DIY Archives - Olio in Iowa

February 24, 2014

DIY: Tassel Garland

Even after about nine months in my apartment, I’m still figuring out the best places for things and how to style my space. While I still haven’t decided on a whether or not I want a headboard (today I’m leaning toward yes), I recently found an easy—and crazy inexpensive—DIY to spruce up the blank wall above my dresser.

You’ll find tassel garlands of varying sizes all over Pinterest—from birthday parties to home decor—these crete creations are everywhere. I settled on a more scaled down version that matched my other bedroom decor and affixed the garland to my wall with matching washi tape I found at Target.Continue Reading…

February 13, 2014

DIY: Valentine’s Day Tea Bags

I’m not necessarily a huge fan of Valentine’s Day—besides the increased amounts of chocolate and adorably themed decorations at Target, that is. I am a fan of surprising the people I care about with sweet treats though, especially in the spirit of Galentine’s Day.

For those who don’t know, Galentine’s Day is the creation of the one and only Leslie to honor her favorite lady friends. Or if you’re more inclined to relate to another favorite NBC lady Liz Lemon, these tiny tea bags are perfect to share with your gals on Anna Howard Shaw Day.

So in honor of Leslie Knope, Liz Lemon and celebrators of Galentine’s Day everywhere, now you too can gift festive, handmade tea bags.Continue Reading…

January 14, 2014

DIY Eats: Peppermint Marshmallows

I’ve been dying to try these peppermint marshmallows forever. Since I got a candy thermometer for Christmas (dream big, you guys), I decided our recent polar vortex was the perfect time to do a little marshmallow making.

I may have even put a marshmallow or three in my coffee the next day…Continue Reading…

December 16, 2013

Last Minute DIY Gifts for Everyone on Your List

I’ve found that most people fall into one of two holiday gift-giving camps—either you’ve had the perfect gifts for everyone on your list since mid-October or it’s a week before Christmas and you’re still scrambling to find that special something. While the latter occasionally applies to me, I hate feeling like I’m rushing to get my holiday shopping done.

So in the hopes of making everyone’s holiday a little bit easier, here are eight easy DIY projects to consider for any last minute gifting situations that may arise.
Continue Reading…

December 11, 2013

DIY Eats: Fudge Ecstasy Cookies

I’ve never been much of a talented baker, but ever since I can remember, my mom has always been able to come up with incredible, delicious baked creations. These fudge cookies are one of her latest marvels and I’m slightly obsessed.

Especially in this holiday season of baked goods and tasty treats, these cookies are quick, easy and perfect for gifting to anyone on your holiday list.Continue Reading…

December 9, 2013

DIY: Photo Coasters

Lately I’m in full DIY mode—especially considering Des Moines had its firs substantial snowfall of the year on Sunday—and there’s no better time for lots of crafting than around the holidays. I absolutely love the idea of these photo coasters for a holiday gift—they’re wonderfully customizable and extremely affordable.

What you’ll need:

4-by-4 inch ceramic tiles — Easy to find at hardware stores like Menard’s or Lowe’s for about 16 cents each
Printed photos
Mod Podge
Small foam brush
Valspar gloss sealant
Adhesive felt pads

The first step of this project is to choose the photos you’d like to turn into coasters. I’m a big fan of Walgreens app for printing photos—especially Instagram photos—directly from my phone. They have a 4-by-4 inch photo option that is perfect for this project in particular. (Plus you can use the code RMN34 through the end of 2013 to get 34% off all photo orders!) I decided to trim my photos so the coasters resembled Polaroids, but you can really cut as little or as much as you’d like. If you’re interested in the Polaroid look, I trimmed by photos to 3 3/4 inch width and 3 1/4 inch height.

After applying mod podge to the back of each photo and placing it on the ceramic tile, let dry for at least 30 minutes. Next I covered each tile completely with mod podge, letting each coat dry completely before applying another. In the end, I found that three coats was enough to secure the photos.

When mod podge is completely dry, spray coasters with high-gloss sealant. Be sure to do this in a well-ventilated area and give tiles at least an hour to dry. Depending on desired effect two coats of sealant may be necessary. After tiles are completely dry, flip over and attached felt pads to each corner of the tile to prevent scratching and increase stability.

