this diy project is inspired by one of my favorite ceramic artists, sarah cihat. i found most of my plates and candlesticks at goodwill. i also used some of those little vases you get when someone gives you flowers, which normally i think are ugly, but here they seem to have found a purpose! i left many of the cakestands bare because i love the original plate designs. if you aren’t happy with the plate or base you can always paint them, or give them a graphic silhouette design (instructions below) like sarah’s rehabilitated dishware. so, if you’re ready to create your own diy cakestands (which operate well as cupcake-stands, too!) click here for the full instructions. happy crafting! -kate

i always have a few small swatches of fabric sitting around the house (i’m a habitual purl soho and repro depot shopper) so this diy project is right up my alley. jessica jones at how about orange sent over her office supplies makeover project and we both thought it would be fun to share here. so, if you’ve got some office supplies that need sprucing up and a little spare time, click here to read the full instruction for this project. happy crafting! [thanks, jessica!]

today’s final diy project (and the project before!) comes from kate pruitt, an artist based in oakland california. kate’s diy crafty-ness landed her in the finalist roundup (twice!) for the 2008 diy contest and today she’s sharing a new project: canister makeovers. kate will be joining us while derek and lauren are on posting-vacation so i hope you’ll help me welcome her to the site! her introduction, material list and instructions are below, just click here for kate’s full post or click “read more” below. thanks, kate!

from kate: i love everything about candy stores, but i think it’s the endless, neatly lined rows of glass jars that appeal to me most. i wanted to recreate that aesthetic at home but give them a little more color. we use these to store our pastas, rice and other dry groceries, but you could use these in craft rooms, offices, stores, etc. or fill them with candy! the steps for this project are simple and perfect for a weekend activity. click here for the full project!

if you’re like me and live in a rental, it can be tough to deal with the less-than-ideal features of your home. without the ability to replace tile, wallpaper, or event paint it can be difficult to personalize your home the way you’d like. but today’s diy project (from designer kate pruitt) is all about working with what you have. kate wasn’t in love with her old fireplace so she decided to use jenny wilkinson’s pink ‘hammerhead sharks‘ wallpaper to cover up the dark tile. using little more than foam core, a little glue and an xacto blade, kate was able to create a custom look that won’t cut into her apartment’s deposit when she moves. kate has shared her full project instructions and materials below so click here for the full post (or just click “read more” below). thanks, kate!

today’s first diy project has gone to the dogs- well, pampered dogs that is. if you love your pet as much as julia custer norris does, you might be interested in building a custom diy feeder like she did. julia explains, “when my dog auggie became big enough that we needed to raise the feed bowls off the floor, i came up with this design for an elevated feeder. it’s a great way to re-use wooden crates, and auggie insists on vintage, so we chose an antique wooden crate for the project.” i love any project that lets you reuse found materials in a clever way so i thought this would be a fun project for the pet-lovers in the audience. julia has shared her full instructions below so just click here for the full post (or click “read more” below). if you’d rather buy something pre-made, julia sells her dog feeders right here at the handmade green. [thanks, julia!]

we love living in san francisco. this city is just chock-full of fun, talented, and friendly folks. one of them is our pal lorena siminovich, the artist and proprietress behind the oh-so-lovely petit collage. lorena’s got a great eye for color, and we’re big fans of her bold, graphic work. this week, we were the lucky recipients of a quick lesson in diy furniture collage from a true master of the form. thanks lorena! click here for the full post with instructions or just click “read more” below.

-derek & lauren

ps: we are going to be taking a few weeks off to finish up a couple super exciting projects we’re working on. thanks so much for all the diy & crafty fun. see you in a few weeks! (ed note: during the curiosity shoppe’s posting vacation we’ll have new diy projects contributed by a special guest editor)

[portrait of lorena by lisa congdon]