100 Great DIY Projects For Your Weekend

Do you have a weekend coming up with nothing planned? Check out these great DIY projects that you and your friends can try.  You can find more ideas for your weekend at apartment therapy.

1. Learn to make your pics prettier: How To Instantly Improve Your Photos
2. Give your dining chairs a new (tufted!) look: How To Tuft a Seat
3. Fancy up the laundry: How To Make a French Vintage Inspired Hamper
4. Make your plants swing: DIY Hanging Planter
5. Style up some succulents: 5 Easy Indoor Succulent DIY Ideas
6. Make some cash: How to List an Item on Apartment Therapy Classifieds
7. Give an old friend a makeover: How To Paint a Wooden Dresser
8. Brighten up your closet: Quick DIY Colorful Hangers
9. Make a cool mobile: Make Your Own Decahedron Himmeli Mobile
10. Get ready for old-school vacation gaming: DIY Travel Checkers Set
11. Line your drawers: 3 Uses for Decorative Paper
12. Wrangle those toys: Build a Letter Block Toy Box
13. Fix up a jacket before packing it away: How To Sew a Button On
14. Get your tables gleaming: How To Polish Wood Furniture
15. Keep the summertime grime out: Make It: A Colorful Wooden Doormat
16. Make a rustic-chic note holder: How To Repurpose a Door Knob
17. Speak your mind on a pillow: Graphic Stencil Pillow
18. Learn something new: Design Cheat Sheets from Around the Web
19. Explore block printing: Block Printed Textiles Inspiration & DIY Tips
20. Whip up an easy outdoor side table: How To Make a Flower Pot Table
21. Make a custom light switch plate: One Minute Tip How To
22. Make some type-based magnets: Modern Cement ABCs
23. Turn your instagrams into somehting new: Make Faux Photostrips
24. Learn to cut your own mats: How To Cut a Mat for Framing Artwork
25. Let there be light: How To Install a New Light Fixture
26. ...or not: How To Remove a Light Fixture
27. Embrace the neon trend: DIY Graphic Neon Vase
28. Tackle a chilly job: How To Clean & Organize a Refrigerator
29. Organize some treasures: How To Make an Alphabet Shadow Box
30. Add a little vroom to a kids room: Washi Tape Toy Car Track
31. Say goodbye to the wallpaper: How To Remove Wallpaper
32. Elevate a photograph: DIY Custom Photo Canvas
33. Lose the wires: How To Make Any Lamp Cordless
34. Decorate your table: 20 DIY Centerpiece Projects & Ideas
35. Make a little chef happy: How To Make a Toy Grill for $20
36. Stash your pens and pencils: DIY No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll
37. Clean your bedroom: Guide to Green Cleaning Your Bedroom
38. Make your kid fly – How to Make Your Baby Fly
39. Create a charging station: Upcycled Plastic Bottle Charging Station
40. Tidy up: How To Make a Rope Wrapped Hanging Clothes Bar
41. Go to sleep!: How to Nap (No, Really!)
42. Create an urban garden: Budget Friendly: DIY Cinderblock Planters
43. Stop the tangles :DIY Tangle-Free Headphones with Embroidery Floss
44. Make map pillows:  Modular DIY Map Cushions
45. Upcycle in a colorful style: DIY Painted Jars
46. Make a window box: DIY Wood Shim Window Box
47. Add some design detail: $5 DIY: Dress Up Your Frames with Tape
48. Cover an ugly light: How To Make a DIY Drum Shade
49. Make a headboard: 10 DIY Headboard Ideas
