s May 2017 - The Kim Six Fix
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15 Easy DIY Cement and Concrete Projects

15 beginner concrete and cement projects15 Easy DIY Cement and Concrete Projects via TheKimSixFix.com  Get your hands dirty with these easy to make concrete and cement DIY projects. Perfect for beginners
One of the most under-appreciated and inexpensive building materials on the planet is CONCRETE. For mere pennies, you can create home decor items and of unlimited shapes and sizes, all with a little water, sand and cement.     

40 Father's Day Gift Ideas: Outdoorsman, Grillmaster, Woodworker, Sports Fan

40 fathers day gift ideas
Shopping for Father's day has always been difficult for me.  Although my father, husband, father-in-law, grandpa all have a lot of interests and tastes it is still hard to figure out what to get them every year.  I always want to give them a gift they really like, and is something they will really use.   So in order to figure out what they would like, I broke it down into his hobbies and what would be fun gift ideas for each.  I LOVE YOU DAD! 

10 Porch and Patio Projects Perfect for Summer

10 fantastic summer porch and patio projects10 Porch and Patio Projects Perfect for Summer. From full backyard makeovers to building projects and decor ideas, these 10 projects will get you exited to fix up your outside space for summer.
One of the best parts of summer is how you can start using your outdoor space as an extension of the rest of your house.  You can set up your back porch or patio to become a little oasis in the backyard, perfect for entertaining, relaxing or dining.

Desk Organizer from a Single 1x3 Board

Desk supply organizer build

Beginning woodworkers area always on the lookout for projects that are easy to build, not super expensive to make (since if you screw up you don't want to have to buy hundreds of dollars of lumber to start again) and give you a chance to get a feel for the tools in your shop. Today's project hits ALL of those requirements.

When I saw this desk organizer originally on OhOhBlog I knew I could make my own version and change it up a little to give me an excuse to use a few more tools.  If you don’t have a router or a drill press, you can swing by her blog to see a few alternatives to put this build together, but if you are like me and looking for excuse to buy. more TOYS in the workshop, this is the build you’ve been waiting for.
Easy DIY desk organizer from a single board A great starter woodworking project

How to Layer HTV From Back To Front Using Registration Marks

Layering HTV with registration Marks and cut fileHow to layer HTV on fabric from the back forward
Lately I have stumbled into a lot of heat transfer vinyl projects since my kids are always asking to have things personalized, or I find a design I just love and want to put it on something.  Things like personalized shirts and bags for Disney are a few examples.  I’ve also been adding names to the back of sports jerseys and school fundraiser t-shirts recently.

The problem with the diversity in these projects is that not all HTV plays nice with all materials.  HTV that works well on performance wear tends to not work as well for thick textures canvas or denim.. and vice versa.

Until now.
Happy Crafters has launched a new brand of heat transfer vinyl called Craft Perfect.  The beauty of this type of vinyl is that it can be applied to ANYTHING: Cotton, Poly Blends, Leather, even spandex and performance wear.    They asked me to try it out and since I had a tote bag project I wanted to tackle, I thought I would give it a go.

I had this file I wanted to add to a library tote bag for the summer, but I wanted an HTV that could hold up to the texture of the bag even in the fine details of the text.
With brave wings she flies butterfly
I also wanted to layer the butterfly where the thin black outline layer was the UPPERMOST layer.. and not put the colors on top of the black.  So that made this project even trickier.  Could the Craft Perfect hold up?

How to Layer HTV From Back To Front Using Registration Marks

Step 1: Cut all the layers including registration marks

The colors I’m working with for this specific project were Neon Purple, Sharp Cheddar and Lilac, along with Black.  I created the file, added registration marks and then split it by color.  I made sure the registration marks showed up on every layer.
Layering HTV with registration marks
Step 2: Layer design aligning with registration marks

Once I had cut and weeded all the layers, I took the bottom most color, still attached to the transfer sheet and added the next layer on top of it USING THE REGISTRATION MARKS.  This is important. Since you won’t be able to know exactly where each color will go, you need to line up those blocks on top of each other since you are basically placing the layers blind.

Yes, you will be sticking the transfer sheet on top of the vinyl, but it okay.  It won’t pull it up.. don’t worry.
Aligning HTV from the bottom up
Step 3: Cut away registration marks and place design onto fabric

Once you have the completed layered image all stuck together you can cut away the registration marks. You don’t need them anymore.  You can leave the if you want, but you will have to be careful to avoid them with the iron.   (I left mine but I didn’t have to!)   Next place your image down where you want it.

