Flip Flop Wreath

I got my inspiration from this: http://usasillyyaks.blogspot.com/2012/03/flip-flop-wreathperfect-for-summer.html. I tried her method on my flops and to no avail, the hot glue would not stick! SO, I got my creative juices flowing and.... Called my mom. Who suggested I try nailing or screwing the flops together. I decided that was a little too much but while we talked I had a revelation, a eureka if you will. A wire hanger would be perfect! So this is what ensued:

How to make a flip flop wreath

1. Buy your supplies (or raid your kids closets for flip flops that don't fit and aren't all worn out). You will need:
1. I used 4 pairs of size small flops. 
2. Ribbon of some kind, I used a paper type.
3. Hot glue, and lots of it.
4. A metal hanger, I had trouble finding them in my house.
5. About 4 or 5 twisty ties. 
2. First I tried hot gluing them together like in the inspiration (see link at the beginning) but when that didn't work out I tried a coat hanger. I separated the ends and  formed it into a circle. It was not quite long enough to go all the way around but worked well. 
3. I hot glued it to whatever part of flop it touched, heavily (I used 5 stick of glue total, overkill? Probably.) 
4. The part of the wreath where it was too short I used a knife and cut holes in the flops where you couldn't see and secured with twisty ties. 
5. After the glue had completely set I turned the wreath over and measured the ribbon so that it would hang a flip flop in the middle. 
6. I used the hole in the flop trick with twisty ties to secure the ribbon to the flop. 
7. I then used twisty ties to make the bow and secure it to the coat hanger loop. 
8. Make sure all glue is set and there you have it! An awesomely cute summer wreath! I have gotten so many comments on how stinking cute this is since I made it!  

I would try to see if your hot glue will stick with your flops before going to the extent of using a hanger. Mine had trouble sticking to the soft soles, the bottoms and plastic stuck perfectly. Happy DIY!

B

DIY Closable Dog Bed

Many of you probably have a dog who destroys those comfy dog beds. We have three dogs, one of them does this destroying thing. We have been through about 7 beds for our big dog who needs to use one since we got the little destructaur (I know that's not a word). ANYWAY We came up with a dog bed that you can close and lock during the day. Still providing a dog a place to lay but no bed for them to chew!

Step by step instructions

1. Buy the hardware and lumber. Here's what we used:
1. Three (3) 2"x4"x8' untreated boards
2. Two (2) 2'x4' 15/32" thick plywood boards (probably overkill)
3. One (1) 4" barrel bolt (use any latch that you like) and included screws
4. Two (2) 2.5" hinges and included screws
5. A bunch of #8 2.375" self-tapping drywall screws (approximately 24)
6.  Sandpaper (eventually)
7. Padding (store bought dog bed)
2. Saw down the 2x4 boards to four 4' lengths and four 21" lengths. This leaves a little chunk to use if you wish to raise the bed.
3. Drill pilot holes on the 4' boards. You need two holes approximately 0.75" in from the end of the board on each side. These two holes should be approximately 0.75" from the other edge of the board
   
4. Attach a 4' board to a 21" board as seen above.
5. Attach a 21" board to the other end (you will have a c-shaped wood frame)
6. Attach a second 4' board to the other end to finish off the frame. 
7. Align the plywood with the frame and tack down the corners with the dry wall screws. 
8. Secure it with screws in the middle of all four sides (halfway between the corner screws).
9. Repeat steps 4-8 to make other side.
10. Stand them up with plywood side facing out and place hinges where you want them. Make sure the hinge itself is centered so it will open and close freely.
     
11. Flip it over (you may need someone to help you hold it for this step) and attach the latch you chose to use. For ours we used a 4" barrel bolt. We only put screws in one side of the bolt and then the other side of the latch for the barrel bolt (so the screws were on opposite sides).
     
12. Finish it off how you like! We are going to sand the edges down a bit and soak them with bitters so they don't get chewed up too badly! 

We haven't tested this completely so try at your own risk. We'll update this when we know whether it worked for us or not. The goal is to leave it open at night when our chewer is in his crate and the non-chewer is out of a crate. We will close it when the chewer comes out of the crate! Happy DIY!

-K & B