DIY - A Beautiful Book Page Wreath From Old Papers

Best out of waste - the term certainly brings back school memories where you were to show your talent on bringing the best out of something that was technically of no use any longer. Well, not much has changed and you can still showcase your talent in making something creative out of things you would normally dump in the trash.

Here’s a fun technique to utilize old pages and manifest them into a beautiful wreath that will not only give your wall a classic look but also be an inexpensive way of exercising your creativity.


                    Image source: Jones design company


Things You Will Need:
-A thin, flexible metal rod

-Lots and lots of old papers

-Glue

-Scissors

Here’s what you need to do:

1) First, take the thin flexible metal rod and wrap it around a big circular object in order to get a perfect round shaped ring. The metal rod will be a little stubborn to bend but this will be the base of the wreath and hence, needs to be strong.

2) Now get your hands on those old papers and cut them in half with the help of scissors. Fold them evenly and staple them from the bottom. Make sure all your papers are cut in same lengths else your wreath would look uneven.

3) Next, take a paper punch and dig a hole on each of the papers that you have just cut. Slide the papers one by one on to the circular ring.

4) Now you need to use some glue to stick these pages on the ring in such a way that will prevent them from falling apart.

5) Now it’s time to leave your creation for a while to let it dry. Once that’s done, voila! You are ready to hang it on your wall, giving your home that vintage touch with just some creative techniques.

You can also place a bow or any other shiny object in the center of your wreath to make it more attractive.



If you like more colors, you can use colorful pages instead of the white and black set up. You can also use a CD as your base instead of a bigger circular object if you want your wreath to be small.

Connect with us:

Don’t forget to share what you came up with. Follow us on Facebook to keep a tab on some more of our creations. Also, do share with us if you have pictures of your own creations and projects, we would love to see them.

Innovative Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

We’re half way through the summer and a feeling of relief can be sensed among the population. Some cities across the country witnessed an extremely hot summer period while others felt right at home in the blistering heat. Before we start our monsoon celebrations we still have about 60 days of the season left.

We're giving you a few tips and tricks that you can try to stay cool and beat the heat this summer, some may sound strange but trust us, they work.

1. Utilize the freezer

About 10-15 minutes before you sleep, put your sheets in the freezer to cool off. Do make sure you place them in a plastic bag before you place them inside the freezer as you don’t want the smell of yesterday’s dinner to be absorbed by the fabric.

2. The wet cloth method

This trick is right out of a science book and it works wonders. Place a damp cloth over a stand fan or in front of an open window, when the fan is switched on or a breeze comes through, it’ll cool down the room instantly.

3. The cold water bottle

In the winter, many of us resort to hot water bottles to keep us warm, but you can also use them in the summer. Simply fill ice-cold water into it and keep it with you when the heat becomes unbearable.

4. Get down

We all know that hot air rises. So the perfect place to set up camp would be closer to the ground. Substitute your fancy bed for a comfortable mattress and you'll feel cooler in no time.

5. Get creative

Grains like rice and buckwheat aren't just for consuming, you can make a pillow using these as they don't absorb heat like cotton or goose feathers.

Connect with Black & Decker

If you used any of these methods or have a few ingenious ways to stay cool of your own, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us on Facebook and leave your comments, thoughts on the blog or any sort of feedback.

The DIY Water Conserving Garden Sprinkler

Watering your garden with a garden hose wastes a lot of water and the pressure of the water can damage your baby leaves and buds. Sprinklers, on the other hand, work wonders in a garden. On high pressure, they spurt water out for your leaves; while on a low pressure, you can use them for soil wetting too. This DIY garden sprinkler is easy to make and it helps conserve water.

Things You Will Need:

• A strong used Plastic/glass bottle 
• Water-proof tape
• Black & Decker 10mm Keyed VSR Hammer Drill
• A simple garden hose
  

Here’s What You Need To Do:

• The first thing you need to do is connect your bottle with the hose using the water proof tape.
• Tape the hose to the bottle multiple times and make sure there is no gap, thereby avoiding leaks. 
• Be sure to test it against pressure as you do not want it to disconnect later. 
  

