#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--DIY HOME MAKEOVER CRAFT PROJECTS

Danielle Hegedus stops by today with some DIY ideas for sprucing up your home.

Integrating Crafty DIY Projects to Upgrade Your Home Aesthetics

By: Danielle Hegedus

Are you due for a home interior makeover? Maybe you’ve just moved into a new place so you have a blank canvas, but you’re on a budget. Or perhaps you’re ready to let your inner artist loose as you fashion your home to reflect your unique style. We here at Modernize are passionate about helping homeowners create the living spaces of their dreams, regardless of budget or style. And some simple DIY craft projects are the perfect choice for customizing your home without spending lots of money. With a minimal investment in supplies—including some things you can salvage or repurpose—and a little elbow grease, you can have a big impact on the appearance of your home—not to mention how you feel when you are in it!

Create a Unique Interior Space with a Versatile Chalkboard Wall

Adding design elements to your home can be pricey, especially when it comes to professionally framing pictures or purchasing artwork to personalize your space. And depending on your budget, if you’re purchasing items from a chain store, you’re likely to see that vase or print that you thought was so unique show up in five of your friends’ homes, too. Where’s the fun in that?

Ever think about creating your own artwork? If you’re not ready to commit to one image, use chalkboard paint and let your creative impulses run wild. It’s affordable and easily erasable, so whether you have a grand vision for a mural, want to have fun with some doodles, or just want to display your favorite inspiring quotes, here’s your opportunity.

Chalkboard paint is also a great option for a kitchen wall, since it helps organize your grocery list and plan your meals. It can replace a sterile whiteboard in a home office, while still helping you work through projects on a larger scale than pen and paper. And it’s a great option if you have little ones who, let’s face it, are probably inclined to draw on the walls anyway!

Bring the Outside Indoors with Fun, Unexpected Houseplants

Most people enjoy fresh flowers, but a good houseplant improves the look of your home while lasting longer and usually costing less money. Plus, a number of houseplants have been proven to improve the quality of the air in your home, removing harmful toxins found in cleaning products, carpets, and paints to help you breathe easier. Plus, plant pots are a perfect opportunity to repurpose an unexpected item for an interesting design feature in your home. As long as you can create some holes for water drainage (and that’s not even necessary for all plants, bamboo for instance), let your imagination run wild. Give items that might otherwise be headed to the landfill (or just cluttering up your home) a second-life, like old-fashioned tea and cookie tins, plastic bottles, retired kids’ toys, or gift baskets. If you have pots already, refresh their look with a coat of metallic spray paint, or maybe use some leftover bathroom tile or even glass coasters to try your hand at a mosaic. The possibilities are endless.

Take Repurposing to a New Level by Building Your Own Furniture

Whenever I see a wooden palette, I see possibilities. Set it up flat against a wall and you have a great structure for an herb or small vegetable garden. Orienting it vertically enables  you to create a garden in any small space—from an apartment balcony to a small nook by a sunny window. If you have a yard, if you’re an active cyclist, or if you have kids who love to ride bikes, consider using a palette as a bike rack that is attractive and keeps you from backing over one in your car!

My younger brother though, has taken my love of palettes to a whole new level. His entire apartment—bed, coffee table, and bookshelves—are fashioned out of palettes that he either found or asked a small business if he could take off their hands. Usually the businesses are happy to part with palettes, as it saves them money on trash removal, but make sure you ask! If you want to be just as ambitious with your palette projects, you may need some baseline carpentry skills, but there are loads of DIY articles on the internet to help you along the way. Plus, if you make a big mistake, the risk is low because the supplies usually don’t cost you anything and would otherwise be headed to the landfill anyway. 

HOUSEHOLD TIPS--WAYS TO #RECYCLE #COFFEE GROUNDS

Last week we talked about natural beauty treatmentsusing coffee grounds. Today we’ve got some household uses for those same used grounds.

