Dyeing Ripstop Nylon

We just got a new dog! She's a wonderful boxer we adopted from a family that just didn't have time to devote to her anymore. We couldn't be happier and she came with all kinds of goodies. The downside to these goodies is that the previous owners were not concerned with color choices when mix n'matching leashes, collars and whatnot. BUT, that is what dye is for!! My new girlie came with a bubblegum pink harness and a pale pink and brown back pack. They are the same items as pictures below:

I am not a lover of the color pink, and if I had to choose a shade that is my least favorite it would be a pale pink. This dislike for the shade is magnified when I see my big, tough boxer wearing it. Normally I would have just purchased another backpack in a color I like. However, this pack was in like new condition and it was free. So I figured I'd try a couple boxes of Rit dye on it and see what happens. Worst case scenario I totally ruin the pack and harness and must then buy brand new ones. This particular pack is made of ripstop nylon, which requires an acid dye or the addition of white vinegar to any fabric dye rated for use with nylon. The bright pink harness is nylon as well and will dye fine with or without vinegar.

Supplies:

• Fabric/item to be dyed 
• Fabric dye (I used 2 boxes Rit powder dye in Pearl Grey)
• A bucket or top loading washer
• Some pots for boiling water and mixing the dye
• Lots of water
• Something to stir the items and dye
• 1C Vinegar
• 1T Laundry detergent
• Rubber/latex gloves

My hope for this project was to turn the pink area of the pack a nice grey, leaving the black as is and perhaps tinting the brown to a greyish/brown. The harness I could really care less about since I do not use them on my dogs. I prefer a regular collar. But, again, since it was free I figured I'd toss it in the mix and see how it comes out. 

I washed both items in the washer to make sure the dye job would come out as even as possible. I then mixed both packages of dye into 4 cups hot water and added a tablespoon of laundry detergent. As this was dissolving I had another pot of clean water boiling. The clean hot water was then poured into a 10Qt plastic bucket and the dye mix then added and mixed into the plastic bucket as well. I kept my dye bucket in my bathtub to contain any spill over.

I rinsed both the pack and harness with hot water before adding to the dye bucket. Once in I stirred them around a minute and then rinsed out the pot I used to dissolve the dye in. No damage had been done to the pot. The plastic spoon I was using to stir had already taken on quite a bit of grey, which I expected to happen. I continued to stir the items in the dye for 5 more minutes and then added a cup of white distilled vinegar. I stirred for the recommended 30 minutes as according to the dye instructions. At this point the bright pink harness was now a deep purple/black. The pink of the pack was a lavendar/grey and the brown pockets looked unchanged. So I left them sitting in the bucket and jumped on google to investigate. The Rit website says you may leave items in the dye for up to an hour in order to achieve the correct color wanted. So I let them both continue to soak, stirring every few minutes. 

After the hour had passed I dumped the bucket and rinsed it out. It came out undamaged as well. It didn't take much rinsing of the items before the water ran clear and I stopped to check out the progress.

Here are the items rinsed out after the hour soak, but not dry:

The pink area it now a grey/lavendar (hard to see by the pictures). The black and brown portions appear unchanged.

The harness took the dye extremely well and is almost black. The stitching turned purple, but the nylon itself is a dark purple, almost black. 

Here are the items after a run through the wash on cold and line drying in the sun:

All the plastic buckles were left unchanged, but were black to begin with. 

The outcome is better than what I started with. The harness is a very nice deep purple that looks great on her. But since I don't use them I will be donating it to a shelter. The pack is definitely more grey than pink, but the two colors combine to make a silver-grey when dry. I'm thinking if I had used a third box of dye, but not added more water it would have been more concentrated color and done a better job. I'm going to use the pack as is and see if the silver grows on me, but may attempt a second go at the pack and use a combination of black and grey dye in hopes of getting a charcoal grey finish. I will update if I go down that route. If you are interested in combining colors to get a specific shade, then Rit has a great formula guide on their site for doing just that. You can find it here.

Char and Dyna

Dyna wearing her improved (in my opinion) pack

Also-The little bit of over spill that happened in the tub easily rinsed away. Though I didn't let it sit for more than a minute before washing it away. The only item used that was ruined in this project was my mixing spoon. I had planned to throw it when this was complete, but will hold on to it for use with the next dye job. If you don't want to ruin anything I would suggest using a paint mixing stick or something stainless steel.