• Drill holes in the bottle, placing the holes wherever you want water to spurt. Be sure to use protective gear while drilling to prevent any injuries. Safe DIY is good DIY!

• Test-run your sprinkler and check for any leaks, especially where the tape connects the hose and bottle. If there are, identify the leaky spots and reinforce with the tape.

                            

• Finally, turn the tap on and reap rewards for your labour. Keep your gardens looking its best while saving water! Also, don’t forget to use kitchen waste and kitchen water for your garden to keep it nourished and healthy. 

Connect with us:

Do-It-Yourself projects are perfect activities to beat the summer boredom, follow us on Facebook for more DIY projects. Also, don’t forget to share pictures of your own projects with us; we’d love to see what you’ve done.

Keep Garden Pests at Bay in a Healthy Way

Summer is a great time in your garden; growth accelerates as new leaves and shoots grow out and slowly make their way to flowering. At this time, remember that it’s best to water your garden in the morning so that the scorching sun doesn’t dry up your soil too much. A healthy looking plant in your garden can be highly infected and it takes a close view to see these pests. Mealybugs tend to hide inside new leaves and shoots and spread faster than lice in a playground. Of course, there is the common powdery mildew that contaminates your plants due to low ventilation and takes refuge under big leaves. Also, spider mites infect your plants visibly and suck the life out of it, as leaves turn yellow and your plants droops down in sorrow.

A common solution to these problems is pressure washing. We recommend the Black & Decker 100 Bar Pressure Washer on low pressure for this process. Tip your plant over, as you don’t want to wash away the soil, before pressure washing the leaves and shoots. Parasites like scale insects tend to cling on to your plant for dear life, and need to be scraped off with fingernails as you wash it off.

In some cases, pests tend to over populate on plants and if they are not spotted early enough can infect a plant completely. At this point, accompany daily pressure washing with neem oil or neem spraying to safely eradicate these pests. By using pressure washing and neem, you can refrain from using chemicals; as they not only smell like rotten eggs but are also poisonous to your plant, your pets and your family.

Here are some tips to keep your garden looking its best:

· Grind eggshells into a powder and sprinkle it over the soil, this gives your plant calcium and isn’t an eyesore like crushed eggshells.

· While cooking, save vegetable cooking water instead of throwing it and water your plants (only the soil) with this water. A great vegetable soup is a nutritious treat for your plants.

· Tea leaves are excellent for increasing the acidity of your soil. As this is beneficial to your plants, don’t always throw strained tea leaves, occasionally sprinkle some on the soil.

· Plants love company! So, go ahead, layer your plants in a couple of rows. Be careful not to overcrowd, poor ventilation attracts trouble.

· Spend time caring for your plants. Individually inspect them for pests and don’t be shy, they just might enjoy light petting.

Black & Decker knows best: 

Follow us on Facebook for more gardening tips and summer activities; send in pictures of your lovely garden as we’d love to see what you’ve done.

Do It Yourself - The ideal Portable Summer Table

The summer breeze has been said to bring new friends; with that it brings more parties and trips to the beach. A portable table for these activities will always come in handy to keep food and drinks. This portable table can be rolled up into a nice bundle as you move from place to place. Go ahead and try this ten step method to build your own portable table.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Things you’ll need:

· one 48 x 7/8 (inches) wooden solid cylindrical rod

· three 2 x 1/4 x 8 (inches) hardwood planks

· one 1 x 1/4 x 8(inches) hardwood plank

· four 1/4-20 x 1(inches) Carriage bolts                                                                     
· four 1/4-20 threaded insert nuts

· 4 x 1(inches) nylon web belt

· ¼ (inches) staples

· a Black & Decker Circular Saw (CS1500 184mm)                                                                                                                          

· a Black & Decker Hammer Drill (KR554RE 13mm)      

                                         

Here’s what you need to do:
1. Commence by cutting the rod into four equal length pieces.

2. Cut the two inch hardwood planks into 24 inch pieces. You will require ten pieces. Trim the whole stack at once to make sure they are all of equal length. You'll need two 24 inch pieces of the one inch hardwood plank too.

