Weaving a Complex Ojo de Dios Maybe you’ve made a god’s eye with a couple popsicle sticks at camp one summer in the hazy past, but have you considered the beautifully vast possibilities of this art form? South Carolina-based Etsy artist Jay Mohler has found a calling making Ojos de Dios (a.k.a. god’s eyes) with up to six sticks, twelve sides, and undulating intricate woven patterns. His creations are constructed from the very same humble materials that many of us associate with a camp craft — colorful yarn and sticks — plus, a healthy dose of ingenuity and a deep interest in Tibetan and Huichol artifacts and mandalas. For this week’s How-Tuesday, Jay has teamed up with local Etsy photographer Emily Munn to create a how-to designed to coach you through the process of crafting your own singular Ojo de Dios, transforming raw materials into a harmonious artwork. Ojos de Dios, which is Spanish for “Eyes of God,” are made from yarn and sticks by native peoples of Mexico and South America. Supplies You’ll Need: Directions:
DIY Satsuma Candle A friend of mine DIYed her own candles, made from the peels of Satsuma oranges, for a recent dinner party. I was so excited by this simple yet clever idea, I had to share the tutorial on HonestlyWTF. My only regret is not discovering this sooner when Satsumas were at their absolute peak in December. Hopefully, you’ll still be able to snatch up a few at your local grocery store or farmer’s market and impress your guests at your next dinner party! The stem side of the Satsuma will be the bottom and base of the candle. Lightly score a ring around the top 1/3 portion of the orange. Because Satsumas are known for their loosely attached peels, the orange should easily be removed. Once the flesh of the orange is taken out, the pith connecting the outer stem should remain. Pour a few glugs of olive oil into the orange, leaving just the very tip of the pith exposed. Depending on the length of the pith, the candle should burn for at least a couple of hours. (all images via HonestlyWTF)
Natural Wood Necklace Holder I found this genius idea to get my necklaces organized from and I thought I'd give it a go. 1. You will need a flat board to attach your knobs unto. You can be creative with this. For my board I'm using a piece of driftwood that I found at this beach on this trip. I got 4 out of my 5 knobs from our local habitat for humanity store for less than $1.00. 2. 3. 4. and now my necklaces are officially organized! See how I organized my earrings here. xo
TFF & FIC - Grilled Cheese Forever! This past month has been bewildering for me. It's gone by so fast, and I feel like I've accomplished so little! But I've enjoyed a lot of it, so I should satisfy myself with that. Anyway, back to grilled cheese (see?! The thing with Tyler is that he has excellent timing (hmmmmmmmmm, perhaps in more ways than one, eh?!). And now see the magic that Mother Nature has crafted, yet again! Tyler's Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (find original recipe on Food Network's site)Serves: 2 Click Here For Printable Recipe Ingredients8 slices rye bread4 quarter-inch slices of fresh mozzarella3 plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices1 cup fresh basil pesto, recipe follows (or use the store-bought stuff)Freshly ground black pepperExtra-virgin olive oil Basil pesto:1/2 cup pine nuts2 cups fresh basil leaves1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano2 garlic cloves1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Method: 1. 2. 3. 4.
How To: Create a Paper Cut Map of Your Favorite City Just Crafty Enough I have a thing for maps, especially city maps. I love the way that admiring a map instantly reminds you of the myriad of reasons you love the city you live in. It can also quickly take you back to an incredible journey you took long ago, or catapult you forward in a longing reverie of a far-away place yet to be visited. Like most things, I think I'll enjoy this paper cut map even more because I'll have made it myself, so I plan to give this project a try. This bright orange DIY map of Amsterdam from Just Crafty Enough has inspired me and the steps look simple enough: 1) Find a detailed (but not too detailed) map of your city of choice. 2) Use a thin black marker and a ruler to emphasize the lines that you are going to cut out. 3) Scan the map (with your markings) onto your computer and flip the image (so that the correct side will be outwardly facing when you mount it.) 4) Grab your exacto knife and cut away! 5) Spray adhesive onto your freshly-cut map and mount it.
Felt Slippers Homemade slippers of thick wool felt make a heartwarming (and foot-warming) gift. Felt is the ideal fabric to work with, since it won't unravel when cut. Felt Slippers How-To1. 2. 3. Woodgrain Magnetic Memo Board Curbly-Original Welcome to our newest blog series, My Total Office Makeover, in which Curbly's editor-in-chief, Chris Gardner, realizes that as a full-time design and craft blogger working from home, he'd better transform his second bedroom into an inspiring space where work can actually get done. Part IV: Getting Organized I need a clean desktop to stay focused, so I knew I would need a memo board to keep current projects, notes, ideas, and "don't lose me" documents. Here's how: Materials and Tools Basic magnetic memo boardwood grain contact paper (I could only find marble-y stuff at the hardware store, so I ordered mine from Amazon)Scissors and craft knifeBone folder or large metal spoonMeasuring tape 1. 2. 3. 4. See how easy that was?! I also applied a similar technique to a magnetic pencil cup (in a darker walnut finish), and to magnetic knife block to create a safe and attractive way to store my scissors and other cutting tools:
Easy Halloween Snacks: Candy & Caramel Apple Bites and Mummy Dogs (UPDATE: I've posted more from O's party! Don't miss our healthy caramel apple muffins, JD's homemade strong man costume, toddler craft table, O's DIY Baby Lion Costume & my reflection on O turning 1 and how JD handled it.) I have been scouring Halloween editions of magazines and Pinterest for easy Halloween snacks to serve at O's first birthday party. Here are a couple I've practiced recently. First, I attempted bite-sized caramel apples. So I planned to cut the apples into bite-size chunks and dip them in melted butterscotch chips. It was all going well until I got to the melting part. So it ended up pretty lumpy, but very yummy.Since that wasn't the look I was going for, I picked up these mixes at the store hoping to simplify things. Take 2! I read a tip to dry the apple pieces to help the caramel stick, but caramel did still pool at the bottom a bit more than I would like. And even easier are the Mummy Dogs (another idea from a pin). Any other pins I should be trying out?