For anyone who made it to the The Grilled Cheese Invitational last year, you know what you’re in for. For those of you who didn’t, SHAME ON YOU.

The GCI is more fun than playing Donkey Kong Country at Don King’s cousin’s house (for anyone who didn’t get that reference, watch this. No, really, watch it, the quotability factor is staggering.)  Every year, fans of butter-crisped bread and melted cheese — in other words, all sentient humans with working taste-buds — gather for a jolly cook-off where a panel of judges, and the general public, decide who will reign as Supreme Sammich-Maker.

For those of you who want to throw on the theme from “The Karate Kid” and put your skills to the test, 300 chef-spots are given away on a first-come/first-serve basis — all you need to bring is your personalized ingredients and your A-game. I’m partial to thin-sliced sourdough with cranberry-chipotle cheddar and a sprinkling of spicy chorizo, but if I find any of you fools jacking my recipe, shit’s gonna get real. Don’t start none, won’t be none.

Seriously, though, don’t miss it (and get your tickets early) or we’ll be forced to put you in the stocks outside the courthouse and eat yummy things in front of you without offering you a bite. We cannot have anarchy.

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WHAT: Grilled Cheese Competition
WHEN: April 24th, Noon-6 PM
WHERE: Los Angeles Center Studios
$$$: $10

If you’ve got an egg carton and and a packet of seeds, you can start your own garden in less time than it takes to boil the water for pasta (literally…I did it while I was making dinner a couple hours ago).  Growing from seeds can be a little daunting, but egg cartons make your little seedlings easy to start and simple to transfer once they get big enough to be planted in a proper container.

A simple start for basil seeds.

What you need:

-egg carton
-potting soil/dirt from your yard
-seeds for the plant of your choice (lettuce or nasturtiums are great bets…we’ll see how my basil turns out).
-mister or watering can
-spoon

Now put it together:

1) Rip the top off of your carton and Fill each compartment up with dirt using a spoon.
2) Read the instructions on your seed packet for how many seeds to plant in each hole.  Use your finger to make a small indentation in the dirt in each compartment.  Put one or two seeds in each indentation and gently cover it/them with soil.

Planted and ready to go

3) Gently water your new seeds.  A mister would be best, but you could use a watering can too.  Just don’t flood your dirt too badly.
4) Place your egg carton on a sunny window ledge (or anywhere where it will get plenty of sun) and leave it for a few days (the package will tell you how long the seeds should take to sprout).  If your carton is made of cardboard, place plastic underneath it so that it doesn’t damage the surface it’s on.
5) Make sure to keep your seeds regularly watered; they won’t grow well if they dry out completely.  Once your plants have grown for a few weeks, thin them out if more than one has sprouted in each compartment and carefully transplant them to a larger container.

Happy crafting, kids!

You can’t get much cooler than stop motion animation.  If you’re going to do it, this multi-plane animation stand will really come in handy.  This one’s a little bit more complicated than the pieces I usually put up here, but it’s still completely DIY-able.  Use it with the camera stand that I posted a while back and you’ll be good to go.

What you need:

- 3 pieces of 16″x20″ glass
- 4 pieces 0.75″ x 0.75″ x 36″ wood
- 8 pieces 0.75″ x 0.75″ x 17.5″ wood
- 8 pieces 0.75″ x 0.75 ” x 18″ wood
- 32 1″ corner braces
- 32 #6 x 1/2″ wood screws
- 16 nails
- hammer
- drill & bits
- screwdriver
- masking tape/gaff tape
- small rubber feet to keep glass from slipping

Now put it together:

1) First build two “ladders” to make either end of the stand.  Use corner brackets to secure, and make sure to rough it out with the wood pieces before you drill or screw anything!  The bottom 17.5″ piece should be flush with the ground.  From there, the holes you drill for the corner brackets should be 7″ apart.  That means that the top piece will be at about 22 3/8″ from the bottom of the 36″ piece.  Mark where your holes should go, then drill accordingly.  Use screws to attach the brackets. Take a look at the diagram to see exactly what I’m talking about.