November 27, 2013

DIY: Typography Coasters

Lately I’ve been all about making my tiny apartment feel a little more like home. Though I’ve lived in my current building for almost six months, it feels like I’m just starting to get settled. As I’ve decorated my new space, one thing I’ve struggled to find is a good set of coasters.

While I really like the aesthetic of the Scrabble coasters I made awhile back, the super glue doesn’t hold up so well for wet or sweating glasses and causes the tiles to move and buckle—not ideal for coasters. So when I saw these corkboard coasters on Pinterest, I knew I could make a set of my own without too much trouble.

What you’ll need

Cork board
X-Acto knife
Printed templates

Once you get started, these typography-themed coasters are actually incredibly easy to make. The most difficult parts—at least for me—were finding the correct size for my templates and carefully separating the cork board. Choosing which font you’d like to use is also a major decision—I picked Times New Roman.

After trying out a few different sizes, I settled on size 300 bolded type for the larger icons—@ and &—and size 450 for the #. Once you have your icons printed, overlay them on corkboard and carefully cut with an X-Acto knife. After you’ve traced the entire shape, remove the paper stencil and retrace the lines cut into the corkboard. Be very careful when separating your coaster from the extra cork—this is where you’ll have the most trouble with breaking or crumbling.

October 30, 2013

Halloween DIY: Blossom

For about a year now my friends have been fairly opinionated when it comes to my celebrity doppelganger. While it originally started with comparisons to Amy Farah Fowler from “The Big Bang Theory,” looking back at some of Mayim Bialik‘s earlier TV appearances it was pretty clear that I could also pass for Blossom, ’90s sitcom tween (and lover of ridiculous hats).

So when my friends and I decided to celebrate Halloween at a ’80s & ’90s themed party—at one of my new favorite places in Des Moines—it didn’t take me long to come up with the perfect costume.

Growing up my mom made every single one of my costumes. Now that that’s no longer the case I still can’t bring myself to drop major cash on a Halloween costume that I’ll wear once and likely never look at again. So I raided by closet for the perfect Blossom outfit—using the photo above as inspiration.Continue Reading…

October 17, 2013

DIY: Embellished Sweatshirt

As much as I love comfy clothes, I’ve never been much of a sweatshirt-wearer—other than around my apartment on lazy Saturdays. But when I started seeing embellished and bedazzled sweatshirts popping up everywhere, I knew this was a style I could get behind. Comfy and polished? Say no more.

Instead of dropping a chunk of my paycheck on a shimmery sweatshirt, I decided to make one of my own. The process was surprisingly easy—as long as you have a good amount of patience and a hand for basic sewing.

What you’ll need

Sweatshirt of choice—I got mine on sale at Old Navy for $8
Clear jewel beads of your choice—I found both of mine at Michaels
Needle & thread
Scissors

I’ve never been much for long sleeves so I decided to give my sweatshirt’s sleeves a trim and transform them into shorter cuffs. If you plan on doing this, I recommend trying on your garment multiple times throughout the process to make sure you’re getting the sleeve length you want just right. Bonus points if you use a tape measure and mark your cut/fold lines.

Once I secured my cuffed sleeves with a basting stitch, I got to work blinging out my sweatshirt. This is where the patience element really comes into play—be sure to double sew any beads, especially if they’re heavier like the ones I used on my collar. For the smaller beads I strung them in sets of five to keep them from feeling too loose.

The best part about this DIY is that you can add as much or as little embellishment as you like. While I left my cuffed sleeves bare for now, you could go back and add a more intricate design with the delicate beading.

October 15, 2013

DIY Eats: Pumpkin Bread

Even though its mid-October I still haven’t had my fill of pumpkin-themed seasonal treats. Though I think there’s such a thing as pumpkin overkill, I’m obsessed with this fantastic (and super easy) recipe for pumpkin bread.

What you’ll need

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9×13 baking pan. Mix together eggs, water and olive oil). Combine dry ingredients and spices.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Pour batter into pan and bake for 50-55 minutes.

When toothpick inserted into loaf comes out clean, remove loaf from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.