Constitutionally Modern DIY
Modern, funky craft/DIY creations. Good for gifts or yourself.
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WHAT:
Making things. Affordable and accomplishable things.
WHO:
Suitable for amateurs, average Janes/Joes.**
**Particularly useful for urbanites lacking power tools or even a kitchen table.
WHEN:
Whenever I goshdarn can. Lay off me.
WHY:
Because looking at other people's ideas is awesome fodder for my noggin so shouldn't I share a decent idea that someone else can make perfect? Send me a pic if you make something similar to what I post!
WHO'S THIS "ME"?
I am Lynn. I'm an urban planner by training, and a maker of random items by vocational calling. I do my projects in my apartment in Brooklyn, or on the stoop or roof. If you see a 5' 3 7/8" female breaking concrete blocks out on your street, you probably live on my block.
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56 posts tagged My DIY Projects
personalized washi tape pennant garland…<$17
Not long ago I did a post on the washi tape pennant garland I made for my office. I think these also make good baby room gifts, so here’s a similar garland with the kid’s name glittered on. And there’s the block I live on. Just beautiful.
You need:
- Clear plastic scraps (from food take-out stuff, salad bins, etc.)
- Washi tape
- Hot glue gun
- String
- Scissors
- Glitter
- Glue
- Brush to apply glue
- 0.5” vinyl letters
- Xacto knife/box cutter (optional)
Want to see the steps?
Read more
I haven’t had new tutorials cuz I’ve been busy doing more of projects I’ve already tutorialized…like these coloring books. See this tutorial for deets.
Washi tape pennant garland…<$14
Got myself a new job, therefore a new office. Must decorate more, but this is pennant garland is my first attempt. Brightens up the corner quite nice like. These garlands are so easy to make — just cut up some plastic trash and cover with washi tape and you’re almost done. The only costly part is the washi tape, but that stuff is the best and totally worth it. Would make a real nice gift for a kid’s room…
You need:
- Clear plastic scraps (from food take-out stuff, salad bins, etc.)
- Washi tape (I had 5 types on hand)
- Hot glue gun
- String
- Scissors
- Xacto knife/box cutter (optional)
Want to see the steps?
Read more
Valentine’s Day by way of Samuel Beckett…$9
I went to see Beckett’s play Krapp’s Last Tape not too long ago at BAM. Rather transfixing, especially the repeated passage that is more or less the piece’s climax:
“We lay there without moving. But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up and down, and from side to side. Past midnight. Never knew such silence. The earth might be uninhabited.”
We liked it so much, I decided it would make a nice Valentine’s Day gift for my husband. I had leftover spray paint, vinyl letters, and cardboard from the holidays, so that’s what it got made from.
You need:
- Nice piece of cardboard or some kind of base
- 0.5” vinyl letters (I got Helvetica)
- Spray paint (I used gold)
- Xacto knife/box cutter
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$9:
- 0.5” vinyl letters (I got Helvetica) = $4.24
- Spray paint (I used gold) = $4.40
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- Print the piece in Helvetica Neue 46 – that’s about as close as I could get to the 0.5” vinyl letters. In retrospect, I should have placed greater spacing between “…from side to side” and “Past midnight.”
- Using the print-out as your guide, place the vinyl adhesive letters on the cardboard.
- Spray paint outside! I tried to give it a cloudy/dreamy effect, so I didn’t do a full-coverage onslaught — again, in retrospect, maybe would do it differently.
- Remove vinyl letters.
- And thar she blows. I put it in hallway next to the toilet for regular viewing.
A more colorful reusable bag…$2
This reusable bag was pretty boring. So I added an iron-on. Hot iron: perfect for kids.
You need:
- U-Create Iron-on
- Permanent markers
- Iron & ironing board
- Light colored reusable bag (the heartier the fabric the better)
Want to see the steps?
Costs = $2:
- U-Create Iron-on = $2
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- Doesn’t require much explanation — just draw whatever you want. Sharpies work awesome because they’re bright. From this project, I learned that I should probably have filled more of the surface with color. Next time.
- U-Create Iron-Ons are made by a family company in my home town — hooray! Instructions are included in the kit. But here’s some additional tips: 1) iron the fabric itself first so it’s nice and hot and ready to take the iron-on, 2) iron for a while, at least a minute or more, while moving around that iron — and be sure to get those edges, 3) push hard.
Homemade coloring books…<$7
Happy New Year! At some point this year, you’ll have to give a gift to a kid. Make that kid a semi-homemade coloring book, individualized with cover paper as cool as they are. Made by Joel is one of my favorite blogs out there - Joel is such a talented illustrator, and he offers free pdfs of his awesome designs. Thanks, Joel, for these great coloring pages!
You need:
- Cereal boxes
- Mod Podge and Foam brush or double-sided tape or some adhesive
- Black masking tape or artist tape
- Awesome paper
- Stapler
- Scissors
- Print outs of coloring sheets from Made by Joel
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$7:
- Black masking tape or artist tape = $3.99
- Awesome paper = $2.69 per sheet
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- Cut up your cereal boxes to be book covers. (Using the natural edges of the box) be sure to leave a bendy edge for the top (where you would imagine needing flexibility for the coloring book to open). Give yourself at least a cm of this bendy edge.
