Tie a little extra LOVE onto the gifts you’re giving this year. If you have scrap fabric piled up, pull out some bright, happy prints and go to town. You can design and create one-of-a-kind, no sew, modern quilt ornaments in no time flat by following these quick and easy steps posted over on Whip Up….
It’s time for me to take a break from Christmas decor. When I think about the fresh, new year, I get giddy about cleaning, clearing, and being creative with inexpensive materials. Lucky for me, Readymade has provided three ideas from Jen Trolio for reusing carpet samples. Lowe’s, Home Depot and some supersize stores always seem to […]
Paper rings are very fine things, but why not try something a little more ambitious this year. Design*Sponge offers three twists on the classic paper garland, with quite impressive results, indeed. Faux Bois Rectangular Chain Folded Paper “Chewing Gum” Chain No-Glue 2D Ring Garland
This recycled wreath project (super easy and cheap) is only a reenactment of one of the very first DIY homeowner projects I pulled off successfully.
Tis’ the season to accumulate cardboard boxes. Most will find their way into the recycling bin, but you might want to save one or two to fabricate Photojojo’s fun, functional and funky cardboard picture frames. (These could be a great project with the kids; mom or dad have to do the cutting, but the rest could […]
Turn an oatmeal box, baby wipe container, corn meal box or any other cylindrical container into a fabric covered pretty ribbon container. Covering the container with a fun fabric could easily turn this into the perfect handmade gift for the crafty friends in your life. To see the step by step instructions and photographs, read […]
A piece of paper. A scissors. A scant five minutes. The results? Holiday magic! The paper snowflake is nearly everyone’s first Christmastide craft, and its elegant aesthetic keeps folks creating ’em, year after year. But my elementary-school snowflakes never really captured nature’s precise geometry and symmetry…they really looked more like crude doilies than lilting crystalline […]
Here’s an easy way to make inspirational ‘stones’. To make them, you’ll need: Flat 20mm (or about 3/4″) marbles–colored might work, but clear seems the best choice Inspirational words printed on regular old printer paper in an appropriate-sized font 3/4″ paper punch, optional but it makes things MUCH easier Modge Podge & small paint brush […]
If you can find a set of sturdy restaurant chair frames, with or without torn vinyl, negotiate a price and load’em up. A local furniture consignment shop had these four stackable sturdy chairs in the corner of the basement. I stripped off the black vinyl from the seats and the upholstered panels that make […]
While suffering disappointment earlier today at my favorite craft store–they were out of the yarn I wanted–I meandered over to the pattern books and found a copy of Erika Knight’s Simple Knits with a Twist: Unique Project for Creative Knitters ($15.96). I about let out a whoop when I flipped the pages to a picture of […]
Martha appears to love her some turkey effigies, (check out her hilariously brilliant turkey baby costume). These elegant little fowl would make an inexpensive, effective centerpiece. Made from 3 linen napkins and some tinfoil, the instructions are really clear and easy to follow. Though I’m thinking that an iron and some spray starch would be […]
For the past dozen years or so I’ve been making my Christmas cards. Sometimes they’re labor intensive, but they don’t have to be. Case in point: these suggestions from Scrapbooks Etc. A collection of different sized circle punches, some glue and a bow makes up this clever card. A few strips of paper–or ribbon–and you have […]
Ribbons. I like them. A LOT (a 12-steps-in-my-near-future lot). Things with ribbons on or in them are just better. Like this: A bulletin board with ribbons AND buttons. Be still my heart. To make one, maybe for the weird space behind your desk, or you know, wherever, you’ll need: Cork board fabric RIBBON lovely lovely […]
Toss out your hand-me-down angel from the early eighties or your dime-store brass Victorian star and throw your own artwork atop your Christmas tree this year. From atomic pop to country to deco glam, BHG offers twenty how-tos to create your own tree topper. Via Whip Up Looking for more seasonal DIY projects and ideas?
Over the past two years, Curbly has featured plenty of clever reuses for CD Jewel Cases: from a mini-greenhouse to a calendar or wall art (and 13 other ideas). And certainly, if you’ve been about the DIY blogosphere at all, you’ve run into a fair share of how-tos for creating lamps out of jewel cases, […]
Seriously, who would have imagined these stars started out as plastic bottle bottoms?? And to make this project even better, it’s super easy to do! To make a garland consisting of 5 stars & 3 snowflakes, you’ll need: 8 plastic bottles a scissors a needle or small hole punch string clear beads For the entire […]
It’s that time of year again! Design trends for 2009 have been compiled and are ready for showing. I picked the top ten decor, furniture and design trends that I think will have a major impact through 2009 and onto 2010. 1. UNIQUELY ME CHIC Personalized and eclectic approach to design. Re-emergence of styles […]
Conventional paper chains are so last century. Heck, they’re so two centuries ago! (Not to mention so second grade.) Jeffery over at CraftStylish has reinterpreted this classic, putting a completely modern and grown-up, not to mention GORGEOUS, spin to it. The materials you need to replicate Jeffery’s design are minimal enough and include: Medium weight […]
Amy Butler has several free patterns on her website, but the Snow Mum Pillow Pattern is by far my favorite. It’s fresh, delicate and modern. Available in PDF format, the pattern includes ‘instructions, measurements and pattern pieces.’
If you have a bin of nuts and washers and things, you’re half-way to turning a wine bottle into an oil lamp. (And even if you don’t have a nut and washer bin, you can pick a few up–plus the other items you’ll need to complete this project–at the hardware store for pennies!) The supplies […]