2) Use nails to reinforce the joints you just made.  Again, see the diagram in step 3.
3) Connect the two “ladders” using the 18″ pieces, corner brackets, and screws.  Just like when you built the ladders, make sure that you rough everything out before you drill or screw anything.  Once you’ve got it all lined up correctly, mark where your holes should go and then drill.  Use screws to attach the brackets.

3) Put your masking/gaff tape on the edges of your glass to keep it from cutting you.  Then put feet on the corners to keep it from slipping as it’s on the wood.

That’s it!  Animate away.  If you have any questions about the diagrams, leave them in the comments.

I’ll admit that I haven’t actually done this project yet (because I have two HUGE projects in the works for the next couple of weeks), but it seems like a great way to use your leftover Mardi Gras or St. Patrick’s Day beads.  A quick trip to the thrift store, a swipe of spray paint, and some glue and you’ve got yourself a really cute picture frame!

See the beads? Pretty sneaky, huh? Click the photo to go straight to the Ruffles and Stuff tutorial.

-An old picture frame
-A strand (or more) of Mardi Gras beads
-Spray paint in the color(s) of your choice
-glue

Take a look at the post on Ruffles and Stuff for the full tutorial.  It’s really easy.  Definitely one of those “why didn’t I think of that?!?” projects.  She made hers all white, but you could choose bolder colors or even do different colors for the beads and the frame.  Maybe a good gift idea if you’re thinking ahead to Mother’s Day?

Happy crafting, kids!

The new Lomography Gallery isn’t slacking off when it comes to partying, and what better excuse to have a party than the Oscars? Swing by the gallery before Sunday and fill out your own Oscar ballot in hopes to be on of the 10 people who get the most winners correct. You’ll walk away with your own Oktomat camera that takes 8 pictures in a row to create your own little 8 frame movie. Then on the 7th, head to the gallery at 1pm and take part in a mini-movie making workshop using the Oktomat, Supersampler, and Actionsampler and make a purchase at the store and get a free Lomography Camera Keychain. This will all lead into the Oscars telecast where hopefully you’ll win the contest! The gallery will be serving drinks and don’t worry, they’ve got a lounge for you to sit in and watch in comfort. There will naturally be an after party, with more drinks, a lomography movie screening “Lomo Matrix”, and awards for the Oscar ballot winners! This gallery is quickly turning into my new favorite place!
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WHAT: Oscar Night + workshop and party
WHEN: Sunday, March 7th @ 1PM-post Oscars
WHERE: Lomography Gallery
$$$: Free

We’re in for some chilly nights coming up (at least by LA standards) and so what’s better to warm you up than a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with a couple marshmallows?  I saw a recipe for homemade marshmallows on Smitten Kitchen the other day and thought that it seemed like a pretty ridiculous thing to DIY, but might be fun to try.  Even if they weren’t better than the store-bought kind, it would be a fun experiment.

Wow, did I luck out.  Homemade marshmallows are leaps and bounds better than the ones from the store and they’re pretty simple to make, though you do need a few kitchen gadgets.  Unfortunately, the batch I made got completely devoured by hungry friends before I had a chance to take pictures, but take a look at the tutorial and hopefully the beautiful photos there will convince you that they’re worth trying.

What you need:

-saucepan
-candy thermometer
-electric mixer (stand or handheld)
-powdered sugar
-granulated sugar
-gelatin
-water
-sugar
-corn syrup
-salt
-vanilla extract (or peppermint, almond, orange…depends how experimental you’re feeling)
-egg whites
-food coloring (optional)
-rectangular baking pan
-cooking spray
-knife
-fridge

Got it all?  Head over to Smitten Kitchen and follow her instructions there.  They’re spot on.  If you only have a hand held mixer, you might want to enlist a helpful friend to trade off mixing with you because your arms will get tired of after almost 20 minutes of beating. If you want them to be a color other than white, add a few drops of food coloring as you’re stirring the sugar mixture in with the egg whites.  I added about five drops of red and it made mine a sweet pink color.  Also, since these have raw egg whites in them, you might not want to feed them to babies/old people/pregnant women/the immunocompromised, etc.

