Archive for the ‘craft’ Category
By the time Memorial Day rolls around, I am ready for three things: sunshine, hot dogs, and color.
But the sun hasn’t been out to play much lately, and I don’t cook (even though hot dogs couldn’t be much easier to make), so that just leaves color for this weekend’s DIY roundup. Which is perfect because it’s hard to find craft projects revolving around the other two things.
Let’s get to it…
1. (above) Ribbon Mobile DIY from Project Wedding (by Victoria Hudgins)
2. How to make a statement necklace from Making it Lovely (by Andrea Howe)
3. Painted Glass Table Top DIY from Kara Paslay (recently shared on Design Sponge as well)
4. Polka Dot Pincushion from Country Living (image via Susie Gushner)
5. Felted Bag from Country Living (image via John Rizzo)
6. DIY Tie Dye Shoes from Swellmayde
7. DIY Embroidered Necklace from papernstitch (by me)
8. Decorative Wall Shelves with a Shoe Box from Creme de la Craft
9. How to Dye Paper Towels from Evie S.
10. Neon Toe Shoes DIY from Green Wedding Shoes
11. Painted Necklace DIY from Orange Tree Studio
12. Colorful Mason Jar DIY from Blue Eyed Yonder
13. Paint a Confetti Dish Towel from Make and Takes (by Danyelle Mathews)
14. Neon Painted Shoes using Nail Polish from Love Maegan
15. Spray Painted Florals from papernstitch (by Jeanne and Lenna)
16. Ombre Scarf DIY from A Bit of Sunshine
17. Have a Ball Chandelier from One Charming Party (by Jenny Batt)
18. Place Setting Placemat DIY from A Beautiful Mess
19. DIY Neon Market Tote from Harper’s Bazaar (by A Pair and a Spare)
I hope you have an awesome weekend. I am going to take Monday off for Memorial Day. So I’ll see you back here on Tuesday.
Alright, I couldn’t resist the color block trend any longer. Time for a new DIY!
Here’s the story: I’ve had this yellow wallet for years, and since I bought a new one recently, old yellow is not really getting any use. So I grabbed some of my trusty textile paint and got to work. Now I am using it as a colorful clutch for lunch dates with friends. Wanna make your own? Here’s the breakdown (two ways)…
Supplies:
- old wallet (marks and scuffs are okay)
- textile paint (I prefer Jacquard Textile Paint)
- paint brush
- an old rag or paper towels
How to Make it (part I): Distressed Paint Technique
1. Clean your wallet as best you can with a little soap and water (or leather cleaner). If you used yours as much as I used mine, you need to clean it girl!
2. You can do this two ways. I’m going to show you the color blocking one last because it’s pretty straight forward. So for those that are looking for something more unique and distressed instead of bold (and beautiful).
Grab your paint brush and start with one small(ish) section at a time.
3. As the paint is drying, take your rag or paper towel and start lightly wiping the paint away. You can experiment with this technique and just have fun with. At times, I even added a little water to my rag to remove large areas of paint and then went back into it once it was dry.
4. Continue to layer your paint and then wipe off in certain areas to get that distressed look.
Here’s the finished piece…
How to Make it (part II): Color Blocking
1. Again, clean your wallet as best you can with a little soap and water (or leather cleaner).
2. Now I am going to show the color blocked version. It’s pretty simple. First, choose your color combo. I picked red-orange and fuchsia textile paint and decided at the last minute to keep a pop of the original yellow as well.
3. Next, it’s time to grab your paint brush and paint away. Pay close attention to even strokes and don’t be afraid to layer up! I ended up painting at least three coats of the red since it’s a bright color and I wanted it to really pop. Here’s an in-process shot of the layers as I was building them up…
4. Choose an area for your accent color (optional). I don’t have a picture of this part, but it is pretty self explanatory. My wallet had a natural place to add my accent color, find yours if you want it to look like you bought it that way. If you want to share your artistic side, choose a less expected area for your accent color – maybe a fun shape or stripes.
Here’s the finished piece…
I like the color blocked version better than the distressed look from part I. What do you think? Which is your favorite?
Weigh in below in the comments section.