Total money spent on this was $5. The dye cost $2.50 each from my local craft store and I had all the other items on hand already.

Framed World Map Poster

Wow! So time has really gotten away from me!! Summer, family vacations, visitors and now I suddenly realize I have neglected my blog duties...So here is a fun, easy and cheap idea to fill some wall space.

Supplies:

• Framed cork board
• World map poster same size or slightly larger than cork board
• Spray adhesive
• Map pins
• Spray paint

Alright, well first I took down the memory board I had made in my youngest son's room. He's now a toddler and I thought the fabric used was a little too baby-ish. I had intended to re-cover it and hang it once more, but then this idea came to me and I ran with it. 

I first removed the fabric and ribbon and was left with a plain wooden framed cork board (boring!). I then sprayed the frame portion (and quite a bit of the cork board as well) black. 

I found this great metallic silver and black world map poster on ebay for $6 and once it arrived I realized the cork board was slightly smaller than the poster, so I trimmed a little away from each edge of the poster, hoping we never travel to Antarctica, so it fit the cork area perfectly. I took out my spray adhesive and gave the cork a good coating. Once it was tacky enough I carefully smoothed the poster to the board.

I hung it in our playroom waiting until I was able to find a box of all red push pins...This was difficult since it seems every store in my area only stocked the multicolored ones and this was not the look I wanted. So I had to over pay and order then off amazon, but they arrived quickly and we were able to sit down as a family and go through all the states and countries we have visited in our travels. 

This is the finished project:

 I'm extremely happy with how it turned out and my eldest son loves adding a pin when we travel somewhere new. As a military family we've traveled a lot and it was nice to go through and talk about our memories and old friends and family at each location.

This project could be expanded to allow visitor's in your home to add pins or marking where family lives. Using flags instead of pins would be great for writing names, events or dates spent at specific locations.

Happy pinning!!

Patio Curtains and painting our little tikes climber

Wow-I've been so busy spring cleaning....It's amazing the things a person keeps for absolutely no reason!! With that being said I've had my hands full the past few weeks and so did two quick projects to up my front porches and backyard's appeal.

After finishing my last project it was quickly drawn to my attention that when I am sitting on my front porch enjoying my awesome new planter, my neighbors window has a clear view of me. This is kind of awkward since most Europeans like to stare...So to counter it I decided to put up curtains and make it a little more private. This project literally took me 5 minutes. Would have been less, but the wind grabbed hold of my panels and took them for a little ride...Anyhow, this is what I did and how it turned out.

Supplies:

• 72" tension mounted shower rod (black)
• (2) 100% polyester tab top curtain panels

Alright...so step one was to put the curtains on the bar. Then step two is to place the bar where you'd like to hang the curtains. And that is about it. 

Since I live in a rental I didn't want to drill any holes, so the tension bar fit perfectly and got the job done without hurting the exterior of my home. I don't know how well the curtains will hold up. They are 100% polyester, which from what I read at several different sites should hold up to the elements. Plus they can be cleaned in the washer if needed. They are thin and should dry out quickly if they get rained on. 

The curtains set me back 8 euro (purchased from Globus) and the shower rod was $10. Now I look forward to a summer of evening wine being enjoyed without nosey neighbor's watching. 

OK-On to project 2! Since the curtain project was so fast and really not much to it I decided to post some pictures of what a little spray paint can do for your outdoor climbers and playhouses. 

You will need to make sure the spray paint is meant for plastic, but other than that there's really nothing to it. I did two coats on each piece and alternated the spray pattern to make sure I didn't have lines when finished. The cans do recommend waiting 7 days for the paint to be fully chip resistant. The way my pieces fit together caused a lots of rubbing when trying to get them back together, but the amount of damage was surprisingly minimal and a quick spray of just those areas made it look like new again. 

