» ashleyannphotography.com Creativity is essential for me as an individual, spouse, mom & friend. However, with five kiddos running crazy in the house I don’t have lots of time for projects that can’t be finished during nap time. Below you will find some of the diy posts I’ve done in the past. Most are my unique ideas. A few are inspired by someone else, the tutorials will give credit where it is due. If you take the time to make one of my diy projects, please share a photo with me on facebook or instagram.
Heather Bullard: {DIY} Mason Jar Soap Dispenser I made this Mason Jar Soap Dispenser to use on my potting bench. I'm always needing to wash my hands after working in the garden and this sturdy jar should last me a lifetime of hand scrubbing. I think it would look just as great in a bath or kitchen and I thought some of you might want to make one too. Here's how to do it: Gather your supplies...old plastic soap bottle, mason jar, 2 part epoxy, drill, scissors and marker. A box cutter also came in handy in removing the top of the soap bottle. Cut off the top of the soap bottle leaving the screw threading intact. Mix the epoxy according to the package directions and apply to lower rim of bottle top. Lastly, insert the pump through the hole and screw tightly to secure. UPDATE: For those of you who can't seem to understand humor or sarcasm the "find a man" reference is a joke.
New Clutches From A Vintage Suitcase A year or so ago my friend Chris gave me this tiny vintage suitcase. Originally, it had belonged to his older sister when they were children. It was so pretty, I had to take it! Unfortunately, the zipper was beyond repair so up until now it's been serving as storage for my daughter's artwork. Now that her art pile has outgrown the suitcase it seemed liked a good time to give this thing an upgrade while creating a summer staple for myself! Materials: -small suitcase -cotton thread -oversized button -large vintage adornment (optional) Preparing The Material Step 1: The first step is to separate the useable material from the suitcase's frame. Step 2: Insert one of the scissor blade into the hole and cut the rest of the way around. When you're done with steps 1 and 2, the panel you'd like to use should be completely separate from the rest of the suitcase. Step 3: Use a ruler and knife to straighten three of the fabric's sides (the two long sides and one of the short ones). Sewing It Up
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.
Perfect Summer Bangle - StumbleUpon Here's a fun tutorial on how to make a message bangle that's one-of-a-kind, done in the sun, waterproof and weatherproof. Even after several trips to the beach, it won't fade or wash off! Essentially, it's the Perfect Summer Bangle. Used in this tutorial: Inkodye Red Prepare. Transcribe. Perfect. Pour. Brush. Wipe. Wrap. Tape. Expose. Develop. Cut. Reveal. Wash. Enjoy. Vively Online: A Pretty Free Project - Paper Medallion Wall Hanging "If you really wanted to, we could go and purchase some of the furniture brand new, you know", said my husband, as he sees me pick up yet another project. It's true. My husband brings in over 90% of the household income, and we have learned how to make do with this arrangement. The truth is, that when I put time and effort into something that I make, the joy (and pride?) makes me smile each time I look at it. I would have been happy to buy something like that. So, you know that High and Low comparisons that you sometimes see in magazines. I was browsing through images on google when I came across a picture of a beautiful bedroom with fur-like medallions on the wall. The result: Bwahaha! The project was free, if you don't count the glue gun and the electricity. The base was a 10" in diameter circle cut out of a cardboard box. I glued white poster board on it just in case the board peeks through. Then I rolled lots of paper and glued it as such: And then glue, and glue and glue!
Hand Embroidered Cards Look what I found in my desk drawer! I made these embroidered cards so long ago and then just tucked them away in a drawer to be forgotten about. What a shame! I thought these cards would make a great DIY for the blog because they're easy and fun to make, and you probably have all the supplies on hand already. If you're anything like me you have waaaaay too many colors of embroidery floss tucked away somewhere. What you'll need: Pencil for drawing your designPiece of thick cardboardEmbroidery flossSheets of blank paperEmbroidery needle and a pin with a headBlank Card Start by drawing out your design on a piece of thin blank paper. When I made my fruit cards, I actually used an iron-on transfer from Sublime Stitching, which is a really great book that you should all run out and buy right this very second. Now you can start poking holes along the lines using the pin with a head. Now comes the fun part! Once you're done, admire your work!
wednes-diy | Free People Clothing Boutique Blog - StumbleUpon UPDATE: This post originally ran on March 23 2011, but with summer winding down we wanted to bring it back up for some late summer inspiration! a fellow fp girl sent this to me a couple weeks back and i’ve been thinking about it ever since! i can think of a million reasons why these would be awesome… as apartment décor, as outdoor party décor, and – wouldn’t they be the best thing EVER for camping in general or at a festival? just let them sit in the sun all day, and they’ll last all night! i am absolutely going to make some to bring with me to bonnaroo this year. you can buy a sun jar here, but you can make your own for much cheaper! what you need: a mason jar with a clear glass lid like this one from ikea, a solar garden light like the ones pictured above, which i found here, adhesive and glass frosting spray. start by spraying the inside of the jar with the frosting spray – this will help diffuse the light and give it a warm glow. don’t spray the lid though! last image.
Free Pattern's Outline for a Crochet Necklace Well, this is quite different from the "Easiest Crochet Necklace" I've shown in the other post, and I've tried to write down an outline of this one's pattern.For any question just contact me.. I know that probably this is not so clear!Anyway, here it is: Materials:Less than one ball of any colour cotton yarn (worsted weight)4.00mm hook Necklace:Ch77, sc in second ch from hook and in the next 3chs.Ch76, sc in the 4th ch at the beg of previous ch loop, and in next 3chs, ch1, turn.Sc in first sc and in next 3 sc, ch80, sc in the 4 sc at the beg of previous row, ch1, turn.Sc in first sc and in next 3 sc, ch84, sc in the 4 sc at the beg of previous row, ch3 and sl st on the other side of the same closure piece to make a button hole.Sew a button on the opposite closure piece of the button hole.Make a flower of any kind (mines are just improvised!) I've made it even in a bright purple cotton yarn, and I'm really happy with the both.
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.
Fiona and Twig