Loving all these creative ways to convert a closet into an office from Pepper Design Blog.

A fun video tutorial from Craftstylish a crocheted headband!

Uses for leftover tiles from Blisstree. Lots of great ideas!

A build-it-yourself room divider from Charles and Hudson.  Perfect if your home has an open floor plan or if you live in a studio!

Dollar Store Crafts shows us how to make a felt flower corsage.  Perfect for a flower girl or birthday gift!

Another great craft for little girls from Zakkalife. These stretchy bracelets are too cute and so easy!

Tips from Danny Lipford on installing mosaic tile in a bathroom.

A new how-to from Craftzine! Convert a spool into a button stamp.

St. Patricks Day is just a few weeks away! Make this four leaf clover card from Zakkalife.

Great foam insulation tips from Home Construction Improvement.

Information on toxins that are often overlooked in homes from Old House Web.

Charles and Hudson talks vinyl decks. For slippery surfaces try Anti-Skid Epoxy! Find it here.

Updating your patio or building one for the first time? Here are some tips from Reliable Remodeler.

DIY Maven over at Curbly shows us to make a clock out of junk mail!

If you like origami patterns and paper, try this origami pattern necklace from Craftlog.

Great tip from Charles and Hudson, how to turn excess bamboo into an ornamental border for your flower beds or garden.

If you have a fireplace you’d like to cover, learn how to make a faux fireplace screen from the blog, How to… do something.

Danny Lipford shows us a faux marbleizing finishing technique for columns.  Great video tutorial!

Britt McCaster, from Cucumbersome made this adorable leather chain necklace.  She provides step by step instructions so you can make one, too!

Reliable Remodeler gives us some great tips and advice for undercabinet lighting.

Avoid oil stains on hardwood floors and follow this helpful advice from Danny Lipford.

Popular Science features The Green Dream: A Wireless Lighting System Makes Electrical Switches Portable. You can follow the progress of The Green Dream, here.

Another great video tutorial from Danny Lipford, faux graining finishing techniques for a painted mantle.

If you end up at home with the kids due to bad weather conditions, consider these projects for a snowy day from Charles Hudson.

These plant stakes from Design Sponge are a fantastic use for chalkboard paint.  Perfect to use with planted herbs and flowers!

Real Simple put together a fantastic list of design sites just for parents!  Check it out if you’re looking for design and decorating tips for your kids room.

Heather of Hello My Name is Heather received this revamped clutch as a gift.  This is a great idea and we can’t wait to try it.

Curbly, a DIY design blog, features a DIY candle chandelier.  We would love one of these!

In honor of the Olympics, make a toss for the Olympic ring hoop loop.  See more of Make and Takes Winter Olympic games for kids here.

Learn how to make display shelves, perfect for your kid’s room, from Craft.  They’re perfect for books, stuffed animals, pictures or anything else you’d like to display!

Skip to My Lou features crafts for just about any occasion and we just love these hanging glitter hearts made from cereal boxes.

Craftstylish takes old neckties and makes place mats and napkin rings.

These needlecraft projects from Design Sponge are adorable.  Learn how to make a crocheted vase, knit bangles and safari animals!

Craft shares this great how-to project for making stencil plates.  What a great gift!

Crafting a Greener World takes an old mens sweater and transforms it into a dress.  Love this idea.

What’s not to love about a foodcraft? Design Sponge shares some different crafts you can do with granola, tea and more.

We found this amazing kiss flip book from craft blog, Color Me Katie.  Absolutely adorable!

Zakka Life shares these cute Rockin’ Valentine’s Day Cards for the little music lover in your life.  All you need are heart shaped lollipops, white card stock, scissors, a hole punch and double stick tape.  A rockin’, sweet treat for your kids to share with their classmates.

This Deck of Cards Love Book from Dollar Store Crafts is a great personalized gift that doesn’t take too much time and is super cute.  It’s a fun, romantic ‘52 things I love about you’ book to give your Valentine.  Most of the supplies you probably already have on hand and for the glue try using e6000.  A gift that will surely be treasured forever.

This Valentine Heart Lei by Craft is absolutely adorable and I’m sure

every little girls dream. Work on this craft with your daughter.  She’ll love the extra time with you and she’ll also have something special to wear on Valentine’s Day.  If you have time, make a few extras that she can give to her friends.

I never imagined it would be so easy to make a
Pop Up Valentine’s Card!  Crafting A Greener World features a video tutorial and it literally takes just a few minutes.  All you need are some old magazines, a cardboard envelope, scissors and some glue.  You could even try this technique for a birthday card too.

If your planning to stay in on Valentine’s Day and make dinneras opposed to going out, try adding these cute hearts to your candlesticks.  They’re a perfect table decoration and would be easy to store for another time.