Oh, and if you’re not a fan of hot chocolate, pick up some graham crackers and Hershey’s bars and have a marshmallow roast over one of the burners of your stove.  My friend tried it and said it turned out well.

Photo nerds rejoice – Lomography is officially coming to LA.  Yeah, all the hipsters have been shooting lomo for a long time, but as of Thursday our beloved town will now be home to a Lomography store/gallery/embassy.  I’ve been using a fisheye #2 and a Holga for a while now and I can tell you how fun lomo cameras are.  They’re decidedly low-tech and you never know quite what you’ll get when you shoot a picture; light leaks and and warped shots are par for the course and part of the thrill of shooting is discovering what happened once you develop your film.

Lomography Gallery is holding a few days’ worth of events, which sound like they’re going to be a blast.  Check out the schedule below:

February 18th – 7 PM: Opening party with drinks (!), Mexican food, a mariachi band, dancers, etc.  Sounds like a good time.  The guestlist is limited, so rsvp to shopla@lomography.com and make sure you get on the list.

February 19th – 6-8 PM: Intro to Lomography. If you don’t know what I’ve been talking about in this post, check out the seminar to find out more about the history of Lomography and what people are doing with it now.  By the way, this is totally free!

February 20th – 1-3 PM: Meet the Lomo LC-A+. This one is $10 and includes a free loaner camera and a roll of film.  If you have your own LC-A+ and film, it’s totally free. Learn tips and tricks for shooting with this Soviet gem and go for a photo expedition throughout West Hollywood.

February 23rd – 1-4 PM: Analogue Love 101. Same as the LC-A workshop, bring your Lomo and get in free, or pay $10 for a loaner and a roll of film.  This workshop teaches you all the tricks out there to make the most of Lomography.  Again with a shooting expedition, I imagine.

February 25th -1-3 PM: Diana Dialogues.  Another $10 workshop, this time with the Diana camera.  More tips and tricks and then a shooting expedition.

If you check out any of these workshops, let us know.  We’d love to see your pictures!

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WHAT: Lomography in LA
WHEN: Events from February 18th-25th
WHERE: 7998 Santa Monica Blvd.
$$$: Free or $10

Come out and support local college radio and a fine attempt at publishing ‘zines and raging against machines (harvey danger reference…so sly). KXLU (88.9- listen in your car instead of your ipod sometimes, it’s fun) and FMLY are hosting a gathering of musical performances and readings of poetry and short fiction to raise funds for their first ever magazine. They have over 85 submissions, just need a little money to put them together in a lovely package. The fundraiser will include performances by Gowns, Corridor, and Furcast, in addition to readings from various folks and $1 Colt 45 for those of age.

WHAT: FMLYzine Fundraiser Show
WHEN: Wednesday Jan. 27th 8pm
WHERE: 5011 W. Adams Blvd
$$$: $5 entry donation

Okay, this one falls into the crafting for the craftily challenged category.  Seriously, it requires no specific craft knowledge and, minus shopping time, can be completed in less than five minutes.  How awesome is that?

The whole magnetic spice rack thing started when I moved into my current apartment.  The kitchen is kind of lacking counter space, so I didn’t want to use a spice rack, but it seemed silly to dedicate an entire drawer to storing spices (I cook a lot).  I figured that, if I could store them on the side of the fridge, they would be at hand when I was cooking and would be pretty much out of the way.

I could get those fancy magnetic spice containers, but they’re like $2 each, so no.  And I tried gluing magnets directly to my spice bottles (as you can see in the picture) but the bottles didn’t stay and that sucks anyway because you have to glue a new magnet every time you get a new spice bottle.  Last week when I was shopping for supplies to organize my desk, I came upon the solution: a DIY magnetic spice rack.

What you need:

- Heavy duty round magnets (you can get them at the craft store or the hardware store)
-A hot glue gun and glue sticks…or maybe super glue would work
-Metal office supply holders that are deep enough for a spice bottle to fit.  Mine are 2″ deep and they fit perfectly.  That seems to be a pretty standard depth, but check the dimensions just in case.