I feel like a broken record, because it seems like I have said this a million times, but here goes 1 million and one: I am not a sewer! No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to pick this skill up, which may sound weird coming from a DIY gal, but it’s true.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t hoard stacks of fabric (vintage and new) to use and admire though. So for all those fabric admirers out there, here’s a list of shops that love fabric as much as you do – making their wares from beloved materials…
1. Sleepy King: Savannah Carroll is the sewing master behind the adorable line of handmade plush animals, embroidered art, and accessoires you’ll find at Sleepy King. It’s clear that everything in this shop is made with love. Sleepy King Discount for you: Receive 20% off with coupon code HOORAY20 at checkout.
(above) Dachshund anyone? These guys are giving my grandma’s dachshunds a run for their money.
These plush bunnies would be perfect for a nursery (or the couch if you don’t have any little ones). I love the ones with their eyes closed especially. What about you?
Savannah’s plush creatures translated into embroidered wall art.
2. Lolos: A casual clutch shop where fabric takes the lead.
Great color and pattern on this clutch. Perfect for spring.
I could definitely see my old students toting these around. Great for teens.
And this bright red number. I love the simple pleating on this clutch.
3. Red Seed Studio: This Aussie shop carries handcrafted accessories and clothing made of hand screen printed organic textiles.
Comfy skirts for a casual lunch in the park with friends.
Actual leaves from the Red Seed garden were used to create this printed pouch. I’d use this fo a makeup bag in a second. Love the navy.
And a few pops of brick red.
4. Simplifi Fabric: Of course, if you’re just looking for fabric to make your own handmade goodies, this shop would be a good one to check out. Cute patterns and colorful solids to choose from (along with some other available crafting supplies like snap button kits).
Modern herringbone patterns alongside quirky fabrics for kid’s projects.
Something for the woodland animal lovers.
But my favorite from Simplifi? The sailboat fabric - makes me want to float away. Paper boats are a reliable way to travel, right?
5. The Blooming Thread: This shop is most known for the vintage-inspired jewelry that Ryan Horton dreams up (the enamel lockets are really popular). But I love Ryan’s felt and fabric brooches so much, I couldn’t help but included The Blooming Thread in this one. The Blooming Thread Discount for you: Receive free shipping for the month of May. Enter the code PNSFREESHIP at checkout.
Isn’t this felt brooch awesome!? I love the colors and that print for the center.
These remind me of Sex and the City when Carrie wore those giant flower brooches. These are a bit more tame – in a good way.
And of course, I had to throw in these felt flower bobby pins. So cute.
5 Faves is a new column that I’ll be writing once per week. Want more? Read last week’s 5 Faves right here.
Yesterday I opened a few birthday presents and loved the wrapping paper. I was so impressed with the way Jeff wrapped my presents this year. So I thought today would be the perfect time to share a project I put together for Glo.com as part of their hottest trends in DIY this year. This is a great way to customize gifts for friends, family, and special occasions.
I only shared an image of the finished piece on Glo. So it’s time for the full monty. Here’s how you can create your own custom wrapping paper…
Supplies List:
1. plain wrapping paper (Paper Source has a great selection of colors and each roll is only $5)
2. stamps
3. and a stamp pad
4. spray sealant that is okay for paper (optional)
Directions:
1. Choose your stamps and the color stamp pad you’d like to use. Ink up your stamp and you are ready to go!
2. You can choose a random pattern, an all over pattern – whatever you’d like! Here’s the all over pattern (I just staggered my stamp over the entire piece of wrapping paper, making sure to reload with ink after every stamp).
3. Wait 24 hours for the ink to dry completely before wrapping your pressies. You don’t want smudge marks do you? If you are in a hurry, you can use a spray sealant. Just make sure it is okay for use on paper.
See how I staggered the pattern? No ruler or anything – kind of free form (and easy). Just the way I like it.
Finished presents…
And here’s one with just one stamp – a little thank you gift…
What do you think? Are you ready to tackle this on your own? Let me know in the comments below.
I’ll be sharing some more projects I created for the Glo.com article in the coming weeks as well. Stay tuned for those!
All photos by Brittni Mehlhoff (that’s me)
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Now that we are living in an apartment again, we have a new set of challenges when it comes to decorating. Our old house was too small, and our new apartment is almost twice the size of our old space, BUT we don’t own this one. So it feels very temporary and it doesn’t feel like we can lay down roots. Do you know what I mean?
