PORTRAIT GALLERY HEADBOARD | DIY Project

Materials
hollowcore door
fine-grit sandpaper
tack cloth
wood primer
latex paint
paintbrush
tape measure
double-sided adhesive tape
three 12x18-inch pieces of Plexiglas with a hole drilled in each corner (a home-supply store can cut the Plexiglas to size and drill the holes for you.)
three photographs or prints
12 small silver screws
screwdriver
two heavy-duty picture-hanging loops with screws and wire
large nail
hammer

Directions

Sand door; remove dust with tack cloth. Apply a coat of primer to all surfaces; let dry.
Apply two or three coats of paint to all surfaces, letting dry after each coat.
Measure and mark desired placement of photographs. Using tape, attach photographs to door where marked.
Center Plexiglas over each photograph; screw in place at each corner.
Screw large picture hangers to back of headboard, several inches from upper edge near each side. Slip wire through loops, pulling taut. Wrap wire ends around center wire. Trim excess wire.
Attach nail to wall above center of bed; hang headboard on nail.

Wedding Centerpieces

Instructions and Notes…
Place pink anemone flowers in vase, making sure to fill it as much as possible. Fill vase all the way to the top so all the stems receive water. Arrange on table with candles on each side as shown in photo. I love that the two candles we used are similar and yet just a touch different. It adds interest and intrigue to the style.

rag pillows | DIY Project

Materials:

-1 old cotton bed sheet or a fitted sheet
-1 10mm crochet needle
-Scissors
-Matching fabric for the pillow
-Sewing machine
-Stuffing
-Matching thread
-Needle

Step 1 – Cutting

Step 2 – Crocheting the circle

Step 3 – Sewing the “Under pillow”

Step 4 – Stitching the crocheted pillow to the under pillow.

Old bed sheets are the best materials for this project because multiple washing makes the fibers more durable and resistant to tear since it will have raw edges.

Start cutting the sheet in a circular pattern. You want a continuous ribbon and no sharp corners. Strip should be a little less than one inch wide.

Once your sheet is transformed into a giant yarn ball, you can start crocheting.

To make a flat circle you need to increase each round. I don’t use a formula, I just increase as I go but this link can be useful for some tips.

You want the center to be pretty solid so don’t make the first chain too long, 3 link stitches should be enough to close the circle and start going around. I used the basic single stitch to keep it tight.

Crocheting will take very little time when using such thick material and a large needle.

One bed sheet will make about 30 inch circle.

Use your crocheted circle to measure the fabric you picked to match the top .

Cut two circles of fabric that are about ½” inches larger than the finished project.

Sew the front and back of the pillow together with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, leaving a 4 inch section open.

Turn the pillow in-side-out through the hole. Use your hands to gently pull the fabric through the hole.

Stuff with generous amounts of fiberfill. Fill until the pillow is as puffy as you desire.

Sew the hole closed using a needle and thread.

Finally hand stitch the crocheted top to your pillow around the edge.

Leaf Print Tote Bag

Some of the best tools for making crafts may be right in your own backyard. Undamaged leaves, when covered with a coat of fabric paint in a favorite color, will make unusual and varied imprints on absorbent textiles, such as canvas, cotton, or linen.

Martha uses a bay leaf in a diamond pattern to embellish a plain canvas tote bag. Consider decorating other surfaces as well, such as pillow shams, tablecloths, and book covers. When collecting leaves, look for green, pliant, sturdy ones, such as magnolia and eucalyptus. Before you begin applying the paint, you may want to make a template of your leaf and use it to trace your pattern in pencil on the tote bag. That way you'll avoid misprinting the painted leaf.

Tools and Materials
1 to 3 bay leaves
Fabric paint
Sponge brush
Undyed canvas tote bag
Paper towel
Waxed paper
Brayer
Scrap of fabric
Iron

Leaf Print Tote Bag How-To
1. Lightly brush the underside of the leaf with the fabric paint. The underside shows the veins more clearly; you can use both sides for variety. The thinner the layer of paint, the more detailed the print will be.

2. Place the leaf, paint side down, on the bag where you want the design to appear. Cover the leaf with a piece of paper towel, then a piece of waxed paper. Roll the brayer over the waxed paper a few times, firmly pressing the leaf onto the fabric.

3. Lift the waxed paper, paper towel, and leaf. Continue this process, using a new piece of paper towel for each print, until you've finished the desired pattern. You can change paint colors by simply rinsing the leaf with water and drying it.

4. Let the paint dry overnight. Then heat-set it with an iron. Lay the bag on your ironing board, cover it with a scrap of fabric, and iron on a low setting. The bag will be washable and colorfast.

