I recently returned to brewing beer – my first attempt a few years ago after attending a beer brewing workshop ago wasn’t very successful, with the bottled beer tasting like beer does but completely flat and un-carbonated. I felt pretty discouraged and didn’t touch the equipment again until last week, when I decided it’s time to get down to business and give it another try. I purchased a “make your own beer” starter kit on amazon and voilà! it seems like this time around it may actually work (: This time around I went with a 1-gallon (approx. 5 liters) carboy instead of the 5- gallon bucket (approx. 20 litters) just in case the beer turns out flat again…

So back to our topic, I read it’s really important to properly sanitze the bottles used for the home brew, and read that the most popular way is to buy a bottle draining tree with a bottle rinser on top. However most options I looked into we’re a bit expensive and also didn’t offer a solution for storing the beer bottles before rinsing them.

That’s when I thought about the IKEA KUGGIS box – what’s great about this box is that it’s sturdy, comes in a variety of sizes, and most importantly at only $7.99 definitely a steel compared to the other bottle drying options.

The only catch is, you need to have some extra equipment at home to make this hack. It’s called a FIXA hole saw set – and it enables you to create holes in the KUGGIS plastic (this isn’t the original purpose of the product, but it definitely works).

Most of the credit here goes to my hubby who actually drilled the holes (:

Here’s what you need for this project:

1. KUGGIS box – I chose this one for my project but If you plan on brewing more than 1 Gallon/5 Liters go for a bigger size.
2. FiXA hole saw set
3. White paper masking tape
4. Tape measure, pen, utility knife

I started by measuring the Diameter of my beer bottles. According to my calculation the KUGGIS lid had place for 20 bottles since each bottle was 2.4~inches/6 cm in diameter. This was perfect since my 1 gallon carboy produces about 12 bottles of beer.

Each X marked where to place the center of the hole saw.

Next, using the smallest saw from the IKEA set ( the 1 3/8″ or 35 mm saw) my husband drilled 20 holes into the KUGGIS lid using a wooden block beneath to protect our outdoor table.

He then carefully used a utility knife to smooth the edges of the plastic holes.

I soaked 12 used beer bottles in soapy warm water for 2 hours using the KUGGIS box, and the labels came right off with the help of a kitchen sponge. I then emptied the bottles and drained them through the holes.

The same process can be repeated towards bottling the beer- Just fill the KUGGIS box with sanitizing solution and empty beer bottles, and then let them drain before you fill them with home-brewed beer.

Pretty cool right? I thought this was a fun practical little project that will definitely make beer brewing a lot easier.

let me know how yours turner out.

The post IKEA Hack- DIY Beer Bottle Dryer/Sanitizer appeared first on Zaga Diy.

To make things simpler, I actually purchased a lip balm container set on amazon, but you could also use just about any clean empty jars you have at home.

There are a ton of different lip balm recipes on the web, so I decided to go with the easiest one I found- https://www.elementsbathandbody.com/lip-balm-recipe/. This site is really amazing- they have so many different recipes that I want to try, not just for lip balms bit for every bath product you can imagine, and they also supply the containers and ingredients ( although I haven’t tried ordering those from them).

I ordered my oils, butters and lip flavours from different suppliers, have a look here-

I replaced Avocado Oil with Shea Butter (simply because I didn’t have any at home), checking first online which oil/butters would be a good substitute.

I started by weighing the ingredients with this handy gadget I found on AliExpress– It’a a scale for small items (up to 200g) and I found It very accurate!

I melted the ingredients over a double boiler pot (minus the flavor oils)

You can also microwave the oils in a bowl.

When they were all melted, I added the flavor oils and tipped the bowls content into the lip balm tray.

The kit also comes with printable lables which I haven’t tried yet.

All in all I’m really happy with how this lip balm turned out- really moisturizing and creamy, althought next time I think I’ll add more flavoring/scent oil…

The post Making Your Own Lip Balm appeared first on Zaga Diy.

I went through lots and lots of pins and tutorials, trying to figure out which appealed most – both aesthetically and technically speaking, and decided to try making three objects I could also find a practical element in preparing them- a trinket/jewellery bowl (desperately needed for organising rings), a clay coaster (always need some of those), and a pair of clay earrings (liked the idea of making light dangly earrings (:).

