July 7, 2021

Dresser UpcycleAnother dresser upcycle. I picked this up for $40 at a yard sale. There were marker scribbling all over it, so I decided to paint it to go into a room I was re-decorating. It is painted to match some of the other pieces of furniture I have in the room.

 

DIY EarringsIn this tutorial, you will learn how to make earrings. The earrings can be made in about 30 minutes. Here's what the making process looks like.

 

Circle Plant TrellisDo you have plants that need a trellis? You can make 4 circle trellises for just ~ 25 cents each, versus paying over $10 for one. Here's a quick, easy & inexpensive tutorial on how to make a circle trellis (for my Hoya plant).

 

Satin Hangers With ButtonsI love satin hangers for my lightweight sweaters, but it was always difficult to keep the sweaters on the hangers. To solve this problem, I simply sewed 2 pearl buttons a couple inches from the ends of the hangers.

 

Grandma's Cheats CheesecakeYou just need a shop bought vanilla cheesecake, 2 bananas, maple syrup, and enough sugar to make some toffee.

 

Tillandsia (Air Plant) PhotosThis is the first time this air plant (Tillandsia) has bloomed. I love the beautiful purple flower. Afterwards, I believe I should be expecting baby pups. Snapped some photos to share with you all!

 

Instant Pot Lemongrass Chicken (Ga Kho Sa)This is one of my family's favorite recipes. The meat comes out tender and fragrant. As a note, I use heaping tablespoon measurements for the garlic, shallots and lemongrass. My husband loves chicken with bones and my kids like boneless so I do half and half for this recipe. If you don't add bones, I would add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon chicken broth.

 

Keeping Bluetooth Earbuds From Getting LostI have found my bluetooth, the earbud style, on the ground and exposed to the elements, for the last time. I decided to make sure that didn't happen again with a simple paperclip.

 

Wooden Daisy FlowersMy Valentine's Day gift: flowers and chocolates! My husband made the flowers from wood and attached a dowel. After I had eaten the chocolate centers, I decided to repurpose the flowers and made this cute hanging for my patio area.

 

How to Decorate Fabric with Wire FlowersI don't know who first came up with the idea for making flowers from wire and nail polish, but it's a really great idea. I want to share not only my way of forming such flowers, but my idea of decorating fabric with them, for example, denim.

 

Beaded Stretch Bracelet with Fishing LineYou don't need an elastic band to make a bracelet stretch. I came up with a special stringing of beads on a fishing line, which made this bracelet not only stretchable, but also original looking.

 

Apple Moist Cornbread MuffinsAt Walmart, while looking for a pastry blender (didn't find one), I saw a cheap ($1.89) 6 cup cupcake tin. I got one. And later, while using it, I made a nice discovery.

 

Dried Flower ArrangementIt's fun to collect flowers while taking walks in our neighborhood and pressing them for craft projects. You can add a wedding announcement to a dried flower arrangement and design it into a picture frame to present it as a wedding gift.

 

Keeping Track Of What Is In Your PantryThis weekend, I took time to organize some of my cabinets. I had over 6 items that were expired as far back as May 2020. I tend to lose track of the items in the cabinets because I would stack new items in front versus grabbing from the back because it's hard to reach without a step stool.

 

Moldovan Placinte with Three FillingsI want to share with you a recipe for a dish that I think many of you will hear for the first time, perhaps as well as about the homeland of this recipe. Placinte (in singular Placinta) is the traditional dish of Moldova (officially the Republic of Moldova). The word placinta comes from Latin placenta, which means "cake", from the Greek plakount - "flat cake". Placinte are really very tasty, especially when they are still warm.

 

Eight-Pointed Star Thread ButtonAll you need to make this button is a shampoo bottle cap or just a piece of hard plastic, string, and a piece of wire. I used wire from a damaged transformer. As you can see, it will cost you almost nothing, but you will get this very original button.

 

Spray Starch Time SaverI bought a can of spray starch at Walmart. It works well, but a hassle. I spray an arm, then iron. I spray a yoke, then iron, I spray a cuff, then iron. I was picking up and putting down that can of starch as much as I was ironing. I came up with an idea I wanted to try.

 

How to Make Simple Vegetable Carving ToolsFruit and vegetable carving make food more eye-catching and more enticing. But don't spend money on carving tools. You can make simple carving tools yourself from a tin can and an old razor.

 

Sour Cream Cornbread (Gluten Free)I have had this recipe for years. It calls for Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. I made it often until I became allergic to gluten. Jiffy Mix became a no-no and I stopped making it.

 

Multicolor Adhesive Tape BookmarksI wanted to find a use for my expired dry eyeshadow. I used it to color the transparent adhesive tape. The result is original multicolor bookmarks. Shiny eyeshadow adds a delightful shine to the bookmarks.

 

Bottle DecorI made this cute decor using old food bottles: two Snapple drink bottles, a Worcestershire sauce bottle, and an old maple syrup bottle.

 

Keepsake Laundry Room SignLast summer, I was able to get a can full of old plumbing supplies that belonged to my grandfather who was a plumber for a small town in Nevada during the 1930s and 1940s. Not knowing what to do with the old faucets, etc., I came up with this keepsake idea to display the plumbing parts.

 

Reduce Trips Up and Down StairsGot frustrated forgetting to bring something UP or DOWN stairs when I changed floors and started leaving things on my stairs for the next trip until realizing that's unsafe for myself and others. I also juggled carrying multiple items (glass of water AND my cell phone for instance), NOT a good combination!

