DIY Wreathes!

Hi!
So, a trend that has become suuuper big in the crafting blogosphere is... DIY Wreathes! They. Are. Everywhere. I'm actually a bit late on this one, they've been big a while now, but better late than never, am I right?! There are SOO many versions out there, lots are holiday-themed, but i kinda like the ones you can use at any time better.
So, here we go....

• Beautiful Braided Wreath from Homework. This is probably the first wreath I ever saw, it's a different take on the classic yarn wreath (click the link for TONNES of versions!) that took the world by storm! What I really love about this wreath is that you don't have to buy a wreath from to make it! With all the other ones, you will, but with Carolyn's version, the yarn braid acts as a wreath, so you just need a ring of card to support it at the back! This makes this wreath super cheap, or FREE if you already have a ball of wool/yarn. Yay!

• Next up, MADE's Acorn wreath! (Lovvve that blog BTW, check it out!) This wreath has some serious staying power! Just look at all the versions Dana  made! They're not different wreathes, she simply spray-painted it different colours depending on the season! Smart or what? I can't choose which I like best. Maybe the white, since you could use it for all different seasons. Oooohhhh, I love the raspberry pink!

•  Another pink wreath! But this one is so pretty I couldn't not feature it! She made this for a (very lucky!) little girl's room and it is just gorgeous. I want one for MY room! Check out the tutorial here! *sigh*

• I really love this >> sweet little wreath (A project from Inspired Ideas!) It's a great way to use up those leftover fabric scraps and cheer up a room! It's so sunshine-y and fun! It also seems quite easy! the hardest part would be trying to decide where to hang it! Wouldn't it look great in a sewing or craft room?! Or even a little girl's bedroom! Go here for the how-to!

•  There's loads of felt rosette wreathes out there, but this tutorial is really good! Very clear, and lots of pictures! Perfect for someone like me! AND she said she wants to use it year-round as part of her décor, so she used white felt. It's really modern, but fluffy and cute at the same time, which is a good combination in my book. Check it out here!

Now that I've featured some of the more ordinary wreathes,  Here's a bunch that are made from slightly odder materials! You can probably find most of these around your house, but they probably aren't in your craft room!

• First up, we have a wreath made from... toilet paper rolls! I have to admit, I love these guys! I'm a firm believer that you can do almost anything with them! Along with paint chips, they are one of my favourite materials, because they're both FREE! Anyway, back to the wreath. As I hoard like there's no tomorrow collect toilet paper tubes, yes, collect, you heard me right, I have all the materials needed. If you're a normal person who doesn't like to create what is essentially a massive fire hazard in your bedroom, then you'll have to start stocking up. Or you could root through your re-cycling and pick some out of there. (Just don't let your neighbours see you) Once you've amassed quite a collection, fire up your glue gun and go here for the how-to!

• If you're planning a kid's birthday party, this is the one for you! It's a wreath made from balloons! (Deflated ones, that is) I think this tutorial uses 144 ballooons, so grab that bag you have lying around and get ready to spend hours attaching ballons to a wrath form. Yes, you'll probably never want to see a balloon ever again by the time you're finished, but your kids will love you for it! Sounds fun to me! <Tutorial>

• This >> wreath may be made from unorthodox materials, (namely paper cups, the kind you use for parties!) but the results are so modern, sophisticated and stylish that you'd never know! Doesn't it look great?!  And it sounds so easy to make too! Grab a big bag of paper cups and your glue gun and get ready to make! :) Check out the quick how-to here, and while you're there, have a look at the other cool projects she made from the cups, all designed for a fab DIY wedding!

• And last but DEFINITELY not least, this super-cool cocktail umbrella wreath! I just love this sooo much! It may not be to everyone's tastes,  ;) but it's loud, bright, fun and I just like it! It would be great for a cocktail party or similar get-together or simply because we could all use a little colourful, cocktail umbrella madness on our door, am I right?!

So, there you go. There's a different wreath for everyone! Go now and make one, be it bright, old-fashioned, girly, eco-freindly, texture-y, modern or playful! S xx

DIY Projects!

Hello there!
I realised my blog has been a bit card-heavy these past few days, so I decided to shake it up a bit and post a couple of DIY and craft ideas!

1) First up, this amazing website/book called P.S. I Made This. (Great name, right?!) I don't have the book, but found the DIY gallery via Pinterest and It. Is. Awesome!  Just check out some of the projects: Home Decor, Fashion, Jewellery....!            

   
Don't these >> look kinda Dr.Seuss-y and cartoon-y?! they're supposed to be for the 4th of July, but they're so fun I think they'd work at anytime, anywhere! And loooook at that embellished caplet! Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous and NO-SEW! For something slightly more casual,  :) how about << this Pom-Pom purse?! Fun, Pretty and Oh-so-easy! Simply Hot Glue a bunch of Pompoms to your bag and BOOM! There it is! I think I may have to try this one! 

