Category: DIY

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M + E

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. Personally I am not a huge fan of the holiday but I do like creative DIY projects and what better excuse to make one up than V Day. I seriously heart this fingerprint poster tutorial over at Man Made. Super clear directions and great tips (printing at a local print shop, WDITOT!?) help you come up with a personalized work of art that is not to sappy but still pretty sweet and won’t break the bank. I am thinking I might make our equation include a little tiny fingerprint. via

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5 Minute Christmas Crafts

This Christmas I am pretty sure M&I are going to have a little more on our minds than elaborate Christmas decorations (in case you haven’t been ticking the time we have a little over two weeks until the due date). I am a sucker for Christmas so I would like to have something and this 5 Minute Tinsel Garland Wreath seems like just the ticket. I already have the hoops and getting garland should be a snap. I even have some fancy garland that will dress these wreaths up nicely without pulling out all our ornaments. It is almost like instant gratification and will certainly add a little sparkle and Christmas cheer to the apartment. Thanks for the great tutorial, Ez!

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Hacking IKEA for Kids

I heart IKEA. I know I have talked about my love for the cheap trendy Swedish superstore of housewares and meatballs. I have had a special place in my heart for the As Is section which has provided many ridiculously cheap treasures over the years including the cushions for our couches and three butcher block table tops. Many an IKEA product has made its way into our home only to be turned into something else.  Sam Johnson over at Ten Plan has given us complete instructions to create these adorable rolling toys with a few IKEA parts and some tools you probably have on hand. If kids toys aren’t your thing there are nine other clever projects to check out all with instructions on how to make them. Oh and if you have never been over to IKEA hacker go now. I will see you in a few hours.  via

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Thrift Store Frame + Cork = Genius

I love the simple versatility of these picture frames with cork. Armed with a roll of cork, some thrift store frames, and a bit of paint you can create a lovely arrangement of frames ready for your temporary masterpieces, inspirational images or recipes from magazines, post cards, Christmas cards… you get the idea. Personally I am a white kick lately so I would probably paint all the frames a glossy white and maybe even add a coat of white paint to the cork.

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Lovely Lamp Shade

I am very particular about the quality of light in our apartment. I very much dislike most light that comes from overhead fixtures (my friend who also doesn’t like this type of light calls it the big light) and would prefer that all fixtures give off a soft diffuse light from a bit above my eye level. Add to that the fact that I am not a huge fan of most conventional lampshades out there and you can imagine how difficult it can be to find light sources. I love this DIY shade solution by Janis from Pinecone Camp! Not only is it a lovely alternative to white or beige shades it also would help cast a lovely magenta (or any color you choose!) light throughout the room. It doesn’t hurt that this base is so simple and beautiful. I will certainly be looking a little more closely at some of the thrift store lamps that would normally not get a second glance.

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How to Unravel a Sweater

Many years ago I purchased a sweater that I really loved. Until I washed it. Even though I didn’t use hot water, or dry it, and it was only partly wool, the darn thing shrunk about 2 sizes. So sad. I loved the color so much that I unraveled the sweater and have used the yarn in a few projects over the years. I wish I had this wonderful tutorial to help me in my unraveling. The bit where Ashley clearly demonstrates what makes a good seam and what makes a bad seam is worth its weight in gold if you are hunting your local thrift store for a sweater to unravel.  via

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New Life for Cashmere

At the risk of repeating myself, I heart cashmere. So much so that even when a sweater isn’t quite right on me anymore, I have trouble letting it go. I have been considering what I might be able to do with these misfits considering my limited sewing skills. A cashmere baby blanket seems well within what I can accomplish but I do wish I was able to do something a little more special. Something perhaps like these endangered stuffies by the ladies behind Modifyd who use the all pieces and parts of garment industry cast-offs to make pillows, cup cozies, and pet beds in addition to the stuffed animals. Personally I am in love with the elephants… for baby of course. OK, maybe for me too. Who’s up for a little thrift store cashmere hunting? via

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Barn Furniture

I love the way these side tables from The Steel Fork bring together two materials that are so different in such a simple elegant form. At first I thought they were stools and could definitely see a version scattered around our small deck upstate for those times we have guests. via

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Wood Wire Desk

You would think that living in a smallish NY apartment would deter M&I from taking on projects like building furniture. Well we have two couches built from scratch that suggest it isn’t as bad an idea as you would think. We have been hemming and hawing about a new computer desk for a while. The one we have is perfectly serviceable and nothing has come along to catch our eye. What we have now is a glass top metal desk that we picked up off the street on day. My main issue with the desk is that the wires are all over the place and it makes the desk look messy. I love the simplicity of this wooden desk top that is made to hide wires and look good doing it. In fact the only thing I love better than the simple design of this desk is the wonderfully simple, easy to follow, and beautifully designed instruction manual.

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Been There

It is no secret that I love traveling and I love to make stuff. I have been pining away after a print of a hand painted travel map by Oliver Jeffers since seeing it on swissmiss. (BTW, if you don’t know who Oliver Jeffers is, you should go right away and check out his Creative Morning talk.) When I saw this DIY travel map I immediately fell in love with it. Thanks to the step by step tutorial I may get around to making one. I am thinking it would be nice to have a map of the world though since we have actually been to quite a few places already and have plans to get to many more.