do-it-yourself jewelry storage « Monaluna Okay, yes, I’m on a storage kick these days. Have I mentioned that our house is kind of small? With very few surfaces on which to put stuff? I bought a much-needed jewelry box the other day, and when I got it home I realized there was no place to put it. Seriously. The only real surface is our dresser, which is now in the baby’s room serving as a changing table. I started by measuring out the layout, considering the length of the necklaces I had, how many earring hooks I wanted, and where I wanted the mesh screen placed. Then I screwed in the hooks, staggering the earring hooks and necklace hooks so that they wouldn’t interfere. I made a little box for post earrings and rings out of the scrap molding, and glued it together with gorilla glue and clamps. I glued the plywood backing to the frame using the gorilla glue, and then painted the whole thing white. Labels: there are no tags for this entry
little guiding stars Since the new year has started I’ve been trying to think of ways to be more kind to my self. Especially when that nasty gremlins try to creep in and stump me. I remembered this origami star video on You Tube and had to get them involved in my plan. I thought it would be fun to make a whole bunch with kind words and “you are….” phrases inside. I used 12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper and cut 1/2 x 12″ strips, then followed the video HERE*. *UPDATE! Be Sociable, Share! The Art of Homemaking: All Natural Lip Balm The week leading up to the new year wasn't exactly how I had pictured it. It was the last week of the boys winter break. I had envisioned walks around downtown looking at the lights, taking down the Christmas tree together, continuing our holiday baking marathon and maybe even a little post Christmas mall browsing. But alas, none of those things happened. The flu happened. Or rather, what I guess must have been the flu. Thankfully, I had made a big batch of lip balm the week before Christmas to give as little handmade gifts to my girlfriends. This recipe is super simple. The recipe came from this blog last year and I tweaked it a bit and she grabbed it from this book where she had tweaked it a bit. Sweet Orange Lip Balm 8 Tablespoons Coconut Oil 3 Tablespoons Beeswax 1.5 Tablespoons Raw Honey 30 drops Sweet Orange essential oil (if you want color) 1/2 stick of natural lipstick (I like Jane Iredale and Josie Moran) Remove mixture from heat, and add peppermint oil and lipstick.
DIY Tassel Charm Bracelet Make no mistake, there are loads of tassel jewelry tutorials out there, like this bracelet or this one. (Seriously, just google "DIY tassel bracelet.") While I risk over-saturating the DIY tassel jewelry market, I'm going to throw my hat into the ring with this project. It's not as tasseled out as my DIY tassel necklace a few weeks back, I love how dainty these little tassels are. Tools and Materials: Embroidery thread Chain (long enough to reach around your wrist)Fold over crimp endsJump ringsClaspEarring wires (if making earrings) Pliers and scissors (not pictured) Wrap thread around your fingers several times to make a bundle. Place one end of the bundle in the fold-over crimp end. Trim the bundle and even out the ends. Attach the fold-over ends onto a jump ring and add to one end of the chain. You can also string the tassels and jump ring onto a necklace or attach to ear wires to make earrings.
Easy as 1 2 3 So you guys know that I'm a big dork right? Yeah like it's a big secret or something... this chick here (pointing at myself)... she's a DORK!! I was talking with Jeanne the other day.... ok by talking I mean emailing... So you tell me dear readers... is ichatting and emailing talking ... or is talking only on the phone or in person??? OK that was totally not where I was heading with this post... back to me being a dork and talking with Jeanne. Her response: "The vest sounds... interesting. So Jeanne... this one is for you!! Slice your tshirt straight across right under the arm pits (lay flat on a table and cut through both layers). Lay your rectangle of fabric flat and then slice a straight line in the center as shown below... the length will depend on how wide your back is. OK you're done! So the idea for this came from a friends blog post (thanks Vanessa!)... Like this post?
DIY Massage Bars » Humblebee & Me These bars are great. They come together in an instant, mold wonderfully into any shape you need, and melt right at body temperature. The beeswax and cocoa butter smell wonderful, and they do a great job of moisturizing your skin and slicking up a massage. I find measuring cups make great molds for these bars; you can pour a centimeter or two of the molten mixture into the bottom of a cup (proportionate to the size of the cup). 1 part beeswax 1 part cocoa butter 1 part liquid oil Essential oils, as desiredMelt everything together.
