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Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Thursday, October 25, 2012

DIY Red Glittery Shoes

Photo 1: DIY Glittery Red Pumps

Transform an old pair of heels into glittery heels for $6 in one day!

Photo 2: Chew marks on heel.
Photo 3: Old Pumps


I am glad I never got around to throwing away one of my favorite pumps that my dog decided to use as a chew toy.  I wanted candy red glittery shoes to match my Halloween costume this year, and I didn't find the ones in the store  all that comfortable.

Not only are these shoes comfortable, but they look just as great as the ones I have seen in the store and cost a fraction of the price to make.  The key is too use extra fine glitter to give it a higher-end look.  Then using an acrylic red glitter glaze to seal in the glitter so that the glitter stays on your shoe.

Materials: 

  • Sandpaper (optional)
  • Shallow tray (optional)
  • Old pair of high heels
  • Old newspaper
  • 2 oz bottle of Glamour Dust (Ultra Fine Glitter Paint in "Sizzling Red") by Decor Art
  • 2 oz jar of Ruby Extra Fine Glitter by Art Minds
  • 1" wide paint brush
Directions:
  1. Optional: I omitted this step but if you have shiny, smooth shoes, I would recommend taking a piece of sand paper and slightly scuffing up the surface so that the paint and glitter has a better surface to adhere to.
  2. Lay out newspaper over your work area or work over a tray.
  3. Clean your shoes, and allow it to dry completely.  Then stuff crumpled newspaper or tissue in the pumps.  See Photo 4.
  4. Glitter-fying Your Heels.  Do the following two steps in sections to minimize messiness. I divided the each shoe into three sections: right half of the pump, left half of the pump, and then heel.
    1. Apply a thin layer of paint on the first section of each shoe.
    2. Generously sprinkle fine glitter over the paint.  Then tap the side of the shoe so that the excess sprinkles fall off.  See Photo 6.
    3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 until shoes are covered with a layer of glitter.  Then I did the process again so that there were ultimately two coats of glitter/paint on the shoes.  
    4. Allow shoes to dry for about an hour.  Rinse your brush and allow it to air dry.
  5. Seal in the Glitter.  Use the paint to seal in the glitter on your shoe.  I squeezed paint on to the shoe and then used the brush in a gentle tapping motion until the surface was covered with a thin layer of paint. I worked in sections again to reduce messiness. See Photo 7.
  6. Allow shoes to cure for 24 hours before wearing them.
Photo 4: Newspaper stuffed into pumps
Photo 5: Paint drizzled on to pump.
Photo 6: Glitter sprinkled on shoe

Photo 7: Paint to seal in glitter.  Appears red when applying, but dries clear.
Photo 8: Finished product




Thursday, October 18, 2012

Iris Growing in a Vase



I started an iris in a vase after seeing one in a plant catalog.  I've been growing it for a couple of months now, and so far things are going well.  The plant actually grew a new leaf!  I have only topped off the vase a couple of times.  I chose to top it off with water from my betta fish tank because fish waste water is a natural fertilizer for plants.


Materials:
  • Vase
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Iris rhizome or bulb* 
  • Water
  • Moss
Directions:
  1. Fill up the vase half way with gravel.
  2. Perch iris rhizome or bulbs on top of the gravel.  
  3. Pour water into the vase so that the water level falls just under the gravel.  The iris rhizome or bulb should not be in standing water (unless it is the type of iris that can be submerged in water).
  4. Place moss on top of and around iris.  The moss will absorb the water and keep the iris bulb or rhizome moist but not soggy.
  5. Place the vase in a sunny location, and enjoy!
*The rhizome I had already had roots and a leafy top.  I filled the vase 1/3 the way, placed the rhizome on top of the gravel and then poured gravel around the roots until the rhizome rested on the gravel.


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Make Your Own Freshly Ground Sage in Minutes

Freshly Ground Organic Sage from the Garden
Nothing beats turning high-quality, sage from the organic garden into freshly, ground sage for cooking.  The flavors and the aroma of the freshly ground sage are strong and wonderful for cooking.  I especially love using ground sage in rubs and herb-butter spreads.

If you are growing sage in the garden and own a food processor, you can easily make your own freshly ground sage spice in no time at all.  

Freshly Ground Sage
Comparative Savings Analysis
Source  Money           Time    Other Considerations       
Grocery Store ~$5 + GasTrip to/from Grocery Store   
  • Shelf life - Unknown*
  • Quality - Unknown
Our Garden~$0Less than 5 minutes Active Time
  • Freshly ground
  • Quality - Known
*Ground herbs are normally "good" for six to nine months, and when I say "good," I mean having a strong flavor and aroma. 