50. Stencil something: Put Some Pattern On It: Stencil Resources
51. Give your bed a fresh look: You Can Do It: Sew Your Own Bedding
52. Light up the night: DIY Leather & Glass Outdoor Lanterns
53. Make everlasting flowers: DIY Paper Flowers From Recycled Maps
54. Get your books in order: How To Organize Your Personal Library
55. Dress up your can lights: How To: Make Can Light Luminaries
56. Put up a yurt: How To Raise a Yurt in Four Hours
57. Switch out your shower head: DIY Basics: Replacing a Shower Head
58. Learn the technique: How To Tie a Perfect Bow for Presents
59. Join the terrarium trend: Buy or DIY: Trendy Terrariums
60. Stamp it: DIY Wine Cork Stamps
61. Dress up a wall: How To: Create A Reclaimed Wood Wall
62. Weave a basket: DIY: Recycled Paper Sewing Basket
63. Dress a window: Making Your Own Curtains: Easy Instructions
64. Funkify your keyboard: Colorful Keyboard Makeover
65. DIY an ikat mirror: How To Make an Ikat-Inspired Mirror
66. Build an outdoor dining set: Simple Farm Style Table & Bench
67. Tape your floors: Bring Crazy Colors to Your Floors with Vinyl Tape
68. Hit the road for vintage finds:  10 Architectural Salvage Stores
69. Make everything a blackboard: Chalkboard Paint: Off the Wall
70. ...with your own paint: How to Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint
71. Watch how it's done: Video Alert: How Spray Paint Cans are Made
72. Custom print fabric: How To Print DIY Patterned Fabric
73. Dress up the fridge: How to Create a Patterned Refrigerator 
74. Create an impromptu patio: How to Build a Quick Outdoor Patio
75. Camp in your living room: How to Build an Indoor Fort
76. Prepare for the real heat:Time to Tune Up: AC Tips
77. Shut out the world in style: How to Make No Sew Roman Shades
78. Get label happy: Free Printables to Organize Your Home in Style
79. Create new furniture with rope: Jessa's DIY Rope Wrapped Table
80. Put your denim on ice: How to Freeze Your Jeans
81. Freshen your furry floor covering: How to Clean a Flokati Rug
82. Create a library of plants: How to Make Your Own Book Planters
83. Bring fire to the party: A Cure for Cool Nights: A DIY Firepit
84. Celebrate two crafts in one: Cross Stitch Wall Mural
85. Create outdoor ambiance: How to Create Glowing Outdoor Orbs
86. Put some color on the wall: Sally's DIY Paint Chip Wall
87. Add a farmhouse feature: How to Create a Sliding Barn Door
88. Make a new tuffet: DIY Floor Cushion
89. Disguise the power source: You've Got to Hide Your Cord Away
90. ...or make it into art: Turning Power Cables into a Design Plus
91. Stow your wheels: How to Build a Vertical Bike Rack Using Spare Parts
92. Dress up a door with felt: How to Make DIY Felt Sliding Doors
93. Save space: Make Your Own Radiator Covers for Extra Shelf Space
94. Dress up the walls with fabric: DIY Burlap Wallcovering
95. Line your walls with music: Dave's Musical Wallpaper Treatment
96. Make the bath look so much better: How To Recaulk a Bathtub
97. Set up a napping place outdoors: Make Your Own Bed Swing
98. Add a little pizzazz: How To Brighten Up Your Medicine Cabinet
99. Clean your greens: How To Clean a Large Housplant
100. Find your own project in our archives and let us know how it goes!

