2 minute read
Summer DIYs
SIMPLE SUMMER DIY
PROJECTS
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30 MINUTES OR LESS
Words & Photos By
Susan Snow, Home Editor (Photo: LaVie in Pictures)
GARDEN VARIETY
Up your hostess game and wow your guests using fresh herbs and flowers found in your garden. For this pretty DIY project, I tied up a plain white napkin with twine and inserted a few sprigs of fresh chive flowers for colour and popped in a fresh mint leaf for good measure. Now all you need is your company to arrive.
Chives are one of the easiest and hardiest herbs to grow either in the ground or in patio pot. They have a delicate onion flavour and make nice addition for topping for salads, baked potatoes, soups, or omelettes. The fresh greens are best left uncooked. The delicate pink flowers are not only beautiful, they are also edible. Bon Appetit!
AL FRESCO
Make your own outdoor placemats for next to nothing. I used luxury vinyl flooring remnants from a local flooring store. Vinyl flooring is heavy weight, easy to clean and its waterproof qualities make it a perfect option for using outdoors. I also used another remnant on my BBQ to keep the side surfaces clean and tidy.
So easy to make, all you need is a straight edge and a blade to cut the vinyl to the sizes and shapes you determine. The underside has markings for cutting which is convenient. Other uses for leftover vinyl flooring include, lining under the kitchen sink, using as drawer liners or in a hall closet to keep your floors clean.
Special thanks to Frank at M & M Carpet One for the freebies.
MAKING IT WORK
A wooden crate is the proper size and depth for accommodating letter size hanging folders. Readily available and inexpensive, they can be repurposed for use as a portable filing cabinet. I found the crate kicking around our basement but have seen them selling for as low as twelve dollars around town.
I painted it with quick dry white on the outside and hot glued on a white side rail so the folders would glide easily. The last step was adding a new set of pretty coloured hangers and files folders. Done, dusted, and newly organized in less than thirty minutes.
