I’m actually out of town right now, celebrating my birthday with a long birthday weekend out of town. I’ll be back on Monday for posting as usual, but before you head out to enjoy the sun this weekend, I wanted to leave you with a handful of DIYs to try.

1. leather key fob project by For the Makers

2. mini to maxi skirt DIY by Sincerely Kinsey

3. giant crepe paper roses how-to by Studio DIY

4. beaded summer skewers DIY by Camille Styles

5. geometric cake toppers by Jenny for Minted’s blog, Julep

6. DIY shoe clips by Honestly WTF

I also write for other sites around the web. Here’s where you can find me elsewhere this week…

• 10 Outdoor Furniture Makeovers to get you Ready for Summer
• Before and After: A Master Bedroom gets a Punch of Personality
• How to Design and Build a Headboard for less than $50
• DIY Gumball Garland (new tutorial for One Charming Party)
• Cool DIY cake toppers using Wallpaper Samples (new tutorial for One Charming Party) 

And if you’re looking for even more DIYs to try, you can check out the DIY page here or my DIY board on Pinterest. Hope you have a great weekend.

-Brittni

Throughout the past years, there has been an upswing in the use of natural materials, a decline in the use of plastics, and by association, a desire for realistic finishes. This can be seen in fashion in the appeal of matte nail polish and messy hairstyles. In the interior scene, it has shown most clearly in a profusion of matte accessories like those by Jonathan Adler and honed stone countertops. But as is the nature of trends, once the pendulum has swung in one direction for long enough, its opposite becomes desirable once again.

And so it is that the high-gloss lacquer finish has once again started to appear on the scene. This is not the shiny granite counter and plastic of the 80s, but a measured amount of gloss, tempered by materials that have limited reflection; upholstery that ranges from cottons to velvets, paint that includes both flat areas and lacquers. I’m not talking about a single glossy accessory, but high-gloss paints on walls, shiny cabinets or sparkling reflective floors or ceilings, something to make a strong impact. And how can you give this trend a try in your own home? Try using a high-gloss finish for that colored accent wall, or add a lacquered furniture piece to heighten the shine factor in your favorite room. Just don’t forget to balance it out with some non-reflective surfaces, they make that gloss really shine!

How are you adding shine to your home?

(above) Gloss and Matte Paint Job

Shiny Metal Ceiling + Reflective Floor

Lacquered Doors

Black Gloss Paint + Shiny White Floors

Shiny Black Wood Floor

Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.

Today is my birthday (I’m officially 29) and it didn’t seem right to let a b-day go by without some yummy sweets to share. That’s the best part of birthdays anyway, right? So I’m branching out, just a little today, with a sweet food related DIY that I hope you’ll enjoy. Learn how to make edible confetti with store-bought chocolate in two easy steps. You can use it for parties, cake & cupcake decorating, and whatever else you can dream up.

Supplies: chocolate bars – I used milk chocolate and cookies and cream // tiny cookie cutters (like these or these)

How-To: Unwrap chocolate bars and let them lay out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften them up a little bit. Push cookie cutter through the chocolate, all the way, and punch the cut chocolate out of the cutter with your finger or a toothpick. Sprinkle or cakes, plates, etc. That’s it. Couldn’t be any easier.

These would be so fun at a kid’s birthday party. You could sprinkle some edible confetti on the cake and cake table, on top of kid’s plates, etc. Note: If you’re looking for a healthier option, you can use fruit leather instead of chocolate. Works great.

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

Want more DIY projects? Click here.

Every time I turn around, it feels like another holiday is right around the corner (or a birthday, housewarming, baby shower, random party, etc). I love celebrating all of these things, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with a thoughtful gift that any recipient will be happy about. So what’s a girl to do? Make a bouquet of fresh flowers, of course. And I have a simple recipe for making your own to celebrate any occasion.

Here are the flowers you’ll need: 2 bells of Ireland // 2 purple parrot tulips // 2 stems of white stock// 2 green bouvardia (or 2 small hydrangea clusters) // 3 stems of dusty miller

Other supplies you’ll need: scissors // brown kraft paper // raffia or twine

How-To: I made this bouquet the same way I made this easy spring bouquet. So you can check out the directions and step by step photos here if you need ‘em. *If that method isn’t working for you, follow this method instead – the process is a little different, but the results are the same in the end. Next, add kraft paper and tie it off with raffia. Cut the stems so they are all the same length and store in a vase with 2-3 inches of water until you are headed out the door to deliver these beauties.

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

Want more DIY ideas like this one? Click here.

Jeans and a t-shirt have never looked so good. These 12 bags, totes, and clutches are the perfect way to make a simple outfit look perfectly put together…

row 1: A.P.C. shopping bag // plum foldover clutch // riley dot tote

row 2: everyday shopper // cambridge satchel // Ann-Ya sphere clutch

row 3: A.P.C. half-moon bag // Building Block outlet bag // striped beach tote

row 4:  Clare Vivier leather tote // the essex minibag // leopard duffle

So, does anyone else have a bag obsession after this roundup? Because clearly, I do.

And I’m curious to know… which one is your favorite?