MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Feature · Fun · Holiday · Special Occassions

Give the Ultimate Holiday Gift, The Gift of Music, a Ukulele

Whether your a seasoned player, a beginner, a want-a-be, or your child is interest in playing, we picked out a great ukulele. One of the most important things is to start with a good instrument as it is frustrating when an instrument won’t stay in tune or has other issues. Everybody wants to have success at playing and make beautiful music.

How come ukuleles make a great gifts? They are almost magically. For a child, it can a hobby that lasts and is never outgrown. They say as we age we should learn new things. This makes a ukulele an ageless gift. Ukuleles are little and relatively small in both size and price, yet they can bring joy that endures a lifetime.

You wondering why with a recommend a this Flight Salamander Ukulele? Sweet sound, great looks and durability at a good price to boot.

The majority of this instrument is made from ABS. What is that? Well it is plastic. This is Flight’s specialty and they don’t apologize for it not should they. Because is has an ABS body, neck, and fret board it is durable and not subject to changes in humidity which can wreak havoc on wood instruments. These two factors make it perfect for travel. We take ours everywhere. Another advantage is that because it is molded plastic you get consistently good instrument every time.

Features

The top is a walnut laminate that is not only a beautiful wood to look but also has bright tone- some says as bright as Koa. Koa is considered the best as it is the authentic wood of Hawaiian ukuleles. The sound hole features salamanders.

The body is arched which gives lets the sound resonate freely and have more volume than most other ukuleles of the same size. The body has a nice texture to it making it easy to grip. There is even a strap button.

Since the neck is ABS, it won’t warp with the weather. The finger board has a nice faux wood grain. The frets will never be sharp.

The zero fret and bridge construction give this ukulele a low action. A low action means the players doesn’t need to press hard making it perfect for the beginner and those whose hands find higher actions difficult to play due to finger strength. The construction keeps the tone consistent as well.



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

Fun · Feature · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Paper Crafts · Special Occassions

Pencil in Time to Play Games

Pencil games never go out of style. In our Library you will find three FREE printable pencil games. Each game board in complete with game instructions. Since saving trees and reducing trash is so important for the planet’s environmental health, we thought making these games reusable would be a terrific idea. Check out this video to see how we created the reusable feature with commonly available items.

These games are not only fun to play; they make excellent gifts for the kids and everyone who is young at heart!

The classic trio of games are Tic-Tac-Toe, Triangles, and Boxes (aka Dots)



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Holiday · Other Crafts · Special Occassions

You Can Become a Star Bow Maker – Just in Time for Wrapping Gifts

Looking of simple way to make a bow for a gift package? We have your solution here. Just in time for wrapping any present. You will be a star in the bow making world in no time!

It starts with some ribbon and a flexible star shape form. This demonstration uses a plastic canvas star. You will want your star material to be flexible so that is easily removed from the bow and can be reused many times. This video starts with a single colored bow, followed by a two-colored bow and then a two-colored bow with two different ribbon widths. Keep some ribbon on hand and you will always be ready to top a gift package for any occasion.

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Easy up-cycled bow for gift package

Easy up-cycled bow for gift package

Tried of Tying the Untied?



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Hacks & Tips · Holiday · Sew-Quilt · Special Occassions

Tried of Tying the Untied?

Safety Tip

Are your slippers, moccasins, or loafers always coming untied? Worried about tripping on those loose laces? Put your fears to rest with this quick and simple solution. The hardest part is threading a needle. It looks nice and might even be invisible when completed.

Slippers make a great gift!

Giving slippers as a gift? Fix them before they are even worn. Your recipient may never realize you did this but you will have peace of mind that you prevented a trip and fall hazard.

Affiliate disclosurePlease read before purchasing products from links

Prices subject to change We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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The Perfect Gift

Gift Guide for Tea Lovers

Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers

Presenting an Iris Folding Gift

Show Dad some Love with Father’s Day Projects

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Holiday · Other Crafts · Special Occassions

The Perfect Gift

Create the perfect gift for the person that has everything including a great sense of humor. This little lint brush for your belly button makes a wonderful stocking stuffer. Giving a gift card? Why not put this little gem on top of the real present – the gift card where the recipient can pick out the ideal present for themselves? It is guarantee to bring a smile no how you use it and isn’t a smile a great present for both of you?
MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Hacks & Tips · Holiday · Special Occassions

Gift Guide for Tea Lovers

Click on pictures for more product information.

When choosing a tea kettle, look for one with a large base. The more surface area that is in contact with the burner the faster your water will heat. This will save time and energy thus saving you money. We like this one. The handle stays cool and it is an easy pour. A good whistle lets you know when it is ready.



We also recommend having a thermal carafe to keep the hot water that you don’t immediately plan to serve. This way your refill is only a pitcher away.





For teabags we like King Cole Orange Pekoe

King Cole Tea

Hu-Kwa Tea

For a treat we love this loose leaf Hu-Kwa Lapsang Souchong Tea from Mark T. Wendell.

When using loose leaf tea you will also need a strainer and we recommend a extra fine mesh micro-strainer.