Now put it together:

I’m sort of stating the obvious, but glue a few (4 is a good number if yours are as wide as mine are) heavy duty magnets to the back.  The more the better as far as sticking to the fridge goes.  Make sure they’re fastened securely.

Put your newly magnetized bins on the side of your fridge, insert spices, and you’re all set!

If you get mesh organizers like I did, you will be able to see the spice bottle labels, but you could also use pieces of tape or address labels to label the lids of the bottles so you can know what’s in each of them more easily.  Also, be sure that you arrange your magnetic spice rack so that the shelves on the bottom have enough clearance to get the bottles out.  Again, stating the obvious.  Sorry.

If you’re not a big cook, you could use these for pretty much anything that’ll fit.

So I have two New Year’s resolutions.  The first is to eat seasonally and locally, making at least 75% of my meals at home from scratch. So far so good on that one.  The other one is to finally tackle my storage and get organized.  Long story short, I’m halfway through which means that all of the time I

Disney made an old button down into this neat bolero.

would normally spend crafting has been spent sorting and cleaning for the past couple weeks.  I went through my closet and found a whole bag of shirts that I just didn’t wear much.  I was planning to give them to Goodwill, but then I realized that I could do a little crafting and make them way cuter.

I’ll admit that I haven’t actually done it yet, but once my sewing machine gets unearthed from the piles of crafting detritus I’m gonna get to work.  Here are some of the tutorials I plan to try out:

• Sachiko at Tea Rose Home shows how to turn two plain t-shirts in to one ruffley one.  Very Anthropologie!
• If you have any of those giant freebee tees laying around, CraftStylish has an easy way to turn them into a cute tunic.
• My Mama Made it turns an old long sleeved jersey t-shirt into a ruffled tank.  Simple, but sweet.
• Got an old button down?  Turn it into a bolero with Disney’s tutorial at Ruffles and Stuff.

Hope these inspire you.  I’ll let you know what happens when I revamp my tees.  And look forward to some major projects in the next couple months.

Happy crafting, kids!

If you celebrate Hannuakah, your holiday crafting had better be done.  But, if you celebrate Christmas, you’re in luck – you still have a little over a week to get all your presents ready.  In the spirit of procrastination, I will be featuring a few projects this week that have some things in common: they’re pretty inexpensive, they require very little crafty talent to complete, and they take an hour or less from start to finish.

Today, I’m featuring the glitter frames.  Not going to say who I made them for lest she read this, but there’s a certain person on my gift list who loves all things sparkly.  If you have someone who needs a little bling in his/her life, these are perfect.  I whipped up all four of these frames in less than a half an hour and they were super easy to make.

What you need:

-Glitter in whatever colors you want.
-Glue (Elmers works really well for this.)
-A paintbrush
-Picture frames (I used the black ones that come in 2 packs at Ikea)
-Lots of newspaper or junk mail to cover your work surface

Now put it together:
1) Remove the backing and glass from your picture frame.  Cover your work surface with newspaper.
2) Squirt a nice, thick line of glue along each edge of your picture frame. Use your paintbrush to spread it around so that there is a layer of glue completely covering the front and all of the side edges.
3) Liberally sprinkle your glitter all over the frame.  Don’t skimp – whatever isn’t needed will easily shake off once the glue is dry and can be returned to the jar.  Make sure that all the edges get well-covered.  If you don’t have enough coverage, try tapping the edges on your newspaper so that they pick up the extra glitter from pouring it onto your frame.
4) Let the glue dry – overnight is best- and then gently shake off your frames to remove the excess glitter.  Fold your newspaper in half to collect the glitter and dump it back into its container.  Replace the glass and backing on your picture frame and you’re all set.

That wasn’t too hard, was it?

Turn your Lazy Sunday into a Funky Happy Sunday with a permaculture digging workshop. Joan Stevens, apparently known to many as Mama Botanica, will lead this workshop. It will involved, “hands-on cardboard sheet mulching workshop and teach us how to plant a ground crop to prepare the soil for winter” and planting a grapefruit and apple tree as well. Tony Moss, a permaculture designer, will give you a tour of the backyard garden and tips on how to create your own! There will be music, dance, and food as well, a raw food lunch to be exact. The menu will include a cauliflower pate, cheese kale chips (made with out cheese), and home made kombucha tea. This four hour workshop will hopefully inspire as well as entertain you, so check it out!

