Eightymillion

A DIY craft and photography blog. Dogs included.

DIY Inspiration: Smash Book Progress

©JenniferSchultingPhotography2012
I’m extremely excited yet overly tired.  Honestly, I could fall asleep within 30 seconds of hitting the pillow.  First I want to share an update regarding the Smash Books.  If your new to the blog, *thanks* for visiting.  Also, read here for the history behind this awesome handmade project.
I’ve got three piles of cutouts ready to go.  Huge piles.  I surprised myself at how much I’ve collected for this.  Every page in the book isn’t going to be the exact same size.  Why?  Because I hate to measure and I don’t want to take the time to cut again.  I’ve spent enough time with the scissors for the prep work.  And it doesn’t matter if they match.  I’ve got an idea to make each page fit within the book.  It was inspired by a child’s toy that I saw in the store.  I’ll share more when I approach that step.  
I also kept the odd pieces from each box that I broke down.  Not sure where they will fit in, but I couldn’t throw them away.
That’s all folks.  Girl needs sleep.  Check back tomorrow for Friday’s Top 10 List (I’ve made new connections and found some goodies from around the web).  On Saturday I’ll show you what supplies I’ve gathered to place in the books.  Everyday oddities that are inexpensive yet creative. 
Until the next word…
~Jennifer 

DIY Outdoor Inspiration: Mini Makeover Using Fabric Landscaping and River Rocks

This project was pretty simple.  It revolves around one grueling task.  Pulling weeds.  Having three dogs I don’t use chemicals in any area within the yard.  When it came time to empty my Grandma’s house I wanted to have items that I could use.  These six river rocks were from her front yard.  I positioned them along the garage and then took a step back to observe the view.  It’s like they were meant for this space. 
I’ve had them for a couple of years in this location.  I took the photo above at the beginning of Spring this year.  Doesn’t the space look terrible? The white rock was here when I moved in.  I added the mulch and over time with the rain the mulch ran everywhere.  And then the weeds came.
I use the fabric landscaping in the garden every year.  So I decided to use it here as well.  Why didn’t I think of this earlier?  Anyway, I pulled out the weeds one last time and raked the leftover mulch and white rock mixture out.  Removing all of that made the space a little deeper.  I cut a strip of fabric to fill the space and returned the rocks back into their spot.  Looks better already.
I have a love/hate relationship with mulch.  So, I flipped a coin on weather or not to use it again in this space.  
The weight of the rocks and mulch do a good job of holding down the fabric.  I added two garden pins, one at each end, for additional security.  I’m happy with it.  {For this year}
*****
Before I end my day to relax with my boys I want to share a picture of what I used this space for the year I moved in.  
Have you ever seen those cans of wildflower seeds they sell in the garden center?  They cost around four or five dollars.  Just sprinkle and water.  I was in complete disbelief that anything would actually grow.  
And then I got a forest of flowers!  And several bees came along with them.  They grew taller than me and took over the sidewalk.  I had to use fishing line to hold them back up against the garage. This was a one time experiment.  Never again will I buy a can of wildflower seeds. 
This was a table arrangement that I made from the wildflowers.  Pretty?  Sure, but they are called wildflowers for a reason.

