learn_diy (original) (raw)
I am putting together an impromptu halloween costume...I can't afford to buy anything new this year so I'm throwing some things I already have together and I'm dressing retro this year..like 40s or 50s style (vintage plaid a-line skirt, saddle shoes, 3/4 sleeve cardigan...) I'm not trying to be totally spot on or anything, but there is one thing I want to do that I'm clueless as to how to do this with everyday home items!!! I want to have the torpedo bra look like they had back then. The hardest part about this is that I don't have a lot of crafting supplies (recently moved so anything that isn't essential was left behind in the move). I do have an old bra that I don't mind destroying for the costume...but unfortunatley i don't have any sewing supplies. I know that because of this I am extreemly limited, which is why I'm asking for help!
Any tips will be appreciated.
thanks in advance!
(crossposted)
May 2nd, 2010
Maybe someone here can help!
Do any of you have advise on making chaps? My bf wants to make this costume. http://www.geocities.jp/ges_penst/TOYTRIBE/GAZELLE-P_001.jpg
This character has a giant gun prop which is what my boyfriend is going to make and since I am the one in the house that can sew I get the lovely challange of making the actual costume. So yeah I have no idea how to go about making chaps. My skills are minimal but I can follow a pattern or a tutorial of some sort. And then I have another question. His collar and the top his chaps kind of stick up and out. How would one go about doing that? I was thinking wire of some sort. Also I know about starching but I have never really done it and don't know if it would be the best thing for this project. Thanks in advance!
Also this is cross-posted so sorry if you see it more then once!
December 22nd, 2009
I have a dry creek bed on my property, and since the bank is very steep and I have a lot of people that visit my property that are in wheelchairs or use canes, I want to build a bridge across the "chasm" so that everyone can go to the other side of the property with equal ease. I also want to be able to drive my tractor (A small one, only 19HP and about 4' wide) across it, so I've decided that my best balance between need and funds is #1 rail road ties. I am figuring on three trestle type supports, each about 8' apart, to fully span the entire length of the bed. And I doubt I will have a handrail per se, but instead have a rope rail run through some 4X4 pressure treated posts. I am sinking the posts into concrete, 2' to 3' deep. We live in Georgia and have had a drought until this year, but I seriously doubt the creek will get any water other than rain runoff.
This is a rough overview of my project. Anyone out there have any ideas on how to build this? Anyone else done this? Any bridge building information would be appreciated. I'm pretty handy, but I've never built a bridge. "The surest course to wisdom is to ask."
September 23rd, 2009
I need a good way of preventing/treating snoring that doesn't involve paying a lot of money for spray or nose strips. Obviously, snoring is caused by all kinds of different things but does anyone have any good general ideas? Thanks x
Introductory post and an offering
September 12th, 2009
This comm is a wonderful idea. I love crafting of all kinds, cooking, baking, gardening, photography and just about anything you can do with your hands. I love creating!
Lately, since I was diagnosed a diabetic, I've been very much about low carb cooking (and trying to veer away from gluten), especially baked treats. One of the essential ingredients in low carb baking is almond (or any other kind of nut) meal/flour. Nuts are naturally very low in carbs but unfortunately rather high in fat. But it's a very healthy fat.
The trouble is, nut flours and nut butters are so damn expensive. So I foraged around and found out how to make my own at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost. It's easy and you have the added value of knowing exactly what, and in what proportions, you have in the end product. The only specialized equipment you need is a coffee/spice grinder to make the flour (a food processor - at least mine - just doesn't get it fine enough) and a food processor (you could use a blender but it would be more difficult) to make nut butters.
Blanching almonds: You have to boil them for 1 minute. I found that it needs to be done in small batches so the skins slip off easily. I bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. I have a large tea strainer that I dump about a cup of almonds in then set it across the top of the pan so the almonds are in the water. Timer on for 1 minute. Timer goes off and you lift out the strainer and run the contents under cold water for a few seconds then dump the almonds on a towel and blot dry. Dump the almonds on a big plate and go sit in front of the TV. Hold an almond between thumb and forefinger, pointed end pointing away from your palm and pinch. The little sucker just squirts right out so be sure and have your other hand ready to catch it. Then I put the slightly damp, nude nuts on a layer of paper towels to completely dry. If you keep the pan of water on a low simmer, the next commercial break you just crank up the burner and have another batch ready for the next segment of the show. I tried doing a larger batch but when the nuts dry off and cool down they're harder to rid of their skin. When I have a bag done I pop them in a 350 degree oven in a single layer for 2-3 minutes to crisp them up. I store the cooled nuts in a baggy and when I need almond flour (almond meal really) I run several handfuls through my coffee grinder. You have to experiment and gauge how long to grind the nuts. You want it as fine as possible, but if you go too far you'll turn it into a paste. If you do go too far - nut butter! Just run the meal through a fairly coarse strainer of some kind to get out the chunks and larger granules and save them to add to you nut butter processing. Easy and so fresh. And considering a 1 lb bag of almond meal runs about $10-11 bucks locally and I can get the same amount of raw almonds for less than half that, it makes it very worth my while.
