Use a very sharp blade and cut diagonally, (absorbs water better). Be sure to cut enough stem. Trim off most of the leaves, but leave a few to make the bouquet look full. Be sure to get a good variety of colours!
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Don't Buy Flowers, Pick Them!
Use a very sharp blade and cut diagonally, (absorbs water better). Be sure to cut enough stem. Trim off most of the leaves, but leave a few to make the bouquet look full. Be sure to get a good variety of colours!
Free Digital Art Creativity For Kids
Here is a creative activity I setup for the kids. What they are doing is designing their own 2d video game. I start by downloading a set of free game tiles, and use a program called a tilemap level editor, a good free one is Tiled. The kids click on different tiles and draw out their gameworld, adding in monsters, heroes and magic items. This is a great activity for them because they feel like they are playing a video game, but instead of passively reacting to a game, they are pouring in all of their imagination and creativity into design their own (would be) game. For them its not just a picture, its an entire saga unfolding. The stories and ideas that come out of these sessions are incredible, and this keeps them busy for hours. Here are their game world creations:
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Planet B Concept Image
Here is a concept image for new game project, Planet B. I drew the characters, based off pixel art from Legend of Zelda from NES. The scenery tiles are a modified version of Lanea Zimmerman's Basic 16bit tile set from opengameart.org.
All I can say about the game at this point is that its an action game for Android devices based around 1 touch play.
All I can say about the game at this point is that its an action game for Android devices based around 1 touch play.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Sleeping With The Enemy: Why I'm Sleeping on a Straw Mattress
Your industrial mattress is disgusting. Years of dead skin, dirt, dust mites and other nasties accompany you to bed every night. When was the last time your mattress had a thorough washing? Ok, you vacuum it sometimes, I hope that makes you feel better, really.
A new mattress costs several hundred dollars, some cost thousands. You probably couldn't afford one so you bought it on your credit card or some retailer credit plan. Or you got one second hand, now you snuggle up with someone else's years of accumulated body sweat.
Industrial mattresses are very carcinogenic. "The place where you spend one-third of your life is chock-full of
synthetic materials, some potentially toxic. Since the mid- to late
'60s, most mattresses have been made of polyurethane foam, a
petroleum-based material that emits volatile organic compounds that can
cause respiratory problems and skin irritation. Formaldehyde, which is
used to make one of the adhesives that hold mattresses together, has
been linked to asthma, allergies, and lung, nose, and throat cancers." [1]
Industrial mattresses are extremely wasteful. There isn't much to do with one that fell out of use other than putting it in a landfill. These massive sleeping pads are such a pain to move most people opt to just leave them behind. Take a look around the parts of your neighborhood where litterbugs like to dump stuff, chances are you will see many mattresses (some burnt), poisoning the ground and providing a perennial eyesore.
Ok, so I convinced you to hate your industrial mattress. Now you understand why I chose to sleep on a straw mattress. I needed a new bed and I needed something that fit this criteria
I would love to report that I made my own straw mattress by hand. However I'm not that good with sewing, and I needed something right away. I didn't want this to become another abandoned project due to lack of skills/motivation. I contracted the services of Tamara Kimmerly, a local sewing extraordinaire. I purchased these supplies
Tamara did a great job putting it together. Now its time to get stuffed!
It took two bails of straw to fill the mattress.
The important part about this step is evenly distributing the straw. You need to really break up the bail or else you'll get lumpy spots. I use a broom handle to push the straw all the way to the back of the mattress.
The mattress is almost fully stuffed. I take care to make sure the corners get filled in nicely.
Now the mattress is fully stuffed. The straw is quite loose now and the whole things is quite puffy. I need to tamp the hell out of it, compressing the straw to get it closer to its final density. Many nights of sleeping will compress it even more. I cover my nose and mouth for protection from all the dust in the air.
[1] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/03/should-you-ditch-your-chemical-mattress
A new mattress costs several hundred dollars, some cost thousands. You probably couldn't afford one so you bought it on your credit card or some retailer credit plan. Or you got one second hand, now you snuggle up with someone else's years of accumulated body sweat.