- Trace and cut some cool paper in the size/shape of your book covers.
- I used Mod Podge to secure my fine paper to the ugly side of the cereal boxes, but any means of adhesive would work.
- Let dry with a heavy book on top.
- Meanwhile, print out the Made by Joel sheets and staple them together.
- Once your book covers are dry, finish the edges with black or colored tape on three sides (but not the bendy top).
- The top of your stapled pages will align with the bendy tops of your covers. Staple/secure the pages to the covers. If it’s quite thick and your stapler is struggling, just alternate front and back and over-staple the crap out of it — it’ll hold. You can cover up that mess with more tape (this has been my dad’s approach to life in general - duct tape held his fender to his car for 20 years).
- I finished my top edge with a contrasting tape, but anything works really. And now you have individualized, homemade, awesome coloring books for kids.
Toilet paper roll Christmas tree…$5
Don’t have time/effort/need for a real Christmas tree? Me neither. Do you use toilet paper? Me too. It sounds like you may be the perfect candidate to make this toilet paper roll Christmas tree. Return those toilet paper rolls to whence they came - make them back into a tree!
You need:
- A bunch of toilet paper rolls (I used 45)
- Stapler
- Spray paint
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$5:
- Spray paint = $4.40
- Everything = free or already available around the house
How to:
- This project is ridiculously simple. Just lay out the pyramid shape and start stapling. Staple towards the openings, front and back.
- Voila, a pyramid shape. I liked the idea of using a book as the tree stump, though I’m sure some more rolls would do the trick as well.
- Even without any spray paint this looks pretty cool.
- Spray painting on the roof - wear gloves and mask!!
- There she is. A grand Christmas gesture? Perhaps not. But it’s not nothing. And I’m all for stuff that’s not nothing.
Washi tape gift box ornaments (Part Deux)…<$10
More washi tape gift box ornaments. Strikingly similar to last Wednesday’s post…this time made with thin clear plastic cut from take-out containers. Yet one more easy upcycle of common refuse.
You need:
- Washi tape (2 kinds)
- Clear plastic refuse (cut into squares)
- Something to hang your creation with, could be: wire (requires small pin/nail) or thread/string (requires needle)
- Scissors
- String (I used white kite string)
- Square post-it notes (optional)
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$10 for many:
- Washi tape = $7.30 for a set of 2
- String = $1.94
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- I used a post-it to cut out a clear square from some plastic take-out container. Then I taped over it with my washi tape and trimmed the edges.
- I made these combos.
- I used a large pin to poke a whole at the cross of the “gift bow”. Small nail works too. I used that hole to secure the string detail. And I used an old piece of thin wire as a quasi-needle. I don’t know what else to explain here, cuz I winged it.
- Poke another whole for the hanging mechanism.
- Very easy, very lightweight. Quite attractive.
Washi tape gift box ornaments…<$8
I hate buying veggies that are sold on styrofoam, but in my hood that’s the only way to buy brussels sprouts. Good news: styrofoam can be cut into lightweight tree ornaments (of all types, mine just happen to be gift boxes). Patterned washi-tape is the ultimate quick coverall!
You need:
- Washi tape (2 kinds)
- Styrofoam refuse (cut into squares)
- Sharpie
- Foam brush or paint brush
- White paper
- Pencil
- Something to hang your creation with, could be: wire (requires small pin/nail) or thread/string (requires needle)
- Scissors
- Mod Podge or glue
- Square post-it notes (optional)
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$8:
- Washi tape = $7.30 for a set of 2
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- Post-its make a quick & easy square tracer. Sharpie shows up well on black styrofoam. Trace and cut.
- Trace the square on white paper too.
- Use a brush of some sort to apply glue. Glue white squares onto styrofoam squares.
- Start from one end and start adding Washi tape. Align the design as best you can — ending it is the only part that requires a bit of testing & cutting.
- Add a contrasting Washi tape in the shape of what you would see on a present.
- Poke a hole for your hanging device. I used a large pin. I added a thin layer of Mod Podge over the tape but I think this step was probably completely unnecessary. Only time and a controlled experiment would tell if this is worth it. Too soon.
- Add wire or string.
- Time for the bow. Fold over between 1.5”-2” as evenly as possible.
- Loop that around.
- Then attach at the cross. Cut notches in the end to make it perty.
- Use some glue or mod podge to get your bow to lie a bit flatter (see how it protrudes a bit here…)
- Hang.
Toothpaste trees…<$9 (for many)
Every year I turn toothpaste box trees into Christmas ornaments (see last year’s here). The boxes are the perfect shape! This year I went for a Fruit Stripe Gum look. Super easy gift idea, only limited by the number of toothpaste boxes you have stashed. This is the first of several posts on turning trash into ornaments…stay tuned.
