Cowboy Kimono Blog

Tag: DIY

Step-by-step guides and creative projects you can do yourself — from fashion to home decor and beyond.

  • 5 Gifts You Can Create Today for Zero Dollars

    5 Gifts You Can Create Today for Zero Dollars

    Another holiday season – I’m short on time and short on funds. This year’s challenge: create quick gifts that cost absolutely zero dollars (not even the price of a postage stamp). Ready to savor the spirit of giving?

    1. Wrap Your Skills. Web Skills? Build a free blog, construct an engaging Facebook Page, or share a great video backdrop image. Photographer? Stylist? Coordinate a digital photoshoot. Artist? Give a pet sketch.
    2. Choreograph A Tour. Collect addresses of neighbors with spectacular holiday lights and decor and map out a tour. Find addresses by checking out NextDoor App’s Holiday Cheer Map or Facebook Groups. Prepare a GPS route or try Christmasprism (an app developed by a Dad to find the best decorated holiday homes).
    3. Rustle Up A Field Trip. Work at an exciting place? A zoo, historical building, baseball stadium? Offer a look-see!
    4. Give Sentimental. Record a family recipe how-to on video. Collect stories about your family’s holiday traditions, pranks and/or hacks, and share in an email.
    5. Nurture Talent. Hook-up a budding writer by uploading their book to Kindle Direct Publishing. Encourage an artist or entrepreneur by writing a positive review, following them on social media, giving a shout-out online, and engaging with their posts (@coachjojo). 
  • Hello, Christmas Star (How Long has it Been?)

    Hello, Christmas Star (How Long has it Been?)

    You can catch a rare celestial event the evening of December 21, 2020 when the two largest planets in our solar system – Jupiter and Saturn – nearly overlap to form a “double planet.” This cosmic conjunction will occur on Winter Solstice marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. How rare is this occurrence? The last time a close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred was about 800 years ago and isn’t expected to happen again until 2080!

    Christmas Star: DIY Souvenir

    Great Conjunction:How to photograph it with your phone

    USA Today Story on the Great Conjunction

  • Create Scary Silhouettes

    Create Scary Silhouettes

    Want to warn would be trick-or-treaters with scary silhouettes? Create this big foreboding sign on a window or glass door with ease using large, inexpensive black and white prints. Glass with lights, light-colored shades, or a light-colored door behind them provide the best contrast for these dark silhouettes. In just a few hours. I’m able to upload files online, have 18″x 24″ black and white blueprints made, and pick them up at my local Staples. Click the button below for details and pricing on Staples Blueprints.

    Staples Blueprints

    Paint Marker Method

    Start by printing the ghoul, cat, spider, and/or phrase to fit in a window or storm door. Click for 18″ x 24″ templates. I printed them to fit on a storm door, arranged the prints behind the glass and drew on the front of the glass with black Uni-Posca markers (extra broad, broad and medium). I have used these paint markers on glass before and was confident that I could clean the paint off without damaging the storm door. Make sure to test a small area of your surface with the paint markers before drawing/painting silhouettes. If you cannot easily clean off the dried paint marker, try the cut paper method.

    Silhouettes painted on a glass screen door

    Cut Paper Method

    Start by printing the ghoul, cat, spider, and/or phrase to fit in a window or storm door. Trim the characters and letters, removing the white paper sections. Place the prints behind the glass window or door and tape with scotch tape or double stick tape.

    Download Free Templates

  • Create a Kickass Thank You for your Mail Carrier

    Create a Kickass Thank You for your Mail Carrier

    “…nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”

    The events and pitfalls of 2020 may fully qualify as “gloom of night.” In addition to the looming holiday crush season, USPS workers are facing a barrage of election mail heaped with homebound and remote worker’s increasing needs. My reliance on the carrier that brings essential communication and products to my door has grown, big time. I think it is time to let my mail carrier know how much I appreciate the dedication, doggedness, drive, and grit that is required to do the job. Here is the project I created just for that purpose:

    How to create the mail art using markers

    Supplies

    Directions

    1. Print the eagle envelope template and thank you page.
    2. Trim the template along the artwork’s border to fit a standard #10 envelope.
    3. Using two small pieces of masking tape, gently tape the paper template to your envelope. Tuck a piece of transfer paper between the paper and the envelope. Test to make sure the transfer paper is imprinting onto the envelope (not the back of the template).
    4. Trace the image with a ballpoint pen to transfer it to the envelope.
    5. Carefully remove the masking tape and template.
    6. Color the eagle, banner and message with markers.
    7. To create a tri-fold, fold the thank you page along the dotted line, then the top of the page to the dashed line.
    8. Cut along the vertical dashed lines to the horizontal dotted line (your first fold). This will make your pull-apart/pull-off thingy’s.
    9. Finish by folding the pull-apart/pull-off thingy’s under the top flap and place into your hand decorated envelope.
    Download Free Template + Thank You

  • Your Labor is Loved

    Your Labor is Loved

    Creating a Labor Day craft stumped me for a bit. So, I looked up the holiday’s origins and the real reason for its existence:” Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers ” (www.history.com)

    Although this craft does not bid summer adieu, it does focus on the contributions and achievements of workers. Labor Day – What a great opportunity to thank the many workers who have met this year’s challenges with gusto!

    Simply print the Thank You flyer, clip along the dashed lines, and deliver to the hard workers you’ve come to appreciate more than ever.

