Bleached Out Tees

"Bleached Out Tees" from DesignMom.

Gabby's kids always make their own gifts for each other--a tradition in itself that I love. But, this particular gift seems fun and easy for kids to make, but still has a designer sense to it.

1. "Start by gathering your materials. You’ll need a 100% cotton t-shirt in a bright or dark color (you can use a pastel, but the contrast from the bleach won’t be as intense), bleach, rags and something to block the bleach. We used vinyl cutouts and duct tape as blockers.
   
2. Spread out the t-shirt, then put a layer of rags or an old towel between the front and back — so the bleach doesn’t bleed through to the back of the shirt.
3. Apply the design you want on your t-shirt. For most of our designs, we used sticky-back vinyl that was cut into shapes and letters using a Silhouette machine. If you don’t have a Silhouette machine, you could still buy a sheet or roll of sticky-back vinyl and cut out the shapes you want by hand.
   
4. Next, pour some bleach into a container and dip an old rag into the bleach. Press the rag on to and around the vinyl or tape. When the shirt is as bleached as you’d like it to be, life the front of the shirt, slip out the rags and immediately rinse the shirt in water to stop the bleaching process.
5. Dry the shirt in the dryer and you’re ready to wrap it up. Yay!"
   

"Coupons put in their place!" from Blue Cricket Design.

I am sooo bad about taking coupons and forgetting to use them. I'm not sure that coupons save you a whole lot of money, but there definitely won't save you anything if you don't remember to give them to the cashier.

This handy shopping organizer is super cute. And, just removing it from the cart would remind you to hand your coupons over.

Personalized Stickers

"Personalized Stickers" from Good Look Cookbook.

Maralee made these cute stickers for kid's cups at her family's reunion. Such a great idea! I can totally see using plastic reusable cups as well. I wonder if you could find a sticker that's dishwasher-safe...

Personalized Game Pieces

"Personalized Game Pieces" from Giver's Log.

I love that Amberlee took photos of family members and printed them on shrinky-dinks to make custom game pieces. Aren't shrinky-dinks the best!?!?

Wouldn't this be a cute gift for a board game lover?

Fabric Stash

"New Addiction" from The Little Green Bean.

Although a bit different than my usual posts here, school is starting back this week and I know that I won't get around to this project anytime soon.

Missy has organized her fabric stash by making here own bolts out of foamboard. She cut the foamboard down to 10 x 7.5--just the perfect size for little scraps.

First Anniversary calendar

"Our First Anniversary" from Arlo Design.

Wishing that the cotton anniversary was as easy as the paper one. But, I do love this day-by-day calendar. My sister and I have a history of making calendars as gifts. This one is a grown-up version of the calendars we used to make.

Each day has something she loves about him. 365 is a lot of things. While I know that I love that many things about my husband, I also admire someone who takes the time to write them all down!

Decoupaged London Map Table

Decoupaged London Map Table from Bombus's Etsy shop.

We just purchased IKEA Lack coffee tables and side tables for our upstairs loft. However, if and when we tire of them--my fortune-telling powers are informing me that it should be promptly covered in maps, like the table above. I think I can handle that premonition.

Etched Glass Storage Jars

Etched Glass Storage Jars from Martha Stewart Living.

I love etched glass. I love the way it looks, and it's so so easy to do. I'm always looking for new etched glass projects.

"1. Clean and dry the glass. Using painter's tape, mark off the area you want to etch. Attach vinyl stick-on letters and decorative tape; press hard to ensure they are attached firmly.

2. Cover work surfaces (be sure to work in a well-ventilated area). Put on protective gloves and an old shirt with long sleeves. Paint an even layer of etching cream onto glass. Let stand for amount of time indicated by manufacturer's instructions.

3. Rinse with warm water in a stainless steel sink. (Avoid porcelain sinks; the cream damages glazed surfaces.) Remove letters and tape."

Headband

"Headband" from Between the Lines.

This is what you'll need:



- two rectangular pieces of fabric: a big one of 40cm x 12cm and a smaller one of 20cm x 6cm (seams included) - Note: you might want to change the dimensions depending on the size of the head, the type of fabric you chose and the elasticity of the elastic. The sizes given here, worked fine for my 5 and 8 year olds. Also, you might want to try to make a wider one. I've seen them in a wider version, which is especially pretty with long or very curly hair.
Note: my oldest one tried on this new headband when she got home from school and found it a little tight. Although I used the same dimensions on all of the headbands, I used a different brand of elastic. To avoid disappointment, better cut the elastic a little longer - it's easier to make the headband smaller than the other way around...
- about 12cm of wide elastic
- matching sewing thread
- safety pin and needle pins
- iron
- sewing machine

Step one: Lengthwise, iron in the seams of the bigger piece, folding over the fabric twice (about 7mm). Next, with the right sides to each other fold the smaller piece in two, lengthwise and iron flat. (pic. 2 and 3)





Step 2: Sew the seams about 5mm from the edge. (pic. 4 and 5)





Step 3: Turn inside out the smaller piece, using the safety pin (pic. 6). Slide in the elastic, also using the safety pin (pic.7). Secure with pins on both sides and then sew to secure (pic.8).