For more DIY projects by Michele visit b. organic.  Thanks for sharing this great project with us, Michele!

Stairways, slick surfaces and uneven footing can create unexpected, but easily prevented, danger zones. With some simple safety precautions, you can help avoid slips and falls and keep your family safe.

Clear the stairs

Whether your home has interior, exterior or basement stairs, it’s important to make them as safe as possible.  Here are some tips for stair safety from The Home Safety Council.

· Check to make sure railings and banisters are secure. Wood glue like EcoGlue Premium Wood can secure loose balusters or handrails.

· Add lighting at each end of the staircase.

· Keep clutter off the steps.

· Use safety gates at the top and bottom if there are small children in the house.

· Paint the bottom stair of basement steps white so it’s easier to see.

Create safe surfaces

Some surfaces are more prone to be slippery, especially when wet. Tile in the bathroom, wood on the deck and cement around a pool can be hazardous.

One of our new products, Amazing GOOP Anti-Skid Epoxy, sprays feet-friendly grit on potentially slippery surfaces to increase safety. It comes in an aerosol can, which is perfect for covering small areas around the home and covers up to 15 sq. ft.  Because it’s an epoxy, it is also extremely durable and chemical resistant.

Be tacky

Loose mats, small rugs and loose tiles or cement can all create unexpected perils.

In the bathroom, make sure all bath mats have nonskid backing. Coatings like Amazing GOOP Anti-Skid Bath, Tub & Tile creates a crystal clear finish with an acrylic coating and helps with firm footing on tiles and in the shower or bath. It’s a nice choice because it won’t detract from the look, but will add a peace of mind.

Small rugs around the house should also be tacked down with tape – or not used at all, especially around stairs.

Finally, don’t forget your home’s exterior. Walkways with loose or broken tiles, bricks or stones can create problems. Sometimes just pounding the loose stone back into place works great if the base is on dirt. You can use a level to ensure each piece is even. If the loose pieces aren’t on dirt, Amazing EcoGlue Extreme will tack them back in place with an instant and permanent hold on cement, concrete, metal or other surface.

It doesn’t take much time, effort or even money to make your home safe for your family. Common sense and simple precautions will keep you on your feet and free from slips, trips and tumbles.

I was about to throw them away, but thought that I should at least try to fix them first.  I chose to use EcoGlue because it is water-based and adheres to wood.

First, I applied the EcoGlue along one of the broken edges.  Then, I matched up the two pieces and held for about 30 seconds.  I let the earring sit overnight and it was as good as new!

Next time you think about throwing out a pair of broken earrings, try repairing them first!

Turtle V isn’t just any SUV, what do you use the Turtle V vehicle for?

The Turtle V is an experimental prototype of the Turtle Expedition research trucks, used to travel and explore the world. Replacing four previous travel/research vehicles, The Turtle V and its European-style Tortuga Expedition Camper is the latest home on the road. Based on a Super Duty F-550, it is carefully outfitted with equipment of proven quality and reliability.

What happened to the tire and how did you use Shoe GOO to repair it?

There were two occasions. Once, while exploring backroads in Canada’s Northwest Territories, one of our BFGoodrich Mud Terrains tires suffered a severe rock cut in the face of the tread. We cleaned the cut thoroughly, filled the cut with black Shoe GOO, and drove the tire onto a flat board covered with plastic. In the morning, the tire was ready to roll. It was not a permanent repair, but it kept dirt and gravel from working its way into the tire and to the core. The plastic was gone in a few miles. The Shoe GOO lasted until we got home.

Most recently, we caught a sharp piece of metal on the side of the rear tire the day before we headed to SEMA where the truck was part of the Specialty Vehicle Exhibit. It was an ugly gash about 7 inches long on the side wall. We drove to Las Vegas, filled the gash with Shoe GOO, (all we had was clear), and placed wax paper and tape over the area. In the morning, the wax paper and tape were removed, showing a much improved damaged area. A black felt pen added some color to the clear Shoe GOO. We expect it will look even better when we get the black Shoe GOO. This is a $535.00 tire, so we don’t throw it out because of a cosmetic problem.

How is Shoe GOO different from other repair adhesives you’ve tried?

We have not tried other silicon products to repair tires. Shoe GOO just seems to be tough enough that it’s worth a try in an emergency.

Do you use Shoe GOO for anything else?

All the normal things: Birkenstocks shoe soles, hiking boots, running shoes, cracks in the rubber bottom of bath mats, etc.

To learn more about Gary and Monika Westcott’s expeditions, visit www.TurtleExpedition.com.

Note: This story is Gary & Monika’s personal experience. We love this story, but we always recommend hiring a professional to make tire repairs.