What diyterminal Is all about

Hello, my name is Tarek and I am the creator of diyterminal. During the past few years I have witnessed and experienced the effects of our nation's poor economic situation. As a result many people, including myself, have resorted to DIY projects as a means of saving when in need. The reason I created this blog was to help individuals find DIY  ideas easily by organizing them into categories. This blog is a community blog. I encourage fellow bloggers and visitors to post DIYs, favorite ideas, and any thoughts relevant to the topics discussed in this blog. If you would like to be a contributor, comment below with your name and email address and I will send you an invite. :) So let's just do it and see what happens!

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Happy Searching  

lace shirt diy!

I made this lace shirt a while back, out of a lace tablecloth I bought at my local goodwill! It was so ridiculously simple, and I am sorry I didn't take more pics!

Here is a simple tutorial:
* Lay a t-shirt (one size bigger than you normally wear) on top of a large amount of lace material
* Cut around the shirt, twice, to get both sides of the shirt
* Sew the pieces together along the sides, leaving the bottom, sleeves, and neck open
* I left the sleeves and bottom unhemmed for a vintage lace look

Total cost: around $5!!

See what I mean? Easy as pie! (Sorry, I am in the mood for pie!) Post up your pics of this tutorial or of your own versions and variations!

Weekend!!

TGIF is such an understatement right now! This week was longer than an Alaskan winter! The best way to celebrate? Homework and blogging of course! Blogging a tad bit more though, of course... If your weather is anything like mine, your week went form t-shirts and jeans in 60 degree weather to layers upon layers upon layers in 20 degrees. Did I suddenly move to Antarctica?! If you are feeling cold and dreary and just want to snuggle up with a cozy blanket and some hot chocolate while looking at something awesome, look no further. Here are some pictures I found to be pretty fantastic throughout the week! Enjoy & remember to bundle up!

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1. I am currently obsessed with long hair!

2. I miss longboarding so much! I sold my old board at the end of last season and can't wait to get a new one!

3. Building a mood rack for my room is on my DIY to do list. This one is such an easy, yet awesome example!

4. This dress is sexy, simple, sequin-y, and looks so comfortable! 

5. Tiffany's love in pictures campaign. They should come shoot Tarek & I!

6. Do I need to explain this one? 

Beach > Winter.

Mediterranean Kafta Kabobs

When it comes down to grilling out at the Hammad house hold these kabobs are not only a specialty but also a favorite. Anytime I have my friends over for grill outs the kabobs win them over. You can find the recipe anywhere on the internet but not this special recipe, handed down through my family. What I am about to share is as authentic as it gets. This is to be prepped the night before grilling.

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To serve 8 this recipe calls for:

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 medium - large onion chopped into cubes
• 3/4 cup of  FRESH parsley- remove from stem
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• 1/4 tsp of allspice
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne 
• 3 cloves of FRESH garlic 

Instructions: 

1. Place chopped onion in a mechanical grater or processor and process it until it has the consistency of very thick slush.
2.  Place a few pieces of paper towels on a plate and spread the onions on the paper. The purpose of this is to remove the moisture from the grated onions. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Before removing the onion from the paper make sure to give it a few good dabs from the top as well. The point of this is to remove the moisture. It make all the difference 
3. For the next part you can combine the parsley, onions, garlic and meat in the processor or blender.
4. Blend all ingredients until you can not make out the parsley anymore. It should only look like green specs when done. 
5. Once blended, place the extra ground meat in to a large bowl and put salt, pepper, allspice and cayenne.
6. For the next part I suggest using any rubber gloves you have that are disposable or else your hand will smell for a while .
7. Mix all the ingredients with your hands until it is completely mixed, then refrigerate over night.
8. When skewering these the next day I suggest making the kabobs the size and shape of an over grown thumb, so that they stay better on the skewers.
9. Grill them on a medium fire and DONT turn them before the first side is at least half cooked or else it will fall apart on the grill.
10. Once all your sides are near half cooked, begin to roll them around to finish it off. You should be looking for a very dark outer color once they are cooked. 

GLoW iN ThE DaRk CaNdLE JaRs!

What if you could take fireflies in a jar to the next level? For those who want a fun project to work on with their children or a unique romantic surprise for their significant other, I recommend this project. These jars are very affordable to make and will surely leave you smiling. If you desire to use this idea for a romantic candle-lit setting I suggest you use RED glow in the dark paint. Another occasion you can use these jars for is Halloween. Building green Jack O' Lanterns with the family is a great way to decorate your porch or windows for the holiday. I will explain below instructions for these ideas and more. 

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Materials: 

• glow in the dark paint -  http://coolglow.com/1/51/51/Glow-Paint/?gclid=CJW85KOKx60CFSwBQAodrBGIfw is a great source.
• paint brush
• any jar you desire: be creative!
• small candles

Instructions:

1. Jars of Romance- for these jars I recommend using red and pink paint. When applying the paint with a brush to the OUTSIDE of the jar, I suggest applying small dots or heart shapes. You can even do both if you leave a bit of space between the dots and hearts, just so the hearts can be made out. Let the project dry, put a candle in the inside and be prepared for a kiss. ;) To top off the setting, rose pedals wouldn't hurt. 
2. The Universe In a Jar- for this simple design, try imitating the image above. This can be a fun project for parents with kids. The best colors of paint to use for this jar are blue and green. Apply the colors with a brush to the outside of the jars in speck or star shapes. Be plentiful and minute.  Let the jars dry and soon your kids will be exploring them like the universe.
3. Jack O' Lantern Jar- For this jar you can use green or orange paint depending the mood you are in. This is a great idea for Halloween night! First, get some Scotch or Duct tap and cut out the shape or design of the eyes, nose and mouth of your Jack O' Lantern with the tape. Stick the tape to the desired place on the jar and begin to coat the outside of your jar with the color you choose. I recommend two coats, if you can. Once the paint dries, remove your stickers, put a candle in the jar and bring your creation to life! Mwahahaha.  