Many people recycle their used coffee grounds by dumping them onto their composting pile. Coffee grounds make excellent “green” matter because they’re rich in nitrogen. In addition, the coffee attracts beneficial worms. However, there are quite a few other uses for those coffee grounds once you’ve gotten your daily (or in my case, hourly) caffeine fix.

You can make fertilizer with used coffee grounds. The coffee adds nitrogen and potassium to the soil and boosts magnesium to help keep plants healthy. Simply mix the grounds with grass clippings or brown leaves and spread the mixture around your plants. You’ll need to add lime or wood ash to the mix to encourage blooms and fruit, though, because without it your fertilizer will lack calcium and phosphorous.

If you just need to lower the pH levels in your soil for hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendron bushes, sprinkle used grounds around the base of the plants.

If you don’t like using salt to keep from slipping on your icy steps, sidewalk, or driveway and have found kitty litter creates too much of a mess, try substituting used coffee grounds.

Got furniture scratches and nicks? Dip a Q-Tip into wet grounds and dab to hide the marks.

Before you clean the ashes out of your fireplace, cover them with damp grounds. This will minimize the ash dust created when you sweep out the hearth.

Used coffee grounds will absorb odors in your refrigerator and freezer in much the same way as baking soda. Place a small open container of used grounds in the back of your fridge. Swap out with newer used grounds once a month.

Coffee grounds are a natural abrasive. Replace harsh chemicals with used coffee grounds to scour away stuck-on food from dishes, pots, and counters.

Want an antique look for cloth, paper, needlework or other arts and craft projects? Wet coffee grounds are an excellent natural dye. Add water to the grounds and soak the material until the desired shade is achieved.

HEALTHY LIVING--AMERICA'S GREENEST CITIES

Today we have a special guest, Hannah West, talking about America's greenest cities.

The realization that humans need to be better stewards of the earth is spreading like wildfire—as are the technologies that help us decrease our negative impact. But the massive green movement isn’t in full swing yet. It still needs attention, innovation, and tirelessly bold leaders. Thankfully, it’s not just individuals or groups, but entire cities that are setting an example for the U.S. and the rest of the world.

With strengths ranging from air quality and energy sources to transportation and recycling, here are some of the greenest cities across the nation that are ahead of the pack:

Honolulu

As of 2015, around 12 percent of homes employed a rooftop solar system in Hawaii. Honululu residents tend toward buying local produce, which saves on fossil fuels used to import items. In fact, the city has the largest number of farmers markets per capita. There’s also a large amount of green space and a low amount of greenhouse gases per capita.

Washington D.C.

The U.S. is proud of its capital for many reasons, not the least of these being it’s high ranking on the green cities spectrum. The city has an extremely efficient metro, which cuts down on the number of residents who commute by car. D.C. also recently installed 1.2 million square feet of green roofs, which improve air quality and make homes more energy efficient. Additionally, it contains 230,000 acres of green space.

San Francisco

San Francisco has a little bit of everything—a high number of walking commuters, heavy reliance on solar energy, and many farmers markets per capita. But it has also made a crucial and successful roundabout that’s completely unprecedented: in 2012, it converted 80 percent of its landfill waste to recycled or composted material. The city seeks to do the same to 100 percent of its waste by 2020. While the city’s high waste levels were what initially pushed it to take action, this is still an impressive accomplishment.

Seattle

While it’s unsurprising that Seattle is covered in green spaces, the city boasts a surprisingly impressive amount of parks—they account for 10 percent of the whole city. Many residents commute via walking, biking and public transit. Statistics from 2012 show that nine percent of residents walked to work that year. An emphasis on locally sourced foods and vegan dining contribute to Seattle’s green reputation as well.

Miami

Miami has a bit of an advantage when it comes to the climate; not only is it ideal for solar, but the year-round warm temperatures call for less residential heating, which means a lower rate of fossil fuel usage. Miami boasts healthy air quality and a high number of carpoolers.

These cities and several more offer us a glimpse into the future, of what’s possible when the government, organizations, and citizens work together to achieve needed positive progress. 

