Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: jessica’s postage stamp coasters I’m getting ready to go running off to complete the zillion post-holiday errands I have on my plate, but I decided I simply must add the supplies for this project to my shopping list. Jessica is a graphic designer by trade, which is clear to see from her choice of prints for these adorable coasters that she whipped up in no time. Jessica found these images on the flickr site of Karen Horton. Karen has amassed a treasure trove of amazing images of old postage stamps and labels. With a few simple materials, Jessica fashioned these “jumbo stamp” fabric coasters, complete with perfectly pinked edges. This is the perfect project for a laid-back weekend, especially because Jessica and Karen have graciously made the stamp designs available for download. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials: Instructions: 1. (note: images in PDF are reversed so they will transfer properly) 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
How to Sew a Fabric Bowl January 14th, 2009 Email 566 users recommend Use your fabric bowl to store notions, buttons, jewelry, or other small trinkets. Linda Permann To start, cut one short edge of any fabric strip at a 45-degree angle. Once you have the first bit wrapped securely, place the end under the foot of your sewing machine. Photo: Linda Permann Sew up a sweet and soft coiled bowl to stow all your notions, threads, and more. Here's what you'll need to get started: 50 feet of 1/4-inch- to 3/8-inch-diameter cotton clothesline. The basic idea is that you are going to build the bowl by coiling the clothesline around itself by sewing each successive coil to the previous coil. When you are close to the end of the fold, put the needle down, raise the foot, and pivot your work, turning the folded end to the left. When you are about 4 inches from the end of your wrapped clothesline, stop sewing with your needle down (to hold the work in place). Continue to sew, wrap, and add new strips of fabric as necessary.
diy wednesdays: door organizer we tend to subscribe to the “a place for everything, and everything in its place” philosophy, but when it came to derek’s running-out-the-door essentials (phone, notebook, pen) we hadn’t quite worked out a solution. this fused felt door-handle organizer was a super simple way to eliminate a frantic and frustrating search from our morning routine. have fun!derek & lauren CLICK HERE for the full project instructions after the jump… Derek and Lauren’s Door Organizer here’s what you’ll need: -3 pieces of 9″x 12″ pre-cut felt -9″x12″ piece of double-sided fusible webbing -scissors circle template that measures the same size as your doorknob (we used the bottom of a drinking glass) pen or chalk sewing machine or needle & thread 1. cut out 3 pieces of felt that are approximately the same size. 2. cut out two pieces of double-sided fusible webbing that are slightly smaller than the felt. 4. square up all the edges with your scissors until all three pieces are exactly the same size.
blog: Stamps Archives MAKE Flickr photo pool member funnypolynomial made some awesome stamps from the future (Faster than light travel and turing, PostScript source and PDFs included) - I can’t remember the exact genesis, but one day recently the idea of “Stamps from the Future” popped into my head. I thought, what kinds of things would people commemorate on postage stamps in the near or distant future? My first thought was travelling Faster Than Light (FTL). More: And… we’re launching a newsletter version of the “News from the Future” category on MAKE (and from the print magazine) so – go and sign up. Subscribers, log in and read’em all! News From the Future from MAKE: 08: Toys and Games. Phillip Torrone Editor at large – Make magazine. Related
Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: aunt peaches’ straw cluster chandelier Believe it or not, I have a drawer full of old drinking straws — superfluous craft supplies are an occupational hazard. So I was thrilled to see this straw chandelier project come across my desk, because now I can use them for something beautiful! As those of you who saw Aunt Peaches’ coffee filter flowers know, she is a genius when it comes to creating elegant designs out of mundane materials; so good, in fact, that often you can’t tell what the material is at first glance. This straw chandelier is no exception. It reminds me of the garland light by Tord Boontje — I love the energy of the little straw bursts and the beautiful irregularity of the shape. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials one bolt of 24-gauge wire120 drinking straws1 yard of 10-gauge wire (you can also use an old wire lamp shade or heavy gauge wire coat hanger) Time: 3–5 hours, depending on size and scissor skills (80% of time is spent cutting straws) Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Split Chain - step by step instructions Tat the first part of the chain in the normal way, to the point where you want the two shuttle threads to meet. Join the core thread to the base of the first ring with a lock join and leave enough thread to work the 5 stitches needed to complete the chain, back towards the last chain stitch worked. Always leave a little less thread, as this will stretch as you work the backward stitches. Using the core thread shuttle, pull a loop of thread, from the back, to the front, taking great care not to twist the loop. Gently pull the shuttle thread until the loop is much smaller and then push the loop under the chain towards the back. Pull the loop at the back, gently reducing the thread and you will see the first half of the stitch taking shape. Draw all the way until the first half of the stitch is tightly into position, taking great care not to twist the new loop that is forming. Thread the shuttle, from the front to the back, through this new loop. First double stitch completed.