I purchased this climber used for $30-Put $20 worth of spray paint into it took a few hours of painting. It was so cheap because of the severe sun fading. This exact climber is $200 new, so I think I came out on top...Plus I like these colors better than the original-Teal, pink and yellow? Really Little Tikes? It's easier to enjoy our back yard without the eye sore it was before. Lets face it, having multiple toys/swing sets does not make for a pleasant adult area, but changing the colors to more neutral and vibrant does help.

 BEFORE

AFTER

Garden Planters

I survived Spring Break. My oldest is back in school this week and I feel like we accomplished a lot during his vacation. The weather warmed up enough for us to plant flowers and my son really enjoyed helping put a planter together for our front porch. This idea came from Pinterest in the form of a bird bath. Click here to check out the original project. I altered it slightly to be completely made out of containers and took away the bird bath top. This is great for those short on space or just looking for something different.

Supplies:

• Large planter (Mine is about 15" tall)
• 4-6 smaller pots (I used 6" plastic)
• Re-bar (however tall you want your pots to stack)
• Soil
• Flowers

I reused a large plastic pot that was actually sitting in the garage when we moved in. A quick layer of chocolate brown spray paint and it was looking like new! The re-bar also cost me nothing as it was tucked in some bushes next to our house as well. It was about 40" tall. I then bought 5-6" plastic pots and sprayed them all red. They did not come with drain holes in the bottom, so I used my dremel for this and made them about the same diameter as the re-bar. 

Once everything is ready (and dry/chip proof if painted) it's time to assemble the structure. Fill the large pot with soil and pack it down slightly. Then insert the re-bar in the center. Then simple slide each small pot down the bar through the drainage hole and lean them to opposite sides. Now fill the smaller pots with soil and plant your flowers! 

Super easy and looks great tucked in the corner of my porch. I have gotten a couple thumbs up from my German neighbors already!

Total cost $10. It would have been slightly more had I needed to purchase the large pot. I also had the plastic spray paint on hand for another outdoor project. 

**UPDATE**

The planter is holding up well and we even have had some pretty strong winds. The only thing I would change next time would be to paint the re-bar to match the planters or at least a nice black. If the holes are drilled large enough there shouldn't be any scraping when the pots are slid on. Also-My pots have settled some and there is now about 2-3" of bar coming out the top. I am on the hunt for some sort of non-cheesy garden statue to plop on or glue to cover this....

Easy Outdoor Play Tent

I can't believe it's April already!! With the weather getting warmer I've really been focusing on my outdoor setup. We are super lucky to have a forest right behind our home. It offers so much fun and exploring for my boys. My oldest spends most of his non school time playing outside and recently asked if we would build him a fort. Now, of course I want to...However, building a structure would mean we'd have to leave it behind with our inevitable move. And since we have less than a year left at this location I am not too excited about building something myself. So I decided I'd whip up something to meet his wants, but something that will allow for mobility, easy clean up and hours of fun for the kids. So here is my solution:

The simple triangle tent has been used for I don't know how long. We've all seen 'em, but for some reason I never thought about putting one in my back yard for the kids...that is until I stumbled upon the idea on pinterest. Here is the site that inspired my setup (Make a Tent). Based off the same idea I tweaked it to make it suitable for boys and easier clean up than using a sheet.

Supplies:

• 4 tent stakes ($2 total)
• 1 large tarp or canvas w/grommets ($9)
• Rope (already had some)

Step one is to find a location for the tent. Two trees work well, but a clothes line or swing set bar would work just as well. Once you have the spot, tie one end of your rope (I used 550 cord) to a tree between 5 and 6 feet up, lower if you have younger kids.  The line will droop once the tarp is on it and staked down, so keep that in mind. 

The type of knot used is up to you, but if you're like me and knew very little about knots until attempting this project, then here is a great tutorial for a simple taut line. Make sure the knot is tight, then repeat same style knot on other side. Keep the line tight while doing the other side to make sure it stays tight when done. Trim the ends of the rope if needed. 

Now you are ready to drape your tarp over the line. I used an 8x10 tarp that had a camo print on it. I am not a fan of camo...I see enough of it daily; I flipped it so the camo print was on the inside and the outside was then a solid green. The tarp already had grommets so I simply staked it down with my tent stakes and was done! 

