Category Archives: DIY

The Long Awaited DIY Dice Bag Tutorial

Way, way back in the early days of Gamerwife I posted photos of a DIY Dice bag with the promise of full tutorial to come soon. Well, 3 years later is better than never, so present I, without further delay a new and improved Dice Bag with full tutorial.

Materials
Heavy “outer” fabric (I used a cotton corduroy) cut in a 6″ x 15 3/4″ strip
Smooth “liner” fabric (I used a polyester satin) cut in a 6″ x 13 3/4″ strip
Elastic cord cut in a 20″ length
Pins
Thread in a matching colour

Cut the outer fabric, liner and elastic to the specified dimensions.

Lay the liner over the outer fabric with the “good” sides facing. The outer fabric should overhang the liner by about 1 inch on either side.

Pin them together, then sew up the sides leaving a 1/2 seam.

You should now have a long tube open on both sides. Turn the tube inside out so that the “right” sides of the fabrics are on the outside.

Iron the fabric to create crisp seams on the sides, then fold in half with the liner side out and iron again.

Sew the sides up, taking care with the bottom corners. Then fold the lip over on either side to create a channel for the elastic. Pin in place.

You might want to hand sew this part, but if you are very handy with a sewing machine you should be okay. Sew down the lip, taking care not to sew the bag shut. Leave one side open on both end so that you can thread in the elastic. Pull the bag right side out.

Using a tapestry needle or a large safety pin, carefully thread the elastic through the channel in the top of the bag. Pull the elastic together so that it is equal on both sides and tie in a knot.

Fill with dice and you’re ready to go!

DIY Pac-Man Dishtowels

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Back in my T.O. loot roundup I mentioned that I’d picked up a pile of dishtowels for $0.29 a piece, and while they were perfectly functional as they were I knew they’d be even better after a little DIY magic. While musing on a theme to decorate them, I was inspired by the block-y red stripes on the perimeter to try something with an old-school style so I decided to go classic arcade with a DIY Pac-Man craft. And since I’m not the most talented painter, I figured stamping would be the safest way to go.

I was inspired by Pinterest (as I am so many things) to use wine corks as my stamping medium since cork is pretty easy to work with and we happen to have a bunch of them on hand (don’t judge).

Supplies:
Clean White Dishtowels
Wine Corks
Sharpie
Exacto Knife
Fabric Paint
Paper Towels
Iron

The first step was to trace my shapes onto the cork. I used a Sharpie for this, but I’m sure any type of dark ink marker would work well. I used a slightly larger cork for the Pac-Man shape and I lucked out because it happened to have a star printed in the middle which made cutting the mouth angle a breeze. The next was the Ghostie, which took a little more finesse, but I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Next, cut out the traced shapes using an exacto knife or a razor blade. The easiest way to do this is to trace the outline you made on the cork with the exacto knife, making sure to go about 1/4 inch deep into the cork. Then, cut into the side of the cork about a 1/4 inch down. The outline of your shape should just fall away!

I’d made sure to wash my dishtowels as soon as I unpacked them so that they were all ready for whatever craft I unleashed upon them. Place a paper towel under the part of the towel you want to stamp. The next step was to prepare the fabric paint.

Pour a small amount of paint into a small dish (yogurt tub lids work well for this). Dip your stamp into the paint and use a paintbrush to smooth it over the surface of the stamp. You’re going to want a fairly thick coating so don’t be shy.

Stamp the fabric using even pressure so that the full image appears. Continue stamping until you are satisfied with the pattern you have created.

Allow the paint to dry for 2 – 4 hours. Then, using another dish towel to cover it, set paint with a hot iron.

That’s it! What do you think?

The Gamerwife Guide to Pinching Pennies: My DIY Beauty Routine

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a Pinching Pennies post so I figured I’d go ahead and make this one really epic. I’ve written about my attempts to green my beauty routine before, but I’ve never broken it down step by step or given the recipes for all the DIY beauty treatments I use.

It was sort of shocking when I wrote it all down. All the products that I don’t buy at a drug store or make-up counter. All the things I use to make my hair shiny and my skin soft and blemish free, using stuff I have around the house. It’s really inspiring, even to me, and I hope it inspires some of you to try a more natural approach to your beauty regime.

Here is my full DIY Beauty Routine:

Daily – Cleanse face in the evening with my DIY Face Oil. I have also started started experimenting with Grape Seed Oil in my oil mixture.

