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.
these embroidered logs are inspired by the charming lino prints of hugo guinness. i wanted my father’s christmas gift a “portrait-through-objects” (he loves gardening and he always loses his glasses). do not be dissuaded by the power drill; these are super easy to make. they are fast and enjoyable, a good movie time or rainy day project. have fun!! – kate
a few months ago when theamys and i went to brimfield, i was surprised to learn that those pretty linen chairs with the printed numbers on them were actually stamped. i had always assumed they were upholstered with some sort of fabric, or vintage bags, that already had markings on them. while some of them are, the vendor we spoke to (who had tons of these things) said that most of the ones you see these days are actually stamped. so when i heard from d*s reader deepa, i knew just how to answer her “how do i get one of these chairs?” question: make one!
so i was thrilled to hear back from deepa yesterday to see the final result. deepa created a stamp and worked with an existing chair and added a french linen fabric (a lucky score at a local fleamarket). the finished product looks so much like the vintage pieces you see in antique stores that i couldn’t resist sharing her basic how- to here. whether you’re working with an elegant french chair, or looking to staple gun a simple dining chair or stool with burlap/linen, the look is remarkably easy to create- all you need is fabric paint, a stencil and a little elbow grease. thanks so much to deepa for sharing! *click here to learn how to make the paper wreath above deepa’s chair!*
i’ve seen so many beautiful rustic wreath ideas this year, that i thought it would be fun to switch it up a bit and share this fun project from emily at thirty-eight 20. emily sent over her “technicolor ornament wreath” project and i couldn’t resist. it’s a great way to make use of inexpensive ornaments (the kind that always seem to be on sale at drug stores this time of year), and create something that you won’t have to worry about keeping misted or fresh. thanks so much for emily for sharing her project!
CLICK HERE for emily’s project steps after the jump!
This column is not about the cozy little cottages that dot the English countryside. Instead we’re focusing on those grand English country homes that were the power houses for the country. When I was younger, in addition to devouring Jane Austen novels, I spent an absurd amount of time pouring through my parents’ copy of the 1978 book, Life in a Medieval Castle. But the ultimate was I Capture the Castle – a childhood favorite of my mom’s – written in 1948 by Dodie Smith about a young girl who lives in a rundown castle and dreams of being a writer (It was also adapted into a movie in 2003). I thought it would be fun to take a look at the history behind these grand homes! After all, the custom of afternoon tea? Developed in an English country house. The American love affair with a green lawn? Imported from the English country house, of course!
great chalfield manor completed in 1480 has a moat, a gatehouse, oriel windows and a great hall. the manor is part of the national trust.
For centuries, the ownership of land was the only means to power. These ambitious land-owners were not farmers, but secured power and wealth as the ultimate landlords. Not only did they collect rent from their tenants, but they could also call on those tenants to, in the early days of the country house, fight for them, and to vote for them in the latter days. From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, anyone who acquired wealth built a country house to insure their power. The kind of house built was the absolute advertisement of that power and ambition.
As a nod to the tea drinking English, I have a mini tutorial on creating a rubberized tea set! Yep, those pretty pink handles have been rubberized!
CLICK HERE for the full post complete with a “books to read” and “facts to know”(and the rubberizing diy project!)
