Rachael Ray

I have a closet without a door, so I thought it might be nice to make a curtain in lieu of a door. I figured a large panel of fabric might add more interest to the small bedroom versus having a wooden or mirrored door because fabric comes in so many colors and patterns. The problem I was having: I couldn’t find a curtain rod I really liked. The fancy, expensive ones were too big and clunky, and the cheap ones didn’t have the styling I wanted. I decided to take matters into my own hands and just make one myself. Materials: 3/4″ copper pipe long enough to span the doorway plus molding (mine was just under 5′) 2 drawer pulls 2 champagne corks Utility [...]...

I was recently at a flea market in New York City. One of the vendors had a box of postcards labeled “FREE.” I couldn’t resist and picked out a few. As luck would have it, a couple postcards had a vertical layout, and I thought they would be really nice light switch covers. I decided to make two versions: one with a plastic switch cover which cost me 49¢ and one with a wooden switch cover which cost $4.99. Both are inexpensive, but in comparison, the 49¢ version seemed like a steal. To make the plastic version, trace the light switch cover using a pencil and a piece of tracing paper. Flip the tracing paper over so the tracing is facing the front [...]...

There are endless ways to decorate Easter eggs, but here are some basics that make it easy for any member of the family to create beautiful eggs. First, prepare the eggs. I like to boil mine because it’s easier than blowing out the eggs’ insides. Plus, the eggs become an instant snack that can be eaten at any time. The best way to make hard boiled eggs is to put them in a big pot and cover them with cool water, so the water is about an inch over the eggs. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the temperature down to a slow simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes covered. As [...]...

When the bathroom gets really gross, or the kitchen is covered in greasy grime, it can be comforting to use a harsh chemical to get rid of the mess. We’ve been conditioned to think the more toxic the chemical, the better it will clean. However, harsh chemicals can be bad for the air inside the home. Studies have shown links between stay-at-home moms and higher cancer rates due to inhalation of toxic chemicals (http://www.non-toxic.info/Health_Statistics.htm). Also, dumping all those chemicals down the drain is terrible for the water supply. The toxic substances found in many household cleaners are not adequately removed by sewage treatment plants. Once the water leaves the plants, it is returned to the water supply. All good reasons to ditch [...]...

I am always looking for ways to reduce my consumption and waste. Even though it seems small, I hate using a fresh piece of paper every time I need to write a quick note. That’s why I love these little chalkboard notepads. Not only are they reusable, but they are just so darned cute! To make them you’ll need a small piece of wood. I bought 6″x6″x1/8″ wood panels at an art supply store. Generally, these are used by painters to make art, so you can find them with the canvases and other art boards. You’ll need to be able to hang the chalkboard, so measure your board and decide where the holes should go. I made my holes 3/4″ from the [...]...

Surprise your sweetie with some cute Valentine’s decorations. All you need is some crayons, a pencil sharpener, wax paper, card stock and some craft paper (or a couple paper bags). Tear off a piece of wax paper. Remove the label from a crayon and run it through a pencil sharpener so the shavings are distributed across the wax paper. Use one color or mix the colors if you like. Use two pieces of craft paper (or cut up pieces of paper bag) to protect the ironing board. Place the wax paper and crayon shavings on top and top that with another piece of wax paper. Take two more pieces of craft paper to protect the iron and melt everything together. I have a special [...]...

I have read online and in various publications over the years that silver can be polished easily using a few household items, but does it work as well as the ready-made store-bought stuff? Since I had some seriously tarnished silver I figured it was time to find out. I have some silver jewelry and flatware that has been sitting unused for a long, long time. Some of the stuff was completely black. The homemade silver polishing bath is supposed to instantly clear up tarnish simply by immersing the items. This was appealing to me because, unlike the store-bought polish, it supposedly meant no polishing; just soaking. To make the homemade bath, you’ll need: • A glass or ceramic baking dish* • Aluminum foil* *you could [...]...

There’s more than one way to frame a photo, and there’s sort of a right and a wrong way, but that depends on how precious the photo is and how much you’re willing to spend. I bought three different styles of frames so you can determine which works best for you. Cheap, but Good The least expensive frame I bought was front-loading frame for around $3.00. It’s not the best option if you’re looking to preserve your photographs for the next generation, but it’s a great way to display photos inexpensively. This type of frame is ideal for things printed on your inkjet printer. Inkjet ink is usually not lightfast, meaning it fades over time from exposure to light, so it’s not [...]...

Winter is the perfect time for “Spring Cleaning.” When it’s cold, sleeting, windy and you have no desire to go outside, it’s ideal for doing tasks indoors. When my friends moved into their house two and a half years ago they were busy doing renovations and planning their wedding, so they never really took the time to get their kitchen cabinets organized. It only got worse when the wedding gifts arrived and they had to make more space for things. Baking dishes ended up being stacked in weird ways. Pots and pans were stacked so high even boiling some water became a chore. And I’m not really sure what happened here (or how they’re able to find anything). I decided to pull everything out of [...]...