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:

1. old wallet (marks and scuffs are okay)
2. textile paint (I prefer Jacquard Textile Paint)
3. paint brush
4. 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.

The mod 70′s colorblocking trend is back in full force and I especially like this trend when it comes to jewelry. A little goes a long way and these handmade pieces approach the graphic, bold use of color in a fresh way…

(above) colorblock layered bangles set of 3 ($60) by the glossy queen

eagle point necklace ($188), clear fork necklace ($68) and central point pop bracelet ($42) by minoux

geometric necklaces in triangle and circle ($34) by snug studio

water resistant watches by May28th ($39)

leather arrow necklaces ($22) by leebee jewelry

leather colorblock necklace ($24) rare bird

What do you like most about this trend?

Christina is the writer behind the design blog, Down and Out Chic. She’s a budget-friendly design huntress that’s passionate about art and the handmade movement. She adores all things striped and polka dotted and would spend most of her afternoons vintage shopping if her closet were big enough. Find her on Twitter or at D&OC.

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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Yesterday was a pretty gloomy day, weather-wise. So today, I am bringing on the color with hand-dyed pieces from the spring/summer collection of Amber Coppings at Xmittens.

Each top, skirt, hoodies, scarf, etc in this collection is made from 100% made in the USA cotton and are hand-dyed in Amber’s Pittsburgh studio. The dyeing process is low impact and low water with high colorfast fabric dyes. So each one is a little different. Love that!

$10 off! Use code 10PRE to get $10 off any order of $100 or more from the new spring/ summer collection. Discount code can only be used on items in the spring / summer section of Amber’s shop.

Visit Xmittens now for more hand-dyed wearables.

Okay, so I am a little behind on this, but I just recently learned that one of my favorite photographers, Debbie Carlos, also has a jewelry shop called AHC. It is AMAZING. I swear I could have added all 50+ pieces to this post. But I’ll just share a few of my favorites and let you browse Debbie’s shop for the rest….

Gold dipped jade rings, modern beaded bracelets and dainty, feminine necklaces.

(above) Jade Charm 2 / Gold Dipped Jade Necklace

Gold Dipped Jade Ring / JR9

White River

Brass on White

Gold Dipped Jade Ring / JR12

Mustang

Visit AHC on Etsy for more everyday jewelry from Debbie Carlos.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, so if your mom lives out of town (and you have to ship a gift to her), it is time to get on it!

Need help finding a gift?

Minneapolis jewelry design, Erin Kate Duininck, of E. Kate Designs is offering 20% off all purchases in her jewelry shop today and tomorrow with the coupon code MOTHERMAYI at checkout. Offer ends at midnight (EST) tomorrow. How’s that for a Mother’s Day treat!?

Visit E. Kate Designs on Etsy now to use your 20% off coupon before the offer ends tomorrow night.

I’ve done a lot of DIYs with polymer clay – mostly home decor related though. So when I saw what Hana Brewster from A Quiet Curiosity has been dreaming up lately, I got a little excited.

Hana makes colorful jewelry – specifically necklaces – from clay and an occasional piece of leather. Some of the clay is painted, while others are stamped to create interesting textures. Really cute shop. You should check it out…

Visit A Quiet Curiosity on Etsy to see more of Hana’s designs.

Made in Lithuania, these screen printed leather bags by Coriumi ($52) come in the most interesting geometric and Navajo inspired patterns.

Inspired by bohemian beach style in Mexico, Canadian-brand Scout & Catalogue ($44-74) uses hand dyed fabrics and the softest distressed leather to create one of kind, unique pieces that have a definitely boho cool factor.

You can’t go wrong with a simple, clean design in a wide variety of colors like these pouches by Rennes (pronounced “wren”, like the bird) . I also like the different leather options available ($44-130).

Made from heavyweight duck canvas, the toughness of these utilitarian pouches by LayerXLayer ($59-$65) are softened by hand stamped polka dots.

Screen printed leather pouches by Falconwright ($20-52) are made in small batches and they sell out fast! These bags are an amazing example of what happens when two designers from different disciplines (paper and jewelry) collaborate to come up with something totally new.

If you’re looking for a bag with a little more glitz, Gift Shop Brooklyn ($39-88) has some great metallic and sequin options.

Fun, bold, geometric patterned bags by French shop Pamplemouss ($15-29) are perfectly on trend and have a retro feel that I love.

Designed using textiles from around the world (this one is made from a kimono), Grace Design ($44-98) carries some very pretty options.

As you can see, there are a lot of designers creating some pretty awesome pouches. Do you see any you like? Are there other options that you’d like to share (I’d love to add some more faves to my list)!?

Christina is the writer behind the design blog, Down and Out Chic. She’s a budget-friendly design huntress that’s passionate about art and the handmade movement. She adores all things striped and polka dotted and would spend most of her afternoons vintage shopping if her closet were big enough. Find her on Twitter or at D&OC.

Get ready for more spring blooms, with today’s shop of the day, Amu and Pri.

You know I love flowers. But what about you? Are you a flower fan? Let me know in the comments below.

Straight from Amu and Pri… All my flowers are handmade from scratch – I hand cut the petals, seal the edges and then stitch them together to handmade cluster of pearls, glass beads or rhinestones. This is my hobby, so I don’t stick to factory made like flower designs, I like to experiment on different fabrics. All designs are my own designs.

Visit Amu and Pri now for silk blooms of your very own.

I’m in Cali right now, but I wanted to pop in and share a  couple of things from The Blooming Thread to start out your Friday! I’ll be back in a few hours with a really cool diy roundup. 

Use this Discount Code: Get 20% off your total purchase at The Blooming Thread when you enter the code PNS20 at checkout. Yay!

Visit The Blooming Thread now to use your 20% off discount.