RECYCLE, REUSE, & REPURPOSE WITH GUEST AUTHOR LESLEY A. DIEHL

Some of Lesley's second-had finds

Mystery author Lesley A. Diehl retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York. In the winter she migrates to old Florida—cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office, and gators make golf a contact sport. Back north, the shy ghost inhabiting the cottage serves as her literary muse. Learn more about Lesley and her books at he website. 

Channeling the Queen of Recycling, Reusing, Repurposing

I had no idea growing up that my tiny grandmother, eccentric to an extreme with her insistence on repurposing my aunt’s clothes for her own use even though they were sizes too big for her, taking auntie’s shoes and tying them on her feet with grosgrain ribbon and even reusing her bath water to wash down the second floor hallway, would have such an impact on my writing. She died when I was in college, and I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t think much about her and then, whammo! She wriggles her way into my protagonist’s choice of business.

Eve Appel is a gal who believes in fashion, and why not? She lived in Connecticut and had access to all the best stores in Hartford, and on the Connecticut coast. Travel to New York City took little time. But then Eve moves to Florida, and not to Miami or Naples or to West Palm. No. She chooses the wilds of rural Florida, the pastures and swamps of the Okeechobee area.

What can a fashionistia do there? Not only can she get away from her philandering hubby, but she can set up a high-end consignment shop with her best friend, Madeleine, selling gently used fashion from the society matrons of West Palm. Eve firmly believes, as did my grandmother, that used merchandise is not only cheaper than new, but better because finding it is like a scavenger hunt—fun for everyone and with a reward at the end. Just like a mystery.

 Who wouldn’t just die for a pair of Manolo Blahniks at less than half the price?

And, of course, that is just what happens. Someone dies. In her shop. In her dressing room. Trying to get a size 14 body into a size 8 gown. That’s only the beginning of Eve’s need to push her nose into every murder in the county.

In her newest caper, Eve encounters an unpleasant owner of a game ranch who, she is sure, is responsible for the murder of a client on another ranch owned by Madeleine’s current squeeze. In A Sporting Murder, Eve finds the killer with the help of her weapons of choice—her friends and relatives. And we’re off and running on yet another caper in the swamps of Florida. Oh, and by the way, thanks, Granny, for being the role model for secondhand shopping. You’d be so proud of Eve.

A Sporting Murder

An Eve Appel Mystery, Book 3

It’s smooth sailing for Eve Appel and her friend Madeleine, owners of Second to None Consignment Shop in rural Florida’s Sabal Bay, land of swamps, cowboys, and lots and lots of ’gators. Eve and her detective boyfriend Alex have joined Madeleine and her new beau David Wilson for a pleasure cruise on his boat. But cloudy, dangerous waters lie ahead. A near fatal encounter with Blake Reed, David’s supremely nasty neighbor, is soon followed by a shooting death on the dividing line between David and Blake’s land. Both men run sport-hunting reserves, but Blake imports “exotics” from Africa and promotes gator killing, while David stays within the law, pointing clients toward the abundant quail and turkey as well as the wild pigs that ravage the landscape. Nevertheless, when a mutual client is killed, it is David who is arrested and charged with murder.

Blake’s nastiness is only exceeded by that of his wife, Elvira, who forces Eve and Madeleine out of their shop, intending to replace it with a consignment shop of her own. It seems that bad luck looms over them all, even Eve’s brawny and hard-to-resist Miccosukee Indian friend Sammy, whose nephew has disappeared.

As the case against David grows stronger and his friends’ misfortunes multiply, Eve and her strange and diverse group of friends, including her ex, a mobster, her grandma, and Sammy’s extended family, band together to take on the bad guys. But the waters are getting muddier and more troubled, and Eve and Madeleine may end up inundated in every sense of the word.

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CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MILK CARTON BIRDHOUSE

In honor of Earth Day, coming up on April 22^nd, I’m repeating a craft project from the very early days of Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. Our kids are often the driving force in making us think green. Crafting is a great way for the entire family to enjoy a reuse/repurpose/recycle activity beyond separating the glass, plastic, and newspapers for curbside pick-up. So coax the kids away from the video games and spend an afternoon crafting. 

