DIY Life

Having previously used wallpaper to cover my kitchen cabinets, I'm ready to change them for a new look. Since I get bored fairly easily with my decor, I like to spruce things up about every six months, and I am so itching for newly decorated cabinets.

Thanks to help from Tipnut, I found the perfect kitchen cabinet makeover project over on Tres Chic Veronique. Using pretty fabric covered in bees and honeycombs, Veronique cut the fabric an extra inch on each side, then hammered in thumbtacks to secure the fabric to the cabinet door.

I read in the comment section of Veronique's post that Scotchgaurd was used to help eliminate grease and stains when the fabric is wiped down. If you, like me, are unsure of whether or not you want to use regular fabric on your cabinets, then maybe the best alternative would be to use oilcloth, since that can be wiped down easily.

How would you like to personalize and dress up those drab ceramic plates, cups, and saucers? It's not only possible, it's much easier than you might think. Handcrafting guru Heather has posted this excellent tutorial on doing your own ceramic transfers.

The first thing you'll need of course, are the ceramic pieces. Next, a screen printer will be able to put your graphics on transfer paper for you. The key here is using the right vitrifying ink. Then just cut them out, soak them to remove the backing, and arrange them on the ceramic pieces.

Finally, the pieces just need to be glazed and cooked in the kiln. Pottery studios are readily available in most places for crafty folks and even for children's parties. But can you eat off them, you ask? Certainly you can! What a great idea for a birthday or anniversary.

[Via whipup.net]

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Frigidaire Canada, a sister company of Electrolux Home Products Inc., has announced a voluntary recall of about 7,500 Kenmore wall ovens.

Gas can build in the oven cavity during extended broiling, posing a burn and fire hazard to consumers when the door is opened and gas escapes. Electrolux has received 16 reports of incidents involving gas build-up, flames escaping from the oven door, singed hair, and burns to the hands and face.

Manufactured in Canada and sold at Sears, Sears Hardware, Sears.com, and Kmart from September 2004 through October 2007 for between $760 and $1,150, this recall is for Kenmore 24-inch wide gas and propane self cleaning wall mounted ovens, sold in white, bisque and stainless steel. Please see the CPSC press release for model and serial numbers involved in the recall.

Consumers are advised to stop using the "broil" feature on the ovens and contact Sears at (800) 479-6408 to schedule a free repair, or visit their website at www.sears.com.

It's been so long since we started our kitchen remodeling project, I almost forgot to post its completion. Though it's been functionally complete for several weeks, we were waiting on what turned out to be one of those "unexpected expenses" -- a new floor. The old one, much to our dismay, could not be patched.

Though we hired out the big work -- cabinet and counter top installation -- we did a lot of the grunt work ourselves. I wish I had kept a running total on the money we saved, because it was a lot. (Enough to cover the cost of the new floor? I don't know.) After the break, I'll share a summary of the work we put in to save ourselves money on the whole project.

A while back, in another feature on concrete, pavers, and stone, I touched on staining and sealing concrete. I recently had another great opportunity to stain and seal a 1300 square foot floor and, because of the advances in technology, it was a lot easier than last time. (If you need to repair the concrete first, take a look at Diane Rixon's great article here.)

Take a peek at the gallery; it will give you a sense of just how easy the process is, and we'll continue.

Having stumbled upon the concept (which seems to be gathering momentum) of ecofeminist organizations, well, I just had to look. The world is either getting more confusing or more cohesive; it depends on how you look at it. Like the chicken or the egg, I'm not quite sure which came first, feminism or the ecological movement.

It seems the motivation for ecofeminism is that Al Gore just isn't cutting the cake - what the green movement needs is some good old-fashioned maternal care. So how exactly do they do it? Well, one thing they do is get together, have a bit of frivolity, and then learn about all the bad chemicals in commercial cleaning products.

The Women's Voices for the Earth organization shows how to host green cleaning parties. Since this is an international organization, you might want to call it a Fiesta de Eco-Limpieza! They'll send you a kit for the party that educates your guests about chemical hazards and gives recipes for eco-friendly alternatives. So, let's get this party started!

Lots of folks cringe at the thought of caulking their DIY projects, whether it's exterior trim, bathroom remodeling, etc. But believe me, you can caulk like a pro if you follow a few simple rules and put in the effort. The first, and most important thing, is to buy a high-quality, dripless caulking gun. Will you pay more? Sure, but it's worth it.

"Dripless" simply means that the caulk will stop oozing out the second you take your finger off the trigger. Nobody needs that headache, especially if you're working on a ladder or in a tight corner. The gun should have a swing-out "wire" for puncturing the tube seal and a cutter for snipping the nozzle.

Ready for some tips?

• Know in advance if the project needs paintable caulk or not.
• Cut the nozzle off at the size appropriate for the caulk bead.
• Avoid stops and starts. Lay a bead for as long as you can reach comfortably.
• Apply the minimum size bead. You'll save money and have fewer problems.
• Gently smooth the bead with a wet fingertip.
• Always cap the tube when not in use to keep the caulk workable.

Follow these tips faithfully and you'll be caulking like a pro in no time rather than cursing like a sailor!

I live north of Atlanta, Georgia where it tends to get a bit hot and humid from June through September.

My home has a number of temperature-stabilizing facets to it, the best one being that I have high-efficiency windows with argon-filled, low-e, dual paned glazing. Right now, in fact, I have the windows partly open, and even with an outside temperature of about 88 degrees, it's a very comfortable 71 degrees inside.

But ... there's no airflow through my home office (lucky me, to be able to work from my home, however.) Although I have ceiling fans in four other locations, in- and outside of my home, I have been slow (lazy?) to put one in the office; that ended today. Let's take a reasonably detailed look at how to install a ceiling fan. (Kudos to Kelly Smith for his nice article on this same subject.)

Follow the sequence of the gallery to get a good idea of how simple it is to hang one of these babies.