DIY clothes drying rack

These clothes drying racks are very popular in Europe but I found them very hard to come by here in Australia. Down under everyone seems to have a lot of living space, a garden and nice weather so I guess maximising on space isn't such an issue.

Since I moved into the apartment above the shop I have been becoming re-accustomed to living small again. To give you some perspective on the scale of homes in Australia, at my housewarming a visiting friend from London commented on what a spacious apartment this was for just myself, whereas local friends commented on how small and cute it was! Ah, cultural differences... don't you love em!?

What to I do have are nice tall ceilings and a sunny aspect and I have built my own ceiling hoisted drying rack to make the most of the warm air and tall ceilings.

Here's how I did it.

I bought the timber from my local hardware store in these ready dressed (smooth, planed strips)lengths of pine. They came in 1.2m lengths so that's what I went with. I used 4 strips longwise as the part to hang clothes on and cut a 5th in half to make the cross pieces holding the lot together.

I spaced the strips evenly along the crossbars and drilled a pilot hole through the crossbar and into each strut to avoid splitting and then drilled up into the strips using brass pine screws (they look cute and wont rust so easily). Having the struts sitting ON the crossbars means they won't pull off with the weight of wet laundry.

I then cut 2 lengths of rope each a meter long and tied each piece to each end of the crossbars at the corners. I then cut the rest of the rope into 2 lengths, each about 8 meters long.... they need to be long so that you can lower the rack down to fill and empty it. I initially had awesome fluro rope but it was too narrow and kept slipping off the pulley so substituted with this thick and cheap poly rope.

Into the ceiling screw 2 large hooks parallel to each other and the same distance apart as the rack is long. I have lining boards on my ceilings (wooden boards) so I pre-drilled and screwed them straight in. If you have a drywall/plasterboard ceiling you will need to find the joists to screw into as this will be heavy when it's filled with wet washing.

(pulley placement n stuff)

Onto those hooks, hang a pulley on each. One pulley needs to be single, the other double (2 places to slot rope through). Thread the rope on one end of the rack through the single pulley, then also thread it through the double pulley so it runs along the ceiling for the length of the rack. The other rope needs only threading through the double pulley.

Screw a fixing or hook to the wall so you can wrap and secure the rope whilst the rack is hoisted up. Pull the 2 ropes so that they are even in length and taught, hoist the rack to a good height for filling it with laundry and tie a knot in the right place to pop it onto the hook to stop it lowering. You can then cut off any extra rope after this knot. Then hoist it to the roof and do the same, knotting so it can be secured.

Phew... that was hard to explain... I hope it made sense?! This rack is fantastic for drying towels and sheets that take up so much drying space, I can walk straight under them without even noticing they are there! My mum has low ceilings and hers works just as well.

Please feel free to ask any questions if these instructions aren't clear. If it all seems a little hard you can buy a hand-crafted one here.

book binding DIY

 

Try using a simple Japanese book binding technique to make a photo album or journal. I made one featuring some of my favourite moments from this year that Mark and I shared.

I promise that this DIY is straight forward to do, just difficult to explain so please excuse my clumsy description!

You will need: 

Photos printed with a 2 cm margin on the side you would like to book to open.

2 bits of card the same size as your photos.

Pretty paper to cover your card with, I used vintage wallpaper.

Needle and thick thread (dental floss will do the trick too).

A brad awl or push pin

Ruler

Pencil 

Scissors

Glue

Cut a 2cm section off the end of your cardboard where you want your book to open... this hinges the cover for easy opening.

Cut a bit of pretty paper the same size as the cover, hinge and all. Trim the corners to make it easy to wrap around the cover and glue on. Cut piece of pretty paper slightly smaller than your cover and glue on the inside to cover the edges. Repeat to make the other cover.

Align your photos inside the covers with the 'hinge' on the same edge as the 2cm margin on your photos, this is where you will be binding the book to form the 'spine'. Clip it all together so nothing slips around. Punch 4 holes at equal distances through all the layers using a brad awl, I didn't have one so I used a push pin.

Here comes the bit that's hard to explain so stick with me and use the illustrations as a reference.

 Thread the needle and knot the ends together. Open the book a few pages and, next to the lower middle hole, push the needle through the hole in the pages through to the front cover. Pull the thread through until the knot is snug against the pages. This step anchors the thread. 

Sewing around the spine go around the back and back up through the starting hole, then down through the other middle hole. Pull the thread tight after going through each hole.

                                                                                                      

 Go around the spine and back up through the starting hole, then down through the other middle hole. Pull the thread tight.

    

 Go around the spine again, then up through the top hole.

     

  Around the spine, then around the edge of the book and up through the top hole again. Keep going, down through one middle hole, back up through the next, and down through the bottom hole. Keep the thread tight.                                                                                                                                             

Go around the other edge of the book and back through the bottom hole. Go up through the starting hole again.


To finish, tie off the thread so the binding won't come loose. Do this by slipping the needle under two of the top threads coming out of starting hole and back through the loop to form a tight knot.



