Lightbulb Bud Vase Cool Copper Projects Warm metallic hues are easy to love but often pricey. When you create the look... Easy Doily Bowl Craft a decorative bowl from a doily picked up from a flea market, antique... Camper Birdhouse Encourage birds to stay awhile with an adorable vintage birdhouse. Writing Wrapping This year, I vowed to only make or buy handmade holiday gifts for my friends and family, and I've kept to it so far. But wrapping these gifts in commercial paper didn't seem to make much sense, so I wanted to create some handmade gift wrap to match. I happen to think a gift wrapped in newsprint is actually quite attractive, and love the look of text on a package, but wanted to put in a little more effort. Once I figured it out, it was actually quite easy and quick - less than ten minutes per gift. Here's how to do it: Materials and Tools Brown craft paper or solid wrapping paperA used bookUtility knifePencilScissorsAlphabet templates, available in four typefaces at ManMadeDIY.com/downloadsTracing set-up, such as light source and clear glass or plastic (see below)Glue stick 1. 2. 3. 4a. 4b. 5. 6. Happy Holidays!
Tin Can Treats {For Mother’s Day & Teacher Appreciation!} I have three boys: ages 5, 3, and 10 months. There’s a chance I might be biased, but I happen to think they’re the most charming, adorable, and intelligent kids on the planet. They’re also kind of loud. And busy. So on that note- I’m always trying to think of fun ways to supply Mother’s with much needed goodies on Mother’s Day because every Mom needs a secret stash right?? Supplies Needed: canned fruit with tab tops, suggested size 7-8oz candies for filling tissue paper hot glue gun decorative paper ribbon side can opener or safety can opener (optional) You can make these with any size can you can find with a tab top. Step one: Remove labels from cans. Tip: If you’re using a traditional can opener, make sure when you are removing your lid, you don’t remove it completely. If you use this type of can opener, your life will be much easier: See how nicely it takes the lid off? And it fits back on seamlessly, with just a small amount of glue Step 2: Time for the fun part! Now. But. 1.
How to Turn a Glove into a Chipmunk While gloves and socks are made to be forever together, often they choose to divorce and spend their lives in a solitude. Of course, we have to respect their decision, but it’s hard to look at them being all lonely, laying somewhere in the backs of a drawers. Luckily, crafter and author Miyako Kanamori has a wonderful solution! In her book, Happy Gloves: Charming Softy Friends Made from Colorful Gloves, Kanamori also gives complete instructions on how to make a frog, duck, flower, car, donkey, tiger, and more! Photos by Miyako Toyota | More instructions: Happy Gloves Gift Bows (Another edit... four years later!) Just wanted to share these enormous gift bows I made out of brown paper grocery bags. One is even bigger than the gift... --------------------------------------------(editeddddd cause I made more) Cell phone photo tutorial...What you need: magazine page, brass paper fastener/brad, something sharp, scissors. 1.) 2.) Then loop the other end like so: 3.) 4.) And just keep going. 5.) And you're done! WARNING: May cause serious addiction. -----old post----- Yeah, I could recycle magazines by putting them in my recycling bin, but this is way more fun... (I also reused a pretty shoe box to put the gift in) And two more... They're super easy. Let me know if you have any questions.
Gift bags When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep. Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Upend the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag.
DIY Solar Bottle Bulb If you don’t have electricity or live in a home with no windows, it’s going to be dark inside, even during a sunny day. Luckily, a bottled liter of water with some bleach can provide approximately 55-60 watts of light from the sun. This simple idea has helped many dwellers in the light-deprived slums of the Philippines. “A Liter of Light” is a sustainable lighting project by Illac Diaz which aims to bring the eco-friendly Solar Bottle Light to disprivileged communities worldwide. Website: isanglitrongliwanag.org | Images: 1, 2, Kara Santos
Woven Gift Wrap By Kate on August 8, 2012 I noticed that the woven gift-topper I made last year was doing the rounds again on Pinterest so I thought I would make an updated pastel version (pastels seem to be the new neon at the moment). I bought some quilling strips (0.5cm) to use this time which reduces the labour by about half (I’ve also been working on some more intricate woven ‘things’ for another project…more to come soon). Anyway check out the previous post if you want full instructions. Above: Mischevious hands – the unseen backdrop in all my photo’s ^_^ While I took photos today my boys were making their own presents by wrapping boxes in newspaper. Finally, the font used on these images is called soymilk and it’s free to download …yay!
