How can we mosquito-proof our windows on a budget?
We have cats, which means our window screens have little tears here and there. Whenever we open the windows at night to cool the house down, we get eaten alive with mosquitoes slipping inside! Short of buying new window screens, how can we mosquito-proof our windows on a budget?
Heal jeans with a monster mouth patch
How about turning a hole in the knee into a monster mouth? I decided to patch my partner’s jeans this way after spying this great idea on a social networking site. Here’s my version of the monster-mouth knee-patch.
Roofing materials that are recycled, better looking, and easier on your budget
Our home needs a new roof. It’s been asphalt shingling, and it’s fine, but if I can manage to keep it in budget I’d much rather use a greener material. Or even just a cheaper material. Or something that looks nice! Really, I guess I want to jazz my roof UP!
How to hang a picture without losing your deposit
Let’s Learn a Thing today! I hear a lot of comments on Offbeat Home about the difficulty people have with hanging things, so i’mma put on my Housewife hat and lay it all out for you: how to hang art on notoriously-difficult plaster walls OR! how to break the rules of your lease the smart way. (If you do it right, no one will know!)
There’s no shame in not doing it all yourself: people exist who can do your projects FOR you!
The DIY movement has been in full force since oh, say, 2008. Its resurgence started before that, but that’s when it seems to have tipped over into a popular topic, when indie crafters got cool and became a thing you could be. The internet makes it hard NOT to see clever new things to make or fix or repurpose, and for some people crafting becomes a problem because the information is so available.
Thanks to the Internet’s cornucopia of information and ideas, I’ve very much taken on the attitude that I CAN MAKE ALLLLL THINNNGSSSS, even though truthfully, I’m fair-to-middling at making things. Given a little time and good supplies, we can make a good go at most things — which is a damn slippery path to the mindset DO IT YOURSELF OR IT DOESN’T GET DONE! Which doesn’t have to be the case.
First aid for broken vinyl toys
Finn got a little adventurous in my studio the other day — one minute he stood proudly on the supply rack, and then he woke up on the carpet, kitty standing over him, his leg snapped. So now I need to fix him. Here’s the non-collector method of fixing broken vinyl toys.
De-mane the drain
My mane is a formidable opponent to my shower drain. After a few weeks of hair washing my nightly showers turn into shaths — that uncomfortable combination of showering and wading in backed up bath water.
I feel like I’m doing a great disservice to the environment by reaching for the Drano, and often envision a whale keeling over when I use it. I was wondering if any Homies have some proven natural concoctions for drain unclogging.
Repair as rebellion
Check it: the DIY movement can help us learn to cut our consumption and make more conscientious buying decisions.