CasaSugar

How-To: 10 Tips For Better Laundering

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:00:11 -0800

Tired of pulling laundry out of the dryer and seeing that it's frayed or faded? A recent San Francisco Chronicle article, "How to Make Clothes, Bedding, Last Longer," by Susan Fornoff, offers some smart tips for getting your clothes clean while also extending their lifespan.

Here are some of my favorite tips from the article:

Try to avoid sateen sheets, as they aren't as long-lasting as plain and twill weaves.
Button up pants and shirts, close zippers, and turn garments inside out to reduce wear from laundering.
Check for stains after washing and before drying, because drying sets the stains.
For comforters, choose the highest fill you can afford. 550 and up is recommended.
Don't use hot water unless you're washing items you believe must be absolutely clean and disinfected. Hot water wears down fibers.

For the rest of the tips, read more.

Don't bleach wool, silk, or garments with more than five percent spandex.
White sheets made of cotton not treated for wrinkles look best longest.
Inspect and pre-treat stains and soils with liquid detergent. Use a bleach pen for pre-treating stained white areas of garments with stripes or patterns.
Sort into whites, lights, and darks. If you have a lot of loads, sort items into further subcategories, such as into heavy and light clothing.
Avoid fabric softener, since it leaves a coating on clothes. Use dryer sheets instead.

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How-To: Make Your Fireplace More Efficient

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:45 -0800

With energy costs going through the roof these days, many of us will be resorting to our fireplaces to keep us warm, in addition to offering up ambient lighting. But unfortunately, it's very likely that your fireplace hasn't been honest with you. In addition to radiating heat while it's burning, it has also been seeing someone else: generating a current that can send conditioned air out the chimney, and effectively out of your room. And, when those logs aren't burning, your fireplace's damper should block inside air from heading outside, and vice versa. Unfortunately, modern technology has not worked in favor of the damper, and it's actually quite inefficient. So, you'll need to follow a few tips to maximize your fireplace's efficiency . . . otherwise you'll be turning up that thermostat. And we all know that's not budget beautiful. To hear my fireplace efficiency tips, read more.

Ditch the throat damper on your fireplace in favor of a top sealing damper. It'll keep indoor air from escaping and outdoor air from entering, year-round.
Although the look of fireplace glass doors is not everyone's style, they really maximize your fireplace's efficiency. By creating a barrier between the chimney and your room, they will cut back the amount of area that your furnace has to heat. They also create a safety barrier between yourselves (especially children and pets) and the flames.
Install a fireback on the back of your fireplace. It absorbs the fire's heat and sends it back into the room, and it prevents the back wall from damage from the fire.
Pick up a fireplace heater, which will heat the room's fresh air by pulling it in and sending it through a fire-heated chamber, without creating smoke.

Hope that helps keep you warm this season!
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DIY: Map Lamp

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:00:47 -0800

If you have an armchair explorer in your house (you know the type, they have a whole drawer in a cabinet stuffed with maps and atlases), then I have a perfect project for that special wanderer. Chez Larsson came up with this easy and fun lampshade project that will add some topography to your living room, without putting a dent in your pocketbook.

What You'll Need

White lampshade
Map
Cutting surface, such as cutting board
Spray adhesive
Scissors or Exacto knife

To find out how to make it, read more.

Here's how to do it, from Chez Larsson:

Measure between the edges of the lampshade and cut a long strip that covers the shade and then some.
Spray permanent spray adhesive onto the back of the map in a well-ventilated area and affix to the outside of the shade, smoothing out any air bubbles with your hands.
Let dry, and enjoy!

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How-To: Create Festive Tabletop Votives

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:15:39 -0800

Recently, I came across this great, simple trick from Better Homes and Gardens for transforming a holiday Autumn table. For a beautiful twist on boring old votives, collect colorful leaves from your backyard or nearby park. Then, tie the leaves to the votive with ribbon, twine, or yarn. Voila! You have a no-cost centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Just be careful not to get any of the leaves close to the flame. While I do love the fiery reds of Autumn leaves, I don't actually think that I want them on fire.

For another votive idea, read more.

If you have some extra time, you can also decoupage leaves onto the votive's exterior. This will give the votive a frosted effect, and will illuminate the leaves.

