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Snow Lanterns - Martha Stewart Crafts

1. Pack snow into pans. To release, tap bottom of pan firmly. If the snow doesn't come out in 1 piece, repeat, letting the filled pan sit outside for 30 minutes to harden; then release. 2. Trim the wick of a candle to 1/4 inch, so the flame stays small. http://www.marthastewart.com/267101/snow-lanterns
3. Remove paper backings, and position designs, face-up, on an ironed bag or a cloth-covered accessory. Cover with tissue paper provided with transfer paper. 4.

Albums and Binders with Iron-On Floral Silhouettes - Martha Stewart Crafts

http://www.marthastewart.com/268865/albums-and-binders-with-iron-on-floral-s
3. Trace and cut lily pad from green crepe paper. Trace and cut water lily petals from yellow crepe paper in multiples, as specified on the template. Cut out and fringe strip of yellow crepe paper where marked. 4. For the base of the flower, roll the fringed strip of yellow crepe paper and glue the end to secure, Glue yellow petals around base with craft glue, starting with the small petals, and working up to the larger ones, overlapping as you go. http://www.marthastewart.com/267504/good-thing-frog-in-a-box-card#

Good Thing: Frog-in-a-Box Card - Martha Stewart Crafts

http://www.designsponge.com/2007/10/diy-wednesdays-wine-crate-display-cases.html when i sat down to reimagine the new d*s one of the first things i wanted to add was more diy and craft-based content. i love weekend projects that add character and personality to a house but sadly i don’t have time to do them as much as i’d like these days. rather than give up on the idea entirely i thought that it might be time to introduce a new editor (or two) to the site. i’m certainly not an expert on diy so i thought it might help to bring in two people who are. it’s my great, great pleasure to welcome lauren smith and derek fagerstrom of the curiosity shoppe to d*s! derek and lauren will be serving as design*sponge’s craft editors and will join us every wednesday afternoon for a new diy project.

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy wednesdays: wine crate display cases

Stylish Jewelry Storage - Martha Stewart Home and Garden

Jewelry boxes can be handy, but they can also turn your prettiest baubles into unsightly nests of knots. Here are four display-worthy organizing ideas we're sure you'll take a shine to. Open Drawer Policy Let your hodgepodge of china collect something besides dust (left): Orphaned teacups and saucers are perfect vessels for sorting jewelry, and, when arranged in a velvet-lined drawer, they give you an easy-to-scan bird's-eye view of your bijoux. To set it up, measure the height of the drawer's side (not the front), then gather dishware that's slightly shorter. http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=96c8cdc5796b6110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
we’ve been wanting to make a mobile for a long time, but it always seemed a little intimidating. what gauge wire should we use? how will we get it to balance? finally we decided to try making one with some supplies we had on hand: floral wire and origami papers. floral wire is great because it comes in pre-cut lengths and is super easy to bend. the origami paper is light and every piece tends to weigh pretty much the same, which made assembling this goldfish themed mobile a snap. click here for the full instructions or just click “read more” below. 1. following these instructions (or this video ), fold 6 origami goldfish (or whatever motif you want!) use double-sided tape to close the bottom. try to use pieces of paper that are around the same size, so that the weight will be evenly distributed when you hang them. http://www.designsponge.com/2008/04/diy-wednesdays-origami-mobile.html

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy wednesdays: origami mobile

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy wednesdays: wine bottle candle holder

regardless of how crazy our lives get, we always need to spend time with friends and family. we’ve recently started hosting a regular sunday dinner at our apartment, where we invite a couple friends over to hang out, catch up and eat some homecooked food. all these guests mean a lot of empty wine bottles. but instead of recycling them, we decided to recycle a project we posted last year. using the same technique we showed you to make the bud vase trio , we simply cut these bottles at different heights to create a bunch of new vases, and some great new candle holders. and there it is. an entire tablescape for next sundays dinner. click here for the full project instructions, or just click “read more” below. editor’s note : i just wanted to extend a big congratulations to derek and lauren on their new book, show me how: 500 things you should know: instructions for life from the everyday to the exotic ! it’s full of fantastic practical advice- check it out here ! http://www.designsponge.com/2008/11/diy-wednesdays-wine-bottle-candle-holder.html
caroline swift ‘s work was the first work that jumped out at me in the press office at tent london in september, and in my personal opinion for the product and the styling (and presentation), she was the best exhibitor, hands down. we usually force people to choose their favorite recipe for this column, but when caroline sent over her seasonal favorites, how on earth could we ask her to pick only one? and in one of the hardest acts of selflessness this year, i even managed to buy some of her beautiful bowls for a friend for christmas and not get any myself! i should have my head checked! click here for the full recipe (and more gorgeous pictures) for caroline’s christmas cookies, winter cherry brownies and champagne sorbet . - kristina

