This is Magpie Time, a new show dedicated to teaching arts and crafts to children in an accessible and entertaining manner by re-using found everyday objects in creative ways. Think responsible, green craftiness that engages kids in fun arts and craft projects that use things you have around the house rather than new products you have to buy.
Love beets but now quite sure how to prepare them? Matthew Accarrino of Craft Los Angeles shows us how they do it in the back of the house. Watch as he shows you how to clean and roast beets the easy way. Roasting beets brings out the sweetness in them, follow his tips for a great recipe.
Every house has a drawer somewhere in it that gets stuck, requiring you to struggle, yank, or shove to get it open and closed. In this quick how-to video clip, professional do-it-yourself-er Ron Hazelton shows you the best ways to overcome sticky drawer syndrome. There are three ways to help keep those drawers running smoothly. Watch this video home improvement tutorial and learn how to fix a stuck drawer.
There was this game called Mahjong that originated in China, and this game needed four players, and this game involved skill, strategy, calculation, and a little thing called chance, not to mention a few tiles or cards. Well, this game is not a thing of the past, Mahjong is played all over the world, a lot of the times as a gambling game, but here in this video tutorial you'll learn how to play Mahjong for simple fun with a few house rules.
Whether you're building a lawn display or a haunted house for Halloween, this how-to video shows the process of building a creepy troll prop. These building tips can be used for any kind of humanoid prop building, if trolls aren't what you're going for. Check out this video prop-building tutorial and learn how to craft a Halloween troll prop.
This do it yourself video demo shows how to create a scarecrow prop with wearable mask. With Batman bigger than ever, any of the characters from the movies are sure to be a hit costume. This scarecrow costume mask is easy to make, and can be used as just a Halloween prop decoration or in a haunted house. Check out this video tutorial and learn how to make a spooky and wearable Scarecrow costume.
In this video gardening tutorial, you'll find step-by-step instructions for cloning any plant from a clipping (or "cutting"). Plant propagation is very simple and can save you a lot of money in the long run. To learn more about the cloning process, watch this cloning how-to. (NB: Do NOT, as the video suggests, put freshly cloned plants in direct sunlight while in a hot house or you will have steamed plants!)
A carport, or lean-to shed, attached to an existing building such as a garage, barn, shed or the side of your house can provide economical shelter for vehicles, garden tractors, boats or other equipment. An attached carport is also fairly easy to construct against the side of another building, if you have enough height under the existing building eave. For a step-by-step look at the carport construction process, take a look at this DIY video tutorial.
This do-it-yourself air filtration will keep the air in your house feeling fresh. All you need is a cheap box fan and an air filter (the MERV 11 is recommended). Watch this video tutorial and learn how to make an easy air filter and breathe a little deeper at home.
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to turn your laptop hard drive into an external USB drive. This hack is fairly easy to perform, all it requires for you to know is where to locate the laptop's hard drive for extraction. You'll also have to purchase a USB housing which ranges around fifteen dollars.
A blank wall makes an excellent canvas for a large-scale mural to add a special and personal touch to any room. Follow along with the demonstrating artists as she transform the white wall into a landscape mural. When using latex house paints, be sure to create a design that doesn't not involve mixing paint colors, as they dont' mix well. Watch this video painting tutorial and learn how to paint a wall landscape mural.
Watch this instructional model making video to make miniature plaster tile flooring for war game terrain. Add a thin layer of plaster for a smooth level floor for your game piece or diorama. The layer of plaster simulates concrete as is, or you can etch in tiles while the plaster is slightly damp. Make convincing walls and flooring for doll houses, dioramas, Warhammer and war games.
Want to put some electronics into your terrain piece or diorama? LED lights are great. You can use tiny watch batteries, which are small and efficient. LED lights are cheap, they come in colours, and you can find them in all kinds of broken gadgets. Watch this instructional video to illuminate your miniature dioramas, doll houses, and miniature war game terrain.
Do you actually play with your miniatures? Well, if you do they probably take a little wear and tear. However most miniatures can be easily repaired. If your model has a pink/blue foam base you can usually repair it with some spray glue and a hidden toothpick brace. With these simple tips you can repair miniature dioramas, architectural models, doll houses Warhammer pieces and game terrain.
Here is one method of making model brickwork and detailing wood for dioramas and miniature game terrain. Carve some light lines into a flat piece of balsa wood and coat it with a thin layer of plaster. This simple trick creates a realistic brickwork effect for miniature dioramas, architectural models, Warhammer and doll houses.