The font in this file doesn’t include registration marks since I wanted to place it where I liked it relative to the bag.. If alignment isn’t essential for the design you can always just place those parts freehand.
With brave wings she flies butterfly bag
Step 4: Carefully peel all the backing layers away from the bottom color, leaving it in place on the fabric

Once you know where you design will go, you have to start pressing down the layers.  Leaving the design in place on the fabric, you want to remove all but the bottom most layer.  MAKE SURE YOU DON”T SEPARATE THE REMAINING TOP LAYERS.  These have been aligned correctly and you don’t want them to shift.

Step 5: Press bottom HTV layer onto fabric, remove backing

You are only pressing down the bottom most layer.  You can see how close my registration mark was to my image, so I did end up using a scissors to cut it away to make pressing easier. If you are using a heat press you HAVE to cut away the registration marks.  
Pressing HTV
Step 6: Repeat process by aligning entire layered design onto your surface

Once you have the first layer down, you are going to use this as you new ‘registration’ mark. Use it to line up the rest of the image. The beauty of this technique is that your are using the FULL IMAGE to determine layer placement every time. So you will automatically know if something is in the right place.  And you can reposition it if it is off

In this case I used the Lilac on the bottom, so I would easily center the rest of the design making sure the Lilac completely filled the space in the wings.
Layered HTV with registration marks Step 7: Peel back all but the bottom layer

Again, you want to peel back all but the bottommost layer, making sure not to shift it at all.  
Aligning HTV layers from back to front
Step 8: Press and repeat

Press this new (second) layer down and repeat the process until all the layers have been added.
Using registration marks to align HTV
This is what my colors looked like before adding the top black outline. There is no way I could have aligned this correctly by eye. Layering multi color HTV design
Now my final layer. I love that the black sealed down the bottom layers and gave me nice crisp lines without any bulk on top.  Layering multiple colors with registration marks
The only part of the design that is more than one layer thick is the dark purple spot on top of the lilac at the tips of the wings.  Everything else is just a single layer thick. Outlining HTV
I think it came out beautifully, and the Craft Perfect performed wonderfully. The finish s smooth and even.Layered HTV without bulk
And now the girls’ library bag is ready for summer!  With brave wings she flies cut file

Get your Craft Perfect vinyl directly from Happy Crafters.
For this project I used my Silhouette Cameo, but it could have also easily been cut with my Circuit Explore.

You can get the layered cut files by email below:

Organize Kitchen Clutter With Cabinet Corkboards

Corkboard inside cabinet door
Organize all those papers in your kitchen by installing corkboard on the inside of your kitchen cabinets. Now you can find all those coupons and take out menus and they are stored out of sight!
Little stacks of papers are taking over my life! Post it notes, grocery lists, bills to pay, girl scout badge requirements.. the paper never stops.  I do have a pocket calendar that I try to stick all my loose papers in, but things tend to get piled on the counter or stuck on the fridge to make things easier to see at a glance. But I am tired of looking at t-ball schedules and coupons and phone numbers, plus refrigerator magnets were scratching up my stainless steel.  

I knew it was time to cut the clutter! And so when I saw this cupboard door corkboard idea on Pinterest* I knew I had to do it. 

Gift Ideas for Busy Moms and Moms on the Go

Mothers Day Gift Guide for busy moms and moms and the go
I bet I’m not different from a lot of moms.  Sure, I work at home, and I’m a blogger, but even amongst my non-blogger mommy friends we all have the same run-yourself-ragged schedule.

Working moms, who are trying to squeeze in every moment of quality time they can in the evenings, while also keeping all the balls in the air at work.

Stay at home moms who spend their days wiping noses and sitting through PTA meetings.

Work from home moms who face the questions “what do you with your day?” while trying to set boundaries between where work starts and where it ends.

The one thing we all have in common is that we are SO BUSY.  Running around town doing errands, chauffeuring  our kids to and from sports and activities, driving carpool and making dinner.  Trying to get it all done before our head hits the pillow and morning comes too soon and we have to do it again.

So for mother’s day this year, I wanted to focus on gift ideas that would make life EASIER for the busy moms (which is pretty much every mom.)  I found 12 things that I personal have or wish I had, that focus on taking some of the pressure off the lives of busy moms.

DIY Leather Tassel Pillow


Hello friends! It's Elisha from PneumaticAddict.com and I'm back again sharing a simple tutorial almost anyone could try. Remember how I showed you how to make a fun marble tilt game from an off-the-shelf shadow box? Today I'm tackling something completely different: DIY home decor. 

I'm in love with current bohemian trend that you're seeing everywhere, especially in decor. My home leans more to the mid-century/traditional side but I wanted to incorporate some of the ethereal, boho goodness that I'm craving. I came up with a simple way to make a leather tassel throw pillow that was actually fun to make.






 
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