Some people are born cat people. I wasn’t. It’s been a slow process but I’ve finally come around to loving cats, especially since I inherited two in an awkward post-breakup situation. Even though my kitties are the ultimate scaredy cats, they love toys. Ever the doting mom, I like to use up my extra fabric scraps by making catnip mice. Warning- whenever I stepped away from my crafting table, the cats would jump up and hide my mouse before I had even finished. Brats with a capital B. -amy m.

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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Truth be told, I have a little book lending phobia. I’m happy to give books away to friends, but the lending part is hard. I once got badly burned by a beloved old copy of A Catcher in the Rye which, sob, never made it’s way home to me. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on…. umm…. oh whatever….. you know where I’m going with this.

Bookplates are charming throwback and serve a very practical purpose, saying “Give me my darn book back, already.” so you don’t have to. I scoured my favorite collections of antique (copyright free) images and designed several bookplate templates for you to download and create your own bookplates with. Proof positive that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. So to that sweet boy with my Salinger slung in his book bag, I say thank you. -amy m.

CLICK HERE for the full how-to (and downloadable templates) after the jump!

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It’s around this time every January that I start hoarding new houseplants. I was able to resist rex begonias for months and months, but I caved this weekend and bought a few. Now for the real problem- I’m all out of terra cotta empties and bored of just about every other option. I’ve been picking up old tin cans at thrift stores for nick-nack storage, but with a few holes popped in the bottom, they make adorable (and affordable) planters. -amy m.

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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*sorry for all the downtime yesterday, guys! we’re going through some server changes. i didn’t get to post amy’s diy project yesterday so we’re starting with her column today. -grace*

AHHEM. Can everyone hear me? Pardon this brief interruption from our weekly forays into crafting while I bring you a message from…. oh.. my past life college activist inner-self.

Honestly, I’d been mulling over this project for the past week, buying supplies and thinking it through, but i still hadn’t actually sat down to my computer and donated money to a Haitian relief organization. It wasn’t until i started to sift through my photos of the buttons that I also pulled out the trusty AmEx to do what i had intended to do all along.

Sometimes you just need to clear a minute from your day and take care of business. It’s never too late! amy m.

Ways to help:

- American Red Cross
-Doctors without Borders
-UNICEF

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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If you’re anything like me, you have a hard time with business cards. I never know exactly what I want them to say, should I just use my name or put a title, too? When your career forces you to wear many hats, sometimes it’s nice to have multiple business cards that speak to each of your different jobs, but I can’t bring myself to get individual letterpress cards. This is a trick I learned at Saipua that makes amazing and special little cards, perfect for when you need them ASAP and have no particular photoshop skills, a letterpress, or a ton of money handy. One trip to your local Staples is it!

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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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.

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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Kitchen counter space is in short supply in my apartment (I have about 10” total!) so I’ve been taking every opportunity to maximize wall space for storage. On the design*sponge team’s recent trip to Boston, I found an old wall mounted letter holder to store my kitchen utensils. While I loved the shape (and the little trim around the top) I was less enamored of the new yet dingy aqua paint job. While we all love to do to a good old-fashioned glossy paint job to hide a multitude of sins, sometimes it’s a refreshing change to instead reveal metal’s patina lurking underneath all that paint. -amy m.

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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This past week I tried my hand at wallpapering a room for the first time and let’s just say it’s a lot like wrapping up a big, slimy Christmas present but with higher stakes. I only had one single roll of 1940s wallpaper (purchased from this amazing store) so I had to be extra careful to ensure I’d have enough to cover the whole room. If you’re not ready to take the plunge and paper a room, a great alternative is to paper your kitchen or bathroom cabinet doors. Less mess, less money, less time! Also- if you landlord is a stickler for rules, this project could easily be done on mountable pieces of thick cardstock and attached with removable adhesive strips. -amy m.

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

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Seeing as I work in a flower shop (and not just any flower shop, the end all be all of cool girl flower shops, saipua) you’d think I’d be good about keeping flowers in the house. Well, I’m not. When I do bring some home, my cats eat them or I get distracted and don’t change the water like I should. Shameful, yes? That’s when hydrangea drying comes in. Normally I’m a bit suspicious of dried flowers- too dusty, fussy and grandmotherly. But in sweet small vases, these hydrangeas look as good as new for months and will happily keep the little nooks of my apartment stocked in flowers through out the winter months. Perfect for budget minded, semi lazy, feminine flower freaks like myself. -Amy

CLICK HERE for the full post and instructions after the jump!

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My underwear drawer has become overrun vintage hankies. I have tons. And of course, I can’t bear to use them in the manner in which they were intended. Blow my nose on that precious bit of 70 year old textile heaven? No can do. So I’ve been slowly turning my stash into little boudoir pillows, something much more dignified than ye old snot rag.

CLICK HERE for the full project instructions after the jump!

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