Featured
Budget Beautiful
Sugar Editorial Picks
How-To: 10 Tips For Better Laundering
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.
How-To: Make Your Fireplace More Efficient
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.
DIY: Map Lamp
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
How-To: Create Festive Tabletop Votives
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.
How-To: Steal Ideas From Anthropologie's Catalog
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.
How-To: Make Homemade Gift Tags
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.
Before and After: An Editor's Refurbished Finds
Anne E. Collins, editor of PointClickHome , recently refurbished some antique furniture finds. She says, "I tend to fall in love with run-down objects.
How-To: Make Your Own Firestarter
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.
Cool Idea: Library Furniture For the Home
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.
How-To: Insulate Your Water Heater
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.
More on CasaSugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Petit Bateau
Anne Weyburn
Carvela