Every 2 – 3 days – Shampoo using homemade coconut milk shampoo & condition using apple-cider vinegar infused with fresh rosemary.

Once a week – Exfoliate face using baking soda & apply a clay mask.

Once a month – Apply a moisturizing hair mask.

I’ve stopped using soap when I bath because I find it irritates my skin & dries it out too much. I do wash with a wash cloth to slough off dead skin and prevent stinkiness, and use a little soap under the pits if it’s warranted. No one’s complained yet, so it must be doing the trick.

I do wear foundation and make-up, but I’ve switched to a vegan mineral foundation and I’m in the process of switching to all mineral based make-ups. I even found a natural mascara which I’m very excited to try out. I tend to keep my make-up very basic, neutral eyes & cheeks and then dress things up and down with lipstick and liquid eye-liner, but even then I rarely wear it unless I know I’m going to be meeting someone.

Recipes:

Natural Shampoo
5 Tbs Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castille Soap (I use the Tea Tree Oil blend because it helps with dandruff and itchy scalp)
5 tsp coconut milk (try to use more “water” than “cream” since it can make your hair too oily)
1 Tbs Baking Soda

In a small bowl, mix the baking soda with the coconut milk until the baking soda has dissolved. Add in the soap, stirring gently to combine everything without making it froth up. Transfer to an air-tight bottle.

This usually lasts us about a week or two depending on how sweaty our heads get.

Rosemary-Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioner
Fill a mason jar with with good quality apple-cider vinegar and add 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh cut rosemary. Let sit in a cool dry place for two weeks before using. To use – dilute 1 part vinegar in 5 parts water. Pour over freshly shampooed hair and comb through. Rinse.

Baking Soda Scrub
Mix 1 Tbs of Baking Soda with 1 tps water until a smooth paste forms. Massage this into the face using a circular motion and leave on skin for 1 – 2 minutes while you finish washing. Rinse off using lukewarm water.

Green Clay Mask
(You may need to adjust this ration depending on the humidity/temperature)
2 Tbs Green Clay
1 Tbs Fresh Brewed Green Tea
2 – 3 drops Tea Tree Oil

Mix everything together until it is smooth and thick. Spread over face in a thin layer as evenly as possible. Leave on until it has dried and turned light. Gently rinse off with lukewarm water.

Honey and Olive Oil Hair Mask
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs Pure Honey

Heat the olive oil in the microwave for 15 seconds, or until warm to the touch. Mix in the honey. When everything is well combined, massage into dry hair and then comb through. Cover hair with a plastic shopping bag for 30 mins to 1 hour before shampooing. It may take several shampoos to clean it all out, but your hair will be noticeably softer.

Recipe: Pico de Yummy (Avocado Corn Salsa)

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As I mentioned in my menu wrap up, I decided to improvise a side dish for last week’s Grilled Salmon, and since last week’s recipe was the first one in a while, I thought I’d take a minute to share this recipe with you too.

I didn’t want to have to use all the lime juice called for in the original recipe due to my citrus allergy, plus, we had a bunch of fresh corn sitting in the fridge, threatening to go bad, so I made up my own fresh salsa recipe with Rick’s two favourite foods: avocado and corn.

Check it out after the jump.

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Recipe: Maple-Chai Granola

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I made the “mistake” of introducing Rick to Gourmet Granola a few months ago. I say “mistake” because, while I was happy that he gobbles it up whenever he has a chance, I’m afraid that it’s a little too rich in price for us to be buying when it’s not on sale. But it’s so great to have on hand for last minute snacks or as a quick, healthy, breakfast option I finally decided it was time to try making my own.

Part of the reason I’d been hesitating is that I can’t actually eat granola myself. I’m allergic to oats. And nuts. And chocolate. And citrus fruit… I could go on for days. Basically, there’s a lot of awesome healthy foods that I can’t eat without breaking out in an awful, prickly rash that eats my skin. But, that’s doesn’t mean that Rick can’t or shouldn’t eat them. And since the cholesterol lowering power of oats is something that his mayo loving self should really be adding to his diet, I’ve been making a concerted effort to get oats and granola into his gullet.

I used this Food 52 recipe as a base and just substituted whatever nuts and seeds I happened to have on hand for the ones the recipe suggested. The results were a little more “candied” than I would have liked, so you’ll notice that I left the brown sugar out of my recipe. I also added some spices to give it a little chai-inspired kick and make it a little more special.

Full recipe after the jump.

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