Milk Carton Birdhouse

Materials:

clean, empty half-gallon milk or juice carton

compass and pencil

hammer and nail

1/8” dowel or twig, 3” - 4” in length

wooden bead to fit dowel or twig

sandpaper

craft knife

weatherproof white acrylic primer

weatherproof acrylic paint in colors of choice

weatherproof acrylic varnish

paintbrushes

tacky glue

scissors

scraps of colored paper

3 spring type clothespins

narrow plastic cording (the kind for making lanyards)

dry pasta, popsicle sticks, buttons, cereal, etc.

Directions:

1.  Lightly sand carton.

2.  Glue the carton closed, holding together with clothespins until glue sets.

3.  With hammer and nail, make two small holes in top flap for hanging loops. (Adult should do this.)

4.  Using compass and pencil, draw a 2-1/4” circle centered approximately 2” above base of carton on one side.  Using craft knife, poke a small hole 3/4” below circle.

5.  Using craft knife, cut out large circle.

6.  Poke dowel or twig through small hole.  Secure by gluing wooden bead onto dowel inside the bird house.

7.  Apply a coat of primer to carton and dowel.  (Twig can be painted or remain unpainted.) Paint in desired colors. Allow to dry between each coat.  (Note: if using roofing materials that require painting, glue them to top of carton before painting.)

8.  Glue dry pasta, popsicle sticks, buttons, cereal, or other materials to top of carton for roof.

9.  Cut shapes from colored paper and glue to sides of birdhouse.  Other materials may also be used (pictures from magazines, stickers, buttons, pasta, ribbon, scraps of wrapping paper, colored yarn dipped in glue, etc. Use your imagination!)

10.  Apply several coats of varnish to entire bird house for protection, allowing to dry between coats.

11.  Thread plastic lacing through holes on top for hanging. 

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA - T-SHIRT PILLOWS

Marta Hayworth writes about the arts, personal finance & more at http://www.grouphealthinsurance.org. Today she guests at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers with directions for making a pillow from an old T-shirt. -- AP

5 Steps to Make a Cushion From an Old T-Shirt

Maybe you have some old t-shirts that you have been thinking about tossing in the rubbish, but they are just so hard to part ways with. These special t-shirts have special meaning and you wish you could do something with them to hang on to them for some wonderful memories. Well, guess what? You can! Instead of wasting these shirts, why not pick out the ones that are really special and recycle them into something comfortable like a cushion that you can have on your bed or sofa?

What You Need

What you need to begin your cushion project are a few memorable t-shirts that are special to you, a needle and some thread, a good pair of scissors, and more old t-shirts for some filling for your cushion.

Step One: The first thing you need to do is turn your t-shirt inside out. The reason for this is that your seams don’t want to be showing and will be hidden when you turn the shirt back right side out.

Step Two: Next you will want to sew the bottom of the t-shirt together so that it’s shut. You create the bottom seam of your cushion by going right across the center part of your t-shirt which is parallel to the hem on the shirt. You need to repeat this going back again so make sure your seam is good and strong. The fabric that is leftover from the middle part of the t-shirt to the hem of the shirt can be used later as stuffing for your cushion when you turn the t-shirt right side out.

Step Three: Next you want to take the sleeves of the t-shirt and sew them both shut. You do this by sewing right up to the shoulder so that the arm hole is closed completely.

Step Four: Next put your hands right through the neck of the shirt and pull it back to have it right side out. The fabric that was excess you can now use as the filling and your cushion should be of a rectangular shape. At this point, if you want your cushion to be a little fuller, add some more t-shirt to the inside and stuff it tighter before you sew the end product all together.

Step Five: The last step is to sew the neckline back together and your cushion is complete!

