Weekend Warriors, simplify the DIY

For those of you who watch HGTV and immediately run out to your local home improvement store only to have a pile of unopened or half completed projects come Sunday evening, here are a few simple weekend projects you can start Saturday and finish Sunday.

Steppin' Up the Storage

 

Re-purposing an old step-ladder into a shelving display is a simple project that can be completed in a matter of hours. Consider using a wood ladder and showing it a bit of love. Sand it down to get rid of any nicks and digs and sprucing it up with a layer of tinted-primer or wood stain. Gently sand the ladder in random spots to give it a little character. IKEA has great wall shelves that are already finished (look for the EKBY, ANTONIUS or LACK series, www.ikea.com) which can be placed on the ladder rungs, finishing the shelving display. Added bonus, the shelves are adjustable and depending on the objects you're displaying you can adjust the height.

Dyeing for Some Color

I recently saw this in Inside Out magazine (an Australian home design publication) and thought it was amazing! This most definitely is going to be a weekend project for me, especially since I saw the exact style of pillows over-priced at Urban Outfitters.

What you'll need: pillowcases (or other fabrics), rubber gloves, fabric dye (we used Rit dyes in Teal and Dark Green), salt, dishwashing liquid, large rectangular plastic tub, broom, masking tape, two dining chairs. Using rubber gloves, fill the tub with hot water and add the dye, salt and dishwashing liquid according to the manufacturer's instructions. Wet the pillowcase, squeeze out excess water and tape the side not being dyed to a broom handle. Place the tub on the ground between the dining chairs and balance the broom horizontally on the chair seats so that the pillowcase hangs directly into the tub.To achieve the ombre effect (shaded light to dark), leave the bottom third only of the area to be dyed immersed in the dye for 10 minutes. Unwrap the pillowcase a little to allow the middle third to be immersed for 5 minutes, then unwrap further, so that the final third can be dipped briefly to achieve an even-lighter shade. Remove the pillowcase from the tub, run under cold then warm water until the water runs clear. Wash the pillowcase separately in warm water with detergent to remove excess dye. Repeat for other pillowcases. Tip: Natural fibers, such as cotton, linen and silk, will achieve much richer shades than man-made fibres. Create projects with Tamara Maynes at her workshops. For information and bookings, visit www.tamaramaynes.com