Step 4: Fold over the bigger piece as shown in pic. 9, such that its width becomes a little more than twice the with of the smaller piece with elastic. Secure by sewing a couple of stitches near the edge (pic.10).





Step 5: On one end, put the elastic part on top of the bigger piece, the bigger piece being right side up (pic. 11). Squeeze the elastic part in between by folding over fabric from the sides and secure with pins (pic. 12). Next, sew it closed (pic. 13). Repeat at the other end (pic. 14) - before doing so check one more time for the size!

A Little Big Project

"A Little Big Project" from Elise Baha :: enJoy it.

My grandmother taught me how to cross-stitch when I was little. I think it's a pretty cool craft, but few applications are very modern and appropriate for my style. That is, until I saw Elise's novel approach. She's using them for table numbers at her wedding. I love the iconic typography. What could I use them for? How cute would it be to do the alphabet in a nursery? Or as house numbers (inside, hmmm...)? Where else?

Megan's IKEA Stool

"Before and After: Megan's IKEA Stool" from Design*Sponge.

Love these stools. I think two sitting side by side in my bathroom would look great. They could be seats or stacking surfaces--both are needed.

"After picking up an inexpensive stool (the bekvam, $19.99) at ikea, megan decided that she wanted to give it a different look. so she stained the wood a darker color, added foam to the top and upholstered it with toile fabric so that her once generic-looking step stool can double as occasional seating for parties or when guests are over."

Kate's Illuminated Canvas

"Kate's Illuminated Canvas" from Design*Sponge.

"what you’ll need:
1. lightweight canvas fabric or muslin, un-primed
2. stretcher bars or pre-made frame (mine is 16 x 20)
3. 2″ x 2″ wood (enough to make a frame 1″ shorter on both sides than your painting’s dimensions)
4. acrylic paint (i used craft paint that has a nice liquid consistency, rather than more tube acrylics that are more solid)
5. one big and one small paintbrush
6. pencil
7. light bulb and socket set (i used one of those hanging pendant light bulb sets from ikea)
8. heavy duty staple gun
9. tracer light box (this is optional, but helps a lot)
10. computer and printer
11. mitre box and saw
12. hot glue or nails

instructions:
1. plan out the composition and text of your canvas. use a word program to print the text actual size in the font of your choice.
2. tape the printed text on the back of your canvas where you want it to be and trace the letters on the front in pencil. you can also freehand your text or design if you want.

3. stretch the canvas onto your frame. make sure the text sits where you want it to on the frame.
4. carefully paint around your text or image and fill in the rest of the canvas. you do not have to use black, but make sure you do several coats of heavy paint so light won’t shine through. hold canvas up to a light sourced to check for spots that need another coat.
5. measure the 2×2’s and cut them to create a frame for the back. this frame will be roughly 1″ smaller on both sides than your frame so it will be slightly inset on all sides (i.e. for my 16 x 20 frame, i had two pieces that were 12″ long and two pieces that were 19″ long). use hot glue or nails to attach the pieces together. NOTE: the frame should not be a rectangle, it should look more like a boxy “A”, where the bottom piece is attached slightly above the bottom of the two sides. this way you can thread the cord behind that piece, so the frame can lay flat against the wall.
6. take your socket set and staple the cord to the sides of the 2×2 frame so the bulb hangs roughly in the middle. staple the cord to the sides in a few places and let hang down the bottom. use a low wattage bulb so as not to create too much heat behind the fabric. i used 25 watts.

7. when canvas is dry, attach the 2×2 frame with the light to the back of your canvas frame. you can adjust the light cord so that the bulb hangs straight down and does not hit the canvas. i used hot glue, but if you have a larger or heavier canvas you should use nails to attach the frames together."

Oven mitts

"New Oven Mitts" from A Thousand Words.

Love this style with the bold print and long arm protection. Think it has velcro to attach it to the rod. Might be cute Christmas presents--do you need to put something special in there to protect from heat?

Bits of Color quilt

"Bits of Color" from Film in the Fridge.

Not planning to quilt anytime soon, but if I did, or if my mama wanted to quilt for me... this would be the quilt for me. Modern, simple, and beautiful application of this old-fashioned skill.

Holiday stick stars

"The Holiday Crafting begins...with stick stars" from Molly Irwin, inspired by A Foothill Home Companion.

These NEED to adorn my home!! All year long!!

"A trip to the backyard, or better yet, a nature walk, will yield the supplies you need: 5 sticks, approximately the same size. Or multiple reeds (from Molly Irwin)

Lay the sticks in a star pattern.

Hold the star in place with clothespins.

Tie the sticks together (at each intersection of the pentagon within the star) with string, yarn, thread or even floss.

Tie another string at the top of the star if you wish to hang your creation."

