Revamp Your Home With 25 Easy DIY Tips

Image courtesy of Wicker Paradise - Flickr

When you feel like your home is getting a little boring, you need to vamp it up a bit! A few small tweaks is all you need to take your apartment from drab to exciting. These 25 simple DIY tips from Buzzfeed will turn your home around instantly.

1. Create wainscoting by buying frames from a craft store and painting them to match the wall.
See how they did this here.

2. Regrout that shower.
You will live your best life with a mold-less shower. Directions here.

3. Use peel-and-stick tiles to cover up a leaked-on cabinet bottom.
Directions here.

4. Give your living room sofa a little perk by re-stuffing the cushions.
Directions here.

5. Turn your address number into an address planter.
Project tutorial here.

6. Coat your new kitchen countertop to look like an expensive stone.
Get more details about this product here.

7. Turn your cheap dining room table into something straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog.
Tutorial here.

8. Make new curtain rods out of copper pipes and fittings.
Tutorial here.

9. Replace your boring air grille with sheet metal you can buy at any hardware store.
Always wondered what those sheets of metal with the cool designs on them were for? Now you know.

10. Remove your vents and spray paint them.

Crazy how a fresh coat of paint makes everything look so clean.

11. Use kitchen cabinets and IKEA butcher block counter tops to fake the look of built-ins.
See how she did this here.

12. Turn your blinds into Roman shades.
Directions here.

13. Replace the rod in your coat closet with hooks — everyone will be so much more likely to hang up their coats!
So simple, so genius.

14. Caulk and repaint your moldings so they look like new.

15. Add vintage shutters to a bookcase.

16. Use square molding to frame a mirror (no miter saw necessary).
Get the directions here.

17. Or just glue tiles around the border.

18. Make a classy gallery wall for $20 or less.
See how they did this here.

19. Hang mirrors on your bifold closet doors.
It’s almost like having one big wall-length mirror.

20. Keep your dirty, rain-soaked shoes on a pebble-filled tray.

21. Use a bookcase as a headboard.
Really opens up your options as to where you can put your bed.

22. Make an easy bar for your balcony out of a piece of countertop and table legs.
This is actually an IKEA hack.

23. Use quarter-round molding for instant, easy glass shelving.
See how they did this here.

24. Finally get those paneled antique doors you always wanted with molding.

25. Treat your shower like a window with two curtains instead of one.
Make every morning shower your STEPPIN’ OUT moment.

New App May Help Visually Impaired Students Navigate

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Navigating Penn State’s campus can be a daunting task for someone with perfect vision. Now imagine doing it visually impaired. The iBeacon and Blind Square are here to amend the difficulties. The devices are compatible with iOS devices like iPhones and iPads making them easily accessible to a lot of people. For more information on the new tools head to State College.com.

Walking around Penn State University Park is not the easiest thing to do for any student. There are hundreds of people around you at any time, and the sheer number of buildings make it easy for anyone to get lost.

Now try navigating through this crazy maze when you’re visually impaired.

Madeline Garber, a recent graduate from Lower Merion High School, will be attending Muhlenberg College in the fall, but was on campus at Universty Park on Thursday afternoon to test out two new pieces of technology to benefit the visually impaired.

As Garber gets ready for college, she says that she is not concerned about finding her way around campus. She has friends who will help her if she gets disoriented, but doesn't want to rely on others for her independence.

That's where these two new pieces of innovate tech come into play: the iBeacon and Blind Square.

Garber was on campus for the The Summer Academy for Students who are blind or visually impaired, which was was back for the second year to test out this new technology in State College.

“There are a lot of partnerships that go into making this program successful,” says Shelly Faust-Jones, coordinator of the Summer Academy Program. “The program itself has a wide variety of subjects to offer to the students.”

The academy teamed up with Penn State’s College of Education and the College of Health and Human Development to make this test happen.

“We’re using two different technologies today built for iOS devices,” says Doug Williams, educational consultant with PaTTAN, Department of Special Education Consulting Agency. “Blind Square is the GPS app that is unique to other GPS because it not only gives you information of where you are and where you’re going but it actually tells you environmental information.”

The Blind Square is specifically designed to work outdoors, but with other GPS’s you have to be outside.

The test had Garber walk from Atherton Hall to Pollock Dining Commons.

During the walk to the Pollock Commons, Blind Square would tell Garber about the buildings she’s near, what direction she has to go, how far she has left till her destination and other physical surroundings.

“The headphones she is wearing are specially designed so that she can hear the instructions from the iOS device and the noise surrounding her,” says Williams. “That’s big because for someone like Maddie, hearing the sounds around you is very important.”

