Finally! A beauty tutorial that you can actually do by yourself. Those crazy step-by-step guides on how to achieve the “perfect whatever” usually have us walking away from the mirror looking like Toddlers in Tiaras gone wrong, but that’s because they expect so much from us make-up challenged females. Thanks to Refinery 29 and this awesome video from a pretty cool chic who looks like a cross between Lana Del Rey and Kat Von D, the cat-eye you’ve been dreaming of  is not only doable, but easier than ever before. Why? Because Kat Del Rey doesn’t expect a flawless line to just flow from our fingers, she knows better and even says, point-blank, “you probably won’t be able to do it anyway.” With those low, low expectations, we are free from impossible standards and finally given the tutorial we deserve. Call it “make-up for dummies,”  but Lana Von D and Refinery 29 have saved us with this video. Watch for yourself and see your life change before your soon-to-be flawlessly lined eyes.

Dear Pinterest,  in the hours we’ve spent just looking at amazing DIY projects in your endless galleries we probably could have DIY’d our very own home by now. Oh well, the ideas are there for both the lazy blog trolls killing time (guilty) and the truly motivated craftspeople who make these whimsical dreams of recycling old books and using mason jars for literally everything a reality. This crafty book mark idea from blog, Greenpaper, was found by way of Pinterest (of course) and is super easy…if you don’t mind apart the exterior of dilapidated old novels. Simply slice off the spine with an x-acto knife, punch a hole in the top and tie a pretty ribbon for easy grabbing. Who cares if everyone you know has a Kindle, these will still make awesome gifts come the holidays and remind people of that very sentimental “musty library” smell that brings back ye old school days.

Here in Arizona it feels like sandals are appropriate footwear 90-percent of the year. Of course that could mean monotony. Not anymore. Behold, the completely customizable do-it-yourself idea for any pair of sandals courtesy of Daily Candy and I Spy DIY Style.

Here’s all you will need: a pair of sandals (old or new), various colors of string, the tiniest bit of super glue and scissors.

To get started, wrap the the first color of string around a desired strap or piece of your sandal and tie in a knot. Continue wrapping the string to desired width. Knot it to the next color and repeat. Reinforce knots with dabs of superglue. For more detailed instructions, watch the video here.

Since the string isn’t glued directly to the sandal itself you risk nothing. Feel free to try this same trick over and over with different sandals, different types of string and different color combinations and patterns … that will keep you on your toes.

Celebrate America’s favorite pastime by inviting a little piece of patriotic history to your arm party. We found this DIY project on Pinterest by way of blog, Kitty Cotten, and to create your own leather accessory is both simple and cheap, just how we like it. Just find yourself an old baseball, cut  off the leather with a sharp exact-o-knife and pull the leather off the ball, slice around the stitching and then cut to your desired length while leaving the strings long. Then rebraid the stitching, tie off the ends and use a button to fasten for easy fastening. Then you are ready to eat peanuts and crackerjacks with your fancy hand worthy of the Great Bambino all summer long. Check out a pictorial tutorial here.

This customizable frozen treat recipe will delight your furry friends all summer. Photo by Kara Philp

Nothing compares to an ice-cold treat on a hot day, be it a frosty beverage, an old-fashioned ice cream cone or maybe even dip in the pool. The same can be said for your furry friends. Admit it, you love your pup(s) and you’re already thinking of creative ways to cool them off, especially once the temperatures hit the triple digits. So here is another idea for your arsenal.

There is a wide range of recipes for dog ice cream/popsicles/treats, so here is a relatively generic and totally customizable version that will have your BFFs going bananas (don’t just take our word for it).

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

24 – 32 oz. plain yogurt

1 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Blend or mix all ingredients together until you have a consistent texture throughout.

2. Pour into ice cube trays, cupcake tins or any small container that will yield a treat appropriately sized for your dog.

3. Garnish (optional). Dog bones, grated cheese, fruits or veggies work great and look cute too.

4. Freeze over night and serve.

Since variety is the spice of life, here are some alternate suggestions: Add more or less water depending on the consistency you dog likes (soft vs. crunchy), substitute the water with chicken broth, substitute the yogurt with baby food (sweet potatoes and pumpkin are big hits) or use all organic ingredients if that’s your thing. Remember, the combination of ingredients doesn’t have to sound appealing for our four-legged children to love and appreciate the gesture. Enjoy.

It’s no secret we love when we can turn empty bottles of alcohol into some creative home project. This is due in part to our love for recycling and chic home furnishings, but more so because of our excessive drinking habits. We kid, but this DIY project on how to turn empty wine bottles into beautiful lights is no joke. Simply round up your empty wine bottles, soak them and remove the excess glue and get to drilling a small hole in the bottom so you can filter in light strands. Get step-by-step instructions from blog, Taste of Home and then there is no stopping how many of these you can filter through your home. It will give the feeling of an outdoor garden party with beautiful twinkle lights while indoors because let’s face it, that ship has sailed.

