Weekly DIY Roundup: Shoes for Guys!

Ok so I felt bad after I finished that crafty shoes roundup when I realized they were all girl's shoes, and I made a plan to do this part 2 for guy's shoes. But, DIY boy shoes are much more limited - most of what I could find were just painted or drawn-on Converse or Vans, which are cool, but I wanted more different styles. So I'm including some in the roundup that not all guys will want to wear, but I hope some guys will be into them, or at least inspired by them. Enjoy!

I have to begin with my friend Paul's squid shoes - I've seen these in person and they are awesome! All you need to make shoes like these are some solid colored slip-ons, a fabric pen, and some serious artistic talent!

Paul pointed me towards one of the...

Sale Away

One of the very best things about warm weather is that it brings the thrifting possibilities OUTDOORS - yard sales and flea markets all across the country are typically in full swing by the beginning of May, and THIS year I'm strategizing. While a large part of my summer will certainly be spent circling newspaper listings and checking out my local CraigsList ads for yard sales in the area, I'm also seriously considering a few trips to some of the monster-mega-insanely-awesome flea markets across the nation.

Behold:

I'm way jealous of the West Coast and their proximity to Pasadena's Rose Bowl Flea Market; held the second Saturday of every month, lore of its vintage-goodness has reached even DC natives like myself. With 2,500...

Toolkit Contest Details

 On this week's episode of Decor It Yourself, Meg announced that she will be giving away a pink tool kit from BUST magazine!

All you have to do is send in a video of a crafty home decor project you have done and you will be in the running to win!

Deadline: May 31st 2008, 12pm EST

Where: upload your videos to threadbanger.com's "upload" section

All entries must be received by 12:30PM ET, Friday May 31st, 2008.
Drawing to be conducted by Next New Networks on or about the Monday following the deadline set forth above.
No purchase is necessary to participate.
Void where prohibited by law.
We are not responsible for lost or misdirected entries.
You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Taxes are the responsibility of the...

Upholstery Fabric

A few solid sources for organic upholstery fabric are Rubie Green, where I picked up the Lakeview print to re-vamp my ottoman.

I also adore the fabric at Twenty2. Both shops have easy-to-order websites and are earth-friendly companies that use natural fibers and chemical-free dyes.

Etsy and thrift stores are great resources for vintage fabric. This way you can give an old piece a new look using an earth-friendly method.

DIY Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day is right around the corner (Sunday, May 11) and we all know that sometimes a mom is the hardest person to shop for. I know that every time I ask my mom what she wants, she says, "nothing." Ok, so that doesn't really help me at all. So for all of you out there who still don't have a clue on what to get for the woman who has everything, here are a few ideas that you can make. (And we'll be she doesn't already have these!)

1. Homemade cosmetics: If you didn't already check out the episode on Eco-Friendly cosmetics, then watch it now. What better gift to give your mom than some beauty cosmetics that are eco-friendly that you made yourself? You can modify most of these essential oils so you can pick fragrances that she'll love...

Second Runway Fashion Show

is a green fashion show presented by Goodwill/Easter Seals to highlight great fashion, great programs and a new way to go green! This premiere event is being co-hosted by Project Runway contestent Katherine Gerdes and Alexis Walsko of Lola Red Public Relations.

Local designers purchased items from Goodwill to create original, one-of-a-kind fashions in one of five categories: business, business casual, formal, casual formal and ‘night-on-the-town.' Their task is to create completely new garments or put together a stylish ensemble from items off the rack. The audience will have the option of purchasing some of the designs featured.

Saturday, May 3, 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm)

Grandstand, Minnesota State Fairgrounds...

DIY Headboards for Your Bed

Here are some other options for headboards for your bed that you can make yourself. The DIY Network offers this tutorial of a padded do-it-yourself headboard. Go on over to their site to see all kinds of home projects with detailed lessons.

As always, I turn to Apartment Therapy for ideas and inspiration. They provided the curtain idea in this week's episode and give this lesson on how to make your own.

I then turned to my nesting queen, Martha, who suggests using a door as a headboard and offers a quick padded headboard" lesson.

Compact and Eco Friendly Reusable Tote Bags!

The other day, Corinne brought a really cool tote bag into the office. At first, it looked just like any normal bag, but when she showed me how it worked, I was amazed. It folded up into this tiny ball so you could pretty much stuff it in your purse and carry it shopping everywhere with you. It's great because you can now cut down on using plastic bags that you get from the supermarket or other stores. And cutting down on shopping and plastic bags help to save the earth!

Today I was on the Ecochick blog and I saw similar bags from Flip and Tumble. I'm really glad that people are making a conscious effort to cut down on plastic bags. These bags are not only really cute and super useful, but they are very durable and afforadable ($12!)...

Natural Bohemian

I blame the warm weather for my current state - I've been completely entranced by all things reminiscent of a 70's California summer. Don't think "boho" - think bohemian. From this amazing sheer caftan featured at The Sartorialist to the absolutely gorgeous peacock-feathered, color-saturated, fringed-and-crocheted inspiration that is artist Kime Buzzelli's blog, The Moldy Doily, I couldn't dream of covering myself in anything but flowiness, beading, and intense patterns until September.

The look is certainly vintage, but also incredibly relevant for this season - runways from Stella McCartney to Sue Stemp featured looks inspired by both Haight Street hippies and easy, breezy 60's SoCal style, and be sure to check out ...

Clean, Clutter - Free, Allergen - Free Bedroom Tips

Your bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house, as we end up spending a tremendous amount of time in there. How our bedroom makes us feel dramatically effect how well we sleep, ultimately effecting our overall health and well-being.

Our bedrooms should be our safe havens and our relaxing oasis. As someone who has ALWAYS struggled with insomnia and marrying a man with intense allergies, this week's episode shows you how to create aclean, clutter and allergen-free bedroom!

Here are some additional tips and ideas to help with your allergies
while you slumber.

• Declutter the bedroom, clean all the surfaces, wash your sheets, and if you have any extra money spend it on upgrades like an air purifier or organic...