DIY: Recycled Plastic Bottle Light Shades

What to do:
Step 1: Use a sharp craft knife to cut off the bottom section of the plastic bottle.

Note: You can only use CFL light globes in the fitting, as anything else heats up and will melt the plastic shade.

Step 2: Screw the top half of the bottle to the light fitting

Step 3: Optional - you may spray paint the outside of the plastic in any colour of your choice.

What you need:
1. 2 litre juice bottles
2. craft knife
3. optional: spray paint - colour of your choice

Estimated time needed: 15 minutes plus drying

ref: easydiy.co.za

DIY: Chalkboard Serving Tray

What to do:
Step 1: Sand the pine with 240-grit sandpaper until nice and smooth. Wipe away all traces of dust.

Step 2: Apply wide masking tape around the edge of the board. The wide tape protects the edge of the board from overspray.

Step 3: Spray on 3 to 4 coats of chalkboard spray, applying light coats and working from side to side. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat.

Step 4: Let the paint dry before gently peeling off the masking tape.

GOOD TO KNOW: Prime the chalkboard before you use. Wipe chalk across the entire surface and then wipe away with a lightly damp cloth.

Step 5: Attach your choice of handles to finish off.

What you need:
1. Piece of pine approximately 300 x 900mm
2. 240-grit sanding paper
3. Wide masking tape
4. Rust-Oleum chalkboard spray

Estimated time needed: 30 minutes plus drying

ref: easydiy.co.za

DIY: Pebble Mat

What to do:
Step 1: Recycle and old doormat, or cut a sheet of rubber to size (Many larger fabric stores offer various rubber products for various upholstery projects).

Step 2: Before sticking down the pebbles, arrange them on the rubber mat until all the pebbles fit nicely.

Step 3: Use Pattex Universal Silicone to attach the individual pebbles to the rubber mat. Apply a thick bead of silicone to the back of each press and press firmly onto the mat.

Step 4: Once you have finished sticking down all the pebbles, leave to cure for 24 hours.
After that you can leave as is, or you can apply a satin on gloss spray varnish over the top.

What you need:
1. Assorted pebbles or river rocks - Select pebbles of approximately the same size, and ones that will be easy to stick down
2. Rubber mat
3. Pattex Universal Silicone
4. Dropcloth or newspaper
5. Rust-Oleum clear polyurethane spray varnish (satin or gloss)

Estimated time needed: 30 minutes plus drying

ref: easydiy.co.za

Hanging Vase Display

What to do:

Step 1: You will need vases that have thin necks with wider openings at the top (so the rope doesn't slide off), and you don't want them to be too big overall so that they don't get super heavy once you fill them with water.

Step 2: Once you found the perfect vases, install a robe hook and tie a long piece of twine several times around the neck of each vase. Gather all the strands together and staggered their heights before tying the group of strands to the robe hook. Once the vases were hanging, pour in water with a measuring cup and added some pretty flowers to finish the look.

Step 3: Once these flowers have run their course you can remove the stems, pour the water into a bowl, and pour the bowl down the drain. This way you don't have to untie the vases to dispose of the water.

What you need:

1. Short and long-necked small vases

2. Twine

3. Metal robe hook

Estimated time needed: 20 minutes

ref: abeautifulmess.com

Magnetic Spice Storage

What to do:
Step 1: Trace your container onto a sheet of magnetic paper. 

Steps 2 -3: Cut out the shapes and adhere them to the back of your spice container. 

Step 4: Cut a piece of label paper in a strip longer than your container. Also add hand drawn lines to your strips.

Step 5: Use the container to measure how wide your strip should be. Make a crease with your finger to mark the spot and then cut it out. 

Step 6: Pour each spice in and label it with a large, easy to read hand written font.

What you need: 
1. Tins 
2. Spices  
3. Magnetic sheet 
4. Labels
5. Scissors 

Estimated time needed: 20 minutes

ref: abeautifulmess.com

DIY Planters with Nail Polish Marbling

What to do:
Step 1: Fill the a bucket about halfway with water and let it come to room temperature. It’s best to do this outside so you have good ventilation.

Step 2: Liberally pour in nail polish. Let it spread out over the water as much as possible. You can help it move with a tooth pick or even just shaking the bucket a bit. The more surface area of the water you cover the greater coverage on the pot. 

Step 3: Dip the pot in the water. It works best to dip the pot on its side and let the polish wrap around the sides. If you don’t cover the entire pot in one dip, then dip again if you like.

Step 4: Once your small vases are neatly in place, fill the vases with spring flowers.

What you need:
1. Pot plants
2. Nail polish
3. Big bucket of water.

Estimated time needed: 30 minutes plus drying

ref: hellonatural.com

Chocolate Dip Pears with Almond Crunch

Serves 6
 

INGREDIENTS
- 6 red Bartlett pears, medium size
- 225g dark chocolate, melted
- 110 - 140g salted almonds, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place melted chocolate in one bowl and the chopped almonds in a second bowl. 

2. Dip room temperature pears in chocolate then in almonds.

3. Place dipped pears on a cooling rack to set.

ref: bakersroyale.com