First, I picked up a packet of 500 g Das Air Clay.

I placed a small plastic bowl next to the clay, where I could wet my fingers before picking up a piece of clay.

I then rolled a piece of clay until it was about 3 mm- 4mm thick. Since clay tends to pick up almost EVERYTHING from the surface it’s rolled on, I found a spare floor tile on our balcony that turned out to be the perfect working surface (once scrubbed clean). If you don’t have a spare tile, I’d try rolling the clay on some parchment paper attached to table with removable sticky tape. BTW- If you have a pasta machine you barely use, you can press the dough using your machine. We actually own one but my husband didn’t like the idea of finding bits of clay in his pasta (: .

First item up- the jewellery dish. I actually tried rolling a paper doily first on top of the thinned out dough, but this turned out to leave a weak trace of a pattern that was barely noticeable. I didn’t have a crochet doily on hand (which would probable fan out much better) so instead I tried pressing a plastic serving dish my mom picked up at a party store a while ago. This time a lovely pattern appeared.

I then started pinching the sides of the clay to create a small bowl. I used a damp wiping cloth and went over the clay to eliminate any unwanted dents and fingertips.

After letting it dry for 24 hours (Ok, not exactly 24 hours I’m not a very patient person, maybe 16 hours (:) The bowl seemed dry enough to be painted, so I polished its exterior gently with some sandpaper and added a dab of gold paint with a marker to the edges.

Next I repeated the same steps – rolled a small portion of clay on the tile, then took a lavender leaf I dried between two books a few days prior, placed it on top and rolled again with a roller.

I then waited for the clay to dry and again added a bit of gold paint to the patter.

Last but not least- I cut out a few small circles with a small tube bead I had from a previous project (but anything round will do), and using a toothpick created small holes.

I tried painting the circles with the gold maker, but didn’t like the final look, so I tried instead using some deco metal flakes and decoupage glue/varnish (this was my first time using metal flakes- very cool product! I’ve got to find additional uses).

I spread a thin layer of glue on the clay, then gently placed a leaf above and pressed with my fingers or small brush. I removed any excess with a knife.

I used a plier and some jump rings to assemble the earrings together.

Here are the three finished objects-

So the bottom line is- If you have some spare time on a weekend, air dry clay is a great medium for creating practical items you could either make for yourself or as gifts. Have a go at it yourself (:

The post Experimenting with Air Dry Clay – Easy Weekend Project appeared first on Zaga Diy.

I found the cotton ear savers had the nicest feel- especially when worn over many hours, , however most cotton fabrics I owned (I used a lot of leftover scrap fabric from previous projects) tended to be light – medium weight and would crinkle and not retain their original size and texture when worn repeatedly, not to mention it was hard attaching the elastic strings to the buttons on the fabric.

I then came up with the following idea to help use up my cotton fabric stash with its pretty patterns, using some basic wiping clothes you can find just about anywhere.

You will need-

1. Light- medium weight cotton fabric- I used scrap fabric from previous projects, ironed before used.
2. Wiping clothes- I picked up a packet at the local convenience store. It said on the label they were both washable and reusable.
3. Two colourful buttons- at least 20mm-25mm in diameter.
4. Thread
5. Optional- sewing machine, cutting mat, rotary cutter, point turner.

Cut a 16x10cm rectangle from the cotton fabric. I actually created a stencil and then cut around it with a rotary cutter, but using a pen and scissors would work just fine. Btw- the pink pattern weight I made following tutorials I found online, you can see an example here- https://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2014/01/simple-easy-pattern-weights.html

Take the cotton rectangle, fold wrong side to wrong side (the side without the print) and sew the edges together at a 10mm/1 cm seam allowance, leaving a gap of about 5 cm in the middle of the longer edge.

Turn the fabric inside out through the gap, so the pretty side is now facing you. I used a point turner to smooth out the corners.

Now cut a similar rectangle from the wiping cloth. You can use any basic absorbent cleaning cloth, look for those that are washable.

