The one-week countdown to Valentine’s Day has begun, but I wouldn’t worry too much if you haven’t been preparing. There are tons of elaborate and expensive gifts out there, but you certainly don’t need to shell out a lot of money or time to pull together a sweet, thoughtful valentine. Anna Liesemeyer customized this cardboard…
The mighty ampersand takes two things and celebrates how they come together. “You & Me,” “Bread & Butter,” “Sugar & Spice.” Not only does the ampersand combine things, it also stands alone as a beautiful symbol. This year I made my valentine a card that celebrates being together. It is completed with a missing…
Of all the holidays, Valentine’s Day seems to scream “handmade cards” the loudest. Glitter, doilies and lace are the usual suspects for decorating, but why turn to them when you can easily create a sophisticated ombre valentine? With this simple technique, there is no need for vats of dye, oodles of drying time, complicated instructions…
There’s a strong link between romance and the written word, making literary gifts — love letters, novels, poetry — a fitting choice for Valentine’s Day. We’re big fans of Juniper Books and its creative founder, Thatcher Wine, and we were excited to see that he has released several new book collections just in time for Valentine’s Day….
Thanks to a few recent online purchases, I had an enormous pile of long brown packing paper strips in my studio. I couldn’t bear to just recycle it; it seemed to have so much crafty potential. So tasked with the challenge of creating a project to help get organized for the new year, I decided…
Lately I’ve been trying to incorporate more play into my adult life, but it can be hard to remember what “playing” in the childhood sense of the word feels like. I imagine it’s wonderful — the mind is open, fearless, non-judgmental and full of spontaneity. These are the qualities I’d like to bring back into…
Try as I might to achieve minimalism, I just can’t seem to stop the clutter in my life. After a huge clean, the house experiences a few days of perfect organization and cleanliness before the chaos creeps back in, usually through a series of seemingly innocent decisions — a piece of mail I set aside…
When I visit a friend’s home, it’s the little details filling the house that stand out and make me feel welcome. In my own home, I want to find ways to make my guests feel special. Baking cookies or having a favorite drink on hand is easy. What is not so easy is the tiny…
After tossing all the holiday wrapping and boxes and looking sadly at my overflowing recycle bin, I am not embarrassed to admit that I dumpster dove in my own trash. I had this idea to create a much more affordable version of Vitra’s Uten.Silo organizer using the boxes that had served their purpose and been…
Is this the one-millionth time I’ve mentioned my love of small things? Sorry folks! I can’t seem to help myself. It’s an obsession that has persisted since my youth, and I can’t seem to shake it. Luckily, the holiday season is the perfect time to revel in a the whimsy of miniatures. With that in…
Christmas is just a few days away, but there’s still time to whip up your own handmade gifts or decorations with these quick and easy stockings! Stitched in a thick, Pendleton-style wool fabric, only a few simple seams are needed to finish each of these; once you get the hang of the construction, you can…
If you haven’t tackled your gift wrapping yet, you’re in luck — this is our second DIY today to feature super cheap, super fast and super cute giftwrap and decor projects. This one comes from Sara Rivka Dahan, the DIY expert behind the site Creative Jewish Mom. While at the store, Sara spotted these blank…
The days until Christmas are dwindling, and I’m certainly feeling the time crunch for handling my gift list and last-minute preparations. I love this quick and easy DIY from Evita of Le Papillon Vert. We’ve featured a couple of Evita’s projects in our Before & After column, and it’s great to see her clean, elegant style…
I love learning about holiday customs from other countries, and this is one that I could easily see myself including in seasons to come. Kate Petty of Mini-Eco sent over this easy, modern version of Christmas crackers, a popular holiday tradition in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom, where Kate…
I always wrestle with giving handmade gifts. I enjoy receiving them and cherish the extra thought and personal touch that comes with them. There is something about a handmade gift that is more treasured than a store-bought item, but what if the recipient isn’t so crazy about the gift? I want to be able to…
Every year we save the best shoe, shirt and jewelry boxes from the holidays and recycle them to hold craft supplies, store photos or use as gift boxes for the next giving season. Our stockpiles were getting unruly, as were our drawers full of scrap ribbon and wrapping paper, so we came up with a…
Kim Krans of The Wild Unknown is one of my favorite artists, so I was super excited when she wanted to share a holiday DIY with us. Kim has created a lovely chickadee design that you can simply print, fold, embellish and hang, either as a tree topper or an ornament. I often struggle with how…
Today we have another guest DIY project from Neal Whittington. In addition to being an accomplished graphic designer, Neal runs the online shop Present & Correct, which he stocks to the brim with the awesomest vintage desk supplies and designy paper goods I’ve ever seen. I hope you caught his mitten gift tag DIY a…
The delight of making a gift for someone often extends to the finishing touches; in fact, sometimes the packaging can be the most fun part of all :) If you’re looking for a fast, easy way to recycle materials and make your holiday gifts look adorable, I think you’ll love this cross-stitch mitten gift tag…
I have no idea how it can be Thanksgiving already, but apparently it almost is, so it’s time to think about pretty tables (and big, delicious dinners!). Here’s a quick and easy runner project that’s perfect for adding a little handmade flair to your table (or to bring along as a hostess gift). It’s easy…
