Posts tagged diy

Used some bicycle breakpads as posts to hang up my bag and helmet. -AK #diy #detroit #brick #bicycle #cycling #helmet #backpack

Used some bicycle breakpads as posts to hang up my bag and helmet. -AK #diy #detroit #brick #bicycle #cycling #helmet #backpack

truebluemeandyou: DIY Restoration Hardware Subway Sign Knockoff. Photo Left: $719 Restoration Hardware Subway Sign here, Photo Right: DIY by Gardners two Bergers. Tutorial from Gardners two Bergers here.  It seems like I’ve been posting about “engineering prints” from Staples forever - super cheap black and white copies in HUGE SIZES. Since they are printed on rolls you basically pay by the inch and an enormous copy will cost under $5. With a fixed width you can make your print as long as you want. Lots of them are on Etsy. *Tip: call Staples or your copy shop, ask about prices, and ASK about the conditon of their copier for engineering prints. Our Staples told me that their copier was old, but the copier in a neighboring Staples was brand new.

truebluemeandyou:

DIY Restoration Hardware Subway Sign Knockoff. Photo Left: $719 Restoration Hardware Subway Sign here, Photo Right: DIY by Gardners two Bergers. Tutorial from Gardners two Bergers here. 

It seems like I’ve been posting about “engineering prints” from Staples forever - super cheap black and white copies in HUGE SIZES. Since they are printed on rolls you basically pay by the inch and an enormous copy will cost under $5. With a fixed width you can make your print as long as you want. Lots of them are on Etsy.

*Tip: call Staples or your copy shop, ask about prices, and ASK about the conditon of their copier for engineering prints. Our Staples told me that their copier was old, but the copier in a neighboring Staples was brand new.

truebluemeandyou: DIY Easy Yarn Wrapped Rope Bracelet with Button Closure. Tutorial from cut out + keep here.

truebluemeandyou:

DIY Easy Yarn Wrapped Rope Bracelet with Button Closure. Tutorial from cut out + keep here.

justaddh2o: I took a quick snapshot of my garden while it was still drizzling. Yesterday was the first time it’s rained in months and my plants are thankful for it.

justaddh2o:

I took a quick snapshot of my garden while it was still drizzling. Yesterday was the first time it’s rained in months and my plants are thankful for it.

justaddh2o

In a pinch I wonder if I could use this for my end of the world kit. - AK

Commercial Geiger counters can cost hundreds of dollars. With this Geiger Counter Kit you can build your own at a fraction of the price! This easy to solder kit can be built in an evening and it works just like you think it would; clicking and blinking in the presence of radiation. Is grandma’s dish collection radioactive? Do bananas give off radiation? Are your granite table tops giving off gamma rays? After you build your own Geiger Counter you’ll be able to find out! Serial logging function lets you easily track exposure over time and the mute button lets you silently detect radiation. A must for every mad scientist! ***** WARNING ***** This Geiger Counter kit is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Don’t even think about using it to monitor radiation in life-threatening situations, or in any environment where you may expose yourself to dangerous levels of radiation. Don’t rely on the collected data to be an accurate measure of radiation exposure! Be safe! 

wallacegardens: Compact vegetable garden, in a box, with built-in trellis. Instructions at the link.

wallacegardens:

Compact vegetable garden, in a box, with built-in trellis. Instructions at the link.

boyslife.org

Urban Permaculture

permatech:

via kadbudugorjeligradovi

thesustainablelife:

Michigan State blog, video

Adam Montri, outreach specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University, has started The Hoophouse Blog.  He writes:

I’ll be talking about all sorts of different topics here from choosing a site to construction to crop selection and timing. As the blog goes on you’ll see featured farms that are using hoophouses in different ways and even some interviews with the farmers out there championing season extension and year-round production. I’ll try to keep it interesting with pictures and videos too.

And speaking of videos, here’s Part 1 of Building a Hoophouse featuring Adam (below). Part 2 is here.

thesustainablelife

DIY Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Latte (Just Like Starbucks!) Many fans of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte eagerly wait for it to show up on menus again in the Fall. It made its annual re-appearance last week. However, for those of us on a budget, those little cups of goodness can add up. Making your own at home will not only save you money, but you can also enjoy them year-round. In addition, you have more control over the ingredients, so you can tweak the recipe to your liking. article, recipe, and photo from thekitchn.com You can change the sugar and fat content of this recipe quite easily. Pumpkin Spice Lattemakes 1-2 servings Ingredients:2 cups milk2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount2 tablespoons vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don’t have an espresso machine.) Directions:In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don’t have a blender, don’t worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk. Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top. Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top. (Image: Kathryn Hill)

DIY Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Latte (Just Like Starbucks!)