Take the wiping cloth rectangle, fold in half, and remove 10-13mm from the edges.

Step 4- Sew the edges of the wiping cloth together.

Insert the wiping cloth through the gap.

Topstitch the ear saver- best to stay close to the the edges so the gap closes properly. I actually should’ve stayed closer to the edges to ensure a proper seal.

Last but not least- add two buttons to each side either by hand or with a sewing machine.

Voila! Your very own padded ear saver.

Feel free to customise the size or materials, it’s a lot of fun experimenting!

The post Padded Fabric Ear Savers appeared first on Zaga Diy.

Today I’d like to share with you a really great idea for decorating windowsills that seem bland or need an extra touch of greenery without investing a lot of money or maintenance.

Remember my previous post about Making Self-Watering Herb Jars From Cuttings? I decided to use some of the leftover plastic planting baskets I bought from AliExpress to try and cultivate sweet potatoes, after reading online that they grow well in water and develop beautiful green edible leaves.

I took the same glass container and plastic planting baskets from the previous post, filled the water to the top of the jar and inserted a brown and purple sweet potato at the top. You could probably do the same without a planting basket using toothpicks to steady the potatoes, with about 1/3 of the potato submerged in water. 

Within a couple of days, the potatoes start developing white roots, and within a couple of weeks lovely green leaves appear on the top. I let one of the potatoes grow wild around our windows and it looks lovely! If you’d like, you can try cutting one the vines and letting it grow on its own in water, thus eliminating the need to keep an entire potato on the windowsill.

Apparently if you take the sprouts and plant them, you can grow new potatoes with 14 weeks. Unfortunately, we don’t have the space on our balcony but it definitely sound exciting. I also read that the leaves are edible- haven’t tried eating them yet so I’ll keep you posted.

Have you tried growing your own? How about other veggies? Let me know how it went.

The post Growing Sweet Potatoes in Water appeared first on Zaga Diy.

You will need:

1. Cement -take a quick peek at my tutorial here for using cement at home.
2. Used glass bottle- I cut a clear wine bottle. See instructions here.
3. Round plastic containers- I used two bowels that fit snuggly into one another. You need to make sure the circumference of the bottom of the bowels is identical and is slightly larger than the circumference of the glass bottle you’ll be using.  
4. Cork sheet or any padding you like to protect the finished cement project from scratching your furniture.
5. Glue gun or any other adhesive to attach the padding to your project.

Ok here we go.

First, I filled the larger bowel up to 2/3 of its height with cement. Don’t forget to oil the inside of the bowel with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly before you do this.

Next, I inserted the smaller bowel (also oiled, this time on its outer side) and pushed it down so that very little cement was left between the two bases of the bowels.

I wanted to make sure the two bowels are almost touching each other from the inside, so I added some coins to keep the upper bowel in place and prevent it from moving upwards.

If you don’t have coins stones or any small heavy object should do the trick.

24 hours later, I removed the coins. The outer bowel slipped easily off.

I then took a hammer and while holding the bowel in my left hand a few inches above the table, lightly tapped on the base of the bowel to help separate the smaller plastic bowel. Try and tap the area where the hammer is placed here in the picture.

The smaller bowel separated the cement holder was ready. If you like you can use some sandpaper to sand down the container and give it a more finished look.

I then took a damp cloth and removed any residue.

The next step is optional- I felt like adding a bit of paint to my project, so I picked up a bottle of white acrylic paint and painted the top of the holder.

To prevent the holder from scratching my table, I cut out a piece of cork and glued it with a glue gun to the base of the holder.

I then placed the cut wine bottle in the center of the holder…and voilà!

I love how it came out…have and go and let me know how yours turned out!

The post Glass Flower Vase- Cement Project Number 3 appeared first on Zaga Diy.

You will need:

1. A glass bottle- I used a blue wine bottle. Follow my instructions for cutting glass here.
2. Cement. Follow my instructions for making it here.
3. Round plastic container- make sure the diameter of the container is a bit larger than the diameter of the glass bottle.
4. Cork/floor protectors or padding to add to bottom part of cement part when ready.
5. Sandpaper (Optional)
6. Glue Gun
7. Tea light

First, I split a blue wine glass into two pieces (follow the example from the previous tutorial).

