CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Good Grips MagTacks

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:00:49 -0700

Corkboards are helpful for displaying things that aren't "keepers," but using pushpins on your child's artwork or a memorable invitation can really ding it up. The obvious solution would be to use a magnet, but what if you don't have a magnetic refrigerator or other surface? If that's the case, then Good Grips MagTacks ($3.49, reduced from $6.99) are for you. These helpful objects are a pushpin and a magnet in one, which allow you to slip your precious photos or artwork between the top magnet and its pushpin base to avoid ruining them with holes. You can also store the tack head in the magnet base, if you are using a refrigerator or some type of steel message board. Pretty clever, eh?

Cool Idea: A Shutter as a Memory Board

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:00:55 -0700

The great thing about memory boards is that they don't require any magnets or pushpins to hang your mementos and notes as cork boards and refrigerators doors do. But, none of these options are very attractive or interesting looking. An alternative is to hang an old shutter from a flea market or your own house horizontally on the wall, and display your photographs, memos, and souvenirs by setting them between its slats. Some flimsy papers may require a bit of double-stick tape on their backsides, but most items will stay up on their own. And then you can say goodbye to those unsightly magnets from your local delivery pizza place.
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Cool Idea: Shoe Closet Bulletin Board

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:00:33 -0700

Apartment Therapy Small Cool 2008 contestant Stephanie lined the back of her shoe closet shelves with cork to make use of the space as a bulletin board in her small Chicago apartment. Not only is this an efficient use of her space, but it makes the daily rush to get dressed just a bit more interesting, and can be used as a reminder to get certain activities done that day, like go to the post office, pick up dry cleaning, etc. It also keeps the sort of papers, business cards, and souvenirs that you want to keep, but not necessarily display, private and out of your guests' eyes. Otherwise, a bulletin board in the kitchen or at your desk might look cluttered, or reveal unpaid bills, etc. that you don't quite want to share with the world. Are there any nooks in your home where you can recreate this idea?
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DIY: Embroidery Hoop Corkboard

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:00:28 -0700

I recently fell head over heels for this hoop.dee.do bulletin board ($22), sending it to the top of my wish list. What a perfect way to add style and function to your home office!? So, when I came across a DIY on how to make them on my own, my excitement skyrocketed. I do love to support all the lovely hand-making Etsy studios, but sometimes it's nice to just have a project for myself. Luckily, this one doesn't seem too intimidating, time-consuming, or expensive. I'm thinking of making several hoops in varying sizes and patterns to cover the wall above my desk.

Supplies:

1 wooden embroidery hoop
Cork board (an old board, or cork board squares)
Pencil
Drywall saw or sharp craft knife
Upholstery-weight fabric
Picture-hanging tooth w/nails
Hammer
Staple gun
Glue gun w/glue sticks

To learn the steps, read more.

Here's how, from Sweet Jessie:

Lay your embroidery hoop on top of your cork board.
Trace the the hoop onto the board in pencil.
Using the drywall saw or knife, cut the cork board to the shape of your hoop.
Lay your fabric on top of the cork circle, and wedge it into the interior hoop.
Set the exterior hoop on top of that, and tighten it.
Staple the fabric, securing it to the back of the cork board.
Using the glue gun, fill in any crevices in between the fabric and the loop.
Hammer the picture-hanging tooth to the back of the loop's wood blocks.
Hang!

Source and Source

How-To: Reuse Your Super Bowl Beer Bottle Caps

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:00:46 -0800

Once a year (at least), we all get a little carried away by the excitement of watching our favorite football teams duke it out, or by dance machine Justin Timberlake on stage, and we finish off a few too many beers (and hot wings). Not only are we left with a pounding headache but also dozens of aluminum bottle caps. Of course, you can recycle them. But there are also plenty of other ways to reuse those pesky caps. You might want to let your hangover wear off before you attempt some of these crafty projects, though. To hear them, read more.

Crochet an adorable bottle cap trivet, or use these trivet patterns.
If fishing is a hobby of yours, superglue a lollipop stick to the top of the cap, and scale fish with its spiky edge.
Turn them into fishing lures.
Stop by a local brewery and donate your caps to be reused on new bottles of beer.
Superglue small round magnets or thumbtacks and use them on your fridge or cork boards.
Glue them onto the border of a mirror or frame and turn them into folk art.
Make coasters out of them.
Drill or punch holes in them, and thread wire or string through them to make wind chimes.
If you have a large collection of bottle caps, fill an apothecary jar with them to add some color to your digs.
Or, check out these unique bottle cap ideas from Craft.

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Etsy Find: Jean Pelle Vanity Cabinet

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:15:35 -0800

My Etsy Finds normally fall under the categories of crafty things, textiles (napkins!), or artwork. But it's rare to find a furniture piece that's not just a reupholstered ottoman. So, I was surprised to come across this Jean Pelle Vanity Cabinet ($129). Quite the unique, modern piece, it's a small vanity cabinet with an extending side mirror, three interior storage cubes, an interior cork board, and door-front knobs to hang jewelry from. The cabinet is also fixed with a light bulb to illuminate while you're applying makeup or trying on jewelry. The cabinet can be attached to a wall or rested on a table. It's certainly not for a traditionalist, but for those with a contemporary home, it's a wonderfully functional piece to own.