Penn State Traditions

NITTANY LION LEGEND
Penn State’s athletic symbol, chosen by the student body in 1906, is the mountain lion, which once roamed central Pennsylvania. H.D. “Joe” Mason, a member of the Class of 1907, conducted a one-man campaign to choose a school mascot after seeing the Princeton tiger on a trip with the Penn State baseball team to that New Jersey campus. A student publication sponsored the campaign to select a mascot and Penn State is believed to be the first college to adopt the lion as a mascot. Since Penn State is located in the Nittany Valley at the foot of Mount Nittany, the lion was designated as a Nittany Lion. In regional folklore, Nittany (or Nita-Nee) was a valorous Indian princess in whose honor the Great Spirit caused Mount Nittany to be formed. A later namesake, daughter of chief O-Ko-Cho, who lived near the mouth of Penn’s Creek, fell in love with Malachi Boyer, a trader. The tearful maiden and her lost lover became legend and her name was given to the stately mountain.

NITTANY LION SHRINE
Penn State’s Nittany Lion shrine was dedicated on Oct. 24, 1942, during Homecoming Weekend. Animal sculptor Heinz Warneke and stonecutter Joseph Garatti molded a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone into the most recognizable symbol of Penn State. The shrine was chosen from six models submitted by Warneke. The shrine is a gift of the Class of 1940 and rests in a natural setting of trees near Recreation Building. The site was chosen because of its accessibility, the surrounding trees and the fact that the sculpture would not be dwarfed by nearby buildings.

BLUE & WHITE
Penn State’s student-athletes are instantly identified by their blue and white uniforms — but those weren’t the original school colors. A three-member committee representing the sophomore, junior and senior classes was appointed in October of 1887 to develop color options from which the student body would select the school’s official colors. Dark pink and black was the unanimous choice of the student body after considering the color combinations presented by the committee. Soon many students and the baseball team were sporting pink and black striped blazers and caps. However, problems arose when the pink faded to white after several weeks of exposure to the sun. The students then opted for blue, rather than black, and white. The official announcement of the new choice was made on March 18, 1890.

PENN STATE WHITE OUT
In recent years, Penn State students have donned white clothes, paint — anything white — to show their solidarity and support for the Nittany Lions. Forming a mass of bouncing and infectious enthusiasm, the students have “Whited Out” Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and other sports venues, making them some of the noisiest and most intimidating stadiums in America.

“HAPPY VALLEY”
The first thing to know is Wikipedia has it wrong. The term “Happy Valley” originated with Centre Daily Times columnist Katey Lehman. Ross and Katey Lehman, one of the town’s regal couples, became good friends with Pat and Harriet O’Brien. Ross Lehman, a 1942 graduate, was the executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, among other things, and Katey wrote a column for the Centre Daily Times entitled “Open House.” Pat O’Brien was a Liberal Arts professor. The O’Briens used to take Sunday drives with their kids and often remarked “What a happy valley,” a phrase that then traveled to Katey. The initial appearance of the phrase in print was in Katey’s column of June 22, 1961. She used it in lower case between quotes, “happy valley.” In a June 25, 1962 column she headlined it, “Happy Valley And Jet Age.” Katey continued to mention it a few more times in the early 1960s.

NITTANY LION PUSHUPS
Although some Nittany Lion mascots had been doing pushups periodically through the years, Marty Seorta (1965-67) is generally credited with starting the ritual of pushups after every Penn State score, matching the number of pushups with Penn State’s total points on the scoreboard. Twelve years later, Nittany Lion Norm Constantine decided to do one-handed pushups and that tradition carries on to this day. Tragically, Constantine became the iconic symbol of all Nittany Lion mascots after a 1981 car accident left him paralyzed — unable to walk or speak again — until his death in 1990. A fund-raising effort in Norm’s honor continues to this day by the Back The Lions organization, providing a scholarship for the reigning mascot, cheerleaders, and others. The mascot statue located in the lobby of Penn State’s All-Sports Museum was part of that fundraising endeavor and is dedicated in Constantine’s memory.

WE ARE…PENN STATE
The original Penn State cheer from the 1920s into the 1950s was N-I….Double-T….A-N-Y, which the cheerleaders guided different sections to chant in rhythm. In the 1970s, the cheerleaders were looking for more cheers. They checked around the country for ideas and learned of cheers at Kentucky, Ohio State and Southern California that they liked. They blended the three together to come up with “We Are…Penn State.” The cheer didn’t catch on right away, but after several years and growing pride in Penn State’s gridiron success it caught hold in the early 1980s. The cheerleaders later added “Thank You …Your Welcome.” The first utterance of the phrase “We are Penn State” is often attributed to All-American Steve Suhey. A captain on the 1947 Cotton Bowl team, Suhey used the phrase as the team, an early racially-integrated unit, was faced with several situations in which Penn State’s African-American players were not welcome to participate. Team captain Suhey, pointing at all his teammates, said “We’re Penn State and we play together or we don’t play.” Penn State forfeited a game against the University of Miami and stayed in Army barracks when hotels at the Cotton Bowl refused them lodging as a team.