3. Scrub the ends of the rods and the planks with sandpaper.

4. Cut two 24 inch pieces of nylon web belt and burn the ends. This will protect it from fraying.

5. Arrange the planks side by side and make sure they are evenly spaced.

6. Staple the belt to the planks; make sure the staples are shorter than the thickness of the wood and staple. Use a strong stapler gun. Use a hammer for assistance.

7. Install all the planks making sure to move your spacers and keep the web belting pulled tight.
8. Place the one inch planks across the table top and drill ¼ inch holes in the corners. These one inch planks serve as spreaders to keep the nylon web belting tight. Widen the holes in the tabletop to receive the square head of the carriage bolts. After this, install the spreaders.

9. Now, for the legs, Mark one end of each rod in the centre and drill a 5/16 inch hole one inch deep into the end.

10. Install threaded inserts in the rods.





Finally, throw it together, screw the legs onto the carriage bolts and flip it over. You can now paint it or customize it as you wish. Enjoy your new portable table!

Connect with us: For more interesting DIY projects follow us on Facebook. Also, we’d love to hear from you; send us images and tell us about your DIY projects.

Do-It-Yourself For the Kids This Summer

We're midway through March which means there are only a few weeks left until the country shifts into the summer season. The heat usually brings a few things along with it for example, longer days, constant use of air conditioning and of course summer holidays.

The Summer Holidays

Having the kids at home for a couple of months is great as they get some much needed rest from the hectic school routine and it’s the perfect time for you as parents to bond with them. During this time you can expect a little more mess and a little less space in and around the house especially if they decide to have sleepovers and so on. Technology has become a kid’s best friend in recent years, maybe this summer it’s time for a shift in focus. To get kids back outside your garden needs to be much more appealing than an iPad or an Xbox.

What Needs To Be Done

To make your garden a fun place, it needs to look like one. This means that weeds need to be removed, the lawn needs to be mowed and hedges trimmed. This is where Black & Decker comes in. Our range of expert gardening tools are easy to use and will get the job done. http://bit.ly/OutdoorTools

Once your backyard looks nice and clean you’ll need to add a few things to make it into a haven for a child’s play and adventure. You could try the following;

1.      An inflatable swimming pool

2.      A sand pit

3.      A football goal or basketball hoop.

If a space is provided there’s no doubt that children will occupy it during the two months they have off, because let’s face it, they’ll get bored inside the house pretty quickly.

Connect With Us

Keep watching our Facebook page for more interesting summer tips and DIY projects. You can also reach out to us if you’re in need of any assistance when it comes to DIY.

Protect Your Home’s Exterior

Weatherly Woes

As the saying goes, “The first impression is the best impression.” The same applies for your house; the interior maybe well organised and clean but if the outside of your home is dirty and worn out because of the weather, then it may leave the wrong impression amongst your guests. Rain, wind and sun can cause excessive amounts of damage if preventive measures are not taken. The paint will start chipping, doors and windows begin to creak and in a worst-case scenario, you may end up with a leaky ceiling.

With problems such as these, finding someone to fix them for you, who’ll come on time and won’t charge you excessively is going to be the real task.

Protective Measures

Now, there are ways that you will help you avoid using your life savings to fix your house. The concept of #DIY shall save you the hassle of chasing up workers, overpaying for mediocre work and you’ll learn a few things on the way. Not to forget the joy and fun involved in doing it yourself!

·         In case of a leaky roof, use a waterproof paint that contains a “membrane’ forming function. This will prevent water infiltration and should keep the rain out of your room.

·         Paint the exterior of your house with high quality weather proof paint once every two and half years and then once every five to six years after that. It’s a simple logic, the more number of coats, the better protection you’ll get.

·         For creaky windows and doors, oil the hinges regularly but if it’s too late for oil (You’ll know when oiling doesn’t help at all) change the hinges.

Black & Decker Knows Best

These are just a few things you can try and all the tools that you will require are available on leading online stores across the country. Check out our website www.blackanddeckerindia.in and see which one suits your needs the best.

Keep an eye out on this blog as we’ll be putting up more #DIY tips and tricks in coming weeks.

Till then Happy #DIY !