How to Make Freshly Ground Sage

Step 1 
Cut a bunch of stems from your sage plant and tie them into a bundle using a rubber band (See Photo Below).  Then hang the bundle upside down in a cool and dark place to allow the sage leaves to completely dry out.  How much time it will take for the leaves to dry out depends on how many stems are in a bundle, airflow, temperature and humidity.  Allow the bundle to dry until the leaves are crunchy.
Organic Sage, Dried


Step 2 
After your sage is brittle to the touch, strip the sage leaves from the stems of the plant and place the leaves into a bowl or directly into the food processor.
Organic Sage Leaves


Step 3
Place the leaves into a food processor (if you haven't already).  I am using a small Ninja food processor.
Dried Sage leaves in Ninja food processor


Step 4
Give the food processor a few pulses until the dried sage is finely ground.  Then pour the sage into your clean container.
Freshly ground organic sage
As you can see, grinding up your spices can take less than five minutes of your time, and is well worth the effort.  Not only will you be getting high, quality herbs from your organic garden, but you will also be saving money and saving yourself a trip to the grocery stores.




Monday, June 4, 2012

DIY Apple Seedling Starter Results

Photo: Plants Growing in DIY Apple Carton Seedling Starter


I planted a variety of seeds in a DIY Apple Carton Seedling Starter I created in April. See Post.  As you can see from the photo above, it was a partial success.  Some seeds took off better than others.

What Grew:

  1. Anise
  2. Broad Leaf Sage
  3. Unknown Plant Growing at Peppermint Site
  4. Marjoram
  5. Horehound
  6. Siam Queen Thai Basil
  7. Balm
  8. Leek
Seeds that Failed to Germinate:
  1. Lavender (fragrant)
  2. Summer Savory
  3. Peppermint
  4. Parsley Paramont
  5. Chives

Saturday, April 28, 2012

DIY Apple Carton Seedling Starter

Apple Carton Seedling Starter
Apple Carton Seedling Starter

This empty apple carton looked like it could be a great seedling starter.  Keeping the soil evenly moist is critical in getting seeds to germinate, and as you can see in the photo above, this container traps moisture well.  This is my first time using this type of container, but I have high hopes.

DIY Apple Carton Seedling Starter

Materials:
  • Empty apple container or similar container.  We got this one from Costco.
  • Permanent Marker
  • Potting soil
  • Seeds
  • Water (use a hose with a mister nozzle, a spray bottle, or gently pour water from a cup)
  • Pen and Paper (to track what seeds you planted)
Directions: 
  1. Close the container, and number each dome.  This makes recording what you planted in each dome easier. 
  2. Open the container, and fill each space with soil.  
  3. Then plant your seeds in each pod, and make sure you write down which seeds were planted in each pod.
  4. Then gently water the soil in a way that does not disturb the seeds.  Water until the soil is moist, but not soggy.  
  5. Close the container and place it on a level surface in a shady area.  Then wait!  You should not have to water the plant for several days.  Only water the soil if it looks or feels dry to the touch.


Photo of Empty Apple Carton
Empty Carton

Photo of Empty Apple Carton Converted into Seedling Starter
Planting Seeds in Empty Apple Carton



Thursday, April 26, 2012

DIY Plant Supports for Less than a Quarter

Are you looking for cheap plant supports?  I picked up some fence stays for only 18 cents each at Home Depot.  Then I unravelled them and shaped them to create plant supports for my peas.  When shaped into arches, they are sturdy enough to support light, trailing plants like peas.

I created several arches out of fence stays.  The whole project cost less than $2, and took less than 20 minutes of my time.  The peas will grow along the archway, and red giant mustard greens and spinach will grow beneath the archway.

Photo of Fence Stays Converted to Plant Supports 2012
Fence stays transformed into plant supports

Photo of Fence Stays 2012
Fence Stays


Photo of Peas Growing on Fence Stay 2012
Peas growing on fence stay support

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

DIY Cardboard Christmas Lights Organizer


Don't throw away those Christmas boxes just yet.  You can tear down a couple and turn them into inexpensive Christmas lights organizers.   