 Run the needle back down through the starting hole and cut the leftover thread flush with the back of the book.

All done!

 
I promise I won't be offended if you need to look up a Youtube tutorial to work out how to do this technique, but once you do one, it all falls into place!

X Steph

Make your own Terrarium

I first fell in love with terrariums earlier this year. When I saw these amazing little worlds at a local market, straight away  knew I would have to make some and immersed myself with researching how these mossy micro climates were created.
The first thing I discovered is there there are more than one type of terrarium, there are dry, arid versions and there are moist mossy counterparts and they need distinctly different conditions to survive. The lush, vibrant greens of the moss terrarium really appeal to me, discovering the key to a successful moss terrarium is creating it's own sealed micro climate makes the concept even more satisfying.

Constructing a terrarium is pretty simple and doesn't really need that many specialist supplies. You will need a glass vessel with a lid, preferably large enough to fit your hand through the opening until you become a pro. You will also need some gravel, charcoal granules (I got mine from our local pet shop as it's often used in fish tank filters), potting mix, some props to create fun scenarios and of course moss.

I collected moss from beside a local creek, you will find it growing in damp, shady spots often on rocks or wood facing away from the sun (in the southern hemisphere that is South, very confusing to this northern-hemisphere girl!)
Prise the moss away from the surface with a blunt knife or paint scraper and try to bring with it any soil or surface it is attached to, this will help when transplanting it. Pop it in a plastic bag, this will help keep it moist and alive until you get chance to replant it.
You can buy dried moss from a florist or online, once you rehydrate it eventually it will become lush and green again under the correct conditions.

Begin with a layer of the charcoal, this will prevent your micro-climate from growing mould, then add a layer of gravel for drainage. Above that place a layer of potting mix or soil, it need not be deep and the quality need not be rich, as moss gathers it's nutrients from the air. Make the soil either domed or sloped in shape as this helps with drainage then cover with the moss.

It's now time to create your own little world! There are an abundance of miniature figures and props available online used to creating model railways. I bought a chain-gang, park bums and gravestone set in N scale, this makes the figures 11mm high IE. teeny tiny. I think in hindsight I should have purchased HO scale which is a little bigger!

To make my figures stand I glued itty-bitty stalks of wire to each prop and once dry inserted into the moss to make a grave-robbing scene.

 

 To care for your terrarium you will need to mist it with a spray bottle every so often if the moss feels dry. Don't over water it though and if you see water sitting in the gravel then leave the jar open to allow some liquid to evaporate. If you mostly leave the jar closed it will 'water' itself through condensation. Keep your micro-world out of direct sunlight and open the lid every so often to allow air to circulate, if you want to show your terrarium off, then open the lid to let any condensation on the glass disperse.
I'm now on the lookout for a nice old magnifying glass for my visitors to view my little cemetery and think I might make some more for our shop, I think they would make really terriffic wedding or Mothers day pressies.

How to take cuttings from succulents

The succulents in my garden are making little 'babies' all over the place at the moment and I'm working on a number of ways to make the most of the offspring. I found these sweet mini buckets in my local dollar store and thought they would look awesome on my kitchen windowsill, a spot that gets the afternoon sun long into winter. They will be perfect as succulents don't need much watering so will save the buckets from rusting.

 I delved into my stash of sample paint pots and picked these three fresh colours, they remind me of my trip through the New Mexico desert and those pretty painted stucco houses. I painted a couple of coats onto the bottom half of the buckets and allowed to dry.

Succulents thrive in well drained soil, too much moisture will causes the roots to rot, so a combination of potting mix and sand will do nicely to plant them in. You could also use a specialist succulent potting mix but I had the sand in the garden from paving last month.

 

Taking cutting from succulents is as easy as pie, just cut a section of the main plant with secateurs and pop into the new pot. Simple as that! I have also heard that allowing the cutting to dry for a week or so before planting helps it root. I would imagine this process emulates the natural process of arid regions.
The plant in the center is Aloe Vera so will be handy in the kitchen, just in case of burns!
I shall pop these in their new home and let you see how they look.
Happy slump-day!
X Steph

Tutorial: Welcoming welcome mat

One of our best-selling in-store items is our spray-paint range. We stock Ironlak as well as MTN Australia brands, Ballarat has a rapidly growing street-art and graff scene and it's been wonderful meeting so many talented artists working in our town.
The paint range is high-pigment artists quality paint and comes in a fantastic range of shades in high and low-pressure cans and differing finishes, we also stock a range of caps for different spraying purposes. As well as for street-art painting the paint is fantastic for fun little DIY projects as it covers so well and comes in never-ending shades of awesome colours!
This weekend I fancied up our boring old black welcome mat, to inspire you to explore the magical world of spary-painting I have composed a little tutorial showing you some basic and effective stenciling techniques.