You need:
- Toothpaste boxes (I used the small ones; any are good)
- Pastels
- Some kind of glaze (sparkle glaze or Mod Podge)
- Paint brush or foam brush
- Wire or string (for hanging)
- Containers for messiness (like old gift boxes or aluminum foil)
- Pencil & ruler
- Scissors
- Rubber gloves
- Rag or old sock
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$9 (for many):
- Pastels = <$7
- Sparkle glaze = $1.39
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- With pencil & ruler, sketch out your tree. Let the built-in lines of the box do the hard part and delineate the width and shape. Build the shape from bottom up, using the thinnest flap to form the tree trunk.
- Cut.
- I placed my tree in a box half to capture the inevitable pastel dust. I colored each panel a different color, then used my fingers to smudge the pastels within each panel. I tried my best to not cross-contaminate finger dust, except to create a bit a blending where the colors transition. I then used an old sock to gently remove pastel dust from the back of the tree and the surface on which I was going to repeat the process.
- In a different messy tray/box, apply your glaze. I ended up using a sparkle glaze to give some iridescence, but clear Mod Podge works great too. Your brush will pick up pastel color, but just a few swipes (like I did on that box clearly) gets the color out and prevents contamination.
- Let dry, and occasionally make sure the edges aren’t sticking. Old magazine pages make good dry-racks.
- Attach wire or string for hanging. The tree shape makes it easy - you don’t even need to make a hole in the top if you don’t want to.
- I like how the iridescent glaze catches the light.
- I think I’ll put it here…
Old books (and a corner) transformed…<$40
My parents have volumes of 1972 encyclopedias that, unsurprisingly, nobody anywhere wants. Except me. I had a dead corner in my apartment. Nothing in it but an ugly, broken Ikea floor lamp I found on the street. So I took those old books off their hands, as well as a terracotta pot, a small (ugly brown) table, and a sweet lamp — a little bit of paint and paper all around — and presto, corner’s got a whole new vibe.
You need:
- Old thick hardcover books
- Paint (I used what I had lying around: spray paint, chalkboard paint, acrylic paint)
- Brush or roller (if canned paint)
- Gloves & mask (if spray paint)
- Awesome paper
- Tape (I used double-sided)
- Ruler & pencil
- Scissors
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$40:
(The only thing I bought new for this was the paper, so for me, more like <$10.)
- Spray paint = $6.95
- Chalkboard paint = $19.98 (I bought this can forever ago)
- Acrylic paint = $3.19
- Awesome paper = 3 sheets @ $2.69 each
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- First, I used left-over spray paint on the books. I only had enough to coat two books twice.
- Next, I moved on to paper. I measured, cut, folded, then secured the paper with double-sided tape. I used 3 different gorgeous papers on 3 books.
- For my remaining books, I used leftover chalkboard paint. 2 coats were plenty. I love the black matte look on these book covers!
- Now for the mini-table. Great shape, but an ugly uncommittal brown. Since I’m swimming in chalkboard paint, I opted for that as the base. Then I added some grey detail on the legs (you’ve seen that look everywhere lately, I know) - just some acrylic paint I have. If you measure out a piece of paper as the length of the desired leg detail, it’s easy to keep it constant and tape off with precision.
- I also painted a little terracotta plant pot in the chalkboard paint to make it blend. And so now I have a great corner where before there was nothing. An orange CFL bulb makes the corner glow funky at night.
I got this small painting in Thailand nearly a decade ago and always have been mildly fussed by the framing job sans matte (it only cost a few bucks, so wasn’t super fussed). Just added some washi tape to help fix.
Tie rack and/or belt rack…<$15
Keep your eyes peeled for old wooden tennis rackets. They make great hanging storage for belts, ties, etc. Really this sucker can hold anything - ideal for necklaces and earrings too. And you can paint it whichever way you like to suit any decor. The perfect addition to the tiny unused wall nook next to my closet…
You need:
- Wooden tennis rackets (nabbed these from my parents’ garage)
- Paint (I used spray paint + what I had lying around: chalkboard paint & acrylics)
- Artist tape or painters tape
- Hammer
- Nails
- Paint brush
- Mask/bandanna (if spray painting)
- Gloves
- Sandpaper
- A means of hanging your creation
Want to see the steps?
Costs = <$15:
- Spray paint = $6.95
- Other paint = $3.19
- Artist tape or painters tape = $3.99
- Everything else = free or already available around the house
How to:
- Prep the tennis rackets by prying off the grips, sanding down the wood and leftover adhesive, and cover the nylons in painters tape.
- Now just paint. I spray-painted mine a pale yellow, then added some stripes with paint I had lying around (chalkboard paint and grey and white acrylic).
- Add some nails down the handle. I used some golden/bronze colored ones because they look kinda classy. Clearly I could have done a better job hammering in the nails in a more orderly/straight line.
- On the nylons, I added leftover curtain hooks from Ikea. Plain s-hooks work as well.
- I used cotton mason line for hanging.
- There it is on the wall, with nothing on.
- Here’s the other one I made for my husband’s ties and belts.
