oh i love this time of year. this month’s theme is definitely going to be back to school, because who can help but be at least a little excited about the start of fall and a new year for students everywhere. send your favorite student to school (or work) with this notebook lunchbag! this is completed in a jiffy and is very inexpensive. much like that pristine first page of a new notebook, the hardest part is deciding what to write on it. have fun! -kate

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

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this sweet diy project comes from d*s reader amanda gibson. amanda was feeling very crafty and wanted to make her husband a personal gift for his birthday. amanda explained, “he is a graphic designer and last summer started his own firm. he’s handkerchief kind of guy, so i hand embroidered a set of handkerchiefs with his logo as a gift!” i think this is such a thoughtful idea if you have someone on your life that uses or likes handkerchiefs. thank you so much to amanda for sharing this great project with us!

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this diy project comes from the lovely and talented leigh radford. leigh is the author of several books, but has a great new book called one more skein that hit shelves yesterday! one more skein features 30 diverse projects that can be completed with oneor two average-sized skeins of yarn or multiple bits of leftover yard. the projects range from hats and mittens to baby clothing and jewelry. if you’re a fan of craft projects and know your way around yarn, this is a must-read. click here for more info and to pick up a copy.

today leigh is sharing a great project for recycled glass covers- thank you to leigh for sharing this project with us, and congrats on the new book! i can’t wait to try one of these and use it around a mason jar of coffee or tea. way cuter than the paper towel i normally use.

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‘hope & anchor’ trial medallion from the wedgwood museum

This week I thought we’d take a took at Wedgwood. This year is actually the 250th anniversary of the brand created by Josiah Wedgwood (the Wedgwood). Even if you’re not into fancy china, the story is pretty fascinating (and how can you not love that medallion above?!)  Josiah Wedgwood was the 12th child in a family of struggling potters at a time when being a potter was little better than being a farmer. At the time of his death, he was worth £600,000 (equivalent to around $100 million today!) Not only was he a designer and inventor, but he instinctively understood the importance of branding and marketing.

Early Years
Born in 1730, the 12th child and the 5th living son, Josiah wouldn’t have expected to receive much in the way of inheritance or support.  Despite these odds, Josiah was determined and he did have some advantages. His family was able to send him to school until he was 14 (which was a 7 mile round-trip walk!). Once he turned 14, he was apprenticed to his older brother, Thomas. Poor families would have had to send their sons to work at age 9, and waiting until later was a sign of prosperity. Shortly after he began his apprenticeship, Josiah contracted smallpox. Although he recovered, the smallpox weakened his knee and made it difficult for him to work the potter’s wheel. The disability seems to have made Josiah be all the more inventive and he spent more of his time designing pottery rather than making it.

Modern Wedgwood-inspired Stencil DIY Project: full instructions after the jump!

Josiah worked for his brother for 3 years following his apprenticeship, spending much of his time ruminating on ways to improve the art of pottery. Thomas was reluctant to change much about the business or give Josiah a stake in the family company, so at age 22 Josiah moved on. It took him 7 years and a couple of different partnerships before he was able to establish his own firm.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post -including facts to know and a reading list-(and a fun modern Wedgwood DIY stencil project!) after the jump!

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There are lots of tutorials for terrariums floating around these days, but this one the terrarium turned on it’s head. Inspired by a pickle jar terrarium concocted by the warymeyers team, there are no fancy glass domes to buy and no scouring your local nursery for plants small enough to fit under them. In fact, there’s no buying at all. Everything you need is most likely located within a walk around the block, no matter where you live.

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for my third textile upgrade project, i drew inspiration from the work of lisa stickley. her vintage china tablecloth is truly gorgeous and i love how she employs photorealism in her work. i wanted to do the same, so i used a simple inkjet printer transfer paper for these and i was amazed with the results. transfer paper has come a long way in the past few years. gone are the days of glossy, rubbery images; these transfers are crisp and clean and completely flexible and soft on the fabric. you can do so many variations on the images for these linens: botanicals, figurines, vegetables, plates of your favorite foods, cooking utensils, tchotskies, etc. i recommend printing everything at life size to compliment the realist look. get your camera and go to the grocery store! have fun! -kate pruitt

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

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casey at fossil (who is responsible for these great sneak peeks!) sent over this fun office-related diy project. looking to spruce up her drab file cabinet, casey used new handles and a wallpaper sample and a little mod podge to create a chic home-office friendly file cabinet. file cabinets are definitely an area designers have yet to really tackle, so it’s great to have a fun way to spruce them up until we start seeing cuter options on the market. thanks, casey!

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

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