Stop Pinning Start Making – DIY Roped Macrame Necklace via A Pair & A Spare

If you aren’t following Geneva Vanderzeil’s AMAZING DIY fashion blog A Pair & A Spare, click that link and clear your calendar. This month’s Stop Pinning Start Making project came straight from her MY DIY board on Pinterest. Think of all the amazing color possibilities!

I opted to go with a more America! themed necklace to show off this weekend at a Memorial Day BBQ.

Won’t these colors look swell with a navy sundress!

Head to A Pair & A Spare’s DIY Roped Macrame Necklace tutorial for instructions.

This only took 1 hour and $20 in supplies. Score!!

Now your turn! Stop Pinning, Start Making! Show it off on our projects page.

One Material, Many Ways: 7 Recycled T-Shirt DIY Projects

Got a pile of old tees ready for the thrift store?  Well, hang on to them because today we’ve got seven awesome DIYs using recycled t-shirts.

Sequined Heart Tee via Henry Happened

Galaxy Tee via Stars for Streetlights

T-Shirt Piping via Between the Lines

Hoodie via Mark Montano

T-Shirt Refashion via Wardrobe Recycle

Peplum Tee via …Love Maegan

Learned a new technique or bought a specialty tool or material for that one special project but don’t know how to put it to use next? One Material, Many Ways is dedicated to rounding up the finest projects to put those special supplies and skills to use!

Tie Dye, Giveaways + other Crafty Links of the Week – 5.24.13

Check out this awesome project where a 19 year old photographer images when the real life models of famous paintings might have looked like.

Former Whimseybox featured artist 55 Hi’s has a great write-up in advance of the National Stationery Show. Aren’t these Sleep When You’re Dead coasters awesome?

iLovetoCreate, the makers of some of our favorite craft products, is giving away an iPad – enter on The Crafty Chica’s blog!

Check out this free Crystalline Scarf DIY project on Crafternews.

Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

DIY Lawn Games

Get out your lawnmower, your lawn chairs, your charcoal grill (and maybe your drill) cause it’s time for backyard barbecues! This year you can have the yard that all the neighbors are talking about and it’s not due to your horticultural skills. It is ALL due to your fearless DIY attitude and these blueprints for endless summer socializing. I’m talking about lawn games! I’m sure you’ve seen or played at least one of these games before and now you can build your own version using this list of Lawn Game DIYs we’ve provided below.

Ladder Golf

This game goes by many different names, some of which are anatomical in nature and the rules can be as varied as the moniker, but Ladder Golf is a new favorite in lawn leisure. Made from PVC piping, the “ladder” rungs are the target and two golf balls at each end of a rope is the projectile. The goal is to throw the golf ball bolo and wrap the rope around the rungs for points. This step by step tutorial at Mike Is Bored has the “official dimensions” for the ladder and when it comes to drilling those holes in the golf balls, try your local hardware store. For a small fee they will save you a lot of time both drilling the holes and cutting the PVC to size. Can’t hurt to ask, right?

Bean Bag Toss

a.k.a Corn Hole which gets it’s name from the filling inside the bags (feed corn). Check out this tutorial from the SewWoodsy husband and wife DIY team. This project requires woodworking AND sewing, but don’t be intimidated by power tools (yes, a sewing machine is a power tool). Customize your boards and your bags with your own design.

Giant Jenga

I think everyone has played this block stacking game but the stakes get higher (and higher) when the blocks get bigger. Giant Jenga is just that: an oversized version of the Jenga you played as a kid. The key is to cut down 2X4s so that they are 3X as long as they are wide. Because 2X4s are rarely 2″ X 4″, measure twice and cut once. According to the experts at Home Depot, the perfect cut is 10.5″ JENGA!!!

Kubb

The lesser known Swedish Lawn Game or Viking Chess is a game of strategy as well as skill. Throwing sticks at sticks doesn’t seem that difficult but check out the elaborate details here or for a brief description of the game try this page which lists trash talking as a reliable tactic. To build a Kubb set, you really only need a 6 foot length of 4X4 post and a large wooden dowel. Here is the step by step tutorial for building your own Kubb set which can be played by 2 to 12 people at a leisurely pace (breaks for BBQ) or straight through.

Beersbee

For those of you who like to mix your lawn games and your drinking games. No need to put down that adult beverage because Beersbee encourages, NAY! requires that you hold onto that summer shandy and keep your head up! A beer perched atop a pole is the target for each team’s Frisbee toss. The receiving team must catch BOTH the frisbee and the beer should it be knocked off the pole. Beersbee boasts it’s own official website where you can find the rules of play, but as for the setup, it’s as simple as two vertical poles (again PVC works well) and some beer bottles.

Frisbeer

Another version of the Frisbee/Beer combo game requires two poles (rebar or PVC seems to be the material of choice) at each team’s end of the playing field with a cup, upside down over each pole. The ultimate goal is to split the two poles which takes more skill but earns you higher points (3). Knocking the cups off of the poles is good for 1 point, unless your opponents are playing good D and catch the cup before it hits the ground. Check out the definition and rules for Frisbeer along with it’s alternative meaning (a beer served IN a Frisbee) here.

Well, that’s all we’ve got! Lot’s of links to good clean fun! Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Featured Community: Copper and Clay Bud Vase, Paper Cutout Lantern and Washi Tape Journal

Don’t be afraid to share and share alike!  The Projects Page is designed to highlight great ideas and encourage creativity so login to your free Whimseybox account and start spreading the love! Here’s how to save your favorite Whimseybox Community Projects.

Copper and Clay Vase

The May flowers are in bloom and you don’t need a full bouquet to enjoy their simple beauty. A bud vase with just a few flowers can add a touch of charm, especially with this juxtaposition of hard metal with soft clay. With some scrap copper tubing and oven baked clay you can create a vignette of violets or a display of daisies to ring in Spring!

Paper Circles Lampshade

Customize your task lighting by linking together paper cutouts and covering an otherwise plain lantern using pages from a book or in this case, an old atlas. These paper circles were coated in an acrylic sealant and linked together using jewelry findings. Shed a little light on the subject!

Washi Tape Mini Album

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Washi Tape has become a craft obsession of as of late. With all the patterns and colors available, it’s easy to see how this project went from cardboard and paper to a spring inspired visual journal. As the flora and fauna come alive after a long winter, this is the perfect almanac for documenting the transformation that is Spring.

See something you like on our projects page? Click on the ♥FAV button and the project will be saved to your profile under Favorites. It’s an easy reference for later.