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A Simple Ink Level Test for Your Home Printer

By PrettyPeas on February 27, 2013 in DIY projects

Every time I get a new computer or upgrade my operating system, compatibility with my existing printer becomes an issue. Print settings have to be recreated, cables need to be purchased, networks need to be synced, and the result is one big headache. One thing that happened recently is that I no longer have access to all of the features of my handy Print Utility application. I used to be able to check ink levels at the click of a button, but now it no longer works. Sure, I could spend an hour on the phone with tech support or get lost in print driver change logs, but instead I created my own SUPER simple ink level test sheet. Shouldn’t your printer blink or do something to tell you you’re out of ink? Yes. Yes it should. But sometimes I AM out of ink and my printer fails to notify me.

My particular printer uses a bajillion ink cartridges, including matte black, photo black, gloss optimizer, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, and red. MOST home printers only use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). If you’re like me and can no longer digitally access your printer’s ink levels, try printing out this test sheet in PDF format. It will be obvious if any cartridges are running low, and you might just discover why your beautiful DIY project isn’t looking how it should.

IF the problem is little to no ink, the colors will appear faint. If the printing is sketchy or you’re missing blocks of color here and there, the problem could be dirty print heads or clogged nozzles. In this case you’ll have to clean them via a Print Utility command. If you can’t do THAT, I’m afraid you’ll have to scour the internet further, contact Tech Support, or consider making dinner for your tech savvy friend.

Hope this helps!

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DIY Magnet Board for Your Travel Bucket List

By PrettyPeas on January 19, 2013 in DIY projects, freebies

DIY-Vacation-Board-1

My husband and I LOVE to travel. But, like everyone else, we have neither the funds nor the time to do it all at once. As a little “surprise” present one year, I made this board so we could keep track of “the places we need to see and the things we need to do.” It’s a customizable, moveable, travel bucket list that you can easily make at home. (If you have kids it would be a fun way for them to write down where they want to go.)

In this post, I’ll show you how to make it…

DIY-Vacation-Board-2

Supplies Needed:

supplies

a small dry erase board :: you can find these almost anywhere: office supply stores, craft stores, amazon.com, etc.
a dry erase pen :: you’ll need this to check boxes and add your info
Avery Inkjet Magnet Sheets :: available at office supply stores or online
an inkjet printer
scissors or a paper trimmer

Instructions ::

Download the free printable template here: DIY Vacation Board
Open the PDF, then print it on an 8.5″ x 11″ magnet sheet. Let dry for a few minutes to make sure the ink doesn’t smudge.
Trim the pieces. I recommend: a) using a paper trimmer if you have one, and b) trimming the table in rows instead of cells. This will make things a lot easier.
Arrange the pieces on the board, then write your info with the dry erase pen. (You can also make your own table in Microsoft Word if you prefer a more professional look. :)
Optional :: I used the extra space on the magnet sheet to print out some vacation photos. If you don’t use them on the board, you’ll have extra magnets!

Since the sheet is magnetic, you can easily move rows around allowing you to prioritize or re-organize your list. (Our list, for instance, is organized by cost.)

Ta da! A fun, easy-to-make interactive travel board. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.

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Creative Inspiration For Your Nautical Birthday Party

By Rebecca on January 11, 2013 in baby celebrations, DIY projects, nautical, paper for parties

It’s always exciting to see what people do with our design templates and how they make it their own. Here is a version for a baby’s 1st birthday party created by Lesley Cheng in the Philippines. We love the added details of the anchor charm, baker’s twine, and extra CRIMPED sail. Thanks for sharing with us, Lesley!!! You really went above and beyond with these invites.

