This new years my cup runneth over and now my house is littered with corks and cages from a few too many bottles of bubbly. In honor of the dawning of a new year and decade, I’m bringing you my favorite dorky party trick- making an miniature wire chair from a champagne cage. Just want you’ve always needed, right? We here at Made with Love bear no responsibility for accidents arisen from attempting this project under the influence. Please craft responsibly. -Amy M.
unfortunately, the beginning of 2010 has me battling an epic cold, so the first few diys are going to be simple, mellow projects that you can do on a sick day or in front of a movie. i know that resolutions are kind of overwhelming, but i find that taking the time to complete a couple organization projects early really helps things go easier throughout the year.
i purchased one of those grocery list pads one year and while it was very cute, i found problems with it. it had a lot of things i never buy and not enough space to add things i always buy (like soy sausage and earl grey tea). plus the pad was so heavy it ripped and fell of my fridge…bummer. so i thought it would be fun to make a personalized grocery planner that i will always want to use because it is specific to my needs. i made a menu format and a simple list format; i plan to try out both. the majority of time spent on this project was on the computer, typing up the right list. after that, the cute clipboard and matching pen box are a snap. the pen box also holds all grocery receipts to help with budgeting: an organizational bonus! here’s to a healthy organized 2010! (as i cough and blow my nose for the hundredth time…) have fun! -kate
*DOWNLOADABLE versions of kate’s lists have been added below!
this gorgeous (and inexpensive) diy idea comes from stephanie sabbe or sabbespot. yesterday stephanie sent over a picture of a beautiful chevron wall she created- using contact paper! i originally thought the chevron pattern was painted or a wallpaper design, but i was blown away when i read it was everyday, run of the mill contact paper. contact paper is one of those materials that seems to be overlooked as a craft material sometimes, but its possibilities are endless. click here to read stephanie’s full how-to for the project. thanks, stephanie!
last week we learned how to make a beautiful indoor and outdoor birch wreath with the team from terrain at styer’s and today the terrain team is back with a beautiful twig how-to! kat bruni will be walking us through the steps of creating your own natural twig armature (like a support/cage) to surround your favorite holiday flowers and vases. this is a seriously fun and easy (!) project to tackle in just a few minutes- with such striking results. all you need are a few twigs, some wire and you’re good to go! so, if you’re ready to start crafting, just click “play” above. or click here to watch the video (and 15 other d*s videos) on youtube.
thank you so much again to everyone at terrain: melissa bartley, steve olszewski, kat bruni, melissa kissler-hoy, and lacey soslow for their help with this video. stay tuned next wednesday for the second project (a twig armature to go around your holiday flowers and vases). in the meantime you can visit (and shop) terrain right here.
Christmas is in 3 days and I hardly have time to properly feed and bathe myself, let alone write a thoughtful and complicated DIY project. So instead, I’m taking you home with me to wrap some presents. True fact- I have never purchased wrapping paper in my life, it seems so unnecessary when my scrap paper pile is always sky high. I have a proven 3 step method for wrapping presents, a simple paper found at home, a creative ribbon substitute with a tied on embellishment, easy and guaranteed cute every time! -amy m.
here’s a last minute idea for your gifts- wrapping them or making them! these log slices take mere minutes to complete if you have a saw and drill handy. you could also ask your local lumberyard to cut them for you if you don’t have a saw, because it’s just a few quick slices. you can add these to gifts or cards as extra decoration, or add them to sweaters, scarves or hats for a nice organic touch. i hope you have safe, relaxing, and happy holidays everyone! see you in january!! – kate
note: the screen printed faux bois wrapping paper is available from blankspace gallery in oakand.
this diy project is part diy, part before & after inspiration, but since we’re closing up shop tomorrow for the holidays i wanted to share this today.
d*s reader and blogger maria jones came across a “drop dead gorgeous nailhead zebra console table” at horchow for $3000 and fell in love. unable to manage the hefty price tag, maria’s “handy dandy” sister helped her create her own version, by crafting the wood herself and having maria contact paper it in zebra print. the final touch, nailheads, were added my maria’s husband for a total cost of $100. great work, you guys!
CLICK HERE for maria’s full how-to details after the jump!
i’ve really enjoyed the way e-books have allowed blogs and other crafters to release fun content that might not have otherwise been published. the team at curbly just released a great ebook called “make it! mid-century modern” that’s full of mid-century inspired projects. i personally love the napkins above the best, but there are lots of great ideas that let you put your own personal spin on this particular style. want to download a copy? just click here to buy ($9.90 – $18) and download/print your own.
*i’d love to go ahead and put a request out for a second book called make it: vintage/flea market chic. i’d love to see the curbly spin on working with vintage or found items. please?
last week i packed up a zipcar and drove down to glen mills, pennsylvania to visit terrain. terrain is a new garden and lifestyle shop from anthropologie that focuses on garden decor/accessories, plants, home decor, and landscaping services. i had been excited to visit the shop ever since i saw it on joy’s blog, and let me tell you- i was not disappointed. despite the rain and cruddy traffic, the shop (and its employees) were definitely worth the trip. in addition to the stunning interior and exterior (housed in the former styer nursery), the shop also has an amazingcafe. (if all of the d*s team lived in nyc, terrain’s cafe would be our holiday party location in a heartbeat)
after window shopping for hours i was thrilled to get to meet with the terrain team, and watch them complete not one, but two amazing holiday craft projects- just for us! their team came up with a beautiful birch wreath diy and twig armature project that we’ll be sharing over the next two weeks. today we’re focusing on the amazing birch wreath! if you’ve got 5 minutes you can learn how to create this stunning wreath and decorate it for both indoors (paperwhites and moss) and outdoors (succulents). if the size of the wreath feels a little daunting, don’t forget you can always make a smaller version by using smaller logs.
thank you so much to everyone at terrain: melissa bartley, steve olszewski, kat bruni, melissa kissler-hoy, and lacey soslow for their help with this video. stay tuned next wednesday for the second project (a twig armature to go around your holiday flowers and vases). in the meantime you can visit (and shop) terrain right here.
CLICK HERE to see the written-out directions after the jump (for those of you who can’t do video/audio at work)
Snipping paper snowflakes is my all time favorite holiday craft, best practiced while listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas on repeat. When you swap out the usual printer paper for paper doilies, the resulting snowflakes look extra lacey and ephemeral. String them together with clear fishing line and your suddenly transported to a winter wonderland not usually experienced by a short on time/short on money holiday decorator like myself. -amy m.