If you’ve resolved to be more crafty in the new year, then why not start by thanking everyone who made 2011 so great by showering you with piles of presents (or love and support blah, blah, blah)? We are in love with this hand made thank you note idea from Because I’m Addicted Blogger, Geri Hirsch. While it may seem the tradition of handwritten gone by the wayside with the younger generation, Hirsch takes it a step further by painting them herself to add even more of personal touch…and to save money in post-holiday penny pinching times. It does require a little more time and effort that the cards you churned out your the elementary school days, but creative freedom is up to you. Read how to make them Geri style here.

Photo via Because I’m Addicted

Brightly colored pillows brighten up a bed, chair or sofa in an instant. We loved these shag pillows by V & Co. the sense of accomplishment we know you’ll enjoy after sewing such fine pillows yourselves. So drag out that old Singer and let your friends and family sing your praises when they see a couple of these chic shag pillows on your couch or favorite chair. For complete project details, click here.

Easy, thoughtful and impressive as all hell, we were sent this DIY Holiday Body Scrub recipe by Erika Katz and just had to share it with you. Who would’ve thought you could bypass the trip to Bath and Bodyworks completely and concoct a delicious smelling scrub in your own kitchen to give away to all your friends. The recipe was featured in a recent issue of Girl’s Life Magazine and accompanies a whole book of equally crafty ideas from Katz’s book, Bonding Over Beauty: A Mother Daughter Beauty Guide to Foster Self Esteem, Confidence and Trust (say that ten times fast). Find out how to make the sugary-cinnamony concoction after the jump.  »READ MORE

Decking the halls is so much easier when you actually have halls to deck, but to all of us living in a 900 square foot world, delusions of winter wonderland grandeur are just a little out of reach. But hey, at least not having a chimney to hang your stockings with care is not a problem thanks to this great idea from Earth First. The do-it-yourself “mantel” is easy to accomplish and your ROI is tenfold if you consider all of the envious looks from friends and winter visitors. Just find a branch, spray paint it your desired hue and hang whatever holiday inspired ornaments your see fit. Twinkly lights? Dancing reindeer? Dreidels? The branch has no preference and will compliment any room desperately seeking a little holiday cheer.

Thanksgiving is over which means we are officially on the high speed crazy train to Christmas Town and there ain’t no stopping us now. With that in mind, here is another amazing DIY project from BLDG 25 that will having you decking everyone’s halls with handmade cheer. Just pick up some of those clear Christmas bulbs from your local craft store and whatever objects you would like to fill it with to compliment your holiday decor. They used funky feathers and small, plastic woodland creatures to give off that signature whimsy, but the possibilities are endless. We love the idea of stuffing them with tinsel and hanging these bad boys from a wire over a mantel or filling them with family photographs and putting them on your tree to add a personal touch. If you make it happen, send us some pictures! We’d love to see the finished product. Let the countdown begin!

While we know advent calendars are typically associated with Christmas count-downs, we are throwing this DIY up there with the hopes that you will use it for any countdown worthy occasion. Birthday? Payday? Start the countdown at 24 days away and treat yourself for patience courtesy of The DIY Showoff. Gather an old soda crate and the rest is really up to you. You can opt to number the boxes yourself, or paint with chalkboard paint and write funny little notes to keep up motivation. Fill the boxes with whatever makes you happy inside and you have a DIY project worthy of envy. If you do feel like using this calendar in the “traditional” sense, we suggest adding some twinkle lights and a dancing santa puppet….just a thought.

We love simple DIY projects. They make us feel accomplished and crafty and boost our fragile egos rather than shatter them with the cold, hard realization that we aren’t the next Martha Stewart clones (pre-jail). That’s why this “Hexy Table” from Young House Love is one to try. Painting a table? Sounds easy enough. Just need the right tools and the right, old table scooped up off a neighbor’s sidewalk. Check out the details here and you can Mod up your living room like it’s 1965.

Sure, nail art looks cool, but it requires so much time, energy and patience and we just can’t seem to justify throwing that all away for something so temporary. That’s why this incredibly easy and absolutely adorable DIY Nail project from BLDG 25 caught our attention. To achieve the newspaper nail look, all you need is a light base coat, rubbing alcohol, newspaper and a clear top coat. Paint nails with desired color, let dry, soak in alcohol and then press a piece of newspaper over each nail. Cover over with the aforementioned top coat and intrigue people with your Pulitzer Prize worthy fingers. And who says this generation isn’t well read?

We always thought curtain rods were a pretty standard household item with little creativity involved. In fact, we hadn’t given them much thought before we stumbled upon this DIY blog, Olive and Love. It may not be the easiest thing to find large tree branches in AZ (we’re 99.9% sure this blogger is from Canada due to the not-so-subtle use of “eh”), but you can find decorative “tree branches” at places like World Market, Pier One and even Michael’s. Just find and cut the right ones for the window you want to use, buy or make curtains to slip on and voila! You can even spray paint them any color to jazz them up a bit. If you want the full directions on how to do it the Mountain Man way, go here.