Send us photos of what YOU create with our free templates and we’ll send you a freebie. :)

// Rebecca

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FREE Printable Christmas Gift Tags

By PrettyPeas on December 19, 2012 in creative gift wrap, DIY projects, freebies

free printable Christmas holiday gift tags

It’s been a while since we posted a freebie, so here you go :: 3 sets of printable Christmas gift tags!

free printable Christmas holiday gift tags

Supplies:

Color Printer
High quality matte photo paper or card stock (bright white)
Scissors
Hole Punch
Twine, String, or Ribbon

Instructions:

DOWNLOAD the PDF you want to use here:
Print each sheet using your highest quality settings on matte photo paper or card stock.
Finish by trimming and hole punching each tag, then fasten to your gift with twine or ribbon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Love, Pretty Peas

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DIY sushi roll costume for pets | bearded dragon

By PrettyPeas on October 31, 2012 in DIY projects

Sooo, I may have gotten carried away with the Halloween DIY this year, BUT I still love this. After making one of these for our dog, I decided to make a *mini* version for our bearded dragon. (She was in a bad mood because the dog was staring at her, so we only left it on for a few minutes.)

Supplies (for 1 mini salmon sushi roll costume):

3 small pieces of felt: black, white, and orange
12 inches of peach ribbon (I used velvet ribbon)
a pair of scissors
thread
a needle
hot glue gun (and a hot glue stick)
cotton or synthetic stuffing (cotton balls would also work)

Instructions:

Trim all of your felt pieces so that they fit your animal: 1 long black piece for the seaweed, 2 rectangular orange pieces for the salmon, and 2 rectangular white pieces for the rice. The black piece should be wide enough to go around their middle (with space to spare). You basically make two felt pillows for the rice layer and salmon layer, so measure accordingly. Keep in mind the rice and salmon pillows should be wider than the seaweed.
Stitch 3 of the 4 edges together on the pillows, then stuff them. Sew up the opening.
Decide how you want to place the ribbon over the orange pillow, then trim into 4 pieces. Attach the ribbon with hot glue. Be sure to glue all the way to the edges. Trim the excess ribbon.
(OPTIONAL) I stitched the two pillows together to flatten them a bit. This helped them stay on her back.
Since this is only a temporary costume, I wrapped the black felt around her belly with the pillows on top. It stayed on long enough for a few photos. (If you have trouble keeping it on there, try tying a soft piece of black yarn around the sushi roll.)

*No animals were harmed in the making of this costume. :) DO NOT keep this on your small pet/reptile for more than a few minutes, and keep an eye on them the whole time.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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DIY halloween décor | pumpkin painting, socal style

By PrettyPeas on October 29, 2012 in DIY projects

This is how we celebrate fall in the west. :)

We jumped on the pumpkin-painting bandwagon this year, and went to town with the spray paint. Meet Matte Black, Metallic Chrome, and Charlie Brown Chevron:

Painting pumpkins is waaaay easier than carving them. Even the asymmetrical chevron/zig-zag pattern wasn’t too bad. I just used blue tape to cover the parts I didn’t want painted, then sprayed away.

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DIY halloween décor | flameless lantern

By PrettyPeas on October 29, 2012 in DIY projects

If you’re looking for a cheap, easy, safe, and last-minute Halloween decoration idea, our flameless lantern is a perfect fit! It looks great in the daytime, spooky in the nighttime, and you can re-purpose it after the holiday is over.

Supplies (for 1 lantern):

a glass jar (any size and any shape, as long as you can fit the flameless tea light inside)
paint (I used white acrylic paint and chalkboard paint)
paintbrush
string, twine, or cord (I used a thick twine that is suitable for the outdoors)
a pair of scissors
a screwdriver
a battery-operated tea light (make sure it comes with the battery!)
blue tape (the kind you use for painting)
sand (optional)

Cost: Since I had all of these supplies at home, this project didn’t cost me anything. If you don’t have a battery-operated tea light, you can buy a “pumpkin light” almost anywhere. If you haven’t seen them, try the grocery store near the pumpkin carving supplies. A hardware supply store will also have them year-round.

Instructions:

Paint the lid of the jar. (I painted mine white.) After it dries, puncture a hole in the center using a screwdriver. (I recommend doing this outside to avoid damaging furniture and whatnot.) If you’re having trouble, hit the top of the screwdriver with a mallet. Next, feed your twine through the hole, then tie a knot on the inside (the “bottom” of the lid). Make it big enough so the knot will stay securely in place once you hang your jar.
(OPTIONAL) Paint the bottom half of the jar with chalkboard paint. You can use blue tape around the center to get a clean line. See our “Chalkboard Paint Tips” below.
(OPTIONAL) Fill the jar partway with sand. (This will allow the top of the tea light “flame” to peek through.)
Place the battery-operated tea light inside the jar.
Tie the twine and lid to a strong tree branch. Screw the jar into the lid, and there you have it: a safe and spooky lantern that won’t catch anything on fire!

