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…
We grew up in a family of readers, and our mother saves every book she’s ever read. She has bookshelves everywhere, books stacked on the floor and a constant towering pile next to her bed. We got inspired to start organizing our own book collections, and came up with this idea when we found old…
Try as I might, I cannot seem to grasp even the most basic of feminine beauty rituals. I’m constantly struggling to master rudimentary hair and makeup techniques, and my one-time foray into the “subtle” art of perfume left everyone in the room with burning nostrils. This DIY solid perfume locket from artisanal perfumer Mandy Aftel…
When the day comes to a close during winter, I find myself inside with my laptop, but that changes as the days get longer and the nights get warmer. There aren’t many things more relaxing than watching the sun set from the view of my front porch on a warm summer night. Candle light flickering…
When April showers come to an end and May flowers start blooming, I know estate & garage sale season will be in full force soon. The combination of beautiful weather and lots of people wanting to get rid of their “junk” just makes me giddy. After scouring numerous estate sales and flea markets, I consistently…
today i’m finishing up the final sequencing for all 400+ pages of the design*sponge book so tomorrow i’m going to be taking a very, very needed day off. so today i’ll be posting diy projects that would normally go up tomorrow. up first- a great upcycling project from amy merrick. amy turned her collection of…
We have loved February 14 since our first doily-glued-to-a-red-card that we crafted for our classmates in the first grade. Every year since, we’ve covered our kitchen tables, desks or floors with supplies and materials weeks in advance while we work on our valentines. This year, in addition to handmade cards we’re sending in the mail,…
With February now here, I thought I’d share a little project you can make for your Valentine. I picked up a few vintage typewriter ribbon tins from my local flea market for a couple dollars each. You can find them quickly online, but by keeping your eyes open at estate sales and flea markets, you…
For me, part of the joy of DIY projects comes from using items that most would pass by without giving a second glance. I appreciate decorative items that can also serve a practical purpose. This month, I wanted to share a simple project that you can customize in a million different ways to make use…
Every holiday season I make a small collection of ornaments. For this month, I wanted to share a fun “how-to” utilizing the crystal trend. You can find quartz crystal at your local beading store, on eBay or here. Check out the remainder of my 2010 collection here, and I hope you enjoy this Christmas DIY!…
Our mother (the original BBB) set the bar pretty high with her gift wrapping each season and forever influenced the way that we paper, tape and top our presents. We admit to a little bit of (friendly) Blessing sister rivalry on the morning of December 25 when we eye each other’s creations under the tree,…
Growing up, I kept a daily journal. I always enjoyed looking back at previous entries to see what had changed over the course of a year. These days, I can’t seem to find the time to journal, but I do try to jot down a little note from each day on my perpetual calendar/journal. The…
Every time I stroll through a thrift store, flea market or garage sale, vintage tins beckon me to take them home. I always justify my purchase, since tins are great alternatives for small storage and unconventional gift wrapping. Nearly every tin I purchase is under $1.00 and has a perfectly weathered patina. I decided to…
This fabulous bushel basket lamp project comes from Erica Domesek, the DIY queen from PS – I Made This. You may have seen her gorgeous marbled paper project that we featured in September, or maybe you’ve already grabbed a copy of her new book. If you haven’t done either, get to it! I’m getting my…
we blessing sisters have loved notepads, notebooks and all things paper since our first wide-rule pads we bought in gradeschool. we have trouble letting go of even a single sheet of paper, lest we find a use to reuse or recycle it in the craft room! this time, we repurposed our old faxes and paper…
we have an abundance of useless sconces in our apartment. they are a pain in the neck to turn on and they provide illumination for about six inches of a small hallway leading to our back door, but the kicker: they’re ugly. in fact, if i hadn’t been walking through my local salvage yard and…
for me, there’s nothing more inspiring than a large blank canvas; something about staring at a two dimensional surface full of possibilities makes me ache with happiness. i know that space is a constant issue for many of us, but when it comes to inspiration boards i say bigger is always better. hannah found this…
a handful of these found-object bottle stoppers would be the perfect quick and easy host/ hostess gift when paired with a liqueur or other potions in a bottle. they are a joy to make and are rather inexpensive too. begin by looking around the house for random odds and ends, such as dice and game pieces, old…
well, we’ve just passed the fourth of july holiday, and summer is in full swing…where better to look for a project than vacationland? yes, i love you maine! nan at angela adams was kind enough to send us the instructions for this planter display from the angela adams store in portland. thank you nan and…