FIGHT SONGS
The band music played at every home game goes back almost 100 years. Two of the songs, “The Nittany Lion” and “Fight On State,” are still featured as part of the pregame festivities when the Blue Band enters Beaver Stadium and marches down the field in the “Floating Lion” formation. A third song, “Victory,” also is played during the game. Jimmy Leyden wrote both “Victory” and “The Nittany Lion.” He was a sophomore in 1913 when he wrote “Victory” with the familiar chorus, “Fight, Fight, Fight for the Blue and White, Victory will our slogan be.” Then, while working in New York in the summer of 1919, Leyden wrote “The Nittany Lion,” now better known by its opening words, “Hail to the Lion, Loyal and True…” Leyden introduced both songs at football games, standing in the middle of the field and singing the song’s lyrics through a large megaphone with a cornet accompanying him. “Fight on State” was written in 1935 by Joseph Saunders, a 1915 graduate then living in Atlantic City. The song originally was given to the freshman class to sing as their song and it was so catchy that it was soon adopted by the entire student body and the Blue Band.
How long have you been a student at Penn State?  We bet you still have some traditions you have yet to try at the University.  Check out the list below and make sure to complete them before you graduate.  You can learn more at Penn State.

A New Addition to Your Meal

Dinner rolls are a staple for any meal.  Have you ever wanted to make your own?  Check out this great recipe for soft and delicious dinner rolls.  You can make them from scratch and serve them with your next meal. You can learn more at The Kitchn.

How to Make Soft & Tender Dinner Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

What You Need

Ingredients

1 tablespoon active-dry yeast

1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water

1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

Equipment
Standing mixer or a mixing bowl, if making rolls by hand
Bench scraper or sharp knife
Parchment paper
9x13 baking dish

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients for the dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. 
2. Knead the dough: Knead at low speed, or by hand against the counter, for 8-10 minutes, until smooth but slightly tacky. It should spring back when poked.
3. Let the dough rise: Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
4. Shape the rolls: Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn the risen dough out on top. Divide the dough into 12 pieces with a bench scraper. To shape into rolls, tuck the edges underneath to form a plump little package, then roll the dough against the counter or between your palms until round. 
→ Read more about this technique: How to Shape Dinner Rolls.
5. Heat the oven and let the rolls rise: Line a 9x13 pan with parchment and spray with nonstick coating. Arrange the rolls inside the pan spaced a little apart. Let the rolls rise until they look pillowy and fill the pan roughly 30-40 minutes.
While the rolls are rising, pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
6. Brush the rolls with butter. Melt the butter and brush it over the risen dinner rolls. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. 
7. Bake the rolls: Bake the rolls until golden, 15-18 minutes.
Lift the rolls from the pan using the parchment and let the rolls cool on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. They are best if eaten within a day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in a warm oven.

Additional Notes:

• Whole Wheat Rolls: Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the rolls will be a bit more dense, but still very delicious.
• Doubling the Recipe: Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast. To make even more rolls, it's best to prepare separate batches as the dough becomes too cumbersome to work with easily.
• Baking Rolls on a Sheet Pan: These rolls can also be backed on a sheet pan if you'd prefer not to have the tear-away edges. Line a sheet pan with parchment or non-stick liner and space the rolls a few inches apart.

Happy Fourth of July!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July! What are you doing to celebrate?

A New Dessert for the Holiday

Vanilla Cakes with Strawberries and Blueberries are a staple on the Fourth of July.  However, here is a great recipe to make a different red, white, and blue dessert.  You can make mini berry pavlovas at home for your party next weekend  You can find more great Fourth of July recipes at The Kitchn.


Mini Summer Berry Pavlovas with Strawberry Sauce
Serves 8

1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 mini pavlova shells, baked and cooled
2 cups fresh berries (any combination of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries)


Combine the quartered strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved and the liquid at the bottom of the pan is simmering. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using a blender or food processor, process the fruit into a smooth sauce. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until cool. (Sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)

Combine the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, place a pavlova shell on a plate and top with a spoonful of strawberry sauce, a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of fresh berries. Repeat with remaining shells. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
The baked pavlova shells, once cooled, can be kept in an airtight container for several hours, or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw for 2 hours at room temperature.