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WHAT: Funky Happy Sunday Permaculture Digging Workshop
WHEN: Sunday, December 13th @ 11am – 3pm
WHERE: New Reality Garden
$$$: $15

Need a gift idea that works just as well for guys as it does for girls?  You’re in luck!  These felt laptop cases are a completely unisex option.  They’re also easy for even the most craft-challenged of us; if you can use an iron and scissors, you’re set.

What you need:

Photo from Design Sponge

-3/4 yard each of two different colors felt
-Steam-a-seam
-Scissors
-Iron & ironing board
-Velcro dots
-The dimensions of the laptop that you’re crafting for
-Optional: pinking shears, hole punch, X-acto knife

Now put it together:

-Find out the measurements of the laptop that you’re crafting for.  If you know what time of computer the recipient has, you can Google it and find out the dimensions.
-If you want your laptop case to have a little visual interest, there are a few things you can try:

• Use a hole punch to punch holes in the top layer of your felt so that the bottom layer will show through.  You can do this all over or just in selected areas.
• Use pinking shears to cut the top edge of your fabric so it will be zigzagged.  You probably only want to do this on the flap that will be on top when you fold everything up together.
• Use an X-acto knife to cut shapes out of your top layer.
• This one’s a little hard to explain, but for the flap that will be on top when you fold everything up together, make the bottom piece of felt about 1″ longer than the top piece of felt.  Then, when you put everything together, fold that extra 1″ over top to make a stripe.

-Take a look at the tutorial on DesignSponge and follow the instructions for cutting out the  felt.
-Design Sponge recommends that you use fusible interfacing to connect the two layers of felt.  That’s not a bad idea, but I had an easier time just using the Steam-a-seam strips along the edges.  Either way, make sure the edges are stuck together really well!
-Fold the case up and apply your velcro squares.

That’s it – you’re finished!  Once you get the process down pat, you can make one in under an hour.  I’ve made these for a bunch of people on my list and I’ll probably make a few more in the next couple of weeks.

Happy crafting, kids!

It’s only in it’s second year, but it’s the talk of the town: The Unique L.A. Independent Design and Gift Sale is happening again this weekend. It is THE place to buy holiday gifts for all of your friends and family. Not only will you find really great gifts, but you will also be supporting local and independent artists (over 300 to be exact!). Some people may be turned off by the raised entry fee, but it’s only $10 and it gets you unlimited access to both days of the event, a tote bag from Sheperd Fairey’s comany, a free drink ticket, and access to some really fun workshops through out the day. There will be a special “green room” featuring 50 eco-friendly designers, two cafes so you can spend your day with Unique L.A. (you won’t want to leave), and the workshops will be on book-binding, ornaments, and recycled products. And to top it off, a portion of the proceeds will go to LA’s coolest non-profit, 826LA.
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WHAT: Unique Los Angeles Gift Sale
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, December 5th & 6th @ 11am-6pm
WHERE: California Market Center
$$$: $10

First off, sincere apologies for being a day late on this one.  I had to get a new camera cord, so now the posting can go on as usual.

Back to the cake stand.

This is seriously one of the easiest things you could make as a holiday gift this season…and it looks way more expensive than it actually is.  There is a day or two of hands off drying time, so you have to plan a little in advance, but the actual crafting time is minimal and even those of you who aren’t craftily inclined can easily pull this off.

Another tip: make more than one and stack them and then put different cupcakes on each level.

What you need:

-A candlestick…the wider the top the better.  (The one I used had a flat base with a spike to stick into a pillar candle instead of a taper holder…hard to explain but that kind works best…maybe look at the picture if you don’t quite get what I’m talking about).
-A plate of your choice.  One that is completely smooth without any dips or ridges will work well for a cake.  If you’re going to put cupcakes or anything else that’s small-ish, any type of plate will work.
-A screwdriver or scissors to pry off the spike if you’re using one of the candlesticks with the spike.
-Gorilla Glue
-A heavy book to use in lieu of a clamp.