Luckily, I am obsessed with DIY projects and have found a bunch of handmade touches that I can whip up in no time to make our new(ish) space feel like home. Here are 16 DIY projects for the indoors and out…
Small Housewares
1. DIY Succulent Wraps from Camille Styles 2. DIY Clay Pots by Claire for Say Yes to Hoboken
3. DIY Wall Clock from Scandinavian Deko 4. Make a Chevron Pillow from Biscuits and Jam
Wall Art
5. Geometric Wall Art (yep this is a diy) from Kate for Design Sponge
6. DIY Book Frame Wall Art from Lauren Elise for Papernstitch
7. Nail and String Wall Art from Jen Loves Kev
8. Wood Pendant DIY from my buddy Chris at ManMade
Furniture
9. Create a custom Storage Ottoman from Katherine for Papernstitch 10. Make an easy cushion Ottoman from Casasugar
11. DIY Dog Crate Coffee Table from HGTV (by Erin of Design for Mankind – found via Dog Milk)
*I know this one doesn’t exactly look fast or easy, but I love it.
12. DIY Tree Stump Table from Martha Stewart
13. Upholster a Chair with DIY Printed Fabric from How About Orange
Lighting + Accessories
14. DIY Cardboard Chandelier from Kayte for Etsy’s Blog
15. Modern DIY Coatrack from Weekday Carnival
The Great Outdoors
16. Chevron Recycled Wood Planter Box from Zelo Photo 17. Color Block Terra Cotta Pots from A Beautiful Mess
18. Outdoor Kitchen DIY (free pdf instructions) from Studio Mama
19. Outdoor Lighting DIY from Lowe’s
What problems are you currently tackling with your home?
Let me know in the comments below.
P.S. If you’re looking for craft project ideas for Mother’s Day, check out this roundup of 25 projects you can finish up last minute (with the kiddos if you have any) to get you through the holiday. One of my projects made the list at #3.
This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made.
April showers bring May flowers! Today I have a little Fabric Flower Brooch DIY for you to help bring the springtime cheer to your wardrobe. Added bonus, this little project is very quick to finish and uses materials you probably already have, making it a great last minute Mother’s Day gift!
Here are the materials you’ll need:
1. Fabric with a bold floral print. You could make a mother’s day gift extra special by using a treasured piece of vintage fabric.
2. Wool Felt in a coordinating color.
3. Embroidery thread and Needle.
4. A pin back or safety pin.
Here’s how you make it:
1. Cut out your flower from the fabric. You get to decide how much or how little of the fabric’s floral print you want to feature. I chose to cut out just one large flower, but you could also add leaves or smaller flowers, maybe even layering and stitching them on top of each other.
2. Cut out your felt backing. Leave a little bit of a border to help frame your flower.
3. Stitch the flower to the felt. I used a simple running stitch along the outside, but you could use any decorative stitch. Be Creative!
4. Add your pin back. I had an extra pin back, but a safety pin could also work. Just make sure to stitch it on tight!
5. Just keep stitching! If there are certain areas of the flower you want to highlight, you can do so with more stitches. Outline one or two flowers if you are working with a small bunch, or stitch around a couple petals.
When you’re happy with how your little brooch looks, tie off your thread and you’re done!
I was able to stitch this little guy while sitting watching a movie, and it came along so quickly I think I might need to make a couple more for the dear women in my life. Hope you all have a lovely last bit of spring and a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Happy crafting!
Michael Ann is a sewer, knitter, crafter, thrifter, living a crafty life with her husband in Portland, Oregon. You can find her at her blog Michael Ann Made where she shares projects, tutorials, and bits of inspiration to help you live a crafty life too. You can also follow her adventures on twitter.
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I have a box of leather scraps and I am not afraid to use ‘em! Here are 9 clever leather craft ideas for you to try this weekend…
1. (above) How to make a leather hair bow from Calico Skies
2. Leather bracelet DIY from A Beautiful Mess
3. Leather mail basket from Matt for Design Sponge
4. Leather fold over clutch project from Say Yes to Hoboken
5. Fringe necklace DIY from In Honor of Design
6. Skinny leather belt project from A Beautiful Mess
7. Leather envelope clutch diy from Swell Mayde
8. DIY monogrammed leather key chain from Jenny for The Sweetest Occasion
9. Make a leather packaging bow from Freshly Picked
Hope your weekend is amazing! See you next week.