Almond butter is even easier: Dump a single layer of almonds (or any other nut for that matter) on a baking sheet and pop it in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 min. You need to pay pretty close attention since they can go from golden roasted to burnt in no time. You'll be able to smell the difference. Stir at least once during roasting. Dump the nuts onto a plate to cool a little but it's OK if they're still a little warm - good even because they'll be softer. Place the warm nuts in the food processor and pulse at first to chop them up. When they're fairly fine, just let the machine rip. It'll take 3-5 minutes and you'll probably have to stop once or twice to knock down the nuts off the sides and depending on how dry they are you might need to add 1-2 tsp of neutral tasting oil (I use walnut oil but canola, sunflower or safflower oil would work nicely too), but it'll soon turn into a paste. Don't get too anxious and add the oil too soon. You might not need it. Just give the nuts time to do their thing. Add a little salt if you like but be gentle, it won't need much.
The almond butter will be gritty and creamy at the same time - not a smooth paste like peanut butter. If you take the time to blanch the almonds before turning them into butter the end product would probably be a lot smoother but not nearly as tasty or nutritious. As a matter of fact, I saw the skins off of the blanched almonds, toast them lightly and throw them in with the whole nuts for an even toastier and more robust flavor. A 12 oz jar of almond butter locally is 6.99ormore.Icanmakeitfor6.99 or more. I can make it for 6.99ormore.Icanmakeitfor3.49. Again, well worth my time and I know exactly what's gone into it and how fresh it is. I don't know about walnut or pecans yet (but I intend to try) but I understand macadamia nuts and cashews make a nice smooth butter.
Have fun!
September 10th, 2009
I am happy that I found a community like this on here :D
I love crafting (as you can see on my blog ;) )
The main things I do are drawing, painting, jewellery (still learning), poppeting, crochet (a beginner, I made 2 simple hats, that's it :D), papercrafts, and lot's of other things.
I love singing, listening to music, watching anime and Japanese drama and studying Japanese.
I am following architecture at school.
I would love to learn more about crochet or some simple recipe's that I can cook at my dorm.
Hope I can help some of you here too .
Happy crafting everyone!!
September 6th, 2009
I promised y'all some deer deterrent plans last week, so here goes! For the version which is easily repeatable, we used a $10.48 drill from Wal-mart and wired it to a 3 V transformer and a 25 ohm potentiometer. That combination let us run it on plain old AC electricity rather than batteries and to adjust the speed.
A wire, chain, and golf ball attached to the drill then revolve and clang against some metal flashing. The resulting sound and motion have been 100% effective in keeping deer out of our garden, even though last year by this time our garden was more like a mass of chomped on roots.
If you're interested, I put step by step instructions up on our deer deterrent website. We're hoping other folks will give it a shot and help us streamline the process to make it even easier to do. Enjoy!
September 6th, 2009
I've been lurking in the background since joining, mainly due to not knowing really what to say, but today I decided to take the plunge!
I mainly knit, sew and cook / bake. I've only recently started cooking seriously - over about the last year - but I love doing it and am always on the look-out for new recipes. I've knitted for as long as I can remember, but it's only a 'when I feel like it' thing so I go for long periods without doing it.
I have previously also made my own wine (which was lovely) but when I split up with my partner he got the equipment so I haven't been able to make any more since.
Well, I'll try to think of some other things I'm good at, and hopefully will be able to contribute something to this excellent community!
September 5th, 2009
I am glad that you made this community!
As a small introduction, I sew, knit, am learning to crochet, have done some tatting, and various other crafts. I am thinking of trying to become an event planner. Also, my husband has gluten and corn allergies, so I've been learning how to cook without a lot of normal ingredients. He does chain maille, drawing, photoshop, and a lot of other art, and is trying to go into business for himself.
And as a small contribution, a cure for hiccups - Eat peanut butter. Weird, I know, but it works! I've even resorted to Reese's Pieces, and still had it work, most of the time :)