    My list of hard workers begins with: Mail Carriers, Utility Workers, Grocery Stockers, Cashiers, Security Guards, Veterinarians, Health Care Workers, Truck Drivers, Census Takers, etc….!

  • How to Wash Painted Denim

    How to Wash Painted Denim


    Download PDF

  • Yum. Father’s Day Craft

    Yum. Father’s Day Craft

    Give Dad the gift of sleeping in on Father’s Day by whipping up a batch of apple muffins the night before (feel free to bang the pots and pans until bedtime). Once the white of his eyes are visible, dash in with a pyramid of apple muffins topped with this funny, yet loving, sentiment. Crumbs between the sheets may be the only downside to this breakfast in bed.

    Is Dad a coffee lover? Pair these muffins with an adventurous brew: https://www.brit.co/treat-your-dad-fathers-day-coffee/

    Free Muffins Recipe and Topper TemplateDownload
  • Patriotic Scavenger Hunt

    Patriotic Scavenger Hunt

    Social distancing keeping you close to home this Memorial Day? Taking daily walks to to stay fit (and sane)? Celebrate Memorial Day during Covid-19 with a game that combines walking with a scavenger hunt. Locate patriotic symbols in your neighborhood and, at the same time, honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Simply view the checklist below on your phone and play! Play it solo or as a competition between friends, family members, or neighbors.

    Did you know? Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

  • Jumbo Milagros for Mother’s Day

    Jumbo Milagros for Mother’s Day

    Celebrate Mom on her day by crafting, loud and proud Milagro charms that screams to the world, “This is MY Mom and I LOVE HER! ” This simple craft can be made by small or big hands. Milagros strung on ribbon magically transform into a stunning necklace that any Mom would wear with pride.

    What are Milagros?

    Alternatives Global Market Place: “Milagros, meaning “miracle” in Spanish, are religious folk charms found in many areas of Latin America and Southern United States. They are used by people to petition for help or protection. These small metal charms are attached to altars, shrines or sacred objects. Milagro Charms can also be carried for protection and good luck. They are made in a variety of shapes, representing body parts, animals and many other objects. They are used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment or need, based on the type of charm used. A milagro’s symbolism is not uniform and can take on individual meanings. ” Milagro Symbolism

    sacred heart milagroHen Milagrogoat milagroarm milagroJumbo Milagros

    Supplies

    • Milagro Templates
    • Glue Stick
    • Tag Board or Cardboard (tag board is used to package cereal, crackers, frozen pizza etc..)
    • School Glue, Hot Glue, or 3D Fabric Paint
    • Aluminum Foil
    • Sharpies in a Variety of Colors
    • 1/8-inch wide (or close) Ribbon, cut into 6-inch segments for each Milagro
    • 1/2-inch wide (or close) Ribbon, cut into 20-inch length for necklace
    • Hole Punch
    • Scissors
    • Scotch Tape

    Directions

    1. Print Milagro templates.
    2. Cut out each Milagro 1/2-inch away from outer edges. Put written descriptions aside to put on the back of milagros later.
    3. Coat the back of each Milagro template with glue stick.
    4. Adhere Milagro templates to cardboard/tag board and smooth out with your hand.
    5. Using school glue, hot glue or 3D fabric paint, draw over all the lines to create a raised areas. Allow plenty of time to dry and harden.
    6. Cut out cardboard/tag board shapes close to the edges.
    7. Lay Milagro shapes face down on foil. *Note: if you want the shiny side of the foil to show, put the shape face down on the dull side.
    8. Cut the foil 1/4-inch away from the edge of the shape.
    9. Wrap the foil around the edges of the shape and press onto the back. Clip into corners or along curves as needed to make the foil follow the edges.
    10. Tape edges on the back side
    11. Rub the foil side with your finger to make the raised areas stand out.
    12. Color with Sharpies and allow to dry.
    13. Adhere the written description of the Milagro to the non-foil side.
    14. Punch a hole inside each semi-circle “loop” with a hole punch.
    15. Thread the thinner ribbon through this “loop” and tie a knot on the end. Repeat for each Milagro.
    16. String the Milagros onto the longer length of ribbon for a colorful, blingy, charm necklace.
  • The Bright Side of Social Distancing

    The Bright Side of Social Distancing

    One of the emerging side-effects of social distancing is our remarkable ability to use limited resources in unconventional ways. The 2020 Quarantine is proving that scarcity + isolation = mighty springboards for creative work-arounds. 

    1. Zoom and Skype Set Design 

    Brilliant homebound workers camouflage bed heads, tweak waist-up wardrobes, and map-out ideal camera angles without hiring digital marketing teams.

    2. Pantry Mixology 

    Newcomers to day drinking re-craft cocktails and make the most of what’s left on the shelf. Got maple syrup and BBQ sauce? Go!

    3. Transportation Revolution

    Cycling enthusiasts tackle social-distancing and devise awe-inspiring alternatives.

    4. Light in a Dark Time

    Families build outdoor displays using programmable LED lights and imagination to deflate doom and gloom.

    5. Artificial Globetrotting

    Park the private jet – humorous Staycations break new ground.

    6. Coded Cursing

    Resourceful parents breathe new life into their high school Spanish or create secret languages to shout expletives without their homebound kids understanding a single word.

    7. Songs That Bond

    Virtual choirs generate entertaining lockdown tunes, opera parodies, and hand washing ditties to amuse themselves and divert family squabbles.