As Garber weaved her way through a busy crowd with the help of Blind Square, she successfully made it to the Pollock Dinning Commons where the iBeacon kicked in.

“We have set up a dozen iBeacons in the Pollock Commons,” says Justin Laffey, assistant tech specialist with PaTTAN. “The beacons set up throughout the commons will help provide a more detailed navigation path for Maddie.”

For example, as Garber approached the double doors at the entrance, the beacon told Garber to go through the double doors and follow the stairs to your left.

The test was very successful as first time user Garber was able to navigate both outdoors and indoors with no problem.

“I love how much detail and it can give you,” says Garber. “It is definitely very useful and I feel like I can be more independent when I’m using it.”

Penn State Architecture Students Design Eco Home of the Future

Image courtesy of Will Scullin from Flickr

Penn State students are really making a difference! The College of Arts and Architecture has designed an affordable, eco-friendly duplex for two families in the area. The concept took nearly an entire semester of designing and now their creation will become reality about a mile from downtown. What an inspiration! For the full story head to PSU.


A three-bedroom, two-bath duplex with an open-concept main level, back deck and view of Tussey Mountain might sound like the makings of a standard State College house. But this future listing isn’t for just any ordinary abode. The soon-to-be-built home might be the new model for affordable housing in Centre County.

When the State College Community Land Trust (SCCLT), a local nonprofit housing assistance organization, approached Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture about designing an affordable, eco-friendly duplex for two local families, a team of faculty and student architects and engineers quickly made the project their mission.

After nearly a semester of sketching, creating digital renderings, combing through building materials and weighing costs, their design will come to life next year on University Drive, about a mile away from campus and downtown State College.

Until now, SCCLT has always purchased properties in the State College borough, fixed them up and sold only the houses (not the land itself) to approved first-time buyers. While the model has been successful for many years -- and helped 50 local families -- the land trust wanted to do something new to make mortgages and utility bills even more affordable for first-time buyers on tight budgets.

“For many people, energy costs can be a barrier to home ownership in a community that already has a shortage of affordable housing,” said Peg Hambrick, a volunteer and former president of SCCLT. “There’s a misconception that building a sustainable house is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be -- and that’s what we’re trying to figure out with this GreenBuild initiative. It makes a lot of sense for our clients who might be able to afford a mortgage but not the high utility bills that come with it.”

By designing and building a net-zero home -- which on an annual basis can reduce utility bills by producing as much energy as it consumes -- the Penn State students and SCCLT are hoping to develop a prototype for accessible, eco-friendly housing throughout Centre County.

“As students, it was our job to dream up and design a home that will not only be affordable, but also sustainable, functional and beautiful for the families who will one day live there,” said Chauntel Duriez, a master’s student studying architecture. “A lot of the class projects we do as architecture students are designs for fictional clients, but this has been such an amazing experience because it’s going to have an impact on real people.”

Influenced by historic Pennsylvania architecture, the team drew inspiration from 19th-century bank barns for the exterior of the duplex. Often built into hillsides, these rectangular barns have steep roofs and can be accessed from both the lower and upper ground levels. On the inside, the students kept the space modern with an open concept and 1,440-square feet of living space per unit.

Through a special spring semester course offering, College of Arts and Architecture professors Lisa Iulo, Ali Memari and Scott Wing -- all of whom have experience working on affordable, eco-friendly housing projects for Habitat for Humanity, Native American reservations and other organizations -- mentored the team of 30 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.

The class also worked with SCCLT staff and volunteers who know what first-time buyers want and need in a home.

In addition to lots of storage space, rooms that can serve multiple purposes and separate yards for each half of the duplex, SCCLT asked the student architects to design a home that would save on both initial construction and long-term energy costs.

“Our goal was to get to net zero in the most affordable way possible,” said Kyle Macht, the team’s leader and a master’s student in architecture. “The Centre County Land Trust and other groups are also interested in what we’re doing and looking to us for guidance. So, unlike other net-zero housing projects I’ve worked on, this duplex has to be accessible, durable, meet qualifications for affordable housing and be builder-ready.”

Penn State Reduces Energy Consumption

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

On June 25, Penn State University underwent an annual test of its load reduction capability. During the test Penn State was found to have reduced its consumption of electricity by 31%! Consistently striving to do better is part of what Penn State does on a daily basis. Read more about it on Penn State University’s website.

Penn State University Park reduced its electricity consumption by an impressive 31 percent during the annual test of its load reduction capability on June 25.

