I have been working on a few big DIYs this week, that I can’t share just yet, but I do have some really cool DIYs from around the web to share instead. So get ready for a crafty (long) weekend…

1. copper pipe wall sconce from Claire for Camille Styles

2. mini cushions DIY from Hej Juni

3. simple wooden rings DIY from The Merry Thought

4. cupcake liner birthday garland from You Are My Fave

5. DIY gem pinatas from Lovely Indeed

6. tea towel geometric hanger from Bambula (via Design Crush)

I’ll be taking Monday off for Memorial Day but will be back bright and early Tuesday morning. Until then, have a great weekend!

-Brittni

I recently bought a heat gun and discovered I have really been missing out, because embossing is addictive and that’s the only thing I’ve been using this heat gun for. If you’re new to embossing, it is similar to regular stamping. Unlike stamping, however, this process actually raises the surface, adding a new dimension to the item you’re embossing. AND it gives the surface a more foiled or metallic look.

So, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been embossing pretty much everything you can think of from gift tags to card stock, with the stamps I already owned. BUT I have been (patiently) waiting for these amazing stamps to arrive in the mail so I could really get crackin’ on some projects. The stamps are finally here (thanks Mom for the b-day present) and I’m ready to roll. Are you with me?

Let’s make some embossed, geometric party bags…

For embossing, you’ll need a few basic materials to get started:

• a heat gun
• embossing clear ink stamp pad
• stamps (any stamp will work – or make your own)
• embossing powder
• sheet of paper (to catch excess embossing powder)

*And in addition to those materials, you’ll also need small, white paper bags to make the embossed favor bags pictured.

How-To: 1. Press the stamp into your clear ink pad, then gently press the stamp (with even pressure) onto the surface you want to emboss. 2. Next, apply embossing powder generously over the entire surface, and then tap the excess powder back into the jar. 3. Turn on your heating tool and hover over the stamped surface until you see the powder start to turn. You’ll be able to see the change. 4. Continue moving the heating tool over the remainder of the stamped surface until the entire stamp has changed. It will look more like a foil at that point and will be slightly raised. Let it cool. Done.

Fill party favor bags with candy, popcorn, cherries, confetti, etc, and give ‘em to guests as they are leaving to say thanks for coming.

Concept, photography, and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff for Paper & Stitch

Looking for more DIY projects like this one? Click here.

I haven’t ever been a huge fan of pink. In general, it’s always been a bit too girlie for me. BUT lately, I must admit that I’ve been loving the muted pink tones I’ve been seeing in minimal, modern interiors. So today’s interior obsession is dedicated to that once girlie hue that is suddenly cool…

(above) indoor / outdoor space with a touch of pink

a pink-walled London flat

painted, geometric hallway

industrial loft with pink fridge

porcelain pink vessels by Lenneke Wispelwey (via Miss Moss)

Okay, so in fairness, that last shot isn’t really an ‘interior’, but they should would look good in a living room or dining room somewhere. So they made the cut.

What do you think of this design trend? Yay or nay?

This contributor post was written by Tiffany Han.

In creative business, we spend a great deal of time looking to other people to tell us what to do. We take courses, seek out gurus and watch to see if we can figure out everyone else’s secret weapons.

What if there is no secret weapon?

What if the actual secret to success is hard work? And relationships? And that little bit of luck (that will come from perseverance) that your products show up at the right place at the right time?

What if you already have all of the information you need to move forward?

Hint: you do. Right now.

Because, no matter where you are or where you’re headed, you were trained at the School of Life. We all were.

And while our How to be a Successful Human Being degree may not be quite as impressive as your friend’s shiny MFA, it means something. It means a whole lot of somethings.

Life will teach you more than you could ever learn sitting in a classroom.

Remember in high school when that boy broke your heart and you said, “hmmm…next time I’m going to listen to my gut.” I knew he was trouble.

Bingo. School of Life.

Now this isn’t to say that you never made boy mistakes again (I’m speaking for myself here), but if you were to look back at all the lessons you’ve learned throughout the course of all of your relationships (romantic or otherwise), you could write a book. A smart one. A compelling one.

And yet we are so quick to discount what we’ve learned from our everyday experiences. No more of that!

In the comments, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned (and applied to your creative business) from the School of Life. We can teach each other!

Tiffany Han, CPCC is a life & business coach for highly-creative people who aren’t living the highly-creative lives they want. Just yet. With provocative questions & hard-edged encouragement, Tiffany helps skittish someday-ers become fiercely focused creators — and proves that dreams do come true. But only when you demand it.

Remember those bowls of colorful gumballs I was playing around with a while back?

Well, I can finally share what I made with these little, round treats - a DIY gumball garland for One Charming Party.

Want to make one of your own? You can create one of these sweet strands, really easily, for a birthday party or nearly any other (kid-friendly) occasion. But before you get started, I have a few tips for streamlining the process (and making sure the gumballs don’t crack when you puncture them). See the full tutorial, along with my tips and tricks, over on One Charming Party.

For more DIY projects like this one, visit the DIY projects page.