DIY: Scrabble Coasters

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:15:29 -0800

If the words "Triple Word Score" mean anything to you then this project is for you. You can put a retired Scrabble set to work by recycling it into coasters. If you don't want to part with your beloved Scrabble set, you can purchase batches of Scrabble tiles on eBay for little more than five bucks.

Supplies:

Scrabble tiles (64-100 for a set of four)
Cork board or cardboard and felt
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Mod Podge or a stronger sealant (polyurethane)
Grosgrain ribbon (the width of a Scrabble tile's height)

To learn the steps, read more

Here's how:

Take out a pen and paper and brainstorm some four- or five-letter words related to drinks (wine, cafe, pinot, etc.) that you'd like to use on your coasters. Play with their configurations, and come up with a blueprint for your letter arrangements, either 4-x-4 tiles or 5-x-5.
Measure the dimensions of your square of tiles, and cut the corkboard or cardboard accordingly.
If you're using cardboard, cut a piece of felt to the same size and glue it to the cardboard base.
Glue your Scrabble-tile arrangement to your base. Let dry.
Seal the top of the tiles with Mod Podge. Let dry.
Glue the grosgrain ribbon around edge of the coaster. Let dry.
Uncork some vino and drink up!

You can also purchase new Scrabble tiles from Hasbro, but it's best to recycle! Try thrift stores, yard sales, and eBay for vintage ones.

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Link Time!

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:59:22 -0800

SFgirlbybay shares her weekend flea-market finds.
AT: SF has a top ten list of cloth napkins.
The Hardware Aisle has a great tip on saving energy and money with the Home Joule.
These cool light fixtures on Sub-Studio Design are made from vegetables.
Better Homes and Gardens reveals nine nature-inspired decorating ideas, just in time for Thanksgiving.
These Markow and Norris woven glass sculptures on MoCo Loco take over 100 hours of kiln time to make.
AT: NY spotted some pretty versatile apple racks that can be used as storage at home.
Design*Sponge's custom baroque-style cork-board DIY project have me reaching for the push pins.
NYC subway grab-holds ($45) are for sale to the general public, and both Danny Seo and I are itching to own a bite of Big Apple history.
Shelterrific and I have our eyes on this pagoda-esque bamboo wine rack that holds nine bottles of wine of choice, just enough to get me through Thanksgiving.

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Casa Craving Recap: Your Craft Room

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:45:10 -0800

The latest Casa Craving Challenge was inspired by the autumn season, which is when I always start hibernating a little more and delving into home projects and crafts. I know that a lot of Casa readers are also DIY kings and queens, and even though most of us will never have a separate space for our crafting madness (especially one as fabulous as Martha's), it's always nice to dream! So, in this Casa Craving Challenge, I asked you to design a funtional, cozy, and organized room for project making.

You can see all of the CasaSugar logo Casa Cravings here, as well as the great lists the users created. (TeamSugar has a great tutorial on listmaking if you're not sure how.)

Here are my favorite looks:

Look #1 was designed by Katherynn who says, "I've always grown up in family full of crafters and DIY junkies, so it's a dream of mine to have my fantasy craft room! We like to have friends and family over and all do crafts together or just chill out with one another while we sew our curtains or make our scrapbook pages. Having lots of room for everyone to spread out is a must in my room, as well as having plenty of lounge space for the rest of the family that want to visit, but may not want to craft with us! Also, EVERYTHING must have a place in my craft room. I HATE a mess when it comes to my crafts. It throws my creative chi off majorly! In this room I've provided lots of space, and lots of storage. And lots of cozy room in my sitting area! My main colors are Mermaid Net, citron and orange! I kept the wood light and neutral because the other colors were so bright! This room is awesome in the autumn becuase of the rich orange, but also fun in the summer because of the fun citron! I've listed TONS of stuff, but.. it was just so much fun I couldn't stop!"

There are some other excellent rooms, so read more

Look #2 was designed by 4BYRDS, who used bright colors and retro elements in her craft room, and says, "I like the vintage metals with splashes of color." So do I!

Steel Casey - Metal Desks, Tables, Files for your home and office or film set!	Quantum XL-6000 Embroidery Machine by Singer� -Factory Serviced
Steel Casey - Desks, Chairs and Files for your home and office	Steel Casey - Desks, Chairs and Files for your home and office
Etsy :: 8 Inch x10 Inch Print - My Buddy and Me	Etsy :: Orange Bird on Cherry Blossom Pillow
The Container Store > Shop Design Your Own Steel Cube Solution	The Container Store > Shop Design Your Own Steel Cube Solution	The Container Store > Shop Boxes > Portofino Office Storage Boxes

Look #3 was designed by CocoChic, who said: "The gray walls and colorful accessories make for a room full of inspiration. Cork board tiles make for a place to pin ideas for crafts. The Eames lounger? For a catnap after all of that crafting!"