Whenever my brother-and-sister-in-law host a Christmas party, it’s always a hoot. They go out of their way to make it interesting with games and competitions – for the little kids and big ones (aka the adults) alike. This year, my B-I-L and S-I-L introduced an ‘ugly Christmas socks contest’ to the festivities – a twist on ugly Christmas sweaters. How they ever came up with the idea I don’t know, but I’m always up to a fun challenge so was eager to get started. Continue reading
This shot glasses DIY is a case of thinking outside the box. An entire box of one dozen to be exact! I was so excited when Hubs found an entire box of shot glasses in the garbage. But he was going to donate them because they had a branded logo printed on them. Consequently, he didn’t think I could do anything with them. Boy was he wrong! And given the time of year, of course I found a way to make them look festive for the season! Continue reading
Our CO detector wall safe is a great way to hide your valuable in plain sight!
In addition to turning back the clock an hour during daylight saving time, it’s a great time to change the batteries on your smoke alarms. And of course check to see if the carbon monoxide detectors need to be replaced! Since our CO detector was getting close to 10 years old, we replaced it with a new one. But what to do with the old? Continue reading
A DIY wine bag is always a welcome hostess gift to show up with something in hand or even at Christmas. In under an hour, you can easily make this last minute in a pinch!
We always seem to have more reusable shopping bags than we know what to do with. So why not upcycle them into a wine gift bag? With the holidays right around the corner, it’s handy to have a wine tote to carry some spirits to get into the spirit. Of course, it goes without saying that it could also carry a non-alcoholic drink instead; don’t forget about those designated drivers!
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You probably couldn’t help but notice the this vintage mirror update if you read the posts on our powder room makeover and the medicine cabinet diy. This is how it looked after we carefully removed the mirror glass from the frame. Continue reading
Someone was pitching dessert hummus the other night when I was watching Shark Tank. Flavours such as brownie batter, choc-o-mint, vanilla bean, snickerdoodle and chocolate chip cookie batter got my interest! Wow; I didn’t even know dessert hummus existed! Hubs and I are huge consumers of regular hummus so a dessert hummus dip sounded like something I have to try.
Our DIY man cave project was a long time coming. Hubs spent over 2 years renovating our basement in his spare time. Being that our basement is small, we split up the basement between three functions: a craft studio, laundry room and a mancave. However, I took the majority of the space for my studio. Not very magnanimous of me given that he built every single bit of it himself – single handedly (with the exception of pouring a new basement floor). Continue reading
Did you know that you can make shrink plastic art from a recycled clamshell bearing the number 6? Yes, that’s right! You can recycle a #6 plastic container to make all sorts of cool shrink art. And to think I used to toss them in the blue bin until I discovered this fun fact. I had to try it for myself! Just for fun, I personalized my shrink art by converting a real picture; you’ll see how that looks in the reveal.
A Halloween tombstone can add a ton of personality to your outdoor or even indoor Halloween decor. For instance, I decorated my cubicle at the office with the one I did for this project. But you could carve any ghoulish message you like and turn your front yard into a veritable graveyard for the big night 🙂 Continue reading
This sauerkraut recipe is not only simple and delicious, it has health benefits too! Fermenting food produces beneficial probiotics that are linked to many health benefits including improvements in immune, cognitive, digestive and endocrine function. When renowned natural health physician Dr. Joseph Marcola had homemade sauerkraut analyzed in a lab, he found it had trillions of good bacteria. It equated to two ounces of home fermented sauerkraut having more probiotics than a bottle of 100 probiotic capsules – wow!
Have you ever wondered how to paint vinyl? A few years ago, we were at an outdoor antique market in Aberfoyle, Ontario looking at these funky metal lamps wondering if we could find space for them. As the story goes, they were originally from a psychiatric hospital. What we loved about them were the curvy lines and retro look. Continue reading
There’s nothing more delicious than this simple rotisserie chicken recipe on the BBQ. Up until now we’ve never attempted it. But nothing could be easier!
Easy rotisserie chicken recipe
Today we’re showing you how to turn upcycled kitchen cabinets into a unique VW desk. You know how they say that necessity is the mother of invention? This upcycle is a prime example. After we renovated our kitchen, the craft room was next on the list and I needed a storage solution, stat! Luckily we saved a bank of cabinets from our reno to create a one-of-a-kind desk for the office area.
Our decoupaged medicine cabinet DIY is the jewel in the crown in our little powder room. It’s a striking decor piece that acts like artwork. But while it adds beauty, it’s also a functional way to add more storage in a small space.
You may have seen the powder room makeover we posted last year. Today we’re focusing on how to build just one of the elements, the decoupaged medicine cabinet, right into a wall. At Birdz of a Feather, we’re all about upcycling so when it came time to renovate our small powder room, we wanted to do it as sustainably as possible. Continue reading
So Mom turns 80 this year! What do you get a Mom who has reached her 80th milestone? That’s a rhetorical question of course, but if you love to upcycle, like me, you get your craft mojo on! Continue reading
Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls is a recipe that’s near and dear to my heart. I grew up watching my grandmother make chicken soup every week but sadly I didn’t attempt to make it myself until long after she was gone. What I wouldn’t give now to ask her a few questions about all her ‘recipes’! The fact is though, my grandmother never wrote down a recipe; she cooked by intuition; a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
I didn’t think we’d ever do a laminate countertop installation because I’ve always wanted ‘real’ stone. However, installing a laminate countertop without a backsplash turns out to be the best compromise and is the finishing touch in our laundry room! Our laundry room started out like so many other builder spaces: dark, dank and in the basement.
There’s nothing much we could do about the location. Our house is too small to relocate it, but we can certainly remodel it with beautiful finishes to make it a pleasant space to do laundry in! Continue reading
A container garden is a great way to beautify a small outdoor space. Today I have some tips on planting and on how to find supplies on the cheap. If you really want to get a jump on next year, plan in the Fall. That’s when you’ll find the bargains. Continue reading