Many fans of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte eagerly wait for it to show up on menus again in the Fall. It made its annual re-appearance last week. However, for those of us on a budget, those little cups of goodness can add up. Making your own at home will not only save you money, but you can also enjoy them year-round. In addition, you have more control over the ingredients, so you can tweak the recipe to your liking.

article, recipe, and photo from thekitchn.com

You can change the sugar and fat content of this recipe quite easily.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don’t have an espresso machine.)

Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don’t have a blender, don’t worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

(Image: Kathryn Hill)


DIY: Make Your Own Hot Tub How to build your own wood-fired hot tub.It’s not the easiest job, but building your own wood-fired hot tub can save you thousands of dollars if you’re willing to dig a hole and learn some basic concrete skills. Use a shovel and a pickax to dig a pit, making it at least six inches bigger on all sides than the size of the finished tub you want. Be sure to pick a location free of roots or bedrock. Make the hole as deep as you like, but smaller tubs will heat faster. As for the shape, a keyhole design is ideal, since you can place the woodstove safely away from the larger sitting area. Remember to cut benches and steps, too. Line the pit with plastic sheeting, using roofing nails to tack it into the dirt. Cut sections of two-inch-thick closed-cell insulating foam—available at any home-improvement store—and line the pit, laying the foam on top of the plastic sheet. Hold it in place using chicken wire, which should cover the interior of the tub and anything else you want to make out of concrete. Get a professional to help you estimate how much concrete you’ll need. Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow, slathering it onto the chicken wire as smoothly as possible. Start high and work low, since drops will fall to the floor of the tub. Wear gloves. Smooth? Good. Now let it cure for a week. Once it’s cured, paint at least two coats of concrete sealer. (Note: You’ll need to reseal it every year with concrete paint.) Buy a submergible stove for around $750 (http://snorkel.com) and place it in the narrow part of the keyhole pit. You’ll want to install wood fencing between the stove area and the soaking area to keep people from accidentally bumping into the burner. Though the stove comes with mounting brackets, it’s best to anchor it with dumbbells to keep it from floating. You’ll need a way to drain the tub. The simplest method is to buy a Quick Drain system—a handheld pump that siphons and vacuums out water ($75; http://hottubessentials.com). Make an insulating cover out of two-inch closed-cell foam to hold in heat. Fill the tub and stoke the fire at least six hours before your party. The first heating can take closer to 10 hours, depending on the size of the tub. But once the water is warm, it can take as little as six hours to get hot again. Aaron Huey made a giant wood-fired hot tub a few years ago for some of the best parties that northern New Mexico has ever seen. They involved numerous DJs, a giant golden bull made of fuel-soaked papier-mâché (which burned gloriously), and dozens of naked women.- SKIING MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

DIY: Make Your Own Hot Tub

How to build your own wood-fired hot tub.
It’s not the easiest job, but building your own wood-fired hot tub can save you thousands of dollars if you’re willing to dig a hole and learn some basic concrete skills. Use a shovel and a pickax to dig a pit, making it at least six inches bigger on all sides than the size of the finished tub you want. Be sure to pick a location free of roots or bedrock. Make the hole as deep as you like, but smaller tubs will heat faster. As for the shape, a keyhole design is ideal, since you can place the woodstove safely away from the larger sitting area. Remember to cut benches and steps, too. 

Line the pit with plastic sheeting, using roofing nails to tack it into the dirt. Cut sections of two-inch-thick closed-cell insulating foam—available at any home-improvement store—and line the pit, laying the foam on top of the plastic sheet. Hold it in place using chicken wire, which should cover the interior of the tub and anything else you want to make out of concrete. 

Get a professional to help you estimate how much concrete you’ll need. Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow, slathering it onto the chicken wire as smoothly as possible. Start high and work low, since drops will fall to the floor of the tub. Wear gloves. Smooth? Good. Now let it cure for a week. Once it’s cured, paint at least two coats of concrete sealer. (Note: You’ll need to reseal it every year with concrete paint.) 

Buy a submergible stove for around $750 (http://snorkel.com) and place it in the narrow part of the keyhole pit. You’ll want to install wood fencing between the stove area and the soaking area to keep people from accidentally bumping into the burner. Though the stove comes with mounting brackets, it’s best to anchor it with dumbbells to keep it from floating. 

You’ll need a way to drain the tub. The simplest method is to buy a Quick Drain system—a handheld pump that siphons and vacuums out water ($75; http://hottubessentials.com). 

Make an insulating cover out of two-inch closed-cell foam to hold in heat. Fill the tub and stoke the fire at least six hours before your party. The first heating can take closer to 10 hours, depending on the size of the tub. But once the water is warm, it can take as little as six hours to get hot again. 

Aaron Huey made a giant wood-fired hot tub a few years ago for some of the best parties that northern New Mexico has ever seen. They involved numerous DJs, a giant golden bull made of fuel-soaked papier-mâché (which burned gloriously), and dozens of naked women.

- SKIING MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009