Materials:
  • Scissors
  • Pen or Marker
  • Rectangles cut from cardboard boxes
Directions:
Fig. A

Fig. B

Fig. C

  1. Use the scissors to cut the box along the creases.  You should end up with several rectangular pieces.
  2. Then use the scissors to make about of 1 inch long cuts at points 1 and 2 (See Fig A).
  3. Then insert one end of the wire in slot 1 (See Fig B).  Then start wrapping the Christmas lights around the cardboard working yourself from left to right.  Make sure you leave about 2 inches of space from the edge (See point 3 in Fig A).
  4. After you are done hook the end in point 2 (See Fig A). 
  5. Now label point number 2 with "Unwind Starting Here" and at point 4 you can label the Christmas light description.  For example, "Christmas Tree Lights, 1 of 2."
  6. Store lights away in a container for next year!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Homemade Vanilla Extract (Part II)



Photo 1: Starting a new jar of homemade vanilla extract

The homemade vanilla extract I started earlier this year is finally ready for use!  It smells absolutely wonderful, and tastes great too!  I love the fact that we can get high quality stuff for a fraction of the price, and it also does not contain corn syrup like some vanilla extract products in the store do.

Encouraged by the success of my first batch, I started a new batch with a different blend.  Previously I had used all Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans to get that rich, traditional vanilla extract taste.  Now I am using primarily Tahitian Vanilla Beans.  I only had 10 of them, and you need 6 beans per cup so I just added a few more Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans to the mix.  

Photo 2: Tahitian Vanilla beans from www.vanillaproductsUSA.com 


To Learn How to Make Vanilla Extract Click Herehttp://aptgarden.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-vanilla-extract.html

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Drinking Straw Converted to Strawberry Huller

Did you know an ordinary straw can double as a strawberry huller?  Give it a try.  It actually works really well.  All you have to do is push a drinking straw starting from the tapered end of the strawberry so that it pushes out the pith, part of the cap and the green leaves.  See the images and directions below for more detail.  

 Photo 1: Starting at the tapered end of the strawberry, push the straw through the strawberry.


 Photo 2: As you are pushing, keep the straw centered so that the end of the straw comes out of the middle of the stem.   


 Photo 3: The straw has captured the pith, cap and stem.  Remove the stem from the straw and remove the straw from the strawberry.


 Photo 4: Some of the pith may remain in the straw.  That is fine.  When you are done hulling the strawberries, just rinse the straw under water and it will likely remove the remaining bits.  Also, as you are hulling strawberries, some of the pith will naturally be pushed out the other end.  


 Photo 5: I had half a Costco carton full of strawberries that I knew I would not finish before they go bad so I hulled the strawberries and placed them in a freezer bag to freeze.  I can use them later for breakfast smoothies.      

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Olive Oil Hair Treatment


I have thick, long hair that until this morning was dry and coarse from color treatments and daily heat styling.  Prior to using the olive oil hair treatment, I have been using an assortment of deep conditioners and hair oils.  Although many of these products did add moisture and shine to my hair, none of them produced results comparable to a single treatment of olive oil.

If you are at your wits end with your fried, damaged hair, give this a shot tonight.  You will literally see results overnight.  My hair is soft, has just the right amount of shine, and looks very healthy.  Below are instructions on what I did to revitalize my hair.

Olive Oil Hair Treatment

Materials 
  • Olive oil (I just used Kirkland extra virgin olive oil from Costco)   
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
Directions
  1. If you have thin hair:
    1. In the shower, bend over and keep your head down so that you can have easy access to the ends of your hair.  Pour olive oil onto your hands and apply the oil to the ends of your dry hair.  Continue to apply until your ends are saturated in oil.  Keep in mind that hair is very absorbent so do not apply oil to more than half the length of your hair.  You want to avoid getting olive oil on or near your scalp or you will end up with flat, limp hair.  
    2. Allow olive oil to soak in hair for at least 10 minutes.  You can wash your body during this time.
    3. Run warm water through your hair.  Then shampoo and rinse the bottom half of your hair.  
    4. Then shampoo and condition the rest of your hair as usual.  If your hair is really fine, skip the conditioner.   
  2. If you have thick hair:   
    1. In the shower, bend over and keep your head down so that you can have easy access to the ends of your hair.  Pour a generous amount of olive oil onto your hands and apply the oil first to the ends of your dry hair and then work your way up.  Pay special attention to your damaged or trouble areas.  Keep doing this until your hair is saturated in oil.  Try and keep oil at least three inches away from your scalp.  You want to avoid getting olive oil on or near your roots and scalp or you will end up with flatter hair.  However, this is not that big of deal for people with thick hair.  
    2. Allow olive oil to soak in hair for at least 10 minutes.  You can wash your body during this time.
    3. Run warm water through your hair, and shampoo and condition your hair as usual.   

