DIY

Disco inferno!

Is it hot in here? Well, it is now! I’ve seen this project in plenty of spots online, and because — Shut up! Disco is not dead! — disco is one of the most far-out genres ever, so why not turn your living room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom into a place to put on your boogie shoes? Better still, this project uses recycled CDs, so it’s a good way use up those non-disco CDs that may have made it into your collection. Can you dig it? Glue this project together and get ready to dance the night away.

What you need

Used CDs (about 20).

Scissors you don’t care about.

A large Styrofoam ball.

A hot glue gun.

Ribbon (preferably gold and coke-streaked).

Directions

1. Cut your CDs into 1⁄2-inch or 1-inch squares. Wikihow.com suggests softening the CDs in boiling water (but don’t let CDs touch the bottom of the pan). This will keep them from splintering.

2. Glue the squares onto your Styrofoam ball using the hot glue gun. Work in rows around the circumference of the ball.

3. Glue the ribbon to the top.

4. String up and dance!

WHAT I’M INTO

Martha Latta is an Indianapolis crafter. When she’s not teaching English at Ivy Tech, editing the Sunday Afternoon Housewife newsletter, or selling her wares on Etsy (www.mellenlatta.etsy.com), she’s crafting. Here are five things she’s into right now:

Metal Clay
(www.metalclaysupplystore.com)

It’s basically clay that you can mold and then fire into hard metal jewelry. “Like clay, it’s malleable. you don’t have to know how to do metal work.”

Metal Stamping kit
(www.beaducation.com)

“You can make jewelry with it. You can personalize things.”

Anything from SublimeStitching.com

“It’s fun, it’s good art — it’s not teddy bears and flying eagles. It’s art that someone my age would appreciate.”

A kiln for fusing glass
(www.delphiglass.com)

“It is supposed to be very easy to use. You don’t have to program it because it comes with pre-set programs. You can put in glass, you can put in metal clay.”

“The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry” by Jennifer Perkins
(www.naughtysecretaryclub.com)

Latta says she met the author at an Austin, Texas, craft fair.

MAGIC 3

Stroke’s Striped Socks will perk up those gray Indy days of January and February — and probably March, too. Designed by visual artist, audio composer and Indy native J. Stroke, these socks for men and women are a delightful melding of colors and will work as a hidden surprise underneath suit pants. Socks start at $14 and are available locally at Good Earth or through www.strokesocks.com.

Jessi Martin’s crocheted hats for children and adults have a definite mod streak, with their tight brims and whimsical buckle. Available through her Etsy shop Two Seaside Babes (TwoSeasideBabes.etsy.com), the hats cost $13 to $40, and range in size from newborn on up. Martin also makes amigurumi dolls and baby blankies, so don’t overlook them when you visit her online shop. Just because we don’t see the sun for seven months out of the year, it doesn’t mean the UV rays aren’t bearing down on us.

AHAVA’s Mineral Sun Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer comes to us straight from the Dead Sea Laboratories at just the right time. The company’s lightweight, 30 SPF skin cream is as effective on a windy winter’s day as on a day at the beach; an 8.5 ounce bottle is $22. Visit www.ahavaus.com for local spots to buy or purchase online.

PONY UP

There are only a few weeks left to enter your customized My Little Pony in the Indy.com/My Little Pony Auction, Feb. 14 at the Indianapolis Art Center, with proceeds going to the Feral Bureau of Indiana. Deadline for entries is Jan. 15. For rules, customization tips and more information, visit
www.indy.com/posts/my-little-pon... or e-mail Jenny.Elig@indy.com.