Next, I cast cement in a round disposable plastic container- I used the same container featured in this tutorial – just follow the instructions, skipping the part where you add the brass. Don’t forget to oil the plastic container before adding the cement!

Here’s what it looks like when ready and removed from the plastic:

You can use sandpaper to refine the edges/ create a smoother texture if you like, I actually just like leaving at is. If you do use sandpaper, remove any residue with a soft cloth (don’t forget to throw out in the garbage and not rinse in the sink as it will clog it).

If you want to make sure the cement doesn’t scratch your furniture, you can cut out a round layer of cork or add floor protectors to the bottom of the cement holder with a glue gun.

Here’s what the finished product looks like-

I think it’s lovely! what do you think?

The post Tea light Candle Holder- Cement Project Number 2 appeared first on Zaga Diy.

Let’s talk first about making the cement paste. Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

1. Cement. I like working with grey cement, but there’s also white cement readily available in most stores.
2. Water.
3. Pair of disposable gloves.
4. Respiratory mask.
5. Protective goggles
6. Plastic or metal spatula for mixing the concrete mix.
7. Optional- disposable spoon (also for mixing)

First, I spread large plastic bags on the floor/table to keep my workspace clean. Anything that comes in contact with the cement (including wipes, rags, etc.) needs to be thrown out in garbage bags. Don’t try and rinse anything you use when making cement crafts in your sink- the cement will solidify and clog it! It’s very important you use gloves, eye goggles and a respiratory mask when working with cement, as you’re exposed to dust containing small cement particles, which you don’t want to accumulate in your eyes and lungs.

To make the cement mix, you need to follow the instruction on the cement bag. I like adding water gradually to create a pudding like consistency.

I don’t usually add sand for small household items I make (I haven’t found it necessary), but again it all depends on the manufacture’s recommendations. If you add too much water and the cement turns to liquid, just re-add more cement until you reach the correct consistency.

When the mix is ready, try to work quickly as it tends to solidify (although complete solidification will take 24-48 hours).

Ok, thing you got the hang of things?

Here is the first project I’d like to share with you:

DIY Cement Incense Holder

You will need:

1. Brass pipe adaptor- I bought one for a couple of dollars at the local hardware store.
2. Cement.
3. Round plastic container- any container will do. Be creative! You can choose any shape or size you like.
4. Oil or petroleum jelly- for oiling the plastic container.
5. Glue gun+ one glue stick.
6. Sandpaper.
7. Optional – blue tack.

If you’re not sure what a brass pipe adaptor looks like, here’s an example-

First, prepare the cement (instruction at the beginning of the post).

Using a hot glue gun, glue closed the narrower side of the pipe adaptor- so that it’s sealed and won’t allow cement to leak through.

Next, spread either oil (any cooking oil will do) or petroleum jelly in the plastic container of your choice, and add cement paste to the container until a 1-2 cm/0.5 inch layer is created. Place the pipe adaptor in the cement filled container with the glued part downwards – either position it on the side or in the center of the container.

24 to 48 hours later, remove the cement holder you created from the plastic container (it should slip out easily).

Take a small piece of sandpaper and sand the cement, careful not to sand the brass (as it may scratch it).

To make sure your holder doesn’t scratch or damage household furniture, you can glue some cork (cut from a cork sheet, found at local craft stores/dollar stores) or stick a few floor protecters on the bottom side of the holder.

And that’s it! If you’d like better control of the direction of the incense sticks, just add a bit of blu tack at the bottom of the pipe adaptor (where the hot glue was placed originally).

Have a go and let me know how it went…(:

The post Incense Holder- Cement Project Number 1 appeared first on Zaga Diy.

Tip number 1: New to shopping on AliExpress? You should read this.

Before purchasing anything on www.aliexpress.com, read the following guide published on the AliExpress blog https://alixblog.com/en/guide-aliexpress/. The information here is great for beginner shoppers! There’s also a Best AliExpress Sellers Guide that you may find useful.