Sunday, July 3, 2011

How to Harvest Bok Choy Seeds

Photo 1: Bok choy plant forming seed pods

Photo 2: Sunlight is illuminating the bok choy seeds inside the pod.

Photo 3: Bok choy seed pods fully mature and brown.

Photo 4: Collecting seeds from bok choy plants

You probably have noticed that some of your plants have grown tall, flowered and formed seed pods.  Instead of cutting these plants down and chucking them in the trash or compost, harvest your seeds for your next planting.  It is easy to do, and saves you from buying more seeds.  I collected more seeds from one single bok choy plant, than what would come in an average seed packet.  I share my extra seeds with family and friends.    

How to Harvest Bok Choy Seeds

Materials: 
  • 5 gallon bucket or brown grocery paper bag  
  • Garden shears
  • Strainer with 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch holes
  • Large bowl to catch seeds as they fall
  • Seed container (e.g., envelopes, plastic snack bags, etc.)

Directions: 
  1. You will know when bok choy plants are ready to form seeds when the bok choy plants grow tall and produces flowers.  These blooms will disappear and seed pods will form in its place upon pollination.  
  2. You should collect the seeds when the plant is dry so avoid collecting them in the early morning or after they have been watered.  
  3. When some of the seed pods start to turn brown, use your garden shears to cut the plant at the base of its stalk.  Note: You can wait until the pods turn completely brown to skip the drying process (step 4), however, you risk some seed pods opening and releasing seeds into the garden.  See Photo 3.  You can also cut the stalk when the pods are still green, but do not cut them too early.  If you do, you risk ending up with little to no seeds.  I chose to harvest my seeds a little early because I have a small garden, and I am eager to reuse that garden space.  See Photo 1.  
  4. Tip: To find out whether your seed pods have seeds in them, hold them up against the sunlight.  Turn the pod so that the sun will hit the pod in a way that illuminates the contents inside.  If you see round seeds inside about (about 1/8" in diameter), you can cut the pods off for drying.  See Photo 2.   
  5. After you cut the stalks, place them in the bucket or paper bag upside down.  Allow the seeds to completely dry out in a cool, dry location.  
  6. You may notice that some of the seeds have already been released in the bucket or paper bag during the drying process.  This is a good sign.   Place the strainer over the large bowl.  Then take a seed pod and use your hands to split it in half lengthwise to release the seeds.  You may have to twist or rub the pods a little to work the seeds loose.  The small brown seeds will fall through the strainer into the bowl, but bigger pieces of debris will remain in the strainer.  After you break your last pod, dump the rest of the contents of the bucket or paper bag into the strainer to collect any remaining seeds.  See Photo 4.
  7. Remove the strainer.  Then pour the seeds into your seed container.  Label the seeds with its name and date collected.  Then store seeds in a cool, dry location until you are ready to plant them in the garden.    

Last Updated: July 25, 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Photo 1: 12 Madagascar vanilla beans split lengthwise steeping in a jar of vodka.

Photo 2: The vanilla bean on the top was split lengthwise with a knife.  
The vanilla bean on the bottom is a whole vanilla bean.

I started making homemade vanilla extract about a month ago.  It is a lot easier than I imagined.  All you have to do is place several vanilla beans (split lengthwise).  See Photo 2.  Then steep the vanilla beans in vodka for a minimum of three weeks.  See Photo 1.  The longer the vanilla beans steep in the vodka, the better the flavor.  I can still detect a slight smell of alcohol so I am going to allow it to sit longer.  [Update: 3 months later I can no longer detect the smell of alcohol.  Now it smells absolutely heavenly!  I have a smile on my face every time I open this jar.  It fills the room with the smell of vanilla.]  For instructions and more information about making vanilla extract, click here.

Quick Tips: 
  • Consider purchasing vanilla beans online.  Grocery stores charge a lot of money for only a couple of vanilla beans.  I purchased mine from www.vanillaproductsUSA.com, but you can also try places like Amazon or eBay.   
  • If you want to make a "classic" vanilla extract, use Madagascar Vanilla Beans.  Otherwise try experimenting with other kinds of vanilla beans and liquor.  
  • Make sure you use enough vanilla beans or you will just end up with vanilla flavored alcohol.  According to Instructables.com, you need 6 whole vanilla beans to make 1 cup of single fold vanilla extract. 
Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Vanilla-Extraction/

Last updated: July 25, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Seed Organizer

I harvest and store seeds from my existing plants.  In the past I blogged about using photo albums as a way to store and organize seed packets, and take gardening notes.  This worked well for seed packets that had small to medium-sized seeds, but I had so many seeds that I ended up with ziplock bags full of half used seed packets and loose seeds.  Tired of the mess, I found another way to store and organize all of my seeds.  