 

Custom Made Jewelry BoxMy daughter has a huge collection of necklaces. We've tried various ways of organizing them and then came up with this customized jewelry cupboard which stores 50 necklaces.

 

Yellow Zucchini Squash and Shrimp SoupIt is yellow zucchini squash season. We harvested them from our backyard! This is an easy and refreshing soup with minimal ingredients and pairs great with rice.

 

Case From a Shampoo BottleRecycling and reusing plastic bottles is a great way to minimize environmental impact and save money. Make this case from a shampoo bottle to house pens and craft supplies. Impress and interest people around you with your sustainable efforts.

 

Osso BucoOsso buco (hollowed bone) is a simple and very tasty dish of Italian cuisine. This dish originated from the Lombardy region in the 19th century (for those who don't know, that's the time when the traditional recipes in France and Italy were defined). Today it is known and appreciated not only throughout Italy, but all over the world.

 

Wire Wrapped and Beaded Pi PendantI used wire from an old transformer and beads to make this pendant. The pendant has a secret: it is not only Pi-shaped, the number of beads corresponds to the digits of Pi.

 

Intertwined Bead and Wire Crochet BraceletThin wire from an old transformer is an excellent material for crocheting original jewelry. This time I decided to use a lot of beads. Since I wanted the bracelet to be not only crocheted, but also intertwined, I decided to crochet the rings, which I then connected - intertwined. I also used pearlescent beads for decoration. This is how the idea of this bracelet was born.

 

Visiting ChinaChina has the largest population in the world, with nearly 1.5 billion people. There are many sights for tourists, from the Great Wall of China to large urban cities like Beijing and Hong Kong.

 

Cream of Chicken SoupRecipe for Cream of Chicken Soup. In a (1 1/2 qt. deep) casserole dish, combine the raw vegetables, sherry and 1/2 of the broth. Microwave at full power for 7 minutes. Drain broth from casserole dish into a saucepan. . .

 

Interlaced Wire Pendant with Goldstone ChipsIt is very easy to make this pendant. It is made of copper wire from an old transformer and several goldstone chips. You can use any other semiprecious stones with holes.

 

Aluminum Foil LampshadeAluminum foil is a rather fragile material. I figured out how to make an original lampshade from aluminum foil. All you need is aluminum foil, crochet skills and patience.

 

Laminated Plant LabelMake easy plant labels!

 

Charcuterie Grazing TableMy dining room table was set with pedestal, cutting boards, marble slabs and other dishes to complete the Charcuterie Grazing table for Christmas Eve. I prepared cornbread dressing muffins in mini-pans (using paper liners). A stewed chicken provided the broth for the cornbread dressing muffins.

 

Wire Woven RingI used a copper wire from an old transformer and nails to create a weather tool. So it is not at all expensive and not difficult to make this original ring.

 

Folded Beaded Brooch from Old JeansDon't throw away your old jeans. Fold a few denim circles, add beads and you will have this original brooch. I like very much the contrast between the raw edge of the denim and the pearlescent color of the beads.

 

Quick Fruit CakeThis is a real summer treat that is made very quickly. It will take you about 20 minutes to prepare it. It contains only a few ingredients, is not baked and is great if you have surprise guests who want to serve something sweet.

 

Portable Mini Plant TerrariumIf you have a desire to carry your favorite plant with you, then this portable terrarium is for you. I have come up with a very convenient and easy-to-make terrarium. All you need are two jars with lids and wire. I used copper wire from an old transformer.

 

Flower Pot from Cement and Old JeansNever throw away old jeans. Since denim is a fairly durable fabric and also absorbs concrete mix well, I used old jeans to make the petals of this flower-shaped flowerpot. This flowerpot looks beautiful not only on a lawn, but also on any hard surface in the yard or inside the house. It will delight you with its "bloom", even in winter.

 

Multiplying By 11The easy way to multiply by eleven when they're learning their times tables!

 

Flower Bracelet from Plastic Cosmetic ContainersDo not throw empty plastic cosmetic containers out. I suggest you turn them into this beautiful flower bracelet. You will have a new piece of jewelry that will cost you almost nothing, and you will also save the earth by upcycling your plastic containers.

 

Stop Smudges Before They StartA newlywed asked the question, "How do I keep my house clean with as little maintenance as possible?" on one of the Facebook groups I belong to.

 

Skeleton KeysI needed some keys to hang on this cute wall hanging. It was hard to find the size I needed without spending a lot of money. I decided to make some from wood and paint with metallic paint to make them look like a real key.

 

Making a Concrete RingIf you like unusual jewelry, then a concrete ring is definitely for you. I figured out how to make this ring without spending almost anything. All you need is quite a bit of a mixture of concrete, wire from an old transformer and... half a potato. The head of this ring is made of concrete and the shank is made of wire.

 

Wonderful Avocado ToastIf you are like me and get overwhelmed with cooking, then this breakfast is perfect for you! It's simple, it's quick, it tastes great, and the best thing is that it's healthy for you too! The avocado has good nutritional benefits for the heart, and much more.

 

Identifying A Ceramic Pot?I found this cute pot in a local thrift store but cannot identify what it might be. It is painted green on inside. The bottom is brown/black, no identifying marks, just a leftover tag from a previous sale. It appears to have a lot of etching and precise painting. Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge!

 

Identifying Furniture?Can anyone help me on the Make/Brand of this furniture piece?