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » in the kitchen with: caroline swift’s holiday treats

http://www.designsponge.com/2008/12/in-the-kitchen-with-caroline-swifts-holiday-treats.html

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: magnetic chalkboard mirror

these days i have a strong affinity for anything chalkboard related. it began with the vintage frame chalkboard i bought from gosia at blue bell bazaar on etsy (above, in my house), and continued with my most recent column for craft magazine about using chalkboard or magnetic paint ( online here ). so i was thrilled to see an email from christina at viva full house about her recent diy project. christina found this gorgeous (and cheap!) http://www.designsponge.com/2009/02/diy-project-magnetic-chalkboard-mirror.html
http://www.designsponge.com/2009/03/diy-project-kates-mirror-stencils.html this third project using paint is good for people who like to change their house around a lot. these mirror stencil designs are easy to put on and take off, and they leave no marks on the mirror so you can change the design over and over again. if you have any contact paper left over from the window film project, you can put it to good use on this one! happy crafting! – kate 2.

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: kate’s mirror stencils

as a newlywed, and someone that generally likes giving sweet gifts for no reason at all, i love finding projects like this that appeal to my heart and my crafting hands. grace light of poetic home recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with her husband and decided to make him a gift by hand , rather than pick up something at the store. inspired by library catalog cards, she decided to replace the book numbers with important dates in their relationship, book titles with “chapters” of their life together, and publisher locations with places that are important to them. the best part? each year they plan to add memories to their library card box. so if you have an anniversary (this would be perfect for the 1st- paper!), birthday, celebration or any other special day coming up- consider making your own diy gift for someone special like grace’s. this is definitely a gift they won’t be soon to forget. (and the website that generates custom library cards?

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » sweet idea: diy catalog of love

i’ve always had a thing about iron beds, but have never wanted to actually get one because i love the feel of a soft upholstered headboard. but this diy idea from design writer lydia lee is a great way to have the best of both worlds. lydia sent over her project explaining that she too loved the look of wrought-iron headboards but found them, “kind of jangly and not terribly comfortable”. so she decided to embroider one instead! i love the final result and think it’s such a nice combination of crafty and chic. thanks so much for lydia for sharing her project steps below! (if you’re interested in the flowers on the wall, they’re umbra’s “ wallflowers “) – Sturdy cotton fabric. If you pick a weave without a lot of “give,” it will help prevent stretching. If you use a linen or thin cotton, it’s easy to reinforce it with iron-on interfacing, which you can get at any fabric store.

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: lydia’s embroidered headboard

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: morgane’s drawer hangers

this fun diy project comes from berlin-based d*s reader (and molecular biologist!) morgane rouault . when she’s not busy with her job in research science, morgane like to draw, work with pottery and sew all sorts of craft projects. so i was thrilled to hear from her about this fun DIY project she recently finished- a wall hanger installation that uses boards designed to look like drawers (you could use real drawer fronts as well). morgane was kind enough to share her full project instructions with us, so i hope you’ll enjoy her project! thanks, morgane! -nice handles (you can find them at anthropologie but they are expensive, i found mine at the mauer park flea market in berlin for 2 euros each) 3. drill holes at the diameter of the screws from the handles in the middle line of your wood rectangles. choose which combination you will use for your faux drawer and drill holes in the two chosen wood rectangles using the exact same distance between the two holes.

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: upholstered toddler beds

this clever diy project comes from gabrielle blair of design mom . gabrielle came up with a fantastic diy project that creates two beautifully upholstered toddler beds for only $75. for those of you with small children this would be a great way to update your little ones’ rooms without breaking the bank. gabrielle has written out detailed instructions below so i hope you’ll enjoy them! if you’re living sans little ones, this would be a fun project to adapt to larger beds- especially if you’re a fan of low-lying beds and don’t want to deal with heavy bed frames. thanks, gabrielle !

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » made with love: pressed botanical specimens

Wow, I’m truly overwhelmed at the response to my first stab at my living in: column yesterday. When I hatched the idea to do roundups based on books and movies , I just thought it would be a fun way to find stuff online. I didn’t really comprehend that it would open a whole world of inspiration for all of us! I am SO excited to go through each and every suggestion and start some good old fashioned movie watching. That is, after I run to the corner store to pick up some more popcorn, of course.