Here are some of necessary the tools for hobby crafting and diorama making. This model maker uses wood rasps, sanding pencils, wire cutters, small pliers, a box cutter, a wood carving knife, and a Japanese pull saw. When building miniatures you may find yourself making your own tools or finding useful sculpting aids around the house. Occasionally, a wood burning gun can help you achieve detail for tiny window shutters and other fine work.
Pocket doors are a common design element in houses. Pocket doors are a great way to Pocket doors are quite practical. You don't need to leave floor space just for a door to swing open. In this tutorial, home expert Amy Matthews teaches a homeowner how to replace a pocket door in a bathroom.
No brick oven pizza joints around? Miss that unique flavor and crust only high dry heat and bricks can produce? Wish you could make an authentic old time brick oven pizza, just like the famous pizza houses in New York and New Haven? It's easy to do with a few bricks, your charcoal grill, and some simple tips as shown by one of the BBQ Pit Boys in this how to video.
Learn how to neutralize urine as it is used to create fertilizer for house plants with this tutorial. This is a great way to reuse your urine and make a great fertilizer for your garden. All you need is magnesium chloride and urine.
This video tutorial is a step by step guide to building an eco-friendly birdhouse. These easy materials are things that you already have sitting around the house. This mini carpentry project is a fun way to spend an afternoon, and will provide more hours of bird-watching fun in the future. Watch this instructional video and learn how to build an ecological birdhouse out of recycled materials.
Storm water runoff can cause damage to the foundation of your house as well as to the environment through soil erosion and water pollution. A great solution to this problem is a rain chain. This tutorial teaches you how to make and hang an unique rain chain from recycled material.
In this pilates how-to video, Diane Preusch demonstrates a Pilates arm series. Diane tries to adopt exercises that use things from around the house to do these pilates exercises. This series of exercises is adopted from the reformer machine. You will need arm weights but if you don't have weights you can use cans of soup.
Forget about those chemical store bought flea repellents. This how to video shows you how to make a safe and simple flea repellant for dogs and cats. All you need is lemon, distilled water, and cotton balls. Keep your house and pets flea free with this natural repellent.
This tutorial video will help you keep your money in your pocket by rearranging your house. It may seem strange, but it's all part of feng shui's wealth theory.
This how-to video shows how to bake a cake on the trail. This can be a yummy treat while you are away from your house. If you follow these simple instructions you can bake anywhere you want.
This video home and garden tutorial explores the financial advantages of making your home energy efficient. Learn how to make an eco-friendly home that will help save money and the environment.
Improve you crocheting skills by creating fun holiday shapes. This how to video is a crocheting tutorial that will show you how to create a red and white candy cane. Crochet several candy canes to decorate your house with.
Picture frames house precious memories... so don't you want to keep them clean? Watch this video and get tips from Jonathon Stewart on how to clean picture frames.
Clocks in the house are not bad feng shui if you know where to display them. Find out the best and the worst feng shui areas to display a clock in your home.
Before you hang the "for sale" sign in your yard, find out how to make the exterior of your home attractive to potential buyers.
This is a tutorial of how to take advantage of wireless printing, set up a backup system, and set up wireless speakers to listen to music from anywhere in your house.
There are many reasons to remove a toilet and store it elsewhere. Maybe you want to paint the bathroom or re-tile the floor, or you've got house guests that just won't leave. Mag has some tips for you when it's time to put the old porcelain potty back on her moorings.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates just how easy it can be to replace a broken roof shingle on your house.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates a few easy tips to make perfect cuts on wood crown molding, especially in the corners of a room. You have to gave your house looking beautiful, don't you?
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates how to use solid-wood beaded ceiling planks to make a wood ceiling for your house. It is important to prestain and urethane the wood before it is installed.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates a simple way to cut cement backer board using an inexpensive carbide-tipped tool, much like cutting drywall. This is a great home repair project tip for your house.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates an easy way to get smooth corners with a joint compound in your drywall remodel work in your house. Home repair has never been easier.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates how to drive a cut nail through a 2x4 piece of wood, and into a concrete wall. This will help save you time and money in your house repair projects.
Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates how to wire up a 3-way switch in your house, into an electrical circuit, for your lighting needs.
Can't afford a real electric toothbrush? Have one too many vibrating dildos lying around the house? Well, just tape your toothbrush to one of those suckers and start brushing!