All these overcast days and cooler temperatures just make us want to curl up with a good book, a cup of tea and James Blake playing on a loop. If the creativity bug bites you during all this “in” time, you might want to try this Pixel Painting idea given to us by Wit & Whistle.  Find a photo you love, blow up the pixels in photoshop and then trace the grid onto canvas (or paper) before filling in with watercolor paints. The finished product will have the essence of your favorite photograph and all the satisfaction knowing you made it happen. Get more detailed directions here and happy painting happy pixelated little trees (or what have you).

Fear of commitment is natural when it comes to the big stuff. Relationships, a new apartment, a feather hair extension, these things require lots of thought before taking the plunge. That is why we are all about the idea of a feather necklace or earrings as a way to embrace the trend, but have it all up in our hair at all times. Here’s a video from The Coveted on how to make them yourself! Or, if you aren’t in to the whole “arts and crafts” thing, head on into to Free People Fashion Square today and pick up a handmade version with every purchase of $200 or more.

SkyMall never ceases to amaze us, but when we saw that you could buy a kit to put together this amazing lamp of awesomeness, it flew a little higher in our hearts. The DIY Coil Lamp designed by Craighton Berman on the website The Future Perfect  is only $79 and takes any preconceived notion of a table lamp to a much more modern level. Like most assembly required items, the light bulb is not included. Order it here and turn something as simple as your light fixture into a hot topic of conversation.

You may be amazed at how easily this week’s DIY project is accomplished, but we were mostly amazed at how such a simple idea could have such a stinkin’ cute result. The DIY Skirt Shirt from BLDG 25 requires no scissors, glue, hammers or nails nor does it require any time at all. Simply take an old, oversized button-down shirt (boyfriends are good for something), button it half way up from the bottom, step on into it and tie the sleeves around your waist. The possibilities for styling are endless and the chances for coworker coveting are 100%.

Change is not only an inevitability, but also a necessity when it comes to home furnishing. Budget may not permit a complete decor makeover every year, but little DIY projects like this oversized light fixture from Young House Love can really make all the difference when you just need something to give. Not to mention it only takes $32 and an hour of your time.

After taking an existing light fixture and an oversized lampshade, these crafty bloggers were able to transform their entire office with very little effort. By cutting a neutral, slightly opaque piece of fabric and fastening it to the bottom of the lampshade before attaching it to the fixture, the lampshade element of the piece vanishes and a softer light glows while giving a very chic vibe to an everyday room. Read all the directions here and flip through the before and after photos after the jump.  »READ MORE

Yeah, you read that right. The amazingness of everyone’s favorite chocolate hazelnut spread is undeniable, but we were brought to our knees at the thought of a Nutella flavored ice cream, especially with the heat wave in full, sweaty swing. The best part is that you can make this creamy delicious frozen treat by yourself thanks to the blog, Wit and Whistle. Get the scoop (haha) after the jump.  »READ MORE

Lights, camera, lanterns! Who needs to read a long list of materials and instructions on how to make a sequin canvas lantern when there’s a convenient video you can watch to get step-by-step instructions helpfully narrated by someone from BLDG 25.Crafty, pretty and perfect for the outdoor parties that you are already dreaming of, these simple lights can be made with any fabric or embellishments of your choosing.

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If your thumbs are all twiddled out and you are through with watching How I Met Your Mother re-runs, here’s a little project to keep you occupied. Thought up by those crazy creative types over at BLDG 25, this DIY light bulb vase is both simple and yep, you guessed it, whimsical. You just need to gather up some of those out-of-date light bulbs (hello? are we not in the age of LED?), pliers and gardening wire. Read more for the instructions and impress yourself with your use of the three R’s. Your kindergarten teacher would be so proud.  »READ MORE

Alright, so, technically this isn’t a “home project”, but we couldn’t resist sharing this recipe for an amazing homemade chocolate chip cookie skillet from Wit & Whistle. While you can’t hang it on your wall or use it more than once, you do have to do it yourself so we’re going to go ahead and count it. Get the recipe and method straight from the blog after the jump. The best part? You don’t have wait over an hour or eat to much “filler food” to get what you really came for. Oh yeah, we know that trick.  »READ MORE

We’ve all heard the saying, “take a picture, it will last longer,” but usually the motive behind the words is less than friendly. We are about to change that with the help of the blog BLDG 25 and the amazing instagram photo wall. Rather than obnoxiously posting your every move onto Twitter or Facebook, you can upload them to your instagram account and create this “visual diary” to remind you of your travels and every day experiences. All you need is an instragram account, a piece of white poster board (however big or little) and some glue! Print out your photo memories, tack ‘em on and voila! A beautiful collage of your own making is at your disposal. You can also trade photos with friends to keep it interesting and then show them….in person….what you’ve been up to. What a fabulous concept.