut Wine Corks for Crafts the Easy Way!
Have you ever tried to cut a wine cork in half?
Neatly?
Without the cork flaking and shredding?
Or accidentally cutting your fingers to shreds?
ME TOO!
I need to cut a wine cork in half for an upcoming project. I want to cut the cork quickly, easily, and safely. Most of all I want to cut the wine cork without cork bits shedding all over the place. A nice, clean, cork cut is all I ask.
Cutting wine corks for crafts isn’t hard to do. If you want to cut a wine cork without it falling apart, you’ll need to do one simple step before you cut into it.
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Neatly?
Without the cork flaking and shredding?
Or accidentally cutting your fingers to shreds?
ME TOO!
I need to cut a wine cork in half for an upcoming project. I want to cut the cork quickly, easily, and safely. Most of all I want to cut the wine cork without cork bits shedding all over the place. A nice, clean, cork cut is all I ask.
How to Neatly Cut a Wine Cork in Half
Cutting wine corks for crafts isn’t hard to do. If you want to cut a wine cork without it falling apart, you’ll need to do one simple step before you cut into it.
Pin this post for later!Monday, January 18, 2016
Even Organics Can Make You Sick – the EOS Lip Balm Lawsuit is Wrong
Today’s Baseless Internet Outrage of the Day is brought to you by people who don’t realize lip balm made from organic and natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions because – new flash! – most allergies are caused by things found in nature.
Hay fever anyone?
What we commonly call hay fever is an allergic reaction to some form of pollen. Or if you are me, tree, grass, and weed pollen – including the pollen of many plants and flowers we plant inside and out of our homes. So I have first hand experience of having surprise allergic reactions, succeeding - and failing - at avoiding allergic reactions, and how much it sucks sometimes because I have allergic reactions.
The thing is, I don’t think that just because a product uses natural or organic ingredients it is automatically perfect and will not cause heath issues in some people even though products made with organic and natural ingredients are the type of products I buy and use as much as I can.
According to the New York Times article Allergies Can Be Natural, Too:
Hay fever anyone?
What we commonly call hay fever is an allergic reaction to some form of pollen. Or if you are me, tree, grass, and weed pollen – including the pollen of many plants and flowers we plant inside and out of our homes. So I have first hand experience of having surprise allergic reactions, succeeding - and failing - at avoiding allergic reactions, and how much it sucks sometimes because I have allergic reactions.
The thing is, I don’t think that just because a product uses natural or organic ingredients it is automatically perfect and will not cause heath issues in some people even though products made with organic and natural ingredients are the type of products I buy and use as much as I can.
According to the New York Times article Allergies Can Be Natural, Too:
“While most skincare and hair care is filled with potential allergy triggers, it turns out that organic versions are, to green parents’ dismay, among the worst offenders. “Generally the more expensive organic products have more allergens; they’re in their purest form,” said Lisa Borden, 39, a Toronto-based mother whose 8-year-old daughter is allergic to peanuts, nuts and kiwi.”
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
How to Make an Office Chair Mat
The plastic mats under the rolling chairs in our home office have seen better days. No matter what kind of office chair mat I buy, it eventually cracks, breaks, and sheds plastic chunks all over the carpet in the office.
I need to use a chair mat under our rolling chairs to protect the carpeting we aren't ready to replace. Replacing the mats every couple of years isn’t sustainable. More than that it is a pain!
I solved our problem by making durable office chair mats from laminate flooring I bought at the Habitat Restore. I went with laminate flooring instead of plain plywood because I was concerned the plain plywood office chair mats would crack and break. Laminate flooring isn’t my favorite look but it is built to do the job I need it to do – be a floor.
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I need to use a chair mat under our rolling chairs to protect the carpeting we aren't ready to replace. Replacing the mats every couple of years isn’t sustainable. More than that it is a pain!
I solved our problem by making durable office chair mats from laminate flooring I bought at the Habitat Restore. I went with laminate flooring instead of plain plywood because I was concerned the plain plywood office chair mats would crack and break. Laminate flooring isn’t my favorite look but it is built to do the job I need it to do – be a floor.
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Sunday, January 10, 2016
Project Me: Pick a Personal Word of the Year
When I stopped making New Year’s resolutions for the sake of having one on New Year’s Eve, it became easier for me to keep them. I often make New Year’s resolutions but now I do it at a point in the year when I need it.
It is my way to keep New Year’s resolutions that works.
The same can be said for choosing a personal word for the New Year. I thought about doing it last year when I saw all of the other cool blogger kids were doing it as a way to keep or instead of making a New Year’s Resolution but couldn’t come up with a word with meaning. The only word I came up with at the time was vague and too general. I knew I’d forget about it soon after January so I didn’t do it.
This year, I picked a personal word of the year a few weeks after New Year’s by happy accident.
Learn how to make my New Year’s Memory Jar from a recycled salsa jar on Lazy Budget Chef here!
It is my way to keep New Year’s resolutions that works.
The same can be said for choosing a personal word for the New Year. I thought about doing it last year when I saw all of the other cool blogger kids were doing it as a way to keep or instead of making a New Year’s Resolution but couldn’t come up with a word with meaning. The only word I came up with at the time was vague and too general. I knew I’d forget about it soon after January so I didn’t do it.
This year, I picked a personal word of the year a few weeks after New Year’s by happy accident.
Learn how to make my New Year’s Memory Jar from a recycled salsa jar on Lazy Budget Chef here!
Thursday, January 7, 2016
DIY Recycled Bottle Cap Zipper Pull. So Easy!
I keep my dance, color guard, and yoga gear organized and ready to go in separate string backpacks. I am extremely fortunate to get the little backpacks from marching band events. That makes it a zero cost organization system. The downside is all of the bags are from the same sponsor. Is too easy to grab the wrong bag for the wrong class. Whoops!
I can fix this by making a unique handmade zipper pull for each backpack so I can tell them apart.
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This is a quick and easy recycled craft that is fun to do with kids. Sourcing the materials might be the best part of the project because we are reusing bottle caps. Enjoying a soda treat in the name of recycled organizers? Don’t mind if I do!
I can fix this by making a unique handmade zipper pull for each backpack so I can tell them apart.
Pin me for later!
This is a quick and easy recycled craft that is fun to do with kids. Sourcing the materials might be the best part of the project because we are reusing bottle caps. Enjoying a soda treat in the name of recycled organizers? Don’t mind if I do!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Our Favorite Condo Blues Craft Projects of 2015
We’re celebrating the New Year by looking back at some of our favorite Condo Blues craft projects and tutorials we published in 2015.
When it comes to crafts, upcycling and recycling materials are the things you crave. 8 out of our most popular craft post tutorials feature reclaimed materials. Woo hoo! Who says green living can’t be cute and creative living too?
When it comes to crafts, upcycling and recycling materials are the things you crave. 8 out of our most popular craft post tutorials feature reclaimed materials. Woo hoo! Who says green living can’t be cute and creative living too?
Our Top 11 Condo Blues Craft Projects in 2015
Make Candle Wax Warmer Melts, Tarts, and Cubes: The Complete DIY Guide!
How to Make Aluminum Can Coasters
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Our Favorite Condo Blues DIY Projects in 2015
We’re celebrating the New Year by looking back at some of our favorite Condo Blues DIY projects for 2015.
From the looks of it, we are all extremely organized people! Or at least we all want to be extremely organized people, myself included!
From the looks of it, we are all extremely organized people! Or at least we all want to be extremely organized people, myself included!
Our Top 10 DIY Projects on Condo Blues in 2015
Organize Your Garage in Three Easy Questions
6 Smart Strategies to Organize a Garage and Workshop
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