When Halloween is over, you can store the tea light, sand, and lid, then use the jar itself as a cute pencil cup or storage container. (I actually made these last year…so all I had to do this year was tie them back up in the tree.)

Helpful Hint :: Do NOT leave these lanterns outside if it rains. The water will seep into the jar and get the tea light wet, rendering it useless.

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DIY Mini Dog Party Hat

By PrettyPeas on September 13, 2012 in DIY projects, dog celebrations

DIY Dog Hat for Small Dogs

Remember the DIY Dog Party Hat we posted a few months ago? Well, I made a mini version this past weekend for a little dachshund. Isn’t it cute?

Basically, follow the instructions from our previous post, but cut the cone much shorter. For this pink hat, I folded up the bottom edge and hot-glued a felt ribbon on top. (The ribbon was made with 4 tiny strips of cut felt – nothing fancy there!) The gray felt flower was pre-made by Jolee’s Boutique: I found it at Michaels.

We don’t have any small dogs at home, so I had Nani model it for you…

DIY small dog party hat | pink and gray felt flower hat

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DIY Wrap-Around Nautical Address Labels

By PrettyPeas on July 3, 2012 in baby celebrations, DIY projects, freebies, nautical, paper for parties

These Custom DIY Nautical Wrap-Around Address Labels are now available in our Etsy Shop! The printable PDF of labels is customized with your return address. (We can also add your guest addresses for $0.40 each.)

For our FREE *blank* address label template (no return address or guest addresses), click on the link below:

Nautical Wrap-Around Labels

Please remember this is free for personal use only.

Instructions:

After downloading the PDF, print it out on full sheet label paper. (Avery full-sheet labels work great – you can buy them at any office supply store. Our favorite label paper is Spectacle InkJet Crack and Peel from sheet-labels.com.) Each sheet will provide 3 wrap-around labels, each approx. 3.5″ x 6″.
Cut out the labels with a paper trimmer, leaving a 1/4″ border around the blue pinstripe.
Add your return address and guest address by hand. (May we suggest using a fun color like red?)
Stick ‘em on to your 5″ x 7″ photo mailers!

If you download our free templates, we’d really appreciate it if you liked our Facebook Page! It’s a great place to find news about promos, coupon codes, and giveaways!

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In lieu of flowers…

By PrettyPeas on June 21, 2012 in DIY projects

Mini Potted Succulent

Last week, two of our design clients celebrated the launch of their new book Inspired Celebrations. Since one is a talented photographer and the other a creative events planner, I knew beautiful flowers were nothing new to them. So, I ventured out to look for an alternative. I knew ChicWeed on Cedros would pull through for me, and it did! After hunting down these two mini clay vessels, I asked ChicWeed to fill them with succulents. Perfect! An eco-friendly, long-lasting, and easy-to-maintain botanical gift!

If you already own succulents at home, here are some tips to make a mini potted arrangement like this:

After finding a container, check to see if it has drainage holes. If it does, great. If it doesn’t, I recommend putting a few small rocks at the bottom. Stack them on top of each other to create a space at the bottom for water to drain so it doesn’t saturate the plants.
Fill the container with “cactus dirt.” You can find this almost anywhere. Basically, you don’t want the dirt to hold moisture for too long.
Gather some clippings from your succulents.
Remove some of the lower stems (even if they’re healthy), then arrange them in the dirt, making sure the recently-removed parts are now tucked in soil. New roots will form from these parts.
Optional: put some small garden pebbles around the pot, covering the dirt. This will help keep everything in place and make your arrangement look nice and neat.
Water the plant with about 2 tablespoons of water. Less water is ok – just be careful not to over-water!
Water your potted succulents no more than once per week, and make sure they get some sun. Different succulents have different requirements in terms of sunlight, so keep that in mind.

Mini Potted Succulent