Photo 1: Shoebox/Photo Storage Seed Organizer



  • Seed Storage Box.  You can transform a shoebox or photo storage box into a seed organizer.  I bought these decorative shoe box/photo storage box at Marshalls for about $3.  However, you can transform an ordinary shoe box or photo storage box into a seed organizer.  Just place an object inside the box to act as a bookstand to keep your seed packets upright (See Photo 1).

Photo 2: Seed packets for the new seed organizer


  • The Seed Packets.  Instead of throwing the seed packets into the box, I created new seed packets out of envelopes to give it a uniform look, and to keep the seeds from spilling out of their packets (See Photo 2).   You can organize the seed packets alphabetically or by category (e.g., herbs, flowers, vegetables, etc.).  You can also create a box for each category or for each new year.  

  • How to Make Seed Packets
    • Materials
      • Envelopes (that fit inside the box)
      • Pen
      • Scissors
      • Elmer's Glue
      • Old Seed Packets (optional)
      • Individual Photos of Plants (optional)
      • Funnel (optional)
    • Directions
      • Place the seeds in the envelope or if you like you can wait to put them in at the end.  If you do wait to put them in at the end, use a funnel to assist you.  
      • Cut a small (1.5" to 2") slit on the folded line of the flap.
      • Seal the envelope.
      • Cut the seed packet so that you have a front and back side of the packet.
      • Paste the front of the seed packet to the front of the envelope (See Photo 2).  Alternatively, you can glue a photo of the plant, and then label it with a marker or pen.   
      • Paste the back of the seed packet to the back of the envelope (See Photo 2).  Alternatively, you can write down planting instructions and other notes on the back.
      • Repeat this process to make more seed packets.  Make sure that the photos and writing are facing the same direction so that it will be easier to catalog and look-up the seed packets.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

DIY Mother's Day Blooming Planter for Under $25


Photo: Blooming Planter full of Daffodils Created for Under $25

Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 8th, 2011.  Instead of getting your mom a cut bouquet of flowers this year, give her a planter filled with blooming plants.  It is more personal, will last longer and provide her years of future enjoyment.  It is easy to do, and it can also be cheaper than purchasing them from a florist.  For example, a blooming planter of calla lillies costs about $50 to $90 at FTD.com.  You can recreate this gift and add some personal touches (e.g. bows, planters, etc.) for less than $25.  Just check your local gardening center to see what is blooming.  Freesias have a wonderful fragrance and were only $3.33 per potted plant at Home Depot.  Other great plant choices are calla lillies, lavender, gardenia, and miniature roses.  You can make the gift even more personal by planting them in one-of-the kind planters that speak to your mom's personality.  For example, if she loves tea, plant some miniature roses in a pretty ceramic teapot.  If she loves shopping, plant some flowers in a sturdy, fashionable purse.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Beer Slug Traps

Turn an ordinary yogurt cup into an effective organic slug trap.  Just dig a hole, and place the empty yogurt cup into the hole.  Make sure the soil line is flush with the top of the cup.  Then pour cheap beer into the cup.  The slugs are attracted to the beer, and unwittingly fall into the cup of beer and drown.  It works!  I have caught some pill bugs (a.k.a. roly polies) too.  You can empty them out weekly, and resupply with new beer.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Container Plants Survived Week Long Vacation with Easy DIY Tricks



Photo: butternut squash (left) and early sunglow corn (right) both from seeds

I went on a week long vacation to the tropics.  I started some seeds in containers on March 28, 2011 and left them outdoors in DIY mini-greenhouses to germinate.  Most of them had already sprouted before leaving for my trip.  I watered the plants thoroughly, and used the plastic bag method and homemade greenhouses to keep the soil moist and the plants happy while I was away.  I am happy to report that not only did all of the seedlings survive, but also more seeds have sprouted!

Photo: Romaine Lettuce from seeds

Photo: Cantelope (left) and Cucumber (right) both from seeds

Photo: Bush Bean from seed

Photo: Late Corn (left) and Watermelon (right) both from seeds