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How-To: Steal Ideas From Anthropologie's Catalog

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:19 -0800

While I'm admittedly a fan of Anthropologie's furniture, a good part of the appeal is also in the impressive styling in the print and online catalog. I find myself much more likely to buy a sweater when it's modeled by a woman reclined in a beautiful home, don't you? I'm sure many of us have paged through the catalog and envied the interior shots. Here are some ideas for recreating that home style in your casa. Source

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How-To: Make Homemade Gift Tags

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:15:19 -0800

One great way to personalize a gift during the holiday season is by creating unique gift cards. I recently found a cute, easy tutorial for doing just that. You start out with a simple shipping tag, like the one seen above.

What You'll Need

shipping tags
small fabric scraps
glue or thread and needle
twine, yarn, or ribbon
letter stamps, or calligraphy markers or other nice pens

To find out how to make it, read more.

Here's how to do it, from Zakka Life:

Cut a small piece of fabric with pinking shears. Hand sew fabric onto tag, or glue the edge closest to the small end of the tag.
Hand stamp a name, or write the name or message under the fabric on the tag.
Attach a ribbon, twine, or piece of yarn to tag, and attach it to gift.
Give gift!

Check out Zakka Life for other inspiring home posts!

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Before and After: An Editor's Refurbished Finds

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:45:29 -0800

Anne E. Collins, editor of PointClickHome , recently refurbished some antique furniture finds. She says, "I tend to fall in love with run-down objects. I look right past the chipping paint and wobbly frame and see (with rose-colored glasses) a decorating project." Anne picked these pieces up at the Old Country Store outside Rhinebeck, NY, and she and her husband spent a frantic few days stripping, painting, drilling, and repairing. For the whole story, check out her blog. Get started on her journey with this slideshow, and hear what Anne has to say about the process! Source

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How-To: Make Your Own Firestarter

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:30:34 -0800

November is an ideal month for lighting a fire in your fireplace. A crackling fire adds a cozy ambiance to a dinner party, and it's also a perfect way to kick back and enjoy a romantic evening with your honey. Nobody likes to fuss with getting a fire started, though, especially when you're entertaining guests.

To find out how to make your own firestarter from recycled materials, read more.

What You'll Need

paper egg carton
dryer lint
candle wax

To make your own firestarter, cut a paper egg carton in half. Then, stuff dryer lint into each egg area of the carton. Light a candle and melt the wax over the dryer lint to keep it in place. After the wax has cooled, store the firestarters in a plastic bag to keep them clean. These are also great for starting campfires while backpacking.

Source

Cool Idea: Library Furniture For the Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:30:37 -0800

Craftster member Summerswann has a talent for seeing a diamond in the rough. Such is the case with her recent secondhand acquisition, a library card catalog. She writes, "While at my very favorite thrift store I spied this section of vintage library card catalog. It was very stained and faded, as if it had been sitting outside for years, but for $7 I knew I had to have it!"

She took it home and gave it a good cleaning and sanding. To see how she adapted it for her home, read more.

After staining the card catalog, Summerswann added four mid-century modern-style metal table legs, and now has an inexpensive and very cool coffee table for her living room. What a great upcycling project! I'm always so inspired to see people creating beautiful things on a budget.

To get the full story about Summerswann's project, check out her post on Craftster.

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How-To: Insulate Your Water Heater

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:00:01 -0800

Even though we've already wrapped up (har har) House Warming month, I thought I'd show you how to insulate your water heater. After all, Winter's still ahead of us, as are those expensive heating bills. This project improves your hot water efficiency by keeping water in the pipes warmer, delivering hotter water when you run the hot faucet. This way, you're effectively wasting less water since the tap isn't running tepid water when you want hot water.

It's a really easy task, and you'll be able to find the supplies needed at your local hardware store. Make sure to read the manual that goes with your water heater, though, because some manufacturers preclude insulating their heaters. You should also be particularly cautious if you have a gas heater, as it could cause a fire. To learn the steps, read more.

Supplies:

Water heater insulation kit
Measuring tape
Utility knife

Here are the steps, from Realtor.com:

To install the top piece, cut across the top insulation piece wherever necessary to make it fit using the utility knife.
Then, tape the piece in place, making sure not to block the draft diverter if you have a gas heater.
To insulate the sides, wrap them with the larger insulation blanket and secure it with tape to the water heater. Secure the seams with tape as well.
Now, cut holes to reveal the water heater's controls and the drains. And, if you have a gas heater, make sure the blanket is clear of the air intake and burner area also. Fini!

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