Industrial mattresses are very carcinogenic. "The place where you spend one-third of your life is chock-full of
synthetic materials, some potentially toxic. Since the mid- to late
'60s, most mattresses have been made of polyurethane foam, a
petroleum-based material that emits volatile organic compounds that can
cause respiratory problems and skin irritation. Formaldehyde, which is
used to make one of the adhesives that hold mattresses together, has
been linked to asthma, allergies, and lung, nose, and throat cancers." [1]Industrial mattresses are extremely wasteful. There isn't much to do with one that fell out of use other than putting it in a landfill. These massive sleeping pads are such a pain to move most people opt to just leave them behind. Take a look around the parts of your neighborhood where litterbugs like to dump stuff, chances are you will see many mattresses (some burnt), poisoning the ground and providing a perennial eyesore.
Ok, so I convinced you to hate your industrial mattress. Now you understand why I chose to sleep on a straw mattress. I needed a new bed and I needed something that fit this criteria
- Affordable
- Washable
- Biodegradable
- Non-toxic
- Local and hand made
- Movable
I would love to report that I made my own straw mattress by hand. However I'm not that good with sewing, and I needed something right away. I didn't want this to become another abandoned project due to lack of skills/motivation. I contracted the services of Tamara Kimmerly, a local sewing extraordinaire. I purchased these supplies
- 5 meters of cotton canvas
- 1 meter of zipper
- 1 spool of thick cotton thread
- An old wool blanket was added as an extra cover
Tamara did a great job putting it together. Now its time to get stuffed!
It took two bails of straw to fill the mattress.
The important part about this step is evenly distributing the straw. You need to really break up the bail or else you'll get lumpy spots. I use a broom handle to push the straw all the way to the back of the mattress.
The mattress is almost fully stuffed. I take care to make sure the corners get filled in nicely.
Now the mattress is fully stuffed. The straw is quite loose now and the whole things is quite puffy. I need to tamp the hell out of it, compressing the straw to get it closer to its final density. Many nights of sleeping will compress it even more. I cover my nose and mouth for protection from all the dust in the air.
All done, here is the finished result!!
Now its time to put the sheets on and go to bed! Its not memory foam, but the straw mattress has charm that cannot be mimicked with an industrial mattress! In 6 months I will take out all the straw, compost it, throw the mattress in the washing machine, and start out with a totally clean mattress.
The straw mattress is very comfortable and cozy. If you don't believe me, just ask my girlfriend!
[1] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/03/should-you-ditch-your-chemical-mattress
Sunday, May 26, 2013
A DIY Floor Mop!
I know I could have gotten a cheap sweatshop mop at Walmart, but I'd be jealous if my mop had done more traveling in life than I had. My floors need a mop, so here is a plan for a quick, easy DIY floor mop.
I snip my old cutoff shorts and tshirts into strips. I take three of the strips, tie it off at the top and braid it all the way down. I then tie then end off. The ties are just strips of the clothing. Note to self: brighten your wardrobe.
After I'm done all of the braids, I find an old broom handle in parent's garage. I staple gun the loose ends of the braids evenly to the end of the broom stick. This will keep them anchored against twisting forces (ringing out the mop). I tie a big heavy elastic band around all the braids. Then I take some thick guage steel wire and tie it around, twisting with plyers to for a tight band around the braids.
The mop is ugly, but ready for action!
To wring it out, I stabbed a bunch of wholes in the bottom of a coffee can. A crude but effect approach!
I snip my old cutoff shorts and tshirts into strips. I take three of the strips, tie it off at the top and braid it all the way down. I then tie then end off. The ties are just strips of the clothing. Note to self: brighten your wardrobe.
After I'm done all of the braids, I find an old broom handle in parent's garage. I staple gun the loose ends of the braids evenly to the end of the broom stick. This will keep them anchored against twisting forces (ringing out the mop). I tie a big heavy elastic band around all the braids. Then I take some thick guage steel wire and tie it around, twisting with plyers to for a tight band around the braids.
The mop is ugly, but ready for action!
To wring it out, I stabbed a bunch of wholes in the bottom of a coffee can. A crude but effect approach!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Play Idea: Toy Map Drawings
We drew some play maps for our dinosaurs. Its great to do this on huge sheets of paper. Its a good creative activity for the kids that adds some new excitement to old toys.
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