1. I like to keep it simple and use a word-processing program to select a font style and size. 2. Print your letters out and lay over the top a layer of transparent stencil paper. I like to use the acetate transparency paper you use in an over-head projector, it's cheap and it's see-though quality helps with 'registration' (lining up layers) in more complex projects. Also being shiny it doesn't get soggy like paper. 3. Using spray adhesive fix your letters in place, this stops them shifting and helps get a nice crisp line. 4. Always wear a mask when using spay paint, then shake the crap out of your can for way longer than you feel necessary. This mixes the pigment in well and stops you getting clogged cans. I used a 'NY Fat' cap which comes with the Ironlak cans and is designed for filling large areas. Spray on your drop-sheet or scrap of paper to get the can started, this helps eliminate getting yucky spatters or thin paint on your work. Spray an even layer of paint over your mat, it will be fairly absorbent so build up thin layers of paint to avoid runs and drips. 5. When dry, (on a nice day 10-15 mins should do the trick!) peel off your letters (and save for another project?), pop in the doorway and welcome your visitors with style!

Tutorial - 'Bricks For Chicks'

I'm really excited to share todays tutorial, I love a good DIY as much as the next creative chick and learnt some new skills last weekend that I'm dying to share!
As I said in my last post I'm currently building a wood-fired pizza oven, it's no small task and involves skills I don't have much practice at. However, after a chat with our friend and pro-brickie Andrew I felt pretty confident that this was one new skill I was keen to try my hand at... bricklaying!
With the ethos of giving it a red-hot go, I'm now proud to give you 'Bricks For Chicks'- a beginners bricklaying guide.

The first step is to prepare a nice level surface, a concrete slab, paving or existing brick base is perfect. Make a string-line where you want your bricks to go, this will help you make a straight line of bricks.
1. Mix up your mortar. I used bags of pre-mixed lime, sand and cement so all I had to do was add water. It's a lot like baking a cake, start with a mound of dry materials on a scrap bit of board or sheet metal, make a crater in the center and add water gradually folding in the dry materials. You don't want the mix to be too 'loose', if it's too runny it will run off your bricks. A stiff batter-type consistency is perfect, your brickies trowel should be able to stand upright in the mixture. CAUTION Always wear gloves (and a mask with dry materials) when working with mortar as the lime can give you nasty burns!
2. Now you are going to 'ice' your cake. Spread a layer of mortar 2.5cm deep where you intend to lay your brick. Work in small sections of a few brick-lengths at a time. Using your trowel, spread the mortar evenly right to the edges. Spread a 2.5cm layer on the ends or sides of any bricks that your new brick will butt up against.
3. Plonk your brick on the mortar. To get a nice level surface place a spirit level on top of the brick and tap it down into the mortar until it sits level. I have to confess I was pretty slap-dash with this part of the job... I was using very uneven, recycled old red bricks so didn't worry too much about the wall being level and went for a more organic approach, only leveling every few rows.
4. To finish, patch any gaps in your mortar and run the point of your trowel along the mortared cracks in the wall. Once the mortar has stiffened a little you can use a stiff brush to remove any mortar on the sides of the brickwork.
5. Cup of tea time!
Good luck! It's a LOT of fun!
X Steph

Weekly inspiration

I LOVE making things and I'm sure you do too!
I have seen some really inspiring DIY tutorials lately. I thought I would share some of my latest faves with you... rainy days always make me feel like getting out the craft supplies!
Look at these great ideas for using plastic toys...

 You can see this 'party animal' (I love a good pun!) cupcake topper tutorial on 'The Sweetest Occasion'.

 These mounted toy heads on 'Please Note' would be awesome for hanging my jewellery from!
 It's no secret I have a mega business-crush on the Red Velvet girls, and their blog 'A Beautiful Mess' has no shortage of inspiration and great tutorials. How cute are these shoes? I check in with them every day and there's always something new... those gals are the hardest working crafty chicks!

x Steph

DIY - Instagram Print

I'm so excited about the up-coming 'Click @Red Brick' exhibition, I love group shows for their diversity of work and fun opening celebrations. This show combines another passion of mine and that's photography. I snap away at every opportunity and love sharing my images too. We are still accepting entries for this show so hop onto our website for an application form. 

We are embracing all forms of photography, lomo, polaroid, iphonography, you name it... we want it! Recently we acquired two large light-boxes and I have a vision of a whole grid of small un-framed images would look amazing on them.
This reminded me of a fun project I did to pretty up my hallway recently. I received a few questions about them so here is a little tutorial. It's pretty simple and is a great way to display those cute family pics.

I used my Instagram photos for this project, I love the size and scale of Polaroid prints so decided to print my images to this size. Using Adobe Photoshop I made a new image 10 x 15cm (the size of my photo-paper). I regularly back-up my photos from my iphone onto my laptop so I then opened the image file, dragged it onto the blank canvas. Using 'free transform' I adjusted the image to Polaroid dimensions (7 x 7.9 cm).

 

I then printed the image on my ink-jet printer... it's nothing flash but does a pretty good job if I print at high quality. I could trim the paper at this point but I actually like how the image is framed with space to write a caption underneath!

 I am constantly adding to this little grid in my hallway with images of friends, my lovely Mr and reminders of great adventures. I can't wait until it fills the whole space!

X Steph