Between 4 and 5 p.m., Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant worked behind the scenes remotely to power down as many pumps, fans, compressors and lights as possible. University employees and students were encouraged to shut off their lights and office equipment. Central electricity metering during the test hour averaged 22 megawatts (compared to the peak usage of 32MW that day).

The Emergency Demand Response (DR) program demonstrates the University’s capability to reduce its usage during a regional power emergency. Penn State has committed to being able to reduce its load to 28MW if necessary to avoid a blackout. Thursday’s reduction to 22MW was the University’s second-best performance ever, just behind last year’s reduction to 21MW.

While these reductions are a test for emergency conditions, the Office of Physical Plant is constantly looking for ways to improve campus energy efficiency to reduce overall usage. More than half of Penn State’s $2.7 billion capital plan is being directed to retrofitting and renovating infrastructure, and a specific investment of $60 million has been dedicated to energy savings programs over the next five years.

Penn State plans to improve its overall energy utilization by 20 percent over the next 10 years. For more information on the University’s conservation efforts, visit www.sustainability.psu.edu.

Annual Lift for Life Fundraiser

The annual Lift for Life event put on by the Penn State Uplifting Athletes group will be taking place on July 11th at 11 AM. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Kidney Cancer Association. For those who would like to participate, a donation of $10 is suggested and football players will be available for autographs from 1 to 2 PM. Head to OnwardState for more information.


Lift for Life, the marquee event conducted by the Penn State Uplifting Athletes chapter, is set to kick off on July 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Penn State Lacrosse Field.

The annual event, which features some of Penn State football’s biggest stars, benefits the Kidney Cancer Association as a part of the Uplifting Athletes community. Since the inaugural event held in 2003, the Penn State Uplifting Athletes chapter has raised over $1 million benefitting the fight against kidney cancer.

Competitions held during the event include an obstacle course, sand bag stack, sled pull and push, shuttle run, and a tug of war. The competition will pit members of the Penn State offense against members of the Penn State defense in a race to see who can finish on top. Suggested donations for adults are $10, while suggested donations for children will be $5. There will be a kids clinic held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., which will cost $15 per child and includes a Lift for Life T-shirt. All of the proceeds generated from the event will benefit both kidney cancer patients and their families.

The football players will be available for an autograph and photo session from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., giving kids a chance to meet some of their favorite Nittany Lions. Parking for the event will be available at Lot 44, located near the Bryce Jordan Center, and will require either a $5 payment — due to event parking sales for Artsfest in effect on July 11 — or a visible display of a valid Penn State parking permit.

More than 80 football players will be participating in the event, and it’s sure to be an exciting afternoon for all in attendance, and will benefit a very noble cause.

7 Tips for Staying Safe This Summer

The first day of summer was Sunday and with this weather heating up, we’re in for a sunny summer! Keeping your skin protected from the sun’s rays is smarter than lying out and soaking them up all day. You can enjoy the sunshine while still staying safe. These tips and facts from Real Self will help keep you safe from the dangerous UV rays.


Summer's almost here, and you know what that means: outdoor festivals, backyard barbecues, and days at the beach! Unfortunately, there's nothing like a sunburn to put a damper on the fun, not to mention leave behind some pretty unsightly tan lines.


However, there's more to using sunscreen than preventing crazy patterns and itchy skin. Any time a RealSelf user asks our doctor community how to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging, their #1 tip is to wear sunscreen daily. Not only is UV radiation the most common cause of facial aging, but 90% of skin cancer is caused by exposure to the sun. (An even scarier statistic is the fact that one in five Americans are expected to develop the disease in their lifetime.)


You may think your avoiding UV damage isn't always as simple as "my moisturizer has SPF 15." To help you avoid the risks of too much exposure, we turned to dermatologistDr. Susan Van Dyke and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) to bring you these seven facts about proper sun protection:
1. Anything greater than SPF 50 provides the same protection

"A 50 SPF blocks 98.00% of UVB light (the burning rays) while a 100 SPF will block 99.00%,” says Dr. Van Dyke. “This level of benefit [to either] is of course contingent on applying enough and reapplying frequently."


2. Makeup and moisturizers with sunscreen aren’t always enough

Unless your makeup/moisturizer provides broad spectrum sunscreen and is reapplied throughout the day, it isn’t enough protection for all day sun exposure. According to ASDS, it’s fine if “you are only walking to your car from work or going into the store. But if you are going to spend a few hours outdoors, then you need to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen."


