weekday diy: the light bulb bud vase
At my apartment we’ve almost completed the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. In the energy smart era, the incandescent bulb will soon be a fixture of the past, but ReadyMade has a fun way to make even those a little greener by recycling them with this nifty DIY project. Like the idea but don’t have the tools or technical prowess? Etsy user StarRedesigns has you covered with her freestanding versions. Based on washers for a customizable angle, various bulb sizes and shapes are available starting at $11.50. — Sarah C.
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play kitchen makeover: from janky to swanky
Every so often, I take a peek at Going Crafty, where the posts are not frequent, but when they do occur, they make an impact! This time around it was a “pinktastic” play kitchen picked up at a Big Lots for $20, then painted and updated — including a little on/off light in the microwave — for a little boy’s birthday. It looks as good or better as anything I’ve seen at high-end kids’ stores. Click for the DIY! — Mary T.
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get re-energized by design!
This is a sponsored post.
What is Re-Energized by Design, you ask? Well, it is an awesome web series that Shelterrific is excited to be participating in — produced by Puget Sound Energy, it’s all about incorporating energy efficiency into home design. The challenge is this: six teams of homeowners are paired with design coaches and together they compete to re-design 5 rooms with a focus on saving energy with a small budget. Cameras are documenting each leg of the challenge, and with every room one team gets the boot! The prizes are great: a home full of new LED and CFL lightbulbs from GE, a full suite of kitchen and laundry appliances from Frigidaire, and $5000.
I was fortunate to be paired with the Bedford family, who are just delightful. Kristen and her husband Slade have a great contemporary house, fun design aesthetic, and are really willing to completely put themselves into every challenge. This experience for me has literally been re-energizing to me as well, ending a year-long creative rut and getting me back into blogging and crafting and having fun again. I can’t wait to share what we’ve created together.
But as of today, I won’t have to wait much longer, as the first webisode is available at 6am PST at the Re-Energized By Design site — this week’s is an introduction to all the contestants. And stay tuned each week as we reveal another webisode. Also be sure to go to the Re-Energized page on Facebook, where you can enter to win a new Frigidaire appliance like those featured in the challenge!
kinda genius: lcd “write your own message” cards
I spotted these LCD “Write Your Own Message” Cards from Yellow Owl Workshop at Upon a Fold the other day, and I couldn’t wait to share them with you. The cards are essentially blank, except for a debossed LCD pattern. All you have to do to personalize them is follow the handy alphabet sticker guide and color away. The cards are limited edition, made from 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, and come with a custom envelope. Buy a set of five for $18 right here. — Erica P.
strangely appealing: steampunk laptop
From the outside, this looks like a delicate Victorian jewelry box with intricate gears and regal claw feet. Open the top and — voila! — a completely functional laptop. Imagined and brought to life by Datamancer. This stop-in-your-tracks gorgeous laptop is a Hewlett-Packard ZT1000 enveloped in steampunk details. (Copper keyboard keys! Leather wrist pads! Carved F-holes for speakers!) While not for sale, you can create your own labor of love thanks to Datamaster’s tutorials . — Katie D.
in praise of sharpies: charlie kratzer’s basement
Charlie Kratzer is my hero. He decorated the walls of his basement with $10 worth of Sharpies turning the plain room into an utter work of art. My Sharpie art, on the other hand, peaked in high school when I decorated my Converse high tops with lightning bolts. A lawyer by day, Kratzer drew some of his heroes across his basement walls including Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill, and George Bernard Shaw. So does this outdo all of your DIY projects? — Katie D.