Things To Do

There are tons of things to do in Happy Valley during the summer weekends. Check out this cave and water park in happy valley. It is America’s only all water cavern. It is also a working farm today. Keep reading to learn more.

America's only all-water cavern and wildlife park are nestled in Central Pennsylvania's scenic Penn State Country.

The cavern tour is a guided one-hour tour by motorboat on an underground stream. Along the limestone corridors, stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone cascades and draperies decorate the interior rooms, while underwater, trout swim and jump for feed!

The farm and wildlife tour is a guided 90-minute motorized tour over 1,500 acres of Penn's Cave forests and fields which have been carefully preserved as a natural habitat for birds, plants, and animals. North American animals, such as bears, wolves, elk, deer, bobcats, bison, longhorn cattle, mustangs as well as the Penn's Cave Icon, the cougar, are seen, along with the African adventure museum.

Penn's Cave also remains a working farm operation, and was presented with the Century Farm Award in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Spend the day at Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park! You will be entertained, as well as educated about the geology, biology, geography and agriculture of Central Pennsylvania.

More here: http://www.pennscave.com/

A New Take on Pasta and Rice

Are you looking for a new healthy alternative for lunch and dinner?  Check out Quinoa!  It is a great substitute for pasta and rice.  This is a great recipe to make this delicious substitute at home in no time.  You can find out about more great recipes at The Kitchn.

Quinoa has come a long way in the last few years. From health stores to the mainstream, its high protein content and delicate texture have made it a popular substitute for starchier pasta and rice. Several of us here at The Kitchn like to make a big pot of quinoa on the weekends and eat it throughout the week with curry, grilled vegetables, or braised meat. It's one of the most delicious, fast-cooking lunch staples we know (not to mention healthy). Here's how to cook great quinoa — not mushy, not bitter — but delicate and perfectly fluffy.

Cultivated in the Andes for over 5,000 years, quinoa has been called the "mother grain" and "the gold of the Incas." (It's technically not a grain but a seed, but it is used in virtually the same ways as other whole grains.) Today, the popularity of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is growing steadily as people discover its pleasant nutty taste and superfood qualities. As a complete protein source also high in iron, magnesium, and fiber, quinoa is not only one of our healthiest pantry staples, but also one that's incredibly easy and quick to cook.

We've read that there are 1,800(!) varieties of quinoa, but just three main types are found in markets here: the most common white variety, as well as a red one and a black one.

Here is our standard method for cooking any of these.

Basic Quinoa Facts

How much cooked quinoa does 1 cup dry quinoa yield?
1 cup dry quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked quinoa.

How much liquid do I need to cook quinoa?
To cook 1 cup quinoa, you need about 2 cups liquid.

How long does it take to cook quinoa?
1 cup quinoa will cook in about 20 minutes.

How do I make quinoa less bitter?
Nearly, if not all, of the natural bitterness of quinoa's outer coating can be removed by a vigorous rinsing in a mesh strainer.

How do I make better-tasting quinoa?
Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Also, add about 1/4 teaspoon salt to each cup dried quinoa when cooking. Try adding other spices aromatics during cooking as well: A clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, a dash of black pepper.

Can I use my rice cooker to make quinoa?
Yes! Just use the 2:1 liquid to quinoa ratio and follow the instructions on your rice cooker.



How To Cook Quinoa
What You Need

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (any variety — white or golden, red, or black)
Olive oil (optional)
2 cups liquid, such as broth or water
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Tools

Fine mesh strainer
2-quart saucepan with lid
Spoon
Instructions

1. Measure quinoa and liquid. Measure out 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups liquid.

2. Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water. Drain.
Why rinse quinoa? Rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home. Some cookbooks suggest soaking the quinoa but, in our experience, this is unnecessary.

3. Dry and toast quinoa in saucepan. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate.

4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the liquid and the salt (if using) and bring to a rolling boil.

5. Lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

7. Fluff and eat! After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. (You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.)

Additional Notes:
• One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.
• Some people like to add olive oil, butter, salt, or pepper. Cooked quinoa can also be used as the basis for pilafs, salads, breakfast porridges, and more.