Stiffened Doilies

This project calls for textile, paper, and glassine doilies. You can find them at crafts stores and flea markets. As is the case with snowflakes, variety is welcome.

Stiffened Doilies How-To
1. Lay textile doilies on a covered surface. With a foam brush or roller, coat both sides of doilies with undiluted fabric stiffener until just saturated. Let dry overnight.

2. Press with an iron. Hang from thread or monofilament.

eco-friendly notebooks | DIY Project

What You’ll Need:

1. Used 8.5 x 11 paper with one clean side. (Try keeping a box under your desk for a few weeks to store used paper…it stacks up fast!)
2. Cardstock, cardboard or whatever other rigid materials you may have laying around for the cover
3. Scrap wallpaper, wrapping paper or even newspaper to mount on the covers for decoration
4. Spray Mount (3M Super 77) or glue
5. Exacto knife
6. Binding materials: spiral or whatever you’ve got!
7. Ruler
8. Hole punch or binding machine

How to:

1. Fold your paper in half (french-fold) so the white/clean side is out and the printed side is hidden in the middle! (If you use 8.5×11 paper, your notebook size will be 5.5” x 8.5”). We found that about 40 sheets of paper made for a nice notebook thickness.

2. Trim your cover pieces to 5.625” x 8.625”. That extra 1/8” will help keep the paper from sticking out beyond the cover.
3. Spray Super 77 onto one side of both cover pieces. Then lay gluey side down onto non-printed side of your wallpaper or wrapping paper. Make sure they are really stuck on there!
4. Use your ruler and exacto knife to trim out the cover pieces so the wallpaper is flush with the edges.
5. Punch holes! You want to bind along the non-folded edge of the paper, so be sure to punch the holes on the correct side. If you don’t have access to a handy-dandy office binding machine, you can use a hand hole-punch and just punch a hole at the top and bottom.
6. Bind ‘em up! Again, you can always do this by hand, whether with spiral binding materials, or even some ribbon, string or other materials you have laying around.
7. Enjoy!

CANOPY HEADBOARD | DIY Project

Materials
10-inch ready-made wreath of artificial willow leaves (or another style of your own choosing)
white spray paint
2 yards of matching 1-inch-wide ribbon
scissors
safety pin
two sheer organza curtain panels
large nail
hammer

Directions

Spray the wreath lightly with white paint for a snow-frosted look; let dry.
Cut the ribbon in half. Attach a safety pin to one end of one piece of ribbon, then slide the ribbon through the rod pocket of the panel, pulling the pin through the pocket and gathering the panel as you go along until you pull the ribbon through the other side. Then repeat with the other panel.
Tie the ribbon of one panel around the lower edge of the wreath, slipping the ribbon between the leaves. Attach the other panel in the same manner. Trim the excess ribbon. Mark the nail placement on the wall, centering it 4 to 6 feet above the bed. Pound the nail into the wall, slip the wreath over the nail, then arrange the panels as desired.

maya’s twinkle board

What You’ll Need:

-wooden board
-christmas lights
-drill
-computer/printer

Here were my steps:

1. Gathered my materials, including the large wood panel which was originally part of a clothing store visual display. Recognizing the quality and potential, my brother luckily intercepted it for me, otherwise it would have just gone into the dumpster. I borrowed a drill from a friend and ordered the Christmas lights online (take advantage of the discounts during this off season!)

2. Choosing the word: “Delight” came about after reading Milton Glaser’s “Since Then” essay in which he discusses Roman literary critic Horace’s definition of Art –“The role of art is to inform and delight”. He goes on to say, “Form and light are hidden in that definition. It’s an idea I enthusiastically embrace. Of course, informing is different than persuading. When one is informed, one is strengthened. Persuasion does not guarantee the same result. Delight is the non-quantifiable part of the definition that speaks to the role of beauty.”

3. Choosing the typeface: One of my favorite typefaces, Archer. It’s just lovely in my opinion.

4. I scaled “delight” on the computer and printed it out at actual size, which required tiling. Secured the print out to the board and penciled in where each hole would be drilled. Very tedious, but worth it. Before drilling, make sure to measure whatever type of bulb you choose and use the respective drill nail to ensure proper fit. Proceeded to drill.

5. Starting from one end of my string of Christmas lights (not the end with the plug obviously), I Inserted each bulb through a hole in the back of the board. I found that, in my case, the bulbs fit through the holes and were very snug, so I didn’t have to use additional materials to secure the lights but in some cases, you might need to.

6. Plug it in. Ta-da!