Post #203: Upcycling

Before

After

A couple of months ago, we were talking about how it would be nice to have a chalkboard in the kitchen to write our menus on.  I looked around for chalkboards and found out that not only are they incredibly expensive, but they also get terrible reviews, like the paint scratches, chips, or the chalk won't erase completely.

I found some DIY blogs in which they described finding an old picture and repurposing the frame to make a chalkboard with chalkboard paint.

I found a large picture at my local Savers for $5.  We were able to pop out the original picture and cut some partical board to fit the frame.  We got some chalkboard paint and did about 4 coats of that.  And today we were able to hang up a menu board in the kitchen.

--吴碧芙

Post #202: The Thing Tutorial

I ordered a large utility tote from Thirty-One.  I found out after I received it that (1) it kind of smooshes down and has soft sides, (2) they make this thing that holds the tote open and keeps the sides more rigid, (3) the thing is only sold on a monthly special by the company and is not in the regular catalog, (4) the thing is also sold on Amazon and ebay for $50+ (What?!?), and (5) the thing can be made at home using some vague tutorials found online.

Step 1: Gather the materials

I decided to make my own tutorial to make the thing, which is called a "stand tall insert."  Here is what I used:

• big diaper box (like the 150-diaper pack)
• 1 yard of "value vinyl" in a complementary color (found at Walmart for $5/yard)
• duct tape
• spray adhesive
• something to cut the heavy-duty cardboard (I used a husband with a table saw)
• scissors to cut the vinyl
• newspaper and painter's tape (for shielding the spray adhesive)

(You can see E-600 glue in the picture.  I used that to get some exercise by throwing it in the garbage.)

Step 2: Cut the cardboard

I cut the box apart, leaving the sides and long bottom flaps, to 21 inches long, which is the internal length of the large utility tote.  If you do this, you will not need to create new creases to make the bottom and sides.

Step 3: Overlap bottom flaps for 9-in width between creases

Then I overlapped the bottom flaps so that the bottom of the thing would be 9 inches wide, which is the internal width of the large utility tote.  I used duct tape to tape the top and bottom seams.  Think "science fair" with a overlapped middle panel.

Use a scissors to cut the vinyl.  I bought one yard, which was actually wide enough to cut in half and make two of these things.  

Step 4: Trim vinyl and adhere with spray adhesive

Now, let me introduce you to my new best friend: Spray Adhesive.  I wasn't going to use spray adhesive, but the E-600 could not do the job at all.  Spray adhesive was perfect.  I sprayed and adhered the thing starting with the middle panel: Spray, stick, smooth, wait.  

After doing the side panels, I turned it over and wrapped around the edges using spray adhesive.  I used painter's tape to tape newspaper to the cardboard to shield from overspray.  Painter's tape is easily removed from the cardboard immediately after spray adhesive is applied.

Step 5: Let spray adhesive dry

The spray adhesive makes it look super crisp with no gaps when the sides are folded up and placed inside the large utility tote.  All this ended up being 10% of the current going rate for these things (on Amazon and ebay).  I will admit that the official product might be better and does have some mesh pockets, but I think this works quite well and can't be beat for the price!
--吴碧芙

Step 6: Fit the thing inside the tote

Post #201: Little Projects

Broken crayons in silicone ice tray

New crayons

We've been doing little projects around the house.  

When we were visiting my parents, I found the crayon box my uncle made me when I was little.  It still had crayons inside, although most were broken.  Actually, my parents had a shoe box full of old crayons, so Miss E and I picked out a bunch of different shades of different colors, with the plan to melt them into new crayons.  We were lucky enough to find this silicone ice tray intended to make water bottle ice cubes.  

I baked them in the toaster oven at 200 degrees for about 20 min, and they turned out perfect!

The other project is my new obsession, which is mother-in-law's tongue, sansevieria plants.  My mother-in-law gave me one a year ago when she divided her massive plant.  The one she gave me was a small-sized one, so I did a bit of research to identify it.  It seems to be a Dwarf Laurentii cultivar, but while doing the research, I found all types of different cultivars, with new cultivars still being discovered.

In January, I ordered my second sansevieria, which is a "Golden Hahnii" cultivar.  It's very small and very cute.  I had it at my desk at work for a bit, but it started looking sad.  I think I over-watered it one time and also there isn't a lot of sun at my desk.  (While they are supposed to thrive in poor conditions, the one thing that can kill a sansevieria is too much water.)  I found two coveted cultivars at my local nursery this March: Silver Hahnii and Black Star.  Those were strong plants, so I repotted them and divided the Black Star, placing part of it in the same pot as the "dying" Golden Hahnii.  Guess who perked up after that?

Sansevieria Jade Dwarf before repotting

This spring I started checking my local stores for house plants.  I was able to find a bunch of rare cultivars at Walmart, of all places.  Last weekend, I found a Jade Dwarf at Home Depot.  It was kind of hidden amoung other things, so I almost missed it.  It was also half dead, and I went to customer service to get a discount on it.  I got it for a 50% discount, which made sense to me because 2/3 of the roots appeared to be salvagable.  So last weekend, Miss E helped me repot all of these finds.  I was able to identify Black Moon today, after researching another variety.

--吴碧芙

Sansevieria (clockwise from top left, cultivar-purchase location): Bantel's Sensation-Walmart, Laurentii-Walmart, Jade Dwarf-Home Depot, Dwarf Laurentii-Walmart, Dwarf Black Moon-Walmart

Post #200: Plant Obsession

I've been scouting the Internet for weeks to try to find more Mother-in-law's tongue plants.  I got a dwarf one from my mother-in-law last year, and I managed not to kill it.  The one she gave me is on the far left in the photo, in the terra cotta pot.  She gave me the spider plant in the photo too, over two years ago.

Six weeks ago, I ordered a little golden hahnii bird's nest variety.  I kept it at my desk at work for a while, but my desk is void of sunlight, and this little plant got depressed and started getting droopy.  I brought it home, but I kept poking it, and so it was suffering from over-loving, which apparently mother-in-law's tongues don't appreciate.  The sadder it looks, the more I want to adjust something to make it better.  I'm hoping it will pull through, while also looking for more varieties for my collection.  

Dwarf varieties are, predictably, difficult to find locally, but also on the Internet.  I think your best bet is to order from a person who has these plants and is selling due to splitting and repotting.  I ordered a dwarf black star variety from a person in California via ebay last week, and I haven't received it yet.  I went around looking for appropriate potting vessels today.  I happened to find two dwarf varieties for sale at our local greenhouse, and after all that time searching the Internet...These are the lighter-colored one, which I suspect is moonshine or silver hahnii, and dark with yellow edges, which I suspect is black star.  the varieties were not labeled.

So today I had a potting party, potting the new plants, and replanting that poor golden hahnii using cactus medium.  I put one of the dark pups in the same pot as the golden hahnii as a friend and for stability.  Now I promise not to touch it anymore, only water it when it's dry.

--吴碧芙