vintage-style book dustcovers Looking at this picture, can you tell which of these books are actually hardbound? I’m not super fussy over the books on my shelves, but I will admit that sometimes a really garish or unattractive book spine will jump out from the bunch and irritate me every time I walk by. I don’t think I would ever take the leap to cover all of my books, but I really like the idea of using these nifty deceptive hardbound dustcovers by Alex Cobbe to gussy up the real eyesores in my collection. Alex used a few inexpensive materials — construction paper, a ruler, a gold pen — to quickly turn her collection of paperbacks into a library of classics — even the Chuck Norris book looks like a masterpiece :) This would be a fun rainy day activity, and the possibilities for customizing this look are endless. Have a DIY project you’d like to share? Materials construction paper (enough to cover your books)rulerscissorspencil and eraserthin gold pengold markeradhesive (Elmer’s or archival glue) Instructions 1. 2. 3.
{Tutorial} 3D Stamp + Cut Paper Garland by Guusje Wannet of Ontwerpfabriek Appeltaart I love making garlands. They are festive, fun and easy to make. They make a great gift and you can customize them really easy. You’ll need: Cutting boardScalpel/blade (or scissors)Stamps (I made my own, but you can use any you like, preferably symmetrical)Ink padGood quality craft PaperNeedle and thread & a cord Cut out your prints with a scalpel and print the back too. Take two identical prints. In the first print, you cut a vertical line from center to top, in the second print from centre down. Fold your cut out prints together. The easiest way is to hang a cord in the right room and on the right place where the garland is supposed to be. Assemble together & done! Thank you Guusje for making us this amazing tutorial!
Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: peaches’ coffee filter flowers turning humble materials into something beautiful is an admirable skill. whenever you think you’ve seen the prettiest thing, something else comes along and blows your mind! these gorgeous blossoms are similar to the ones sold in kits that are made with tissue paper, but even tissue paper can be kind of pricey, and it doesn’t always come in the full range of colors you want. enter these amazing coffee filter flowers by aunt peaches! a recycled art specialist who works with a healthy dose of wacky fun, peaches makes flowers from materials most people toss in the waste bin. if you’re planning any end of summer parties, consider making some of these colorful flowers to scatter on your table. click here to read more about peaches’ flowers and see some of the other amazing colors she has made. great job, peaches! CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials: for 10 grapefruit size paper peony flowers time: 1 hour to dye and assemble + 3 hours drying time. Instructions: 1. 2. 4. 5.
Crochet-Covered Easter Eggs –a DIY tutorial After finally tackling how to crochet rocks from a pattern, I got it in my brain that I wanted to create my own crochet motif for a rock. That way, I figured I could easily do an original tutorial for you all. Then, it occurred to me, like a lightbulb, that crocheting rocks is an awful lot like crocheting on top of an egg–how fun! and just in time for easter. Crocheting the egg was quite similar to crocheting on a stone and all of it quite easier than I ever thought it would be. I think they provide a beautiful, natural look for Easter, though you could certainly do them in other colors as well. I have not quite figured out how to read or create a crochet chart at this point, so I apologize to those for whom chart patterns is the way they work. UPDATE! I had a ball making these. Materials: Size 10 crochet thread Size 7 (1.5mm) needle Hard boiled eggs Abbreviations: ch: chain sc: single crochet sts: stitches sl st: slip stitch tc: triple crochet Round 1: Make a chain 10 sts long.