Мраморная бумага Immediately after removing the paper, place it in a pan, and pour water over it. Hang paper to dry, marbleized side up. Do not touch the paper until it is dry (typically within 2 hours, depending on humidity levels). Decide whether to keep or discard your solution (it can be used several times). To change paint colors, lay strips of newsprint across the solution's surface, then remove; repeat with clean strips until the solution is clear. Growing Home: The Elastic-Waist Flirt Skirt (inspired by J.Crew) I am SO excited to be sharing this project with you. Not because it’s so crazy amazing (I’m a newbie sewer, so it’s actually rather basic), but because it is the very FIRST article of clothing that I’ve ever sewn for myself. Honestly, I never expected to make myself anything--I started sewing to make things for our home and the boys, and never expected to do much else. Then, a few weeks back, I purchased this little number at J. Before I go any further, let me tell you this: making this skirt is EASY. Ironically, though, the construction isn’t obvious. See, the first step in copying any piece of clothing (or, in other words, using a piece of clothing to make a pattern) is turning it inside out. Rectangular pockets attached up underneath the elastic casing. So I was left to figure a few things out by myself again. I love my new skirt. So, lookout friends, there may be more copycat tutorials on the horizon:). Happy Weekend! p.s. Materials 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Cut your piece of elastic in half.
DIY Stiffened Felt Gift Boxes I love the thick wool felt that's increasingly popular, but man. Wool felt in the 3mm to 5mm range is really expensive ($130/yard or so). The boxes, bowls, and vessels made with it are very cool, though. So when I was poking around my local craft store, I found a poor girl's substitute: Eazy Felt. You know it's cheap when "easy" is spelled with a Z instead of an S on the product label. It's regular craft felt that's been stiffened into sturdy sheets, and cost me $1.78 per 12"x18" sheet. To make felt boxes, I cut a 9" square for the bottom piece, then added four slits and four diagonal cuts to trim away some of the excess felt on the tabs. I used a rotary cutter and ruler to cut out the main shape, then made the slits and diagonal cuts with an X-acto knife. The box top is similar, except the center area is larger to fit over the box bottom, and the sides are half the height. After the pieces are cut, crease the tabs against the edge of a ruler to make assembly easier.
Party Hats DIY + Template I love making party hats. I usually make my own because it is surprisingly hard to find party hats in normal colors. If I do happen to find them in the colors I like then I still spruce them up with my own fringe or flowers. Sometimes though I do prefer them plain like this one I put on Roman. I did a post on this a few years ago (here + here) but it is high time for an update. Materials: Downloadable Hat Template Click here to download. Basic Party Hat Instructions Step 1: Download hat pdf right here. That is how to make a basic hat. Once you have your hat then it’s time for the fun part: Embellishment! Embellishment Instructions Step 1. There are other ways I decorate the hats. They take a little bit of time to make but afterward you can keep them and bust them out for any party to make it extra festive.
DIY HAIR NECKLACE In this beautiful world of buns + top knots, we’re always searching for ways to mix it up. Today’s DIY helps us do just that! Making hair jewelry can be really fun & it’s very likely that you’ll have most of these supplies already at home! You can take apart an inexpensive multi-strand chain necklace that you don’t wear anymore, or if you don’t have that you can go to a bead shop where they sell chain and necklace making supplies. Here’s how I created this golden goodness: photos+ tutorial by Kristin Ess TOOLS: Wire cutters, flat-head pliers, thin gold wire, strands of necklace chain, a brass loop, a small hair comb + a bobby pin that matches your hair color. Open the brass loop.String your first chain on to the loop.Continue stringing chain until you have as many as you want on there. Related posts:
Silk-Dyed Eggs {aka TIE-Dyed!} I posted this tutorial a few years ago and it has become somewhat of a tradition to bring it back every year! One of our family Easter traditions is dying eggs with pieces of silk. I saw a cute lady show Martha how to do it a few years ago and I ran upstairs right then to steal a tie! It’s way cooler than those cups of neon liquid that end up all over your clothes, your furniture and your hands plus it gives you an excuse to rid a man’s closet of ugly ties. Here’s the run-down: You need 100% silk for this to work. I try to find an assortment of colors and patterns. Usually it will tell you if it’s 100% silk right on the main label of the tie, but a lot of them don’t, and if that’s the case, check that little tiny end, it’s usually hiding there. The first step is to deconstruct the tie. Next you cut a piece large enough to cover an egg. Now, notice how I tied the eggs in the above photo- with the tie on the top of the long side of the egg. I wish eggs came like this at the grocery store.