whenever we’re thinking about making a project, we always look around the house to see what materials we’ve got on hand. normally that means using a random piece of cork, or a surplus scrap of fabric. this week was a little different. we’ve had a lovely bottle of fleur de sel that derek’s parents gave us earlier this year, and inspired by a random conversation we were having with grace about salt, we decided to make these ridiculously decadent fleur de sel caramels. coupled with a simple origami nesting box made out of a leftover piece of wrapping paper, we’ve got ourselves the perfect gift for a friend’s birthday party this weekend. click here for the full project and instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
-derek & lauren

read more …

ever since we bought our first piece of “grown-up” furniture (a teak dining room table) we’ve done our best to protect its surface. these cork and felt coasters are a cinch to make, and do a fantastic job protecting the wood from those inevitable water rings made by our drinking glasses and coffee mugs. click here for the full project instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
-derek & lauren

read more …

the lovely amy holbrook sent over a link to this great diy project that the gang at purl soho completed using her needle point sketchbooks. the books are meant to be completed and customized on your own and purl decided to fully post the step-by-step project. click here for the full project and here to pick up one of amy’s sketchbooks. (ps: who can resist that hable construction bead fabric in the back? it’s one of my favorite fabrics of all time- i never get tired of seeing it)

this is a simple project that combines two of our favorite elements about crafting: using leftover supplies from a previous project (in this case, the yarn) and reusing something that was on its way to our recycle bin (the glass vase). yesterday morning as derek and i were brainstorming ideas for this week’s diy wednesday project, he came up with the idea of wrapping a glass vase with various colors of yarn. fortunately we had a few leftover skeins from last weekend’s weaving workshop at the store, and i was able to fashion this yarn-wrapped vase out of some brown and green in a matter of minutes. since the flowers i picked up lent themselves to the ’70s rec room vibe that was going on with the brown and green, i thought this would be a good bouquet for a boy and plan on giving it to derek to keep on his desk at work this week! click here for the full project instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
lauren (& derek too!)

read more …

our love of knickknacks, thingamajigs and ephemera is outweighed only by our hatred of clutter. which means whenever we pick up yet another objet we’d better find a spot for it. we fashioned this mini shadow box out of a simple cardboard gift box to house a little assemblage whose contents can be changed on a whim depending on what treasures we happen to find lying about. click here for the full project instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
-derek & lauren

read more …

we’ve always loved customizing our clothing with tiny embroidered accents. a discreet script monogram on a collar, or just a simple running stitch along the edge of a shirt or dress can turn even the most ordinary garment into something truly unique. the same applies to your home. adding a touch of personality with a needle and thread is a fun way to draw attention to those otherwise invisible elements around your house, like these simple white curtains. click here for the full instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
-derek & lauren

read more …

i’m so thrilled to announce that my first column for craft magazine is out! in addition to helping out at domino, i’m joining the craft team to write a diy-based article for each issue. my first article is in the august issue which is out on stands now. click here to visit craft online or check out a copy in person at your local magazine store.

a just found out another friend of mine is having a baby so i’ve got nursery decorations on the brain lately (which isn’t helping my baby-crazy-late-20s phase). i saw this fun mobile at spool a while back and have had it bookmarked for ages, hoping i’d find an excuse to make one. and now i have one! you can download the pattern for each fabric bird right here and then pick up some (clean, fallen) twigs from your backyard and use clear fishing wire to hang each bird. it’s a great way to use up leftover fabric (or those super-fun fabric packs from purl) and give a homemade, customized gift. click here for the full post at spool.