Last December we decided to tackle Christmas tree decorating as a team. Max, Amy and I each decorated the exact same tree three very different ways. We had so much fun seeing how each other’s styles translated into tree decoration that we decided to apply the same concept to another holiday: Easter! Using the same corner…
As of Wednesday, March 20, it is officially spring, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Ever since Groundhog Day, we’ve been antsy for more sunlight, more temperate weather and the beginnings of spring blossoms. We’ve each been celebrating spring in different ways over the last few weeks — we threw an Easter Egg…
If you love your pet and you love your home, chances are you’ve been frustrated by the challenge of finding pet accessories that work with your decor. Luckily for us, this is nothing that a little DIY power can’t fix! It’s super easy to sew your own pet bed, which you can customize with a…
My cutemeter is on overload after a month full of cuddly cats and darling dogs on Design*Sponge, so when I started brainstorming this month’s Upholstery Basics project, I consulted my cutest and furriest friend for some inspiration (though the clown collar was not her idea). For years, Pixie’s kennel has been a focal point and…
Yesterday we joined some incredibly creative D*S readers for a morning of Easter Egg Decorating. After polishing off some Munchkins and bagels, we settled into all sorts of crafty projects and techniques. From gold paint pens and fabric decoupaging to string patterns and pressed botanicals, we were blown away by the amazing eggs our crafters…
Over the past few weeks, we’ve dipped our toes into the world of bookbinding. After mastering a five-hole pamphlet stitch and Japanese four-hole binding, it’s time to tackle the final introductory process. This week, we’ll put aside the needle and thread and explore a book constructed without a single stitch. The accordion book is a…
Welcome back to Bookbinding 101! Last week, we made a pamphlet-stitched book, and this week we’ll be experimenting with a stab binding. Here, the book block, or the body of the book, is a stack of single sheets rather than a signature. Therefore, stab bindings allow you to make books that are not possible with…
For some reason I can remember what St. Patrick’s Day was like in high school as if it were yesterday. I was an impossibly uptight and nervous student and dreaded most holidays at school because they seemed to come with an accessory or head piece I didn’t want to wear. St. Patrick’s Day came with…
When I stumbled upon a package of 12 mini cats on Amazon, they were in my cart before you could say, “Who would order a bunch of miniature plastic cats?” I figured that when it came to mini cats, one should buy first and think later. It only took a minute of having these beauties…
Today I’m thrilled to introduce a guest DIY mini-series on bookbinding! This month’s family theme lends itself so nicely to scrapbook, photo album and memory book projects, so I thought this series would be perfect for anyone wanting to make their own. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Take it away, Pooja! — Grace Hi, everyone!…
It’s funny that Louise Nevelson’s wooden sculptures resemble jigsaw puzzles because as an artist, she doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. She is the rare kind of artist that has been both canonized and minimized by the art world — her works are held in some of the world’s most prestigious art collections, but her name…
I’ve been seeing papercut projects everywhere recently, and it’s not difficult to see why. Like knitting, crocheting and baking, paper cutting is an activity that nurtures the “slow” lifestyle and offers a welcome respite from the jumbled fast lane that is contemporary life. There’s also something incredibly beautiful about intricate and ornamental designs combined with the simplicity…
I love a clever DIY project, especially when it uses an unexpected or overlooked material. This project uses a humble orange utility bucket as the base of an amazing upholstered ottoman. The product of a collaboration between Liz and Rachel of Commonwealth Vintage Rentals and Leland of Revive Upholstery & Design, this utility bucket ottoman…
Tomorrow we’re doing a French-themed entertaining post that had us focusing on mussels for a while. After toying with a few DIY projects to go with the table settings (the rest will be on the site tomorrow), we decided to go back to basics and make some quick and easy shell candles. This is my…
Happy President’s Day, everyone! In honor of today’s holiday, I wanted to start the day with a little presidential-inspired DIY. I love how quick and easy it is to make paperweights, so I decided to look through the NYPL digital gallery to see if there were any interesting presidential silhouettes to use. While searching for…
I’ve been working on a little love declaration of my own all week as part of our February Instagram challenge. My Facebook and Twitter pages seem to be a constant love letter to my cat, so I decided to focus my declaration on my other love: my morning latte. I didn’t start drinking coffee until…
It’s funny how small the world can feel sometimes. During the D*S book tour, Amy and I had an early morning stop in DC at Politics & Prose that led to an unexpected reconnection. Waking up over donuts and coffee with our crafting group, I recognized a face that turned out to be a college…
Growing up, my mom used to take long baths. Very long baths. As a child, I wondered how she could sit there for so long. Now I’m realizing that the bathroom was her only escape from four kids. And even if you don’t have kids, the bath is often the only place where phones and…
For those who don’t live in New Orleans, the Tuesday preceding Lent is often a relatively uneventful occasion. While our Louisianan neighbors use the day as an opportunity for riotous celebration and pre-Lenten indulgence, Mardi Gras — a holiday that dates back to the seventeenth century — can sometimes go unnoticed by the rest of…
Last week we transformed our admittedly already very pink and red office into a Valentine’s Day wonderland for our craft breakfast party. Twenty-five D*S readers joined our team for breakfast treats and a slew of DIY Valentine crafting. In addition to the amazingly creative projects our readers came up with (images coming up this afternoon!),…