Fabric Fridge Frame

"Fabric Fridge Frame," from How About Orange.

These would be so cute on our new refrigerator. We even have leftover scraps from the curtains.

"A used corrugated cardboard box was sitting around here collecting dust, so I decided to chop it up and make something out of it. (More on the chopping at the end of this post.) Voila, a magnetic picture frame.

To make this, cut a piece of corrugated cardboard to the size you want. (Make sure the opening is slightly smaller than the dimensions of the photo you intend to frame.) Cut a piece of cotton batting or thick fleece exactly the same size and glue it to the cardboard, then turn it face down. Next, cut your fabric into a rectangle that allows you enough extra to wrap around to the back of the frame. Trim the outer corners off at 45º and cut slits toward the inner corners. Then wrap the fabric to the back and glue. (I used some gel fabric glue, but it's messy. Next time: glue gun.)

Add a felt backing with either a slit for inserting your photo, or just stick on two separate pieces, one for the pocket and another strip across the top to hide the fabric's ugly raw edges. When you glue the felt on, apply the glue just outside of the area where the photo will sit. Make sure the outer edges are stuck down, too, and add some magnets to hold it on your fridge.

The reason I was desperate to chop up a cardboard box was so I could try out my new toy: this Skil Power Cutter. It's cordless, self-sharpening, and makes slicing through cardboard and foam core a piece of cake. If you have a job that requires precision and perfectly straight lines, this is not your tool, but for cutting things down to size quickly, it's perfect. Love it."

Letters

"Weekend Project Challenge #1, Letters" from SpragueLab
Which doorway will our last name fit best on? What an easy breezy decorating scheme! Modern and cool, too

"For my letters, I chose big press-board letters - this was the first time I’d seen big letters that weren’t in some crappy font like Comic Sans or Curlz, but a nice classic, graphic serif. I picked them up from A.C. Moore, for a couple bucks each, plus a can of white spray-paint.

Two coats later, plus some removable adhesive (pause while I grovel in the general direction of 3M) they look SO cool against the white trim of the door that leads from the front room to the kitchen."

Map Lamp

"Map Lamp How To" from Chez Larsson found via One Pretty Thing.

I love this--matches my ideal modern, but sophisticated decorating style. I even love the white initials sitting next to it. Maybe for our stair nook??

"Ok, to make a map lamp this is what you need: A lamp shade. For this small one I used a white lamp shade I had already. The one in Wille's room used to be covered in striped fabric but I tore that off and removed the glue residue with glue remover. Stinky! You'll want something similar to a cutting board, permanent spray adhesive, an exacto knife an of course your map of choice. Martin chose Stockholm for this one while the one in Wille's room is Barcelona.

This lamp shade is great because it has a ribbon edge and that will help you get a neat finish. The one in Wille's room didn't have that so there I had to be extra careful to cut it straight and glue it on straight too. Measure between the edges...

...and cut a long strip that covers the shade and then some. For Wille's I had to paste two together overlapping slightly. Then measure by holding the map strip around the map, make a mark and cut.

Spray permanent spray adhesive onto the back of the map (I do this outdoors) and affix to the shade smoothing out any air bubbles with hands.

Here's what the shade looks like unlit...

...and here lit. If you don't want the double map effect that you're going to get because bought tourist and road maps almost always have print on both sides you can probably color copy the map onto white paper first and glue that to the shade instead. I kind of like this effect tough."

DIY: Ottoman

"Make Yourself an Ottoman" found at Blueprint's blog via CasaSugar.

If only I could find those exact pillows... they would totally match our new bedroom!

1. Choose two cushions. You could use regular sofa cushions, but for a more streamlined look, purchase box-edged floor cushions.
2. Measure the cushions.
3. Have a piece of wood cut to the size of your cushion at your local lumber store.
4. Choose a paint color for the ottoman's wood base.Then paint the wood and let dry.
5. Choose your casters. You'll need four.
6. Drill four holes in the wood — all approximately 2 inches in from each corner — and screw the casters into the holes.
7. Flip over so the casters are on the floor, and stack both cushions on top of the wood platform.
8. For best results, use a nonslippery fabric on the cushions, such as canvas. Silkier fabrics tend to slip, which isn't conducive to ottoman relaxation!

Entryway Organizers

Entryway Organizers found via Martha Stewart
I'm searching for the perfect mailroom solution. Could this be it?

"Wooden shutters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If using multiples, you'll want them to match in size and style. You'll also need a hammer and brads, medium-grit sandpaper, primer, latex paint, a paintbrush, a level, a pencil, a drill, and mounting hardware appropriate for your wall. If shutters have adjustable louvers, lock them in the "up" position by driving a brad through the tilt bar and into the frame (left). Sand, prime, and paint shutters; let dry. Use level to mark position for middle shutter. Drill pilot holes in shutter and the wall; mount with hardware (we used screws and stainless-steel finish washers for a clean look). Repeat with side panels, butting them snugly against middle shutter."