You have successfully recycled an old, but nice t-shirt and made a comfortable throw cushion out of it. There are lots of things you can do now that you are done. You can decorate your new cushion however you want to. You can go and get some sequins from the store and decorate your cushion this way or you can get some fabric pens and have it decorated just the way you want. What about embroidering? If you know how to embroider, you can put your name or something special on your cushion in embroidery that will keep that t-shirt special for a specific reason. Whatever you choose to do, you now have a special cushion with your special t-shirt and you didn’t even have to throw it away! Do this for all your t-shirts! Who knows, before you are done you may have all your friends and family bring you t-shirts to make into cushions too!

Thanks for joining us today, Marta. Readers, you may also want to sew your pillows using a sewing machine for tighter seams and stuff them with polyester fiber-fill for a smoother finish. -- AP

MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--PLASTIC RECYCLING BASICS

Here at American Woman we’re all into reusing, repurposing, and recycling, but when it comes to plastics, it can get very confusing. Money guru Sheila Conway did a bit of research and is here today to give you a basic plastics education. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Plastics come in 7 different varieties. You can tell which type of plastic was used for making a product by the number you’ll find inside the recycling triangle marked in the plastic.

Type 1 -- This type of plastic is generally used for soda and water bottles and are usually clear plastic. Because of its porous surface, you shouldn’t reuse these bottles because of the possible accumulation of bacteria. Recycle all Type 1 plastics. They can be remade into everything from carpets to shopping bags.

Type 2 -- These plastics are generally opaque in color. They’re used for detergent bottles, milk bottles, and toiletries. There’s a low risk of leaching, so you can reuse them. They’re also very recyclable and are made into new containers.

Type 3 -- This type of plastic is used for food packaging and plumbing pipes. Don’t reuse them with food, and never microwave them. They generally can’t be recycled.

Type 4 -- You’ll find this plastic in squeezable bottles, some food bags, grocery bags, and food wraps. They’re safe to reuse but generally can’t be recycled.

Type 5 -- These plastics are used for yogurt cups, straws, and medicine bottles. They’re safe to reuse and recyclable, but check with your local recycling program. Not all recyclers take Type 5 plastics.

Type 6 -- This plastic is used for egg cartons, packing materials, and disposable cups. Don’t reuse them, and never put them in the microwave as they can release toxic chemicals. They generally can’t be recycled.

Type 7 -- This plastic is used for lids, ketchup bottles, and items made with mixed resins. They have various levels of risk for reuse and are generally not recyclable.

Thanks, Sheila! This is great information. Post a comment to be entered into the drawing for a book by our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

TIP OF THE DAY - ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

Earth Day is this Friday. Jeanie Sims, our decorating editor and resident Earth Mama, has a suggestion for how you can help the environment while doing your spring cleaning. -- AP

I do, indeed, Anastasia. As you all know, nothing lasts forever. That’s particularly true when it comes to all the electronic gadgets and gizmos we own. We’re always replacing or upgrading computers, TV’s, DVD players, stereo components, game systems, and phones. If they don’t work, too many people toss them out in the trash, and they wind up in landfills. The problem with that is they not only take up lots of space, they contain hazardous materials and toxins that over time will leach into the soil and ground water.

If you’re getting rid of any of these items while spring cleaning, here are a few ways to do so safely:

• Check with your town or county. Many hold recycling days specifically for electronics.

• Many phone and electronics stores have bins for recycling phones. Workable phones are given to shelters for the homeless or abused and can be a lifeline for these people. Phones that no longer work are stripped of their components and the materials recycled.

• Some electronics stores are now offering store credit for trading in your old items on new ones.

• Plantmyphone.com is an organization the uses the money they raise from recycling phone components to plant trees.

Great ideas, Jeanie! And such timely advice this week. Happy Earth Day! 


Readers, don't forget to post a comment to be entered into this week's drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--AMERICA RECYCLES DAY, NOV. 15

Sheila is here today to talk about saving our planet, one recyclable at a time. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia!

Here at American Woman we’re all about going as green as possible. We have but one planet, and we need to keep it as pollution-free as possible for our health and the health of generations to come. We also need to conserve energy as much as possible because gas, oil, and coal are non-renewable resources. At some point, we’re going to run out, and we’re just now beginning to get serious about moving from non-renewable sources of energy to renewable ones such as wind and solar power.