Make a Pretty Pouf Ottoman Gather your Tools Your first step is to gather your materials and tools for the project. Here's what you'll need: Materials: - Printouts of the pattern (see below) - Scissors - Tape - 2 Yards of 54-inch-wide linen burlap - 1 old light solid-color bed sheet -- any size (or 3 yards of 45-inch-wide muslin) - Straight pins - Sewing machine - 1 spool (125 yards) heavy duty/upholstery thread to match burlap - 2 large garbage bagsfull of fabric items for stuffing (old clothing, worn towels, fabric scraps) - 1 5# box of fiberfill - 1 roll fusible-web tape - Large embroidery or straight upholstery needle - 4 skeins embroidery floss to match or contrast fabric Patterns: Download and print the patterns (number of copies of each shape needed is indicated on each pattern). Using tape, piece together the larger pattern following the instructions. Piece and tape together the octagon pattern.
25 Handmade Gifts Under $5 If your gift list is long and your budget is small here are some great Handmade Gifts that you can make. Keep in mind that handmade items are not just beautiful but special… I love to give them and I love to receive them. Jersey Knit Bracelet Lovely! This would make a perfect gift for any of your girlfriends. You can choose the colors and recycle t-shirts that you have around the house. Cheap and cute! tutorial Paper Clip Earrings Tutorial This is a brilliant idea… and the possibilities are endless. Love it! Printed Candles Who doesn’t love a candle? Think about how many different stamps you could use to customize this project. tutorial Hot Chocolate Art! What a great gift for neighbors and teachers… I am personally a hot chocolate lover so this would make a great gift for me tutorial Tile Coaster You can buy these plain tiles at Home Depot for under a dollar. I’ve seen them with family pictures also… Way cute! tutorial Bow Belt I was amazed how easy this tutorial was. So Pretty! tutorial Paper Plate Clock Cheap?
Hot Tiger Balm Massage Bar » Humblebee & Me I made these bars just before my first ski trip in two years. Pathetic, I know. I live at the foot of the Canadian Rockies and I work in the outdoor industry, and yet it’s been two years since I’ve hit the slopes. Ever since I made my own white tiger balm I’ve been thinking about ways to add some oomph. Next up, peppermint and camphor powder. Camphor powder is actually crystalline, and could be confused with sugar—until you catch a whiff of it, that is. Neither peppermint powder or camphor powder are oil soluble, so I had to settle for a suspension. My last addition was a small handful of dried white beans. The result is a beautifully hot massage bar that amps up circulation like there’s no tomorrow. 25g cocoa butter 25g beeswax5g camphor essential oil 6g cajuput essential oil 4g menthol essential oil 2g cassia essential oil 8g spearmint essential oil1 tsp peppermint powder 1 tsp camphor powderMelt the beeswax and cocoa butter together in a small saucepan over low heat.
Printing Leather jewelry DIY I already posted a sneak preview on my facebookpage about this tutorial and I finally got the chance to share it with you! I am very excited about this tutorial, because I think it's one of my favorites so far. I've made many DIY's for my blog and I have enjoyed doing each and every one of them, but this one is something that I designed myself and am actually proud of! It's hard not to be critical about something you've made or designed, but this is the first time that I'm very happy with the end result without any 'buts' :) The tutorial shows you how to transfer your favorite image onto leather. So here's the fantastic tutorial: Supplies: T-shirt transfer paper | Leather scraps | scissors | iron | baking paper | jewelry accessories | something to make a hole in the leather 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. All done! Pictures by Lana
Turn Your T-Shirts Into Tote Bags - Brit & Co. - Style If you’re still busy spring cleaning, we’re guessing you’ve come across a lot of t-shirts that you can’t quite get rid of but don’t really need. Naturally, it”s time to repurpose! Today we’ll show you a ridiculously easy way to turn your t-shirts into eco-friendly reusable tote bags inspired by similar DIY projects found on Leethal and HonestlyWTF. The greatest thing about this project is that it’s pretty likely you’ve got all the materials at home. Materials: - t-shirt - scissors - safety pin Pick out an old t-shirt, grab some scissors, and a large safety pin. Cut of the sleeve of the t-shirt as if you were making a tank top. Fold the t-shirt in half lengths-wise and use it as a template to cut the other side. Cut off the collar in a U-shape, going about 4-6 inches deep. Make 2 or 3 slits in bottom seam, making sure not to cut through the stitch. Taking the leftover sleeves, trim a couple strips of fabric about 1 inch wide. Scrunch the fabric together to make a circle. Voila!