Tip number 2: Hunting for a particular item? Overwhelmed by all the options on site? Here’s what I learnt about changing the AliExpress platform search filters.

Let’s say you’re looking to purchase a USB drive. If you search on AliExpress for USB drive, they’ll be endless options to choose from.  What I like to do, is change the default filter option on the left side of the screen from “Best Match” to “Orders” and tick the “4 and up” stars option.

If you’re wondering why it’s important to choose these filter options, the reason is that the sale volume reflects the “attractiveness” of an item and its seller. When I first started purchasing items on AliExpress, I usually sorted the item list with the “Price” filter, choosing to purchase the least expensive item. After a while I realized this wasn’t a good method, because sellers who don’t have a large sales volume will often offer a slightly lower price on an item, but may take forever to deliver it (one of the seller’s didn’t even have the item in the inventory) or cause difficulties when wanting to return it. The bottom line is that the more customers ordered a certain item and gave it a 4+ review, the higher the chance that it will be a quality product that you’ll enjoy. Peer reviews are very important and informative on this platform, especially when reviewers add photographs of the purchased items. You’re better off paying $2-$3 dollars more, for the peace of mind that the product will meet its online description.

Decided on an item you like? Great. Just don’t forget to take a peek at the customer’s satisfaction from the store before you order. All you need to do is hover your mouse above the name of the store on the product page, and you’ll be able to see the seller ratings, plus how long the store has been opened on AliExpress. As a rule of thumb, I’d try and buy only from stores with a 4.5+ seller rating, which has been open for at least 6 months.

Tip number 3: Choosing the right shipping method for your needs.

When I first started ordering items from AliExpress, I wasn’t very selective in choosing a shipping method. I usually just went with the default option offered by the seller. All this changed when I discovered the option of epacket.

ePacket delivery is a shipping option offered by merchants in China and Hong Kong. It’s an agreement between the US Postal Service (USPS) and Hong Kong Post, allowing for faster delivery of products coming from China and Hong Kong to a number of different countries. You can use ePacket to send small packages weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) and a total value of $400. Some sellers offer ePacket delivery for free, but even when it’s not, you’ll be paying up to $3-$4 dollars more for a significantly faster delivery experience (here in Israel, some packages arrive within one week!).  The longest I’ve had to wait for an ePacket to arrive has been about two weeks. It’s a great way to order from China, without having to wait 4-6 weeks for your packet to arrive with the traditional delivery options (such as China Post Registered Air Mail, China Post Ordinary Small Packet Plus, etc). ePacket packages can be tracked here.

I hope my experience’s help you with your future purchases…Happy shopping!

The post AliExpress Shopping Tips appeared first on Zaga Diy.

You will need:

1. Clear plastic planting basket. I bought mine on AliExpress.
2. A pretty glass jar. You need your jar’s opening to fit the plastic basket (make sure you measure the diameter). I bought mine at the local dollar store.
3. A herb cutting- in this tutorial I used a basil plant. The idea is to cut a 4 inch (=10 cm) long cutting of basil from your plant, right below a leaf node (the little bumps where the leaves grow from). Ideally the cutting has at least 2 or 3 leaf nodes above the point you cut it from the mother plant. Then remove most of the leaves from the cutting, leaving only the leaves growing on top.
4. Hydrotone, or clay pebbles. I bought mine at the local hydroponic store. You can also find them on amazon.
5. A piece of cotton rope. I used a 4mm cotton rope from a previous macrame project (:

First, measure the distance from the opening of the jar to its base. Cut your cotton cord at this length. Place the cotton cord in the plastic planting basket, then add the basil cutting and clay pebbles to hold it in place.

After about 5-6 weeks, this is what the basil jar looks like:

Pretty cool right? the cotton rope help keep the plant hydrated, even when the water level starts dropping! It’s also a great way to keep your herbs alive while traveling. At this point you either leave the basil to continue growing hydroponically, or plant it in soil.

Let me know how yours turned out. What other herbs have you successfully cultivated in water?

The post Easy Tutorial For Making Self-Watering Herb Jars From Cuttings appeared first on Zaga Diy.