One way to go green and conserve energy is to recycle as much as possible. When you recycle 1 glass bottle, you save enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 4 hours or power a computer for 30 minutes. When you recycle 10 beverage cans per week, you save enough energy for 30 hours of TV watching per week. A month of Sunday papers recycled will save 4 trees a year.

November 15 ^th is America Recycles Day. This is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. Help our country go greener by spreading the word. Help save our planet with these three simple steps:

Reduce

• Choose products with minimal packaging to reduce waste
• Identify products and practices to reduce waste toxicity

Reuse

• Use reusable products instead of disposable ones
• Maintain and repair items you own
• Reuse bags and containers
• Consider renting or borrowing rather than buying items you use infrequently 

Recycle

• Purchase products made from recyclable materials
• Purchase products that can be recycled after you’ve used them

Not only will these tips help save our natural resources, they’ll save you money. And who among us doesn’t appreciate having a few extra dollars in our pocket at the end of the week?

For more information about America Recycles Day, go to http://americarecyclesday.org.

How right you are, Sheila! So what do you do in the way of recycling or otherwise helping the planet? Let’s hear from you. Post a comment to be entered in this week's drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GREEN KIDS

Green Kids.  No, I don’t mean green with envy or what your kid looks like right before he hurls his cookies.  I’m talking about environmentally conscious kids.  Our kids are often the driving force in making us think green.  Crafting is a great way for the entire family to enjoy a reuse/repurpose/recycle activity beyond separating the glass, plastic, and newspapers for curbside pick-up.  So coax the kids away from the wii and spend an afternoon crafting.  Today I’ll show you how to make a milk carton birdhouse or bird feeder.  Check back often for other family crafting activities.

MILK CARTON BIRDHOUSE OR BIRD FEEDER

Materials:
clean, empty half-gallon milk or juice carton
compass and pencil
hammer and nail
1/8” dowel or twig, 3” - 4” in length
wooden bead to fit dowel or twig
sandpaper
craft knife
weatherproof white acrylic primer
weatherproof acrylic paint in colors of choice
weatherproof acrylic varnish
paintbrushes
tacky glue
scissors
scraps of colored paper
3 spring type clothespins
narrow plastic cording (the kind for making lanyards)
dry pasta, popsicle sticks, buttons, cereal, etc.

Directions:
1.  Lightly sand carton.

2.  Glue the carton closed, holding together with clothespins until glue sets.

3.  With hammer and nail, make two small holes in top flap for hanging loops. (Adult should do this.)

4.  Using compass and pencil, draw a 2-1/4” circle centered approximately 2” above base of carton on one side.  Using craft knife, poke a small hole 3/4” below circle.

5.  Using craft knife, cut out large circle.

6.  Poke dowel or twig through small hole.  Secure by gluing wooden bead onto dowel inside the bird house.

7.  Apply a coat of primer to carton and dowel.  (Twig can be painted or remain unpainted.)  Paint in desired colors.  Allow to dry between each coat.  (Note: if using roofing materials that require painting, glue them to top of carton before painting.)

8.  Glue dry pasta, popsicle sticks, buttons, cereal, or other materials to top of carton for roof.

9.  Cut shapes from colored paper and glue to sides of birdhouse.  Other materials may also be used (pictures from magazines, stickers, buttons, pasta, ribbon, scraps of wrapping paper, colored yarn dipped in glue, etc. Use your imagination!)

10.  Apply several coats of varnish to entire bird house for protection, allowing to dry between coats.

11.  Thread plastic lacing through holes on top for hanging.

12.  Birdhouse can become bird feeder by filling with birdseed.


What are you doing to make sure your family thinks green?  Let's hear from you. Anyone who posts a comment this week will be part of the drawing to win a book from out Friday Book Club guest author. 


Also, Lois Winston, my author, has several designs in the August issue of  The Cross Stitcher. Check out her "America the Beautiful" sampler, "Life is Measured" pillow, and "Parrots" designs. -- AP