This is what happens with just a little glue, so don't overdo it.

Now put it together:

1) Head to the thrift store and look for your candlestick and plate.  Any candlestick will work, but, like I said earlier, the wider the top of the candlestick, the more durable your cake stand will be.
2)  Thoroughly wash your plate and candlestick.  Buff your candlestick or polish it if it’s tarnished (or don’t, if you like the shabby chic look).
3) Carefully cover the top of your candlestick with a thin layer of Gorilla Glue.  Don’t use too much because it expands as it dries, so the underside of the plate will get super messy if you use a lot of glue.
4) Place the candlestick on the bottom of the plate.  Make sure it’s well-centered and even, then put a heavy book on top of the stack you just  made to weigh the candlestick down and act as a clamp.  The order should be plate on top of your table, candlestick on top of the plate, book on top of the candlestick (i.e. the whole shebang should be upside down and weighted with the book).
5) Let the glue dry for a day or two.  It should be done in a day, but leaving it there for two can’t hurt anything.

That’s it!  Minus shopping and drying time, the whole project should take you less than 15 minutes and people seriously won’t believe you made it yourself.

Happy crafting, kids!

There are so many things wrong with the title, that it’s gotta be a joke, right? Ironic maybe? Anyway, this Saturday, Elaine Layabout is hosting the Hella Hipster Hoedown at the Urban Craft Center out in Santa Monica. There will be live music from Old Californio, Freaky Mountain, Justin Gordon, and Foot Foot. Bring in t-shirts to screen print, learn how to knit, & “wet your whistles” with free drinks. The biggest draw to this event? Free cornbread. P.S., the venue is ridiculously cute, another big draw. Located on Main St., The Urban Craft Center is a cute little studio that offers a bunch of crafty classes for the hip and non-hip alike! Don’t be turned off by the title of the event, it’s funny! Right?
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WHAT: Hella Hipster Hoedown
WHEN: Sunday, November 22nd @ 3pm-8pm
WHERE: The Urban Craft Center
$$$: $5

Soap in a sweater: it’s the bathtime accessory you never knew you needed until you had it.  Okay, so maybe felted soap won’t change your life, but it’s really cool and super easy.  (FYI: I’ll be featuring a crafty gift idea every week from now til the holidays are over.)  You will need to buy roving, but you can get enough of it to make 8 or 10 of these bars for less than $15, so you can make lots of these for very little money.  Wrap a few of ‘em up nicely together and voila, insta-gift.

Water does all the magic here .  If you’ve ever accidentally washed and dried a wool sweater, you’re already familiar with the phenomenon, but basically, you wrap the soap in wool and get the wool to shrink down to the size of the bar using hot water.  As the bar gets used up, the wool will shrink with it.

This is what roving looks like before you felt it.

What you need:
-Roving in as many different colors as you want.  If you’re feeling adventurous, get this.  Unless you’re serious about doing this, buy it by the ounce, not the pound.
-Bars of soap (I tried a bunch of different kinds and ones with rounded edges work best.  Trader Joes sells some good, reasonably priced bars.)
-Large bowl of water as hot as you can stand to keep your hands in.
-Towel

Now put it together:
1) Wrap your bar in thin layers of roving in a pattern that you like.  If you’ve never tried felting before, you might want to try your first bar with just one color so you can get the hang of it.  Make sure the bar is completely covered, but don’t overdo it…if your roving is too thick, you’ll have a really hard time getting it to felt down to the size you need.

This is what your wool should look like once the felting is finished.

