honeycomb storage shelves These honeycomb shelves came our way at a perfect time — not only do they satisfy my need for cheerful spring colors, but they also provide a great storage solution to alleviate spring-cleaning woes. Sarah and Josh, the creative husband-and-wife photographers behind Arrow & Apple, whipped up these pretty hexagonal shelves for free using salvaged cabinet doors and brackets. They really lucked out on the color palette of the old cabinets, and I love the mix of painted and unpainted pieces. Luckily, recreating this look is easier than you think. Thanks for sharing, Sarah and Josh! — Kate CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Josh and I just moved from a two-bedroom house to a tiny 250-square-foot cabin and were in severe need of practical storage! Materials wood at least 5″ thick and 10″ long (we used reclaimed cabinet doors)wood glueL-brackets and screwsbrad nailer with 2″ bradstable sawchop saw (to cut angles)paint (if you want to paint your cabinet with different colors) 1. 2. 3.
ashley’s vintage-suitcase coffee table I have three vintage suitcases gathering dust in the back of my closet, so I could not be happier to see a luggage DIY project from the talented Ashley Poskin. We featured her burlap chair in our Before & After column last August, and her signature salvage style is back again in this lovely coffee table. My favorite part? The hidden storage. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Two years ago, my husband and I opened our barber shop with three basic style goals in mind: (1) Stay true to our love of vintage. (2) Spend next to nothing! Materials Waddell straight top plate hardware (4)Waddell 4″ tapered table legs (4)vintage suitcasespray paint or stain for the legspower drillmeasuring tape Instructions 1. 2. 3. Tips If you want to be SUPER green, keep your eyes peeled for a table with similar “screw-in” legs at a thrift shop or yard sale.
genevieve’s platform sofa Furniture DIYs are not something we get very often, but I love it when we do. It’s great to see people tackle larger projects with great results, and then find out how they did it! This platform sofa was created by Genevieve Dellinger as a chic, inexpensive alternative to the sofas on the market. Using a platform bed base and some foam, Genevieve whipped up this comfortable couch in almost no time at all. The platform that Genevieve used here — the Tolga base by Ikea — is sadly no longer produced. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials a base (I used the Tolga single-bed base from Ikea, which sadly was recently discontinued. Instructions For the Seat 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. For the Bolsters 1. 2. 3. For the Pillows 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
vintage trophy coat rack This project has made me so enamored of old trophies that I may have to devote an entire Treasure Hunting post to them, although I’m not sure I could top this re-purposing idea. When paired with a nicely finished piece of hard wood, the shiny metallic trophies actually look modern and . . . classy? Not something I thought I would ever say about a sports trophy. Thank you so much for sharing this idea with us, Colleen! Have a DIY project you’d like to share? CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Eric and I just moved into a new apartment a few months ago and have slowly been making it our own. Materials Instructions 1. 2. (Note: The Forstner bit creates a center indent that can be used as a guide for drilling the mounting holes using the 1/4” drill bit. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
tramp art frames The history of tramp art woodworking has its mysteries. Some say it’s the work of self-taught hobos; others say it’s the work of detail-oriented craftsmen. The main method of wood carving used in this art form is called chip carving. Chip carving creates notches and pyramid shapes into your wood material. I am a huge fan of self-taught and outsider art. For more information on the history of Tramp Art, click here to check out Amy’s Past + Present post on the topic. Read the full how-to after the jump! Materials cutting boardX-Acto kniferulerbalsa wood1/2″ steel metal pyramidsphoto frames (I used the IKEA NYTTJA; it fits the 1/2″ studs nicely.)strong glue (I suggest E6000.)spray paintmedium-grit sand paper Instructions 1. 2. 3. Here are samples of how to achieve some basic tramp art looks. Here is an example of how to decorate the more elaborate frame: 4. 5. You’re done!
D*S diy projects for ladies’ home journal A few months ago, we were asked to contribute some holiday gift DIY projects to the December/January issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. The magazine has just hit stands, and our projects are now available to view on their website! Some of these are variations on past projects, while others — like the vintage book tablet case and the coiled rope bowls — are brand spankin’ new. If you have any free time over the holiday weekend, you should definitely consider these projects for getting a jump start on your holiday gift-making. My cat was so pissed that he couldn’t sit on the fish-shaped cat scratch pad before it went off to be photographed that I know what I’ll be working on next :) Click here to view the projects and full instructions. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday everyone! Image above: A trio of coiled rope nesting bowls in gold and neutrals make a chic, easy hostess gift. Image above: Make a vintage book iPad or e-reader case with a linen lining.
giant paper flowers from ruche You may remember the wedding of our lovely D*S contributor Brittany Watson Jepsen. Her huge paper blooms made such a splash that she started selling them in her shop, and just recently Brittany wrote a great article for Brooklyn Bride about the paper flower trend. I’m thrilled that this is a growing phenomenon; I adore anything made in exaggerated scale, so I feel that the more giant flowers and plants there are in the world, the better. This particular giant-flower DIY project comes from the creative team at Ruche. Our creative team brainstormed ways to turn our spring lookbook, Enchantment, into a daydream. Read the full how-to after the jump! Materials plastic cupscementapprox. 5” wide stucco cornerapprox. 20-gauge tie wiregloves and wire cutterstape, glue, and scissorstissue paperdried mosszip ties Instructions Making the stem: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Making the leaves: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Making the flowers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. You’re done!
mail basket Spontaneous piles seem to form around my house. Mail is probably the most often piled culprit. Why worry about opening mail and filing it when you can stack it up for a week? If you feel the same but are looking for a way to appease the neat freaks in your life, why not make a cool-looking basket for it? See the full how-to after the jump! Materials 5/8″ wide hardwood dowel1 x 2 hardwood boardleather strapsheavy waxed threadtacks Tools sawdrill presspocket screw jigdrilltack hammerleather hole punch or awlheavy waxed threadleather needle Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
tae’s cup holder coffee table i’ve always wanted to live in a loft, not only for their airy spacious qualities, but also because i love industrial style furniture, and hard as i try, i cannot seem to make it work in my 1920′s apartment (blast those crooked lines and over abundant molding!). i love tae’s cup holder coffee table because it’s a little taste of industrial chic that could work well in living spaces of all sizes. not too big, not too small, and (as you might have guessed from this) i am a sucker for using pipe and flange for just about anything around the house. awesome work, tae! -kate CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! this project was inspired by a cafe table spotted in kanazawa, japan, and fueled by the need for some kind of hard surface to prevent drink spillage while potato couching. it’s the perfect fit for our tiny living room and l-shaped couch. i love the mix of bright glossy paint and industrial pipe and flange. buddy seems to dig it too :) enjoy! Instructions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.