Duct tape frame

I warned you that there would be several duct tape posts after my daughter's birthday :) And here's another. A duct tape picture frame...pretty simple actually.

Took an old frame I had in a drawer (really cheap dollar store type).  I cut duct tape strips the length of the left and right sides (with about and extra 1/4") and adhered it to the outside.

I made sure it was covering the corner just slightly ( to insure a good looking corner joint...no gaps). I then wrapped it toward the inside.

In order to get it to go around the inside corner, I just trimmed each side at a 45 degree angle once it was at that point.

As you can see the right and left side didn't have to be perfect since the top and bottom pieces will cover it up. 

I repeated the process for the top and bottom piece (I had to be more careful with my cut since you would see that edge of the tape.  Turned out pretty cute and more importantly...my daughter loves it!

Success...found all 5 favors of Crystal Light Mocktails

It took stops at two different stores, but I found them all.

The main three, Margarita, Mojito & Appletini at Walmart for $2.68 (I also picked up their Great Value brand version of margarita...I'll be doing a taste test :).

Found the Limited Edition Peach Bellini and Pomotini at Tom Thumb for $2.50 (Safeway or Randall's sister grocery store). I have such high hopes for the Peach Bellini that I got two.

My friend was at Target and said they only had the three main favors, but on sale for $2.48 and Margarita and Appletini were sold out.

Let the mixing begin. They won't be "mock" for very long :) I'll post successful recipes as I make them :)

Crystal light mocktails

Off to find all 5 of these flavors right now. Will report back as soon as I have found them and tried them. How have these been out for a year and I've never heard of them???

(I'll report back on which girl I feel most like after drinking each one : )  Marketers are so funny...and yes I used to be one.

Hang candle chandeliers in your bath

Or maybe they are called candeliers? Either way they make a great addition to a half bath or WC.

It's often hard to warm up a small bathroom when there is little or no counter space to decorate. One solution is with a hanging candle holder. They are inexpensive and readily available now that the patio decor is out in stores.

Make sure you hang it high enough that no one will bump their head, but low enough that you can light them.

Then when you have people over, you can light the candles to make the bath smell fresh all night (nice way of putting it :)

Faux book storage

I don't know if you've seen these before, but national geographic used to make sleeves to hold their magazines (or they still do maybe).

Well I ran across them at half price books for 25 cents in the clearance section and immediately thought, "I can use these in my study as hidden storage." You know CD-roms, computer booklets, discs, etc. I bought every one they had and put them in my study bookcases. I then went to a second location and found more for 50 cents each. Still a great deal.

You can call ahead to see if they have any vs. driving around. I see them often at resale shops and estate sales as well. Easy thing to collect over time as you spot them.

Hope this idea helps you create more storage in your home :)

DIY iPad stylus...use on any capacitive screen...you know, one you have to touch with your finger :)

So this project was easier than I thought. One metal pen and one piece of sponge.

I took the ink cartridge out of the pen and shoved a thin piece of the sponge into it, making sure enough sponge was sticking out of the pen to protect the screen from the metal of the pen.

It really was just that simple. I found out online that sponges conduct electricity and therefore they work to get the electrical charge from you finger to the screen.  In this case, the electricity is able to pass from the metal pen to the sponge, then your screen. I had the sponge lying around, but I'm pretty sure I got it from the dollar store (the type that looks like a sponge vs. foam).  Like this:

If you are wondering if the sponge you have works, just test the sponge before you put it in the pen (holding the sponge and see if you can use it to control the iPad before you make the stylus). I was actually surprised that it worked :)

Another free project!

Hang baskets under your cabinets for extra storage

One of my favorite storage solutions in my home is my wall baskets in my kitchen.  I hung four of them under a bank of cabinets with an odd cut out spot.  It was dead space that was just crying out for a storage solution.

I found these hanging baskets at pier 1 and they fit perfectly.  Just enough room for four. We use them to store tape/glue in one, scissors in another, permanent markers in the third, and a few other office supplies in the last.  Keeps them "easy to find" and in their own specific spot.

It's sort of the same concept IKEA has with those rod and basket systems they sell (obviously this was a much cheaper option, and the type of basket I bought hides the contents...but theirs are very cute : )

Wall baskets can really be hung anywhere (down a odd small wall, on a wall in a pantry).  There are quite a few options out there if you just search wall basket (some are more country, others more primitive, some more modern).  Another great way to organize your stuff.