Loose Leaf Tea Strainer

If you like cold brew or iced tea, we suggest this Flip and Brew form Zing that we use for cold brew coffee. The description says you can make hot tea in it which would be a good option for loose leaf tea if you plan to serve the batch all at once as it won’t keep your tea warm. We have not tried anything hot in our Flip and Brew.





Click on the pictures for more information.



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Hacks & Tips · Holiday · Kitchen · Special Occassions

Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers

Our top pick for coffee lovers is a cold brewing system.  We’ll spotlight a couple different specific brewers so you can match the features to your gift recipient.

Cold brew is all the rage today and with good reason.  Not only is it better for your health it tastes better. When you make it home, it is better for your wallet.

Let’s start with the health benefit.  Cold brew coffee is way less acidic than hot brew.  More than 50% less acidic!  This is great news for anyone who has acid reflux or a sensitive tummy.  It also means less acid on your teeth.  Why it less acidic?  High heat releases the acid from the coffee grounds and into your drink.

The high heat also releases that bitter flavor into your coffee.  In contrast, cold brewing slowly extracts the flavors and natural sweetness of the grounds.  You might even find yourself add less sweetener to your cup of Joe. Think of it as slowly steady process that brings out a smooth rich flavor instead of a heat forced process which brings out acid and bitterness. So, won’t the cold brewed coffee become acidic and bitter when reheated?  Nope, because the coffee grounds are now out of the equation.

When you make coffee at home, you’ll save a ton of money.  Let’s say you buy 5 cups a week of plain coffee for $1.90 each.  That adds up to nearly $500 in a year.  The cost to make the same amount of coffee at home is about $20.  That is a savings of 96%.  And if your paying for fancy coffee that savings only goes up.

Another plus to making coffee at home is that you will know exactly what’s in it.  It is shocking how much hidden sugar is in those fancy coffees.  We had a friend measure by teaspoon the amount of sugar that was in her purchased medium coffee.  It was nearly half a cup!  When she tried one of our cold brews with the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of sugar (some from milk), she was more than happy with the sweetness. 

Now for our thoughts on gifts for your favorite coffee lover. Click on pictures for more information.

Our favorite cold brewer is the Flip Brew by Zing Anything.  As the name implies, you can brew just about anything in it. All you do is add your favorite coffee grounds into the filter basket and screw the basket into cover.  Add room temperature water (or cool water) to the pitcher and screw the cover on.  Now you flip it and leave it or 12 to 24 hours.  Once brewed you flip it over, unscrew to remove filter basket.  Make sure to rinse any grounds from the cover and screw the cover back on.  Refrigerate what you don’t use.  To use the coffee, twist the handle on the cover and you can easily pour out the coffee you want into your cup to be heated in the microwave.  We like this one because it is super easy to brew, has an easy pour storage pitcher, and uses regular coffee grounds.

Another common method involves making a coffee concentrate. Basically, you insert a dampened filter into a plugged container, then you add a layers of coarse ground coffee and layers of gently added water.  After the grounds have steeped for 12 to 24 hours, the plug in pulled from the bottom and the coffee concentrate drains into the storage container.  To make coffee, you dilute the concentrate with water and/or milk, typically 3 parts water/milk a to 1 part concentrate.  This lets you adjust the strength to your taste.   Because it is a concentrate, it will last awhile and lengthen the time between brews.

We have a Toddy brewing system and have some thoughts on it.  The storage container has a tight stopper which keep the coffee fresh.  The storage container is glass and is quite thin.  Because of its size and shape it can be difficult to pour.  When making the brew, you first install a cork in the brewing portion which needs to be removed for draining the concentrate. That is not the easiest thing to do without making a mess.  The system requires coarse ground coffee.  Using a regular grind means you need to replace the reusable filter more often as it gets clogged with coffee grounds.

If we decide to replace our Toddy system, we’d look at trying this one from OXO. The OXO uses a “Rainmaker” to evenly distribute the water eliminating the layering of grounds and water.  The brewing part has its own stand.  There is a lever to drain the concentrate which means no more messy pulling of the cork plug. And no small part to lose!  However, the lever may malfunction over time. The carafe has measurements on it which is a nice feature.

If you decide you’d to gift a hot coffee maker, we suggest something like this one by Tru. We really like ours. It is compact, has a reusable filter basket yet also accepts k-cups. It works nicely for the tea drinker too.  Perfect for small apartments, families with different schedules, dorms, and RV camping.

And finally, our pick for a travel mug.  We’ve used this for years.  You have to work at it to spill it and it keeps things hot or cold all day.

Check out our cold brew coffee videos at Fancy Iced coffeeFancy Iced coffee Click on pictures for more information.

      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Fall & Winter · Holiday · Other Crafts · Special Occassions

Sparkling Beaded Wreath Ornaments

Quick and easy Christmas wreath ornament will sparkle and shine when the lights hit it. Check out how to make this ornament and get inspiration for tons of holiday ornaments and decor at Holidays at MainelyDiY.com

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MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Christmas · Holiday · Other Crafts · Special Occassions

Party Angel

Add a bit of shine to your holiday decor with this surprisingly simply to make Party Angel. Since she is quick to make you could have one at each place setting at next your dinner party. Your guests would be delighted if you let them take one home as well.

Prices are subject to change. Please consider purchasing supplies through provided links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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