"DIY" news and stories

Meat. It's what's for ... wearing? If you've got a ton of salami and bacon, some clear vinyl and about six hours to kill, then yes. The lovely ladies of Craftzine stumbled across this creation, crafted by one Jia Jem for her "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"-themed birthday party (she dressed up as Meatwad, the show's cartoon meatball). While the dress proved to be a hit with just about everyone but vegetarians, it was a one-wear affair, and no, she didn't eat it after she wore it.

Raw meat apparel isn't exactly new: The Canadian artist Jana Sterbak once made a gown using 50 pounds of raw flank steak, and the folks behind Hats of Meat have been crafting their eponymous chapeaus for a few years now. But this meat dress appears to be the most wearable, if only because it has a zipper and vinyl strips around the hem to catch all of the drippings (oh, the glamour).

Regardless of whether or not you yourself are tempted to don, say, prosciutto pants, this dress is bound to inspire some strong reactions. What do you think: Is the meat dress an inspired creation? A greasy abomination? Or the perfect answer to the perpetual conundrum of what to wear?

[Jia Jem via Craftzine]

OK, let's be honest. Who hasn't thought she could do better than the people behind the Sweethearts slogans: "Call Me"? "Cloud Nine"? "Amore"? Please.

The folks at the New England Confectionery Co. have heeded your collective cry, so it's time to take to the Internet, poets, lovers and sugarcrazed civilians! In February 2010, every single one of those hearts will be named not by stuffy boardroom types, but by us commoners.

What's in it for you? Oh, you know, one lucky toothless person will win 1.6 million sweethearts that say whatever she wants them to say.

Learn how to win, after the jump.

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There's a DIY project (from Tasarim) making the rounds that's perfect for sharing your bread with your feathered friends. As you can see above, a simple wood shelf has large holes for the crumbs to fall in, which get collected, and directed down a tube that sails straight to a bird feeder.

I'm not entirely convinced that there are birds out there would you patiently wait below and not just fly up a little bit and peruse the board themselves, but this idea could still be handy in the kitchen, and for those who don't have hungry birds. Just make it into a larger crumb catcher. Cut slats into a simple board like that, and make a box base for it. Then you can easily and quickly collect all your scraps, and really make the use out of your bread. When you've got a bunch, just grind it into uniform breadcrumbs.

[via Serious Eats and Treehugger]

Corks are one of the classiest pieces of garbage that can be made into something nice. Rather than throw them away, people fill ornate jars with them, make walls and bulletin boards with them, and even make trivets. But you can also make trays with them.

See, a friend of mine used to work in a restaurant, so he scored bag upon bag filled with corks for me, which were further compounded with the corks I was collecting myself. It bothered me to think of how many went in the trash, so I wanted to get crafty. My bright idea: Make cork trays. They're pretty, they've unique, and they provide a foodie double-service -- making the most of your waste while also making something new to present your food on.

What could be more appropriate for a wine and cheese gathering than cork trays?

Forget fancy, overpriced organic cleaners. You can do plenty with just a squeeze of citrus.

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