2) Once you’ve got it wrapped the way you like, hold your bar in one hand.  Use your other hand to gently dribble water over the bar until it is completely wet.  Don’t pour the water too hard or you’ll dislodge your wool.
3) Once it’s completely wet, squish the bar between your hands, still being careful not to dislodge the wool.
4) Repeat the wetting and squishing until you feel the wool begin to get tight around the bar of soap.  Once it feels a little felted, you can dunk it all the way into the water.  Again, just keep working the wool in your hands.
5) Keep this up until the wool is completely felted.  It will feel very tight around the bar of soap…you’ll know it’s not going anywhere.
6) Once the wool is done being felted, run it under cold water to complete the process.  Then roll it up in the towel to get the excess water out and let the bar dry.

Enjoy your fun soap and happy crafting, kids.

I posted about the lovely Silver Lake Art Craft and Vintage Flea Market last year, and since then they have taken up shop at the Micheltorena Elementary School every Saturday afternoon. This Saturday they will hold their last market there to celebrate the $15,000 they raised for the school and they’ve invited the Kogi truck! Mmm spicy pork and tofu tacos. I know Kogi is soo last year, but I had it last weekend and goddamnit it still holds up. They are the original, gotta give it up. Anywho, back to thrifting and crafting, Silver Lake Art and Craft will then move to their holiday locale in the Citibank parking lot on Glendale Blvd on Sunday the 15th! They will then raise proceeds for the *new* Silver Lake library- awesome! It’s the gift-giving season, so tell all your friends that they can get way cooler stuff by independent designers at the Silver Lake Art, Craft, and Vintage sale! Oh and if you have some sweet, DIY wares, call 323 467 0623 to vend there!

WHAT: Silver Lake Art Craft and Vintage Flea Market
WHEN: This Saturday w/ Kogi truck 1-3pm; every Sunday 10am-4pm
WHERE: Sat. only at 1511 Micheltorena St.; Sunday Citibank parking lot 2450 Glendale Blvd
$$$: buy stuff! proceeds go to Silver Lake library

Got any books left over from the book sale in Atwater?  Some may say there’s never an excuse to rip up a book, but for something as pretty as this I beg to differ.  Living with Lindsay has a great tutorial for book page wreaths and they look like something you’d find at Anthropologie for 239 million dollars.  Fortunately, you can make it for under five bucks if you head to the dollar store.  Lindsay got lucky and found exactly what she needed at Dollar Tree, but I don’t think we have those around here.  Fortunately, if you aren’t averse to destroying tacky Christmas decorations, you can get what you need at 99 Cents Only.

What you need:

My haul from the dollar store.

-A 10″ foam wreath base (aka tacky snowman wreath)
-1 or 2 paperback books (one of these took me all of Pirates of the Caribbean and part of the dictionary…I guess you can’t be picky when it’s 99 cents)
-Brown or grey paint
-Paper towel
-Ribbon piece
-Hot glue gun and LOTS of glue sticks (I went through almost an entire small bag to make one wreath)
-Something to use to press the pages onto the wreath so you don’t burn your fingers
-2 straight pins (optional)

Now put it together:

If you follow the instructions on Living with Lindsay, you’ll be golden.  However, if you buy the 99 Cents Only snowman wreath, there are a couple steps to do before you begin.

1) Rip the snowman off of the wreath.  It’s attached with a stick, so it requires a little finesse to get it off without ruining the wreath.
2) Pull off as much of the fake snow as you possibly can.  You won’t ever see the wreath base, so the looks don’t matter too much, but if you leave the fake snow on, the pages will have a hard time sticking.  Once the snow is gone, get started folding and gluing pages.

Once your wreath is done, you can of course hang it on the wall.  I also placed a simple vase of succulents in the middle and used it as a centerpiece at the dinner table.  Pretty cute.

Happy crafting, kids!

Plenty of stores are getting into the Halloween spirit and not just by putting lame decorations in their windows.  Some stores are actually offering some sweet freebies, and not just the candy kind.  All you have to do is show up at the right time or do something silly at the behest of your frozen yogurt overlords.

The folks at dealnews.com put together a comprehensive list of places to go with activities and rewards for both adults and kids.  You stand to receive anything from sandwiches to free bowling to toys and more.  I have a bunch of brown butcher paper left over from my Halloween decorations at work, so maybe I’ll swing by Chipotle and show them what an angry burrito looks like.

Click here for the list and check back for it to be updated.