10 Responses to “DYI”

1. Hi Heather!
   I’m definitely a WISH I could do it myselfer. Although I can work on a book all day, I never have the patience to do any sort of craft project well. It’s always money poorly spent!

   Shelley

   by Shelley on April 4th, 2008 at 7:56 am
   
   

2. I love DIY projects. I made 2 poodle skirts for me and my daughter. Our church had a sock-hop fundraiser. It was great. I only wish I could upload a photo.

   I also have put together and painted various types of furniture, kids toys, and slate.

   My hubby is a painter by trade so I don’t tackle the big projects. I should cause they never seem to get done!

   by debbie on April 4th, 2008 at 8:32 am
   
   

3. My best DIY project was probably my simplest one (that actually turned out). I downloaded vintage Xmas postcards - printed them on cardstock - attached a cardstock backing to them - punched a hole in the corner and either added a gemstone-type brad or ribbon in the corner. I used these as gift tags on my Xmas presents. I know it sounds pretty basic, but my family and friends just loved them!

   by Ann on April 4th, 2008 at 8:46 am
   
   

4. A couple of years ago I attended a pot-luck holiday event at a local mystery bookstore. Racking my brain for something to take, I hit upon thumbprint cookies. That’s a very traditional recipe, involving a sugar cookie that you smoosh in the middle and fill with a dollop of jam. I decided to give it a mystery spin: I eliminated the jam and created my own “thumbprint” cookie stamp (yes, it really is my thumb). When they were baked, I “dusted” them with cocoa powder so the print would stand out.

   by Sheila Connolly on April 4th, 2008 at 9:57 am
   
   

5. The biggest DIY project I’ve undertaken is to put new flooring in our family room when we bought our house. Now I know this probably sounds fairly easy - but - REMOVING the carpet was the absolute worst job I have ever had. Do you know or even want to know what 5 dogs over a period of years can do in and on a carpet? Yep the people had 5 dogs…. It was the grossest thing ever…. Now I have lovely vinyl flooring which can be mopped with bleach…..often.

   by Ealasaid Cameron on April 4th, 2008 at 10:26 am
   
   

6. Our recent projects have been to mammoth for DIY. For example, a federally protected type of woodpecker has been doing hundreds of dollars of damage to the wood siding of my house. I’ve sprayed for bugs, hung balloons, windsocks, and rubber snakes out the window, and sent the cats out after him. Is he scared? No! In fact, he’s just got a girlfriend!

   Have fun on your trip, Heather!

   by JB on April 4th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
   
   

7. DYI projects I like, but only if they involve paint. Paint of all kinds, I’m game to try. But sewing (gag, gag, gag). No biggie since stores are full of clothes. But hot dog costumes, no way. The buggers are low on those. Only problem, my darling (while he sleeps only) son wanted to be a hot dog for Halloween. Suddenly, I’m Susie Seamstress….not….but I tried.

   It’s amazing how quickly panic sets in when your finger slides beneath the sewing machine needle. Is that blood, omg that’s blood……call 911. A word of advise, don’t shout out ‘Honey, help, help.” …..you’ll get diddly squat from dh……yell, “The boat’s on fire!” or “TV just exploded!…….he’ll come running toot sweet.

   Okay, blood stains soaked and washed from the table cloth (actually tossed in the trash, but I’m pretending to go green) and my finger bandaged, I hunkered down to finish the costume. Only have my precious baby whine Elvis from the building because I put mustard down the dog instead of ketchup. I mean, come on, it is fabric. But nooooooo…….my little guy had to have his favorite vegetable—ketchup.

   Well, it was Halloween night, and already dark, so I put down my foot and made him trick or treat with mustard on his dog. (Of course, I know what you’re thinking. Serious mother of the year infraction) But in my defense, I’d lost a lot of blood.

   That’s my DIY fiasco. Should you wish a look-see at this nightmare, a picture can be found under ’still moments’ on my website http://www.marianneharden.com , including my darling son’s horrible expression at his mother’s cruelty…..

   BTW, Heather, I love your books. Okay, enough sucking up.

   Lovely weekend, all

   by Marianne Harden on April 4th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
   
   

8. DYI, of course! I’m sure I can do anything. I bought an antique chair once and the fabric to recover it and the tacks. I had great intentions. Took the current cover off, cut new pieces to match and sewed it up, but I didn’t figure in the amount of pull years had on the old fabric and then I cut the new too tight, and then… Well, the chair finally went into the yard sale and someone else decided they could finish my project.

   Some things worked. I love covering baskets and ceramics with colorful napkins and glue. My beset project was a large ceramic frog. I used to cross stitch until my eyes didn’t focus as well. I love crochet, never really loved knitting, and love quilting, at least in small doses.

   I found that the costumes on fabric panels that you buy in the fabric store worked amazingly for Halloween and you felt like you were making something. I moved my sewing machine 1600 miles just to find out that it needs serviced (or maybe trashed.) I used to even sew my own clothes. I’m not sure why I had so much time back then.

   Love the christmas card idea. My boss did the photo shopped cards with her daughters pictures on them last year. I didn’t even send, milking the cancer card for all it was worth. This year, I’ll have to come up with something.

   Heather, sorry I’ll miss you on your swing to St. Louis next weekend. I’ll be going two hours south to Sullivan for a dart tourneyment.

   by Lynn on April 5th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
   
   

9. I am a DYI at heart! I love all things to do with art and crafts! I have created many things over the years. The one thing I created and it had nothing to do with paper, pencils, paints, sewing, etc. was a sculpture. I created one Christmas a sculpture made out of snow in my parents front yard. Since I am left-handed it was my left hand that I studied and looked at for the better of an hour. I created the peace sign, where you hold up your two fingers. I took a picture of it for a Christmas card that I sent to my brother who was living in Texas at the time. He loved it since he was really missing having snow for Christmas.

   The next best thing that my husband and I deem our best DYI ever is a Chinese cabinet. My hubby is great at finding treasures along side the road. Well, one day he was driving along and someone was throwing out an old tv that was in a beautiful Chinese cabinet. He gutted the old tv out since it was broke. We repainted the whole thing. We also put a new coat of polyurethane over the whole thing. Then we had our carpenter friend make some beautiful wood drawers for the inside of it. It has 4 pull-out drawers and we lined them all with velvet. We store all our wine goblets and wine bottles in it.

   by Melis L. on April 6th, 2008 at 12:53 am
   
   

10. ok…found you again.

    goodness, best DIY would probably be my knitting. various children’s items (hats, mittens, sweater, pants). currently working an a dress. love doing socks. yes, I’m crazy and will readily admit it. but then again, all Red Sox fans are crazy, right?

    by Katie on April 8th, 2008 at 12:06 am
    
    

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