DIY Recycling Inspiration: Handmade Smash Books for Christmas

Today is the first day of July.  And there’s no better time than to start those handmade Christmas projects than now. I’m trying very hard not to wait until the last minute with gifts this year.  I have two nieces and four nephews who will love these smash books.   
I’m going to post updates as the project progresses all the way up till their completion.  I invite you to create one along with me. Give one as a gift or a keepsake for yourself.
There is a few things that I would like to say before we get started.  
First, if you Google smash books you will get a wide variety of options to look at.  There are several ways to create one.  Some may call them a scrapbook or a journal.  I like Smash Book.  I’m sharing my ideas with you for inspiration.  There is no wrong way to make one.  Let your imagination flow.  I’ve seen some that focus on one particular subject or event.  My creations are going to be collection of photos and oddities that my nieces and nephews will enjoy.  They will all be signed and dated.  As I type this I’m envisioning in my head that this may turn into a yearly gift from their Aunt Jennifer.
We are living in a world full of technology.  Agree?  It’s nice to have something tangible to track your footprint.  Are you with me?
Second, I’m not promoting any of the product boxes that you see in this post.  I’m recycling everyday products that we all have in our homes.   
Let the creativity begin!
The core of this project revolves around recycling.  I’ve been collecting and saving all sorts of boxes for quite some time.  Cereal, crackers, Mac & Cheese, fruit snacks, etc.  If I can find a way to reuse something I’m happy.  Another bonus is your production costs is low.    
The Secret Life of Bees.  Have you seen it?  I’ll be watching this tonight while I start this project.  Perhaps I’ll order a pizza also.  Too hot to cook and I don’t dare turn the oven on.
The beginning is the most time consuming part.  If you own a large industrial paper cutter than you can breeze through the prep work.  I only use my paper cuter for cardstock, so using a pair of scissors will get the job done.  
I’m taking all of the boxes and cutting off the sides, top, and bottom.  Those will get set aside for use later.  The front and back will be used for the base pages of the books.     
I’m taking all of the cereal boxes and cutting them in half.  This will be the general size of the pages for each book. Do I measure each page to make sure they are even?  No.  Once you get to know me, you’ll find that I don’t measure anything.  To eyeball it works just fine for me.  I have some ideas for combining various sizes in the same book.  I’ll share that later when I get to it.
That’s all for now.  A Sunday evening with a movie, pizza, and a pair of scissors.  My next update will come when I’m all done cutting.  I have six books to make so I want to get the most gruesome part done all at once.
If I can inspire you to make one, you are awesome!  If your here to read along, you are awesome!  My muse sings a river of ideas to me daily.  And if I can create something interesting and inexpensive, then I want to share it with you.
I would love to hear (see) from you if your participating in this project.  Leave me a comment below. You can also communicate through my Eightymillion page on Facebook.  

DIY Garden Inspiration: Recycled Dog Kennel

Last year we scored a handful of dog kennel panels from a neighbor and recycled them to serve as a barrier around the garden. I say barrier because that’s what we need to keep the dogs out of the food source.  Something tall to prevent them from jumping over. We grow a lot of tomatoes and onions which aren’t good for their belly.  Chicken wire wasn’t doing the job, so we needed to try something else. 
These were perfect! 
It took us a couple of weeks to get the dirt ready to plant.  No rototiller here.  We use a shovel to turn the dirt.  It’s very relaxing and a great stress reliever. 
Almost ready.
Every year I use the fabric landscaping in the garden.  Love this stuff!
This collection of plants and flowers was my Mother’s Day gift this year.  I like using starter plants for the tomatoes, green peppers, various hot peppers, cabbage, and broccoli.  The spinach and collard greens are started from seeds.  There is limited space inside the house and three nosy dogs who would probably dig in the pots if we would attempt to start everything from seeds.
While we were planting Disco was having fun rolling in the grass with his football.
Our neighbor allowed us to chose the panels that we wanted.  We found a gate in the pile and it works great.  Adam positioned the plants according to their height and away from the door.  In previous gardens we were stepping over plants to water other plants and realized we didn’t leave ourselves enough leg room.  Another benefit of using the fabric landscaping.
Everything is growing except my spinach.  I’ve had trouble with this in previous years.  Not sure what I’m doing wrong, but oh well. Next year I’m planting kale in it’s place.
I’ll be sharing more pictures as the garden progresses.
If you have dogs and need a solution to keep them out of the garden, look for a kennel.  Check your local paper, recycling center, or Craigslist for a used one.  Some use the kennel to contain them in one place.  We’re using it to keep them out of one place.
So, do you plant a garden?  