3. You need to reapply every 2 hours

"The active ingredients in sunscreen break down when exposed to UV light," says Dr. Van Dyke. "To maintain the SPF on the label, you need to keep reapplying as the ingredients lose effectiveness: every 2 hours, more often if you sweat or swim."


4. You should use one ounce to cover your whole body

According to ASDS, “Research shows that many people put on about half of the amount of sunscreen they need, so be sure to lather it on." And don’t forget the sensitive skin on your lips: Use lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher.



5. It’s not a free pass to suntan all day

"Sunscreen is not 100% even in the best of cases," warns Dr. Van Dyke. "Realistically speaking, few of us follow guidelines perfectly. If you really want to save your skin, the best approach is to use sunscreen, cover up (hats, sunglasses, SPF clothing), and seek shade."


6. Tanning oil with SPF 10 doesn’t count

“Less than an SPF of 15 doesn't protect you from the cancer-causing side effects of sun exposure,” says Dr. Van Dyke.


7. Don’t wait til you’re in the sun to apply

“Sunscreen should be applied one-half hour before going outside, giving the skin time to absorb it,” says ASDS.


The next time you're picking out sunscreen, here's what you should look for:

• Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide
• Minimum SPF 15, ideally 30-50
• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB (UVB causes burns, but UVA is also damaging to the structure and health of skin)
• Water resistance if you'll be swimming or sweating

4 Ways to Use a Tool Tote (Other Than for Tools)

Keeping things organized is important when you live in an apartment is imperative! Small spaces call for getting creative with your storage. Sometimes giant plastic crates aren’t going to get the job done. That’s where tool totes come in. These multipurpose tool carriers don’t have to be used just for tools. They can be utilized by everyone: kids, crafters, car enthusiasts. Check out how the folks at Apartment Therapy use theirs. Do you have anything that you use for things other than its intended purpose? Let us know on the Facebook page.


My dad recently gave me this tool tote and, organizing fanatic that I am, I immediately started looking beyond its intended use and wondering what unexpected uses I could come up with. This little thing is handier than you might think, so read on for four uses, as well as some suggestions for similar totes, in case the red and black look isn't your thing...


Kids' Tote: Keep the things that keep your child entertained handy. Because of it's portability, a tool tote is easy to take with you or to keep in the car, and the pockets are great for all the odds-and-ends that kids adore.

Some sample items to keep in the tote:

• books
• stickers
• pencils and markers
• coloring books
• earphones
• iPad or other electronic device
• small toys
• card games
• snacks
• construction paper
• stuffed animals

Craft Tote: Stash everything related to your latest project in this tote so that it's easily to handle. When I lived in a studio apartment, I used a similar tote as my mobile "craft room." It kept me from acquiring too many crafty things, but it also kept all my items organized and accessible for whenever inspiration struck. Plus, everything is easily packed up again, so your coffee table isn't perpetually strewn with yarn and paper.

Some sample items to keep in the tote:

• filing folders filled with decorative papers
• yarn
• knitting needles
• embroidery hoops
• sewing needles
• scissors
• glue gun
• glues
• craft paint
• threads
• hole punches
• stamps
• ribbon
• markers
• sketch pad

Car kit: In case of emergencies, having a designated tote means that necessary items are close at hand. Consider adding daily essentials like parking passes and a phone charger in addition to emergency items like jumper cables and a tire iron. The whole kit is easily moved from the backseat to the trunk and vice versa.

Some sample items to keep in the tote:

• jumper cables
• flashlight
• maps
• cleaning wipes
• Tide stain pen (in case of an in-car eating mishap)
• a bottle of water
• granola bars, dried fruit, or nuts
• parking passes
• a pen and notebook
• an umbrella
• flat tire emergency spray
• an ice scraper
• bungee cords
• a tire iron
• first-aid kit
• extra chargers for electronics

A Bill-Paying/ Office Caddy: Tool totes are handy for corralling the things that you need every month when you spread out to tackle the bills. Even if you pay your bills online, having important papers and mailing supplies at the ready can be handy. Plus, in a really small space, this could serve as "mobile office", filled with all the supplies you need and easily stowed in a closet or a cabinet.

Some sample items to keep in the tote:

• File folders for receipts and bills (keep separate ones for bills that need to be paid, bills that have been paid, or bills that need to be filed elsewhere)
• calculator
• pens
• envelopes
• stamps
• checkbook
• letter opener
• scissors
• computer screen wipes
• a notebook and pen

I used a small sewing caddy from the dollar store to corral things like push pens, rubber bands, Post-it flags, staples, and the like

Oh, and of course you could use it for tools. Any other alternate ideas?