It took $11 dollars and about 10 minutes of my time before I had the perfect tent for hours of play fun. It's large enough to easily fit my 8 year old and 4 of his buddies with room for gear. I am looking into finding some kinds of floor or rug to put under it and a couple chairs or a child's bench. Perhaps a locked crate containing a canteen, binoculars and other outdoor necessities would add to the overall feel. All in all, this was super cheap and easy and as you can see my son is thrilled to have his own space in the yard. He's already talking about putting a 'No Girls Allowed' sign up...

Special Agent Birthday Party

Super fun party for boys old enough to appreciate it, but not too old to be too cool. 

What a day! It was gorgeous March weather yesterday, but today was about 20 degrees cooler and rainy…Go figure since our outdoor party was scheduled for today. Luckily it was a bunch of 2^nd grade boys attending and they didn’t seem to be bothered by it in the least. This party was such a hit I thought I’d share the logistics of it with the world.

Ideally you’d want 3-4 weeks to plan this themed party. That will ensure you have plenty of time to come up with clever clues and any needed supplies.

The Invitations:

I chose to go with a full agent/government theme printed on fake government letterhead created in Microsoft Publisher. The seal you see on these party items was made by me using says-it.com’s free official seal generator. I was going to use The Great Seal, but my husband pointed out it was semi-poor taste to use a real government seal for a fake agency. Here is how my invite read:

(Date invites will be sent out)

Agent                                            ,

              Your mission should you choose to accept, is to help solve a birthday crime at the headquarters building in (name of city). You are to report directly to your supervisor, Special Agent (birthday child's name), at which point more instructions will be provided. During this mission you will go through some field agent training exercises as well as aid in the hopeful capture of one of our most wanted criminals. Due to the top secret nature of this mission I am unable to provide any further details other than what is included in this letter.

Please report to the following location on (date of party) from (time in 24 hour format).

Headquarters Building (house number)

(Street name)

(City and zip)

(The facility is equipped with a  chow hall and one meal with dessert will be provided.)

Do not forget your badge! We are in threat level Delta and no personnel will be admitted without proper credentials. This includes family members. If a family member is in need of a day pass please alert our administration office prior to your arrival. Failure to do so will result in a denial of  access to our facility.  

The agency’s administration office may be reached on the following secured line: (phone number).  Do try and let them know of your intentions by (date of your choosing) to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Director, Special Investigations

 I then glued the sheet inside a manila folder. On the tab I wrote the child's last name, first initial and stamped the front Confidential, and the inside sheet as well. Then paper clipped their ID badge giving them level 1 security clearance inside and they were ready to be handed out. 


Party decorations:

I found some boot print clip art online and printed enough to tape to my front walkway as if someone had walked up to my front door. We then wrapped Crime Scene tape around our posts and put black balloons out as well. I made signs stating it was a restricted area and and guests must be accompanied by a sponsor at all times. Due to the weather I set up a canopy to keep the rain off and posted secure area signs on it as well. Black balloons, crime scene tape and black streamers were then placed around the yard. It turned out really nice and the kids LOVED seeing the crime scene DO NOT CROSS all around. It definitely added just enough realism to make them feel really special.

Party Favors:
I found some black treat boxed online for our goodie bags. They looked enough like briefcases without me having to spend an arm and a leg, and they couldn't have been better for the job. I then took a white paint pen and wrote 'Agent last name' on each one. Inside I put fake mustaches, a magnifying glass, an agent shield (badge), a memo pad and a mini mechanical pencil. I would have liked to include a disposable camera, but wasn't able to find any in time. More favors were added through the party games later.

Party Games:

The first game was some simple PT to get energy out. Jumping jacks, pushups....whatever to get them moving. We setup some targets and shot them down with nerf guns as well. This earned the agents their level 2 clearances and Clue #1 for the clue hunt.

The clues had been placed around the yard prior to the children arriving. One clue would lead to the next and consisted of rhymes such as:
"In the place where castles are made, time is often lifted, but today clues may be sifted."
"Go to where the water flows, You might even find a hose."
And so on until it lead the kids to a map located in our mailbox. The map then had an X marking the spot where a safe was hidden. Once they located the safe hidden among our trees they then had to figure out the key code through a last clue taped to the lid. Inside the safe was their level 3 clearances, decoder wheels and candy along with the message for them to report to the tables for further training.

