###  How to hide a circuit box

I was trolling Apartment Therapy today when I came across a great post about how to hide a circuit box.

We all have that hideous gray box somewhere in our house and although some are lucky and its in a closet or otherwise inconspicuous space, but for many others is just staring you down in a room or hallway. So what do you do? You cant cover it with anything permanent like a bookshelf because you need to be able to access it if it needs resetting. Well, Jason Loper decided on a simple and elegant solution…cover it up with a fabric panel!

Simple and beautiful! Plus because its a fabric painting its super easy to hang and remove when necessary. 

Also, you can follow these instructions for making your own fabric panel to match any room in your house!

###  make your own instant oatmeal packets

i am always looking for new ideas/ways to make my own instead of buying from the store. i just love this easy DIY instant oatmeal.

Emily, instant oatmeal is pretty straightforward. We looked through a ton of recipes online for instant oatmeal; it’s usually made from a mixture of whole rolled oats, powdered oats, and some salt, sugar, and powdered milk. Try mixing 1/4 cup rolled oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats (crushed to a powder in a food processor or blender), a teaspoon of milk powder, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Add a little brown sugar and cinnamon for flavor as well. Mix with 3/4 cup boiling water to make oatmeal.

You can see a good step by step and cost analysis of making your own instant oatmeal here:

• Making Your Own Homemade Oatmeal Packets: A Visual Guide and Cost Analysis

Now, the one catch is that the sort of oatmeal you like isn’t just oatmeal: Quaker adds other whole grains to their Simple Harvest blend. They include flaxseeds, rolled wheat, barley, and other grains and flavors.

• Ingredient list for the Quaker Simple Harvest packets

But recreating this still isn’t very difficult. Add a teaspoon of flaxseeds and a couple tablespoons of bulgur or rolled wheat to your packets. Drizzle in a little maple syrup too; it will dissolve when you add hot water. Add some crunchy pecans or walnuts and dried cranberries to mix it up.

Experiment with other whole grains and seeds, too! You can buy just a tablespoon or two of all these grains from the bulk bins at your local health food store or Whole Foods. So try different things; it will cost just pennies to buy small amounts of these grains.

For something different, try making steel cut oats at night and reheating a bowl each morning; they really hold their texture and flavor. We make up a big pot on Sunday night and eat them three days in a row.

###  DIY Vintage Inspired Laptop Case

I was trolling around Craftzine and I came across the most awesome of projects.

Going To Grandma’s Laptop Case  


This project was designed by Jennifer Perkins who owns Naughty Secretary Club which specializes in beautifully funky jewelry with a vintage flair. I absolutely love her laptop case design because it is so effortlessly retro-chic and is a great way to carry your laptop without looking like youre carrying your laptop (great for thwarting would be thieves). The step by step instructions show how easy it is to create this unique case, really the hardest part would be finding the suitcase although most thrift stores will have some nice moderate sized ones.

So click here to get started on your own vintage laptop case!

###  Book alert!

While browsing the craft section of my local Borders at lunch today I came across the most awesome of books

Fashion Geek: Clothes Accessories Tech  


Ah, a perfect marriage of technology and DIY fashion. I flipped through the book and was blown away by the projects, everything from a digital locket to a flower USB necklace to a hoodie with headphones. All easy enough for someone with basic sewing skills and soldering iron. I was even more excited when I realized that the book was written by one of my favorite Project Runway contestants Diana Eng from Season 2! I loved her geometric patterns and how she really thought about taking clothes to the next level and incorporating technology into fashion. Unfortunately she was booted off far too early (I think that maybe just the time constraints of the show didnt allow her genius to shine) because I wouldve loved to have seen her final show in Fashion Week. 

  
This is one of the designs in the book, it uses magnets to activate lights in the buttons! How cute!

The book is on sale now for about $20 at Borders and I highly suggest picking it up if you want some fun cute projects to try out. If youd like a sneak sample project head over to etsy as they feature Diana and the instructions for one of her projects in this weeks How Tuesday!

###  Paint By Numbers Dress

Remember those paint by numbers books you had as a kid? Well now you can paint by numbers….on your clothing. Clothing designer Berber Soepboer has created a dress that lets you do just this.

Colour-In Dress  


The dress created in conjunction with graphic designer Michiel Schuurman is made so that the buyer can use textile pens to fill in the colors in any way they want which can create an infinite number of patterns and styles. Soepboer’s other design work is similar in that it encourages the wearer to be creative and unique modding their clothing as they see fit.

> _“Life exists of many choices based on expectations, desire and the available time.  
>  When everything is still possible the world seems an incredible place.  
>  I translate these endless possibilities in my design.  
>  A start to realize the ultimate dream in daily life.” _

Personally, Im in love with this dress and the whole concept behind it. Not only is the idea of creating a unique and beautiful dress intriguing but the cut and pattern of the dress is just phenomenal. I would love to leave it mostly black and white with just pops of color to create a new pattern. You can purchase the dress from Soepboer’s webpage by clicking here. It retails at 238 Euros and will include the textile pens. Its time to take fashion into your own hands!

###  Urban knitting graffiti

Knitta please! Move over spray cans and markers, theres a new form of graffiti in town and its showing the softer side of tagging.

Deputy Dog posted a blog about a new trend called knitting/crocheting graffiti. Basically crafty yarn wielders are taking to the streets with their scrap yarn and creating public works of textile art.

> “Knitta began in August 2005, when the soon-to-be-Knittas were discussing their frustration over unfinished knitting projects: half-knitted sweaters and balls of yarn gathering dust. That afternoon, they knit their first door handle. Then it dawned on them… a tag crew of knitters, bombing the inner city with vibrant, stitched works of art, wrapped around everything from beer bottles on easy nights to public monuments and utility poles on more ambitious outings.”

To learn more about this trend and see videos of these renegade knitters in action, check out the website Knitta Please

I think I know a few statues around town that could use a warm fuzzy scarf!

###  R2D2 Beanie

First of all apologies for the lack of blogness last week…I was celebrating my 25th birthday so needless to say my brain stopped functioning halfway through the week. On to new celebrations though! If you didnt know, today is Star Wars Day (because its May 4th…may the force be with you…may the fourth be with you….get it? har har) so in honor of this I present a most awesome example in domestic geekery….

R2D2 Beanie  


Crafty knitter Carissa knitted this adorable hat for her nephew and like all things good in this world, it blew up on the internet. Unfortunately she isnt taking custom orders…

> ” Okay, guys. That’s enough. I’m flattered. Really. But no more. Not for now at least. …. No more custom orders. I can’t knit the same hat over and over again for the rest of my life”

Well luckily for us she was so kind to share the pattern on her blog for FREE and in her own words said …

> “I recommend you try to find a knitter near you or even learn to knit yourself. It’s a great hobby.”

Well, I know for sure Im adding this to my ever growing queue of awesome geeky themed knits!