DIY Recycling Inspiration: Galvanized Vintage Basin Into a Flower Pot

This basin was given to me from my mom (last summer).  My dad was going to throw it out because it was just taking up space in their garage.  I immediately said “YES” and knew right away what I wanted to do with it.  
I wanted it to take up space in my garage!  Truth be told it did get lost (buried) among everything else .  It wasn’t until this past April that I was able to pull it out and put it to use.  I had the idea of placing a plant inside of it, but wasn’t sure if I should replant one in the bottom?  Or just place the pot inside?  I chose the second option.  Less dirt and much easier. Keep things simple, right?
I cut the hose that was attached to the bottom.  It was long, unattractive, and the dogs kept pulling at it.  The basin rests in the corner of the deck where it can still drain down in between the wood panels.
To give the plant some height, I placed the top of a plant stand in the bottom.  One leg was already missing and it was headed for the garbage so I pulled the remaining ones off.  I hate to throw something away if I can find a use for it elsewhere.  It worked perfect!  You can pick up these plant stands at your local dollar stores.
I never realized the rust until I edited the photos for this post.  It may of come from what was in it while in the garage, but I’ll definitely bring it back in for the winter.  I have no experience when using metal items outdoors, so if there is something I should treat it with please share in the comment section below.  Thanks.
This was the other project I was using the double impatiens for.  Remember the post where I transformed the vintage beverage crate into a flower pot?  I used the same plant there as well.  If you missed that post, click here.
As I water the plant everyday I check the drain so that water doesn’t sit in the bottom of the basin.  So far so good. As the plant blooms it expands over the sides.  Exactly what I hoped it would do.
P.S.  This basin would also make a great place to grow an herb or salsa garden.  I’m considering that for next year.  I found a helpful resource in regards to planting food in them.  Completely unaware that you should paint the inside to protect the plants from any possible metal reaction.  Learn something new everyday.  Here’s the link from eHow Home:
 http://www.ehow.com/how_5730657_garden-galvanized-tubs.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

DIY Recycling Inspiration: Instant Flower Pot Using a Vintage Beverage Crate

I can honestly say that this recycling project is my favorite (so far)!  My Mom found these awesome vintage beverage crates at a garage sale and gave me three of them.  I wish I had more of these because they would make an awesome gift.  My eyes will be wide open on my next picking adventure.  Remember the other two I used to create an end table in my living room?  If you missed that post, click here.  
Supplies that I used for this project:  One crate, polyurethane, foam brush, disposable gloves, cardboard from the recycling bin, and a plant. 
The box clearly has a “vintage look” in it’s natural state.  It’ll go outdoors, so that’s where the polyurethane comes in. I wanted to add some additional protection for the crate itself.  You can see from the picture below that it already has a built in drain on the bottom. I sanded it down a bit first before painting it.      
I went with the Fast-Drying Semi-Gloss.  Worked like a charm.
I was surprised to find these pink double impatiens at 50% off already.  Scored two plants for $5.49 each.  I used the other one for another project. Full of color and lots of buds ready to bloom.
I pulled a box out of the recycling bin to use as my work surface.  Using a foam brush and disposable gloves I applied two coats of the polyurethane.  Highly recommend doing this outdoors due to the fumes.  I applied extra to the interior bottom of the box, since this will be where the plant will rest.
I painted the box in the morning and by the time I got home from work that afternoon is was dry and ready to go.  I snipped the wire hanger off that was on the plant.  The container fit perfectly down into the box.  Who measures anything?  Not this girl.  Usually I just eyeball it.  
I thought about replanting in the box, but after some consideration this way works just fine.  And there’s no mess.
LOVE IT!
Enjoy what is left of this comfortable and cool Friday evening.  Excited to be heading to the local farmers market tomorrow.  Perhaps I’ll have another “What’s On My Plate” recipe to share with you. Due to my previous work schedules I was unable to attend last year. Rain or shine, I will be there in the morning!

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