i’ve always loved that tradition of riding away from a wedding in a fancy car with ribbons tied to the back and a big “we’re married” sign on the back. i’ve seen a few weddings where people carried this out with cans attached and while it may seem a little hokey, it’s really quite sweet…
karyn from make something is helping me keep the chalkboard love going today with this awesome diy project she made for her home. not content to just have a beautiful chalkboard in her home, karyn decided to get extra crafty and drill holes through which twinkle lights from urban outfitters could shine. i love the…
this fun diy project comes from designer cat seto‘s new blog, designing moms. one of her contributors, jackie, came up with this fun project to make customized dominos for children- but that are cute enough that a few adults might want to use or display them as well. using paint sample strips and images from…
valentine’s day is right around the corner, and i’ve decided to make something for my boyfriend that is a little unconventional and can last beyond the holiday. i used some vintage jewelry pieces (read: ugly eighties earrings), and some other knick-knacks I have collected over the years. for a personal touch i also included a…
these days i have a strong affinity for anything chalkboard related. it began with the vintage frame chalkboard i bought from gosia at blue bell bazaar on etsy (above, in my house), and continued with my most recent column for craft magazine about using chalkboard or magnetic paint (online here). so i was thrilled to…
seven days in, and so far 2009 appears to be the year of de-cluttering and cooking (for us anyway). this project is a direct result of those current obsessions. it’s also a good example of the criteria we use when coming up with project ideas, that is, we hope whatever we make will be useful…
this fun project from d*s reader lisa berry straddled the line between before & after and diy project so well that i couldn’t resist posting it as a project today. as a christmas gift for her mother, lisa decided to use these cedar slices to create a personalized silhouette series of her family. the steps…
[my apologies, kate's new diy series was supposed to go up yesterday but i totally fell behind] this month i will feature projects using canvas, and to kick it off i decided to use a lightweight canvas fabric to create an unusual “night light” painting that could look good on or off. we needed a…
wallpaper designer extraordinaire jocelyn warner recently introduced two beautiful new patterns to her collection- “tree tops” and “poppy”. as always, i can’t decide which i like best. the poppy print is so cheerful but still elegant, and i love the metallic version of tree tops. it’s right in line with sarah fox’s fantastic metallic gift…
alexandra hedin is a lifestyle and entertaining expert in the beautiful pacific northwest. her work is always so lovely and i was thrilled to hear from her about sharing one of her diy ideas. she came up with a quick and easy (and affordable!) way to create modern silhouette “portraits” of your family (or pets)…
photographer jen thompson sent over these photos of her home and i was instantly smitten with the framed chalkboard in the back. i picked up a vintage frame chalkboard last month and have loved to see how people use them in their homes. but when i found out that jen’s was actually made from an…
we’ve been wanting to get a bird feeder to hang outside our living room window for some time now. (hopefully it won’t drive our cats nuts!) this little feeder was inexpensive and easy to make, and we were able to customize it with paint to look like a little snack stand at an amusement park!…
there’s nothing better than emptying your pockets as soon as you get home after a long day, but we find that we leave little piles of change, keys, and bills all over the house unless we have a designated place to put them. this ubiquitous wooden magazine holder from ikea turned out to be the…
yesterday i heard from talented ceramicist jacques schickel of maryhill clayworks. in addition to having a lovely collection of ceramics available for sale- i was positively nutty about the gorgeous hand-painted gift wrap project he showcased on his studio blog. i’ve always wanted to switch to entirely hand-made gift wrap for the holiday season and…
with so many fantastic entries from this year’s diy contest, i’m still poring through them and sharing some of my favorites that didn’t make the finals. this project from jason halstead was a favorite of mine because it combines my two loves- before & after makeovers and diy projects. unhappy with his ‘ugly 50s-era sewing…
today’s first diy project belongs to jennifer of fric and frac shop. jennifer entered this fun entryway project in the 2008 diy contest and was kind enough to send in her project instructions. if you live in a home or apartment where you’re allowed to paint this is a great way to add some visual…
there was a brief period between my first post-college job and my second where i spent a month trying to figure out what i wanted to do and how the heck i was going to pay my rent. during that month, in addition to rampantly searching for jobs, i found myself immersed in way, way…
well, we’re almost to the top! this year’s 2nd place winner in the 2008 d*s diy contest belongs to suzanne norris of sakura snow. her beautiful woodland mural was an instant personal favorite but it looks like it was a crowd favorite as well. talk about a total makeover- suzanne’s diy mural transformed her bedroom…
sure we love the whole DIY thing, but it’s infinitely more fun and inspiring for us to collaborate on creative projects with friends, something we often refer to as “DIT” (do it together, get it?). well this week we had the perfect opportunity to drop in on our good friend stacy of pancake & franks,…
i’m a big, big fan of diy projects that call for only a few materials and make use of odd space. put them both together and you’ve got my dream project. so i was thrilled when julia crawford sent in this simple but beautiful diy project from her entryway. by simply taping off a small…
