Let's AW more home/DIY things

[♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪]

I made a duplicate Grad check-in, so I'm changing mine to an AW/GTKY/Whatevs thread.

Got any new cool things that you want to show off or recommend?

We're getting ready to go on a camping trip this weekend, and my husband made these cool fire-starters.

You melt wax down and mix it with sawdust. Cut up a paper-molded egg carton by each well (so you end up having 12). Then you pour the wax/sawdust mixture in to each well and let it harden. When you're ready to start a fire, you just light the underside of the egg carton well, and boom! you have fire!

We tried it out last night and it worked great! Maybe this is a well-known thing, but it was new to me!

How to, if you are interested

[Deleted]

EDIT- Fail! Be back to update this!

[shemarie82]

♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪, I am making some of these! What a great idea. Whenever my nieces/nephews come over they want to have a fire, and it always is a challenge to get it going quickly without looking for something to start it with!

[ironbaby]

I am a terrible DIYer, but I do make my own laundry detergent, and it's amazing. I spend $20 every year and a half.

I also collect lint for our campfires, but I love your idea ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪.

[pinkcat]

I think I've shared a pic on here before, but I'm still so excited about them I'll AW again! We got new countertops and appliances a few weeks ago and I just love them!

[♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪]

Jul 28, 2015 10:11:07 GMT -5 ironbaby said:

I am a terrible DIYer, but I do make my own laundry detergent, and it's amazing. I spend $20 every year and a half.

I also collect lint for our campfires, but I love your idea ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪.

I have heard of homemade laundry detergent, but have been scared to try. What is your recipe?

[joy]

I have the same kitchen window curtain, pinkcat!

[♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪]

Jul 28, 2015 10:19:04 GMT -5 ugaqueencity said:

I'm the worst DIYer, I've bought multiple furniture pieces with the intention of revamping them, get bored, give up and end up paying someone to finish them. My husband has banned me from going to antique markets.

I do make our bread and pasta, if that counts?

Of course it does!

I have never made bread besides banana and the like, but we made pasta for the first time a few months ago. DELISH!!

Also, everyone, it doesn't have to be DIY. If you bought some cool shit, share it, too.

[pinkcat]

Jul 28, 2015 10:21:52 GMT -5 joy said:

I have the same kitchen window curtain, pinkcat!

Finding a nice simple grey and white curtain was harder than I thought it would be.. it took us quite awhile to find one we liked! Thanks Overstock

[ironbaby]

@underdog25 and ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪,

1 4-lb. box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz)
1 4-lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz)
3 bars Fels-Naptha soap
2 small containers Oxy Clean (optional)
Fabric softener or laundry crystals (optional for added scent) – I used Downy Unstoppables

You have to grate the soap, finer for HE washers but just regular grated cheese size for normal washers. Add the ingredients in 3rd, becuase it's really hard to stir! I used a big 5-gallon cat litter bucket.

You only need 2 tbsp per load. I used an old detergent scoop and only need to fill it to the 1st line. I use only a little of the unstoppables, too, and just add to each load separately.

I wash everything with this, even my horrendous workout clothes, and they come out smelling clean.

[Deleted]

I made these bean bag chairs for my boys. It was a pain in the ass but they love them!

[Ray]

I made this icebox to hold champagne at the shower I hosted Sunday, and this ring holder for my friend for when she does dishes. (I already posted it on a ransoms thread but whatevs lol

[goldenlove3]

Here's a before and after of our outdoor space project!

Before- Ugly brick paver with zero privacy (that's our neighbors driveway).


After - Beautiful new deck with new furniture and Big Green Egg table. We planted Junipers on the right side to block out the neighbor which should grow over the next couple years. Gotta add a couple more plants up front. We'll be adding a garden box on the left side too. Also working on string lights which is what those poles are for.

