What to do with writing pens and some beautiful ribbon?? Make beautiful writing pens of course!
Try making your own stylish writing pens. How-to instructions here!
What have you been crafting lately?
Let’s Get Crafty: Bandana Table Runner
I was looking for an inexpensive table decor idea and got busy making a Bandana Table Runner. And, it cost less than $10 to make.
For full DIY instructions, head here!
What crafty decor do you have planned for your next party?
Let’s Get Crafty…We Are Family!
It’s summertime and with that comes family reunions.
We’ll be heading to a family reunion next week and I am planning to take lots of photos. So that I’ll have a place to store all the photos, I’ve been busy creating a unique photo album that will become a family treasure in years to come.
I started with a plain photo album and added lots of embellishments to make it stand out. Petaloo flowers were my inspiration for the design.
Every page in the album is unique and different!
There’s even a register for all the attendees to record their names and state.
Hop on over to the May Arts Blog here, to check out all the how-to’s!
Happy Crafting!
all images via ConfettiStyle
The Best of Etsy–Amazing Handiwork
The Etsy marketplace never fails to amaze me. The sheer talent of artist around the globe that create things with their hands is mind-boggling.
Here are a few of my recent finds, all showcasing amazing handiwork.
Enjoy!
- This incredible patchwork sofa is crafted by namedesignstudio, located in Istanbul, Turkey. Their incredible patchwork designs adorn a variety of furniture pieces.
- This stunning handcrafted and hand-painted pillows is one of many spectacular designs by derilyn, from San Diego, Ca.
- How cute is this hand-painted dog bed, created by jakeybb, from Charlotte, NC. What dog wouldn’t love one of these original works of art?
- The art of knitting is elevated to a whole new status with this hand knit chair cover. Crafted in Napier, South Africa by biscuitscout.
- I love paper products, especially when they are as cute as these gift tags from tea time and roses out of California. What a pretty way to dress up a gift for someone special.
- If you love to take an old piece of furniture and turn it into something spectacular, you’ll be inspired by the work of Sheer Serendipity, out of Brooklyn, NY. This hand-painted chest is beautiful.
- All it takes to get that glamorous hollywood look is a little paint. This stunning cabinet was created by Fabulousmess in Austin, TX. Be sure to check out their site for other wonderful 60’s and hollywood regency inspired pieces.
- Gladpad , from Alamo, Ca created this fun and spirited chair . Along with upcycling old furniture, they offer a great collection of handcrafted handbags
- This hand-painted luggage from Jez4U is sure to put a smile on your face. Located in Round Rock, TX, Jez4u sells a wide variety of hand-painted art and decor.
- This Keep Calm transfer is one of many digital download images available from Ocaia, FL based Graphique. Most of their images are vintage and old world inspired, and all are beautiful. Hurry over to their site as they are running a dollar days sale!
- This stylishly fab chair would make a great addition to any home. Crafted in Morristown, NY by Greenzebre, custom chairs are what they do.
- Ok, I gasped when I came across the Etsy site of Naczas and saw the hand-crafted, hand-painted mirrors they make. All the way across the pond in Sligo, Ireland, incredible images are painted on mirrors of all shapes and sizes, resulting in stunning pieces of art.
What treasures have you found on Etsy?
The Best of Etsy–Lace Inspired
Yesterday I was in and out of stores, working on client projects, looking at fabrics and picking out a wedding present and searching for a summer dress.
Store after store, I saw items made of or inspired by lace. The Summer of 2011 seems to be the season of lace and I was loving what I saw.
So, with my new love for lace, I came home and hopped on to my favorite hand-made site, Etsy, and rounded up a wonderful collection of all things LACE inspired.
Take a peek …I think you’ll fall for lace just like I have.
1)lace wedding chair covers–customizedwedding, 2) fabric and lace button earrings–heydayhandmade, 3)vintage mason jar lanterns with lace decoupage–usedandabused, 4) lace embossed heart dishes–darriellesclayart, 5) damask invitation card–trinityStStudio
1)lace bird clock–garbella, 2) sage green lace nesting bowls–dgordon, 3) pencil cases with lace applique–charmingzakka, 4) vintage lace beaded cuff bracelet–carellya
1) flowers and lace necklace–sayagdis, 2) lace skirt with embossed floral roses–sunsfashion, 3) lace embossed leather iPhone case–tovicorrie, 4) lace doily coasters–uncommon, 5) lace wire ring with swarvoski crystal stone–inbarjewelry
Do you have a pattern obsession this summer? Maybe its lace!
all images via Etsy
Let’s Get Crafty–Monogrammed Serving Tray
When I’m not working on design projects, I love to keep myself busy creating hand-made items.
As one of the design team members for May Arts Ribbon, I create projects showcasing their incredible array of ribbons. While I love using ribbon to create beautiful gift tags and inspirational pieces, creating home-decor items is what I love to do most.