Once they were all settled in at the tables we broke out the decoder wheels (which were made using a 3" and 5" circles cut from manila folders and held together with a mini brad. I printed out the alphabet in wingdings font and then in a regular font hidden under the 3" wheel and glued it to the larger circle. Cut a little window out to reveal one letter at a time and you have a decoder. I then printed out messages (enough for each party goer) to be decoded. I explained they were just silly messages for practice, but as the kids started to get into their messages I made it look like I didn't know what they were and that these weren't the messages I made up. Once everyone finished decoding they were given level 4 clearances and we read them aloud in order to reveal that Mr. E had stolen our Top Secret Chest (pinata) and hidden it. We then had to follow some clues in his message to recover it. Once found we took turns swinging to break it open. Inside was fruit snacks and level 5 TOP SECRET security badges for all. Along with a note from Mr. E telling them they may have found their chest, but he still got away.

At this point, with 9 boys present, we were about an hour and a half into the party and it was time for a chow break, then presents and cake. Some chow ideas would be pizzas with toppings in the shape of a question mark, "hot on the trail" mix and things along those lines. I made a 9x13 sheet cake and frosted it white, then in blue made a giant fingerprint and wrote on the other side. My fingerprint didn't turn out the best, but you get the idea.

A great time was had by all and I have been receiving messages from parents that the kids are still talking about the party and the fun they had. My son gave his approval stating it was the best day ever!

Cake Cones

A quick and simple class treat in honor of my son's birthday!

My 8 years old today son said he wanted to bring cupcakes for his class birthday treat this year. I had tried to get him on board to a St. Patty’s Day theme, but he wasn’t having it. So after some quick searches for ideas online we settled on these Cake Cones. I had seen the idea before, but never attempted them, so this was my first go at it. The recipe I followed was found at instructables.com and posted by scoochmaroo. However, after starting the process I noticed it was also on the side of the Keebler Ice Cream Cone box.

                                                                            Supplies:

• Disposable muffin tins
• Ziploc bag (gallon size)-optional
• Ice cream cones
• Cake batter of your choosing
• Frosting
• Sprinkles or other toppings

Step One:

Flip muffin tins over and cut holes out from centers to make ice cream cone stands. This will give a stable holder for filling, baking and transporting. Another site suggested cutting the bottoms off cardboard egg cartons or wrapping foil around base of cone, then pressing it into upright muffin tin. I chose this method since it sounded the most stable and attractive.

Once holes are cut insert cones. If the holes aren't cut too big the cones should be held securely in place.

Step Two:

Mix batter of your choosing. I went with boxed mixes in white and German chocolate, and followed the recipe as listed on the box.

You can then begin to fill cones about 2/3 full. To do this I put the batter in a Ziploc bag and cut a corner off. This made filling super easy and I didn’t have any drizzle that would burn onto the cones during baking.

They should be filled a little more than pictured to get a nice full look when finished. 

                                                                                    

Step Three:

Bake at 350 (175C) for 20-30 minutes. The cones will not discolor at this temperature and the tins will ensure they stay upright. Be sure and check doneness by sliding a skewer or knife to bottom of a cone.

Step Four:

Allow cone cakes to cool completely before frosting. Then cover entire top. I used vanilla in the self-dispensing can in hopes of making it look like soft serve or whip cream topping. Had I been able to find whip cream topping I would have used it. Then sprinkle with whatever cake or ice cream decoration you want. My son chose chocolate and multi sprinkles. I think crushed nuts would look nice on top, but since this was for a school treat, we had to be wary of any peanut allergies. You could also add a cherry on top to finish the look; my son was against this idea and it’s his special day!

Voila! Cake Cones! 

If you have the time and ability to make regular cupcakes you can make these! They are super easy and turn out really cute with little effort. The kids love the surprise of cake inside and I’m sure this treat will become a fast favorite.

Tip: To aid in transporting these treats I put the muffin tins inside large roasting pans with ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Vanilla’ written on the outsides. I placed the tins w/cones in the pans before frosting to help contain the mess. The kids were then able to just pull the cone of their choosing out and enjoy! 

Added bonus-No cupcake wrappers to dispose of!