[shadesofgold]

Jul 28, 2015 10:37:49 GMT -5 Ray said:

I made this icebox to hold champagne at the shower I hosted Sunday, and this ring holder for my friend for when she does dishes. (I already posted it on a ransoms thread but whatevs lol

I thought this said to "hold champagne in the shower" and I was like "damn girl, you are living the life of luxury!" Now I want a wine-glass holder in my bathtub. 

pinkcat I love your kitchen! I worry I wouldn't be able to keep it so clean.

This weekend I made a shadow box frame display of our 3 graduation tassels - 1 from our college graduation (same year, same tassel), 1 from MH's law school graduation, and mine from grad school. It was more involved than it sounds because I ripped apart this nasty art leftover from the previous tenant to get to the frame and had to recreate the back.  I'll try to remember to post a photo tonight.

[pinkcat]

Thanks shadesofgold! It would be easier to keep clean if I didn't have 3 cats that loved to jump up on the counters everyday and knock things over...the next few pictures I have after the ones I shared all show kitties on the counters.

[youdontsay]

our new floors that MH installed

the office that I painted myself!

our bedroom that I painted too.

That's all the DIY I have for now.

[rablissful]

Shelves that my SO built for our books! (I know I've awed these before. Don't curr.)


Some potholders I made. Need to actually make some more. These were "let's see if I can master this technique" before I made a pair for someone else. They are both the same, just different colors on each side.

[samanthasays]

I turned this ugly, cracked mirror that I got off CL for under $20


Into this beautiful display for my wedding veil


I am also drying sage from my container garden and turning an end table and chest off CL ($20 each) into hidden cat litter boxes.

I put it all on my blog if anyone is interested

[nuggetrn]

Jul 28, 2015 10:32:26 GMT -5 ironbaby said:

@underdog25 and ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪,

1 4-lb. box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz)
1 4-lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz)
3 bars Fels-Naptha soap
2 small containers Oxy Clean (optional)
Fabric softener or laundry crystals (optional for added scent) – I used Downy Unstoppables

You have to grate the soap, finer for HE washers but just regular grated cheese size for normal washers. Add the ingredients in 3rd, becuase it's really hard to stir! I used a big 5-gallon cat litter bucket.

You only need 2 tbsp per load. I used an old detergent scoop and only need to fill it to the 1st line. I use only a little of the unstoppables, too, and just add to each load separately.

I wash everything with this, even my horrendous workout clothes, and they come out smelling clean.

I use basically this same recipe. I buy the purex scent crystals though.

Also a tip for the bars of soap. I microwave them til they dry up and puff out and then I pulverize them in the ninja (I have an old one I kept strictly for this purpose). Turns it into a very fine powder and I have zero concerns about my HE washer.

[lgraceh]

samanthasays, just lurked your blog. I. LOVE. YOUR. KITCHEN. We just built a house last June, and if I could do it all over again, I would totally go with those colors. We have major regret over the dark cabinets and floors, because they are so hard to keep clean.

[JustJudy]

My new love is refinishing cheap furniture I find. Here are two projects from this year:

[housecarder]

I think I've shared these before but I'll AW them again. Made them to store our game accessories.
The small one's front is hinged to hide controllers.

[rablissful]

That desk looks AMAZING JustJudy. I think I need one now.

Edit for tag fail.

[kayladawn91]

I'll AW our new flooring we put in ourselves. Living room/kitchen/bathroom done. Still have to do our bedroom!



Edited to make picture smaller

[Deleted]

samanthasays, where is your blog link? I might be blind!

[goldenlove3]

housecarder those are awesome!

[rablissful]

Jul 28, 2015 13:06:21 GMT -5 @erin2021 said:

samanthasays, where is your blog link? I might be blind!

Click the word blog

[Deleted]

Jul 28, 2015 13:10:19 GMT -5 rablissful said:

Jul 28, 2015 13:06:21 GMT -5 @erin2021 said:

samanthasays, where is your blog link? I might be blind!

Click the word blog

Omg... lol thank you!

[♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪]

Pretty floor, kayladawn91!

[JustJudy]

Thanks rablissful!
starbuck27, I can see myself refinishing and selling in the future as a sort of fun side job.