DIY Gift Bows

Awhile back, I shared a DIY trick for making gift toppers out of plastic bags.


As the holiday season approaches again, I thought I'd pass along this tutorial from How About Orange on making gift bows out of recycled items you have on hand, like maps or magazine pages.

Thanksgiving and Holiday Wreath

I thought a nice wreath would be a good item to help transition between Thanksgiving and Christmas decor, but when I went to the store I found out just how expensive a wreath can be. 

My solution: I found a cheap wreath at Michael's made of wooden sticks and added some berry garlands.  It came in under $10. 

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone!

DIY Fabric Stenciling

Love this tutorial from How About Orange on using freezer paper to stencil on fabric. And don't you want to do that adorable design?

DIY Velcro Catch Ball

This one could be fun whether or not you have kids. I am imagining starting up a game in the office....


Check out this super easy tutorial from Craftzine on how to make your own Velcro Ball game.

DIY Coffee Stencil

I think How About Orange's idea of creating a DIY stencil to make words or designs on top of coffee etc. is very cute. Learn how to do it here.

DIY Poppy Pins Tutorial

Check out the Grosgrain tutorial on how to make these great fabric poppies. So lovely.


She makes them to pin on sweaters as boutonnieres, but I think they could make great hair accessories as well. Make some of your own and come up with other creative uses!

A Childhood Classic Revisited

Some people take coffee breaks, I take craft breaks. In honor of the cold weather we've been having here in DC, I present to you a (mostly clean) paper towel (from the office kitchen) turned snowflake. What can I say, I enjoy using scissors as stress relief.


As you may be able to tell, it's been strategically posed on my office chair, and photographed with the not super high resolution camera on my phone. As for the original, it is now hanging in my office window.

Cereal Box to Drawer Organizer

Gotta love this simple recycling idea from A Little Hut. While there's no written out tutorial, her pictures provide a pretty good idea of the steps.



And given the normal price of such things, it's absolutely wonderful to find a free, environmentally friendly way to accomplish the same thing. I think these would look amazing covered in some fun fabric.

DIY Recycled Can Flower Magnets

This is a great tutorial from 10th muse studios on using old soda cans to make adorable flower magnets. Just be careful not to cut yourself on the aluminum!

I'm Loving: Penguin Cloth Cover Books

I've always said that it's fine to judge a book by its cover, as long as you take time to discover what's inside too.* Now (finally!) Penguin USA has released it's gorgeous cloth-covered editions of some fantastic books, many of my favorites, actually. And they are so pretty (plus, only $13.60 each)!

What do you think, would you buy a book because it looked nice?


In case you were wondering, and because I can't help myself, here is a list of the titles that I want (did I mention PRETTY????)

Available Now

• Sense and Sensibility
• Wuthering Heights
• Great Expectations
• Jane Eyre
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Pride and Prejudice

Not Yet Available in the US

• Crime and Punishment
  
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• Emma
• The Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint
• Little Women
• Oliver Twist

*I'm talking books, here, not people!

DIY Japanese Paper Dolls Tutorial

These Japanese paper dolls that Kimono Reincarnate makes are super adorable. They could work as bookmarks for those who want a more grown-up way to play with dolls. Here's the easy tutorial.

Interior Personality Quiz

Enjoyed this quick color/style quiz (via How About Orange). I thought my results were pretty accurate (leaning more towards the purples than pinks, though):

Young House Love

Six months later.... I haven't been crafting much in the past 6 months, but as the weather cools, I'm feeling inspired to stay indoors and make stuff. So maybe I'll start posting here again. After all, this blog serves as a sort of idea scrapbook for me (and hopefully, some entertainment for you).

One great new find is the Young House Love blog, which is written by a great couple who have done DIY to their whole beautiful house (below).


They give tips on home decor, have a fantastic page of their house before and afters, and share how they managed to put on a backyard wedding for under $4,000! A fantastic site!