One of my latest projects was a Monogrammed Serving Tray, made as a special gift for a soon-to-be married couple. I love giving personalized gifts as wedding presents, and this tray fit the bill perfectly.
Here’s what the finished item looked like.
I had lots of fun creating the tray and thought I’d share the how-to’s with you.
You’ll need the following supplies:
- Rectangular picture frame with an interior mat. The mat for my frame had three photo spaces which were framed with a beveled wood edge. Not only is the detail great but it elevates the glass a bit and adds dimension.
- May Arts Ribbon—SX44, WX15, WA46, SX01
- Decorative Drawer Pulls (I picked mine up at Hobby Lobby for $2.99)
- Decorative Scrapbook Paper
- Glue Arts Adhesive Tape
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
Step 1: Remove the glass and mat from the frame.
Step 2: Determine the placement of the ribbon around the mat. I decided to run lengths of my ribbon along the surface of the mat, creating a criss-cross pattern in several places to give it some added style.
Once the ribbon placement was determined, I cut my ribbon to the desired length, and glued the pieces in place. It’s best to secure the ribbon ends with hot glue gun and the body of the ribbon with your Glue Arts adhesive .
Step 3: Select a decorative paper that coordinates with your ribbon. You’ll be using it as the backdrop of each photo box. I choose a blue striped paper, in a slightly darker blue than my ribbon.
Now, measure and cut your paper to fit each photo window. Run your Glue Arts Adhesive around the back side of the mat opening and position your decorative paper in place.
Here’s what the tray looks like with the paper in place.
Step 4: Now it’s time to create the monograms within each photo window.
With a pencil, lighting draw out the initials onto the decorate paper of each photo box. The first box will be the first initial of the bride. The middle box will the couples last initial, and the third box will be the grooms’ first initial.
Starting with the first photo box, run a narrow bead of hot glue along the initial outline you drew. Starting at one edge of your letter, scrunch and glue your ribbon along your glue line. Scrunching the ribbon creates a soft ruffle effect. Repeat the same process with the other two initials.
Step 5: Next, measure where your handles will be positioned and screw them into place. A big thanks to my hubby for handling the power tools for this project.
Finally, assemble the mat and glass into your frame and you’re all done!
Turned out great if I say so myself. If you haven’t checked out the wonderful ribbon that May Arts offers, hop on over to their site and take a look. And while you’re there, spend a little time on their blog to see more fabulous projects inspired by May Arts ribbon!
Have you made anything by hand lately?
The Best of Etsy
Here’s a round-up of my latest finds on Etsy. Enjoy!
Happy Shopping!
Let’s Get Crafty: Ribbon Tassel
As I am adding the finishing touches to my bedroom makeover, I decided to create a one-of-a kind tassel to hang on the door.
I’ve always loved tassels and have them all over my house. To me, tassels are just the touch you need to add a bit of detail to a piece of furniture, entrance door or curtain tie-back.
If you’re needing a finishing touch for a room in your home, try making your own hand-crafted ribbon tassel.
Here’s the how-to:
Supplies needed:
- Wood Finial—you can find a variety of styles at your local hardware store or at a flea market like I did. (I paid $2.00 for mine).
- Spray Paint—in a color to coordinate with your theme. My color theme is black, white and yellow.
- Ribbon of your choice. I used the following May Arts Ribbon styles: EM10, AR10, AH27, AKN10, ARR27, 336-38-10, BH09, DH10, ADD10, 341-10, 347-78-10
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Bead (for dowel top)
In order to get your finial ready for your tassel, you need to do two things:
- Drill a small hole into the top of your finial. This hole will be used to secure your ribbon handle.
- Spray paint your finial to work with your color theme. My finial was originally stained brown, so I spray painted it a high gloss black to coordinate with my ribbons.
Next, you can create your hanging loop. To do this, I threaded both ends of a 10” length of ribbon through a large silver bead. I knotted the loose ends of the ribbon to keep the bead on.
Now you’ll need to cut your ribbon into various lengths. Having different lengths of ribbon within your tassel will give it more movement and interest.
I cut selected ribbons in 13” lengths, 11” lengths, 9” lengths and 7” lengths.
Once all my ribbon lengths are cut, began gluing them to the bottom of my finial.
I glued one style of 13” ribbon on first by laying the ribbon face side up in a cross pattern. I glued the finial to the middle of the ribbons.
Next, I glued two pieces of 11” ribbon onto the finial bottom, followed by two pieces of 9” ribbon and lastly, two pieces of 7” ribbon. Continue gluing ribbons onto the finial bottom in various spots so that the lengths vary in position around the based of the finial.
Once all your ribbons are glued in place, glue your handle into the hole drilled at the top of your finial. Push your bead down so that it sits on the finial top.
I added a loop of 1/8” yellow ric-rac (ARR27) around the finial base to give a finishing touch.
And there you have it, a super easy, but very stylish Ribbon Tassel to give your home a little pizzazz!
