diy
Do it Yourself; Tips and ideas for DIY projects to create your next family heirloom, personalize your photo album and more.
Never Happier Than During the Pandemic
Act 1: Family Talent My grandfather wrote funny poems, my grandmother did oil painting and could draw people, famous peoples faces and likenesses, woman posing and fashion. My mother was a cake decorator, as was my aunt, she could make icing do things that only people nowadays can do with fondant. Amateurs! She put eyelashes on every animal like it was a Muppet and drew them in long grass because she never got their feet right. Auntie was wonderful at decorating wedding cakes. She had the patience and steady hand for creating delicate, intricate patterns and lacing. She also was fairly talented on the piano and could hold a tune, as can my brother, while my mother and I could not. This is the last mention of my brother. He was the first to take a piece of me and alter how I saw myself. My mother was also a watercolorist. She did mostly landscapes and would always point out a single tree or rock that she liked, but rarely liked the whole. I couldn’t even use a pair of scissors. Later I realized it was only because I was a lefty using right handed people's tools. I learned to adapt.
By Katharine Novak5 years ago in Families
3 Kid-Approved Crafts for Non-Crafty Families
I am not a Crafty Mom. Oh, I'd love to be one. I've tried to be one. My efforts, sadly, are in vain, and most of my attempted projects end in tears, explicit language, and/or blood. My house is littered with the ghosts of DIY projects that I have abandoned in frustration.
By Jessica Conaway5 years ago in Families
Decorate Your Abyss: A Doll-Clothing Craft to Create Happiness in Your World
I was in a miserable, dark abyss. That’s how my therapist described the circumstances I was facing. I had been in an abusive marriage for 8 years already, and things began unravelling rapidly after the pandemic hit. I was depressed and anxious, and life seemed to keep throwing curveballs at me, one after another. All the people and places I had once found comfort in were crumbling away, revealing toxicity I had never noticed before.
By A.M. Harte5 years ago in Families
Treasured heirlooms
Let me start by saying that I have too many hobbies. I enjoy baking, cake decorating, scrapbooking, and knitting. Most of these hobbies I learned from my mom. My mom is a Nebraska farm girl. She was an active 4-H member from childhood through high school. Many people associate 4-H with raising livestock, but it also teaches skills like sewing, cooking, photography, and gardening. My mom did all of these things, but is especially great with fabrics. She made clothes for her children including matching dresses for me and my sister. She made stuffed animals and dolls, Halloween costumes and dress-up clothes, blankets and quilts. She sewed tiny clothes for our Barbie dolls. She even judged clothing entries at the state fair. Her sewing machine was often in use and next to that machine sat her orange "sewing" scissors. Everyone in the house knew that we had “junk drawer” scissors and “sewing” scissors and the two should NOT be mixed up.
By Abbie Corrine Brewer5 years ago in Families
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a Dress. Top Story - May 2021.
My mother clears the dining room table. The centerpiece goes to the buffet. The candles move to the foyer. The stacks of papers are placed on chairs. I lay out the fabric on the wide expanse of the now-empty table. The smooth jersey is soft and yielding in my hands, pleasantly thick, but not overly so. The pattern is lemons: simple, big, bold yellow lemons. Here and there, deep green stems and leaves bloom between the fruit.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird5 years ago in Families
6 Low-Cost Kitchen Renovation Ideas
Are you planning on upgrading a part of your home but is worried about the expenses it would incur? Worry no more because home renovations Sydney doesn't have to be expensive. You can make your space look new and modern by simply replacing any trace of outdated designs.
By NSW Home Renovations5 years ago in Families
Galaxy in a Jar with Kid-cut Label
If you ask my grandchildren what their favorite family craft project was, they will unanimously shout, "Making a 'Galaxy in a Jar'!" After all, they got to use all the fun stuff—scissors, markers, paint, and glitter... They got to do all of these enjoyable things: cutting, printing, stretching, stuffing, mixing, pouring, sprinkling, gluing, tying... They also relished the association, because this was a group project all of our grandkids did together. You should have heard the conversation and compliments they gave each other, as they noticed the different color and design choices others were making. (I haven't heard them talk to each other that much in a long time!)
By Karla Bowen Herman5 years ago in Families