Photo Scrapbook DIY!

For Christmas, Tarek and I agreed to make each other one present: our "DIY for you." Even though he completely blew me out of the water with his Eye-Chart message (see that DIY below) I gave him a little bit of my heart with this "10 Things" made-with-love scrapbook. In it, I wrote 10 things that I absolutely adore about him, and included a picture that related to each thing. A few examples of my ideas were how I love being silly with him, I love dreaming of traveling the world with him, and I love how he always treats me like a princess. :) Some of you might be thinking, "wow this is so corny. My guy would never go for something like this." Truth be told, most guys, even the macho- manly men, would prefer something handmade with love over a new shirt or a video game, any day.

What were/are some of your DIY gift ideas for your guy, family, or friends? Comment below for 10 things you love about your loved ones!

Personal Message Eye Chart

This DIY project is a great gift for any occasion. With a few cheap resources from your local craft store and a bit of patience you can make a personal message eye chart for anyone special in your life. I made the one in the picture below for my girlfriend as a DIY Christmas gift. It will bring forth some good comments your way  and brownie points as the person receiving it will be hanging it. I will share below the cost of the material and where I got it as well as how to make it.

Materials bought at local craft store named Michael's
http://www.michaels.com/

Materials:

• frame of your choice  20" x 16"  or bigger ($8)
• 2 different colored sheets of paper for the background (2$) each 
• sticker letters, basic black, 2 sizes, the largest you can find and second largest. (4$ each)
• glue stick
• pencil
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Remove back cover from frame. 
2. Use back cover to trace size of first background color you wish to use. Then cut it out.
3. After cutting the first sheet, use a ruler to mark the second background color sheet and trace the sheet 1 inch smaller on each side. 
4. Cut the second sheet.
5. Now you should have two background sheets.
6. Glue the smaller sheet on top of the bigger sheet while making sure everything is symmetrical.
7. Plan out your message. As you can see from mine you don't have too much to much room to write, so be clever and short.
8. Make sure you will have enough letters to stick. My sticker set came with 3 of each letter, upper case and lower case.
9. Begin to stick your letters on the background. Take your time and step back every few letters and see if you are moving in a straight line. 
10. From my experience I suggest not sticking the stickers until you complete each line. Instead, gently place them on the location you desire until your line is done. Then apply pressure to stick them, that way you don't make a mistake in spacing your words. 
11. Also try to not do this in a hot location as you will find your stickers slowly gluing themselves to  the sheet before you put pressure on them.

So you as you can see this project is a simple diy with a elegant look and can find a place anywhere in the recipient's home. 

Guest Post!!

Hi! My name is Kylie, aka Tarek's girlfriend! He has graciously asked me to be his "permanent guest poster" on this wonderful little blog's fashion section! For my debut post, here are some upcoming fashion trends that I happen to find pretty fantastic for the new year!!

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Trends such as metallics, destruction (rips, tears, and studs!), bright colors, menswear, bold prints, and pastels seem to be what are hitting store shelves and consumers' closets the most for 2012. What are your favorite 2012 styles that you can't wait to try??

BUY/ SELL/ TRADE

Coming soon! This page will be available for visitors to post items they are wanting to buy, sell or trade, along with their contact information.

GADGETS

Ipad hard cover book case

materials needed

• favored hard cover book
• felt
• liquid glue
• brush
• precision box cutter knife
• pencil

Instructions:

1. glue pages together from the outer side of the book
2. trace I pad on first page of the book pages
3. cut traced portion out and continue to cut shape out through as many pages as it takes to get the depth of the Ipad.
4. once all pages are cut out line the part where the ipad will sit with felt by gluing it on
5. fold extra piece of felt for a tab to pull i pad out of glue and put it in desired place. The best option for this would be the center of the hollowed out area and run a length of the felt along the bottom and side until it sticks an inch out. 
6. If you want to keep the book closed when not in use, head to any craft store and get Velcro straps or a large band

For video instructions follow this link: 
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=mS1XZOW4KWc&feature=related

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FOOD

Winter time calls for heart warming food and for that reason my first post on my recipe section will be a dish I invented:

White Chicken Chili Bake 

Ingredients: serves 5

• 5 chicken breasts
• 1.5 can of chicken broth
• 2 cups of northern beans 
• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 green peppers
• 2" block of pepper jack cheese
• 1tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6-7 servings of mashed potatoes

Instructions:

First dice chicken and peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook in oil in a pot. After cooked apply chicken broth, cornstarch,  and beans. Stir first and then bring ingredients to a boil. Once boiling apply block of pepper jack cheese and lower heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted and let ingredients simmer for 30 min. After 30 min pour contents into a bake dish and cover the top of the dish with cooked mashed potatoes. Top the potatoes with a little bit of left over pepper jack cheese for extra flavor. Bake dish until brown spots appear on potatoes. Let it cool down and enjoy. 

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Wine/Liquor Bottle Lights

The reason I love this item is because of its simple yet elegant and unique look. This item accompanies every season well.

Instructions:

1. Grab empty recycled bottle of Wine or Liquor.
2. cork the top of the bottle or cap it.  
3. drill a dime size hole or one slightly smaller in diameter on the bottom of the bottle
4. feed a 50 count or smaller strand of lights, colored or white, through the hole on the bottom of the bottle.
5. To make the decoration complete the bottled lights look better in a set rather than being placed individually. 
6. light it up and bring in the compliments. 

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This Diy will surly bring you lots of compliments.