There's tonnes more over there, so GO CHECK IT OUT! :)

2) Next up, we have this. Scrapbook paper as Patchwork wallpaper?! Genius! Isn't it so lovely!? I adore this, as it has such a pretty, shabby-chic, Romantic French Cottage feel, but you could easily adapt this idea to use much brighter striped or patterned papers. or how about a cute animal pack for a kid's bedroom?! Oh how adorable that would be!                                                                       

3) And now, Pillows. Ah pillows, the meaning of life. What you mean, "you don't think so?!" You will do after seeing these bad boys! ;)

• Now, I'm all for colour, but this >> beautiful, neutral-coloured pillow from "Ruffles and Stuff" stopped me in my tracks! I just think it's so Pretty! Sigh with happiness, and then getcha self over here licketysplit to get the how-to!

• Next, bold colours reign supreme in this C.C.C. <Colourfully Cute Creation/Cushion!  ;) > I can't find a tutorial for this one, just the picture. But isn't that enough to make you break out your felt and just wing (pun not intended!) it anyway, in the hope of making something at least a little bit like this?! *note* I'm pretty sure I have OCD, as I'd have to make sure all the little birdies were facing the same way on my version, or I wouldn't be able to sleep properly. Yes, I'm weird, I know.

•  Another bright-coloured pillow here, but it's all one colour. What colour? Orange, of course! I have had a new-found love of orange ever since I started reading How About Orange, Jessica Jone's awesome blog dedicated to said colour. Anyway, here's the pillow. Cool, right? The tutorial is here.  

*Cue Ad Voice*
For more pillow ideas (Hand-picked by moi) go here. (My Pillows Pinterest board) While you're there, you can check out my other boards too! There's Printables, Handmade Holidays and Gifts, DIY Wall art, Weathes, and more! Fun for all the Family! Only €0 and 0cents! what a steal! ;)
Have a great weekend! S xx

Card-Making on the Cheap - Bakers twine

Soooo... I reckon it's about time for another Card-Making on the Cheap post, don't you? ;) Now, I just LOVE this nifty little trick! It may be because...
a) I am completely BROKE at the moment, and this is FREE for me! (I have the supplies needed on hand already)
b) It's Suuuuper-Easy! and...
c) It's really useful!

"Come on, just tell us what it is already!" I hear you cry. Well... Ta-da! Here it is!   :)

DIY Bakers Twine! 

This really is GENIUS, and Baker's Twine looks so fab on cards, this has gotta be one of my most favourite Card-Making tricks ever! :) Go here for the how-to (It's Sooo easy, you could knock out a whole ball of baker's twine in a half-hour - Great project for in front of a movie or your fave TV show!) Have a look at the cards she uses it on, or go here for more uber-cute inspiration! Isn't that "Orange" card fab!? 




OK,  if you are active in the "blogosphere" in any way, you've probably seen this tut before. It. is. EVERYWHERE! Therefore, I feel I'm cheating a bit because most people probably already knew about it. If you didn't, then great! But if you did, then here's another site I've found:
It's called The Counterfeit Kit Challenge, and basically, they rip off  those gorgeous, but super-expensive Scrapbooking kits! They're usually made for FREE, as participants use embellishments, papers, and stickers they already own, plus freebie downloads, and tutorials on how to make cute embellishments. Like I said, it's geared towards scrabooking, but the embellishments and printables can easily be altered to use on cards! Visit the tutorial section to pick up some awesome tips on making your own embellishments, while saving yourself a wackload of cash! Have Fun! S xx

Perfection!

 Hello!
Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been lazy busy! ;) Anyway, I decided I'd share some cards I made a while ago, not for any particular reason! I found the idea for this >> card on Making Handmade Cards. I liked the idea of using a fabric Yo-yo on a card, and the tutorial for distressing paper (Rub the blade of a scissors along the edge of the paper.) I now use that tip allll the time!

Then, I was making another card (the bottom one), when I thought, Hmmm, this could really use that Fabric Yo-yo embellishment. I didn't want to make it again, so I ripped it off the first card and used in my new one. Looking at them now,  the yo-yo was a bit small on the first one, a little bit lost, but I'm not 100% sure about the second one either! I guess I'll always be a perfectionist! And don't worry, the now-bare-except for a piece of distressed spotty paper (I took the ribbon off too) got re-used on another card!
Lesson: Don't be afraid to swap things in, change them around, So what if it's not perfect?!  :)  S xx

Inspired Ideas- and a short Rant!

Hi!

 Beautiful, re-purposed tins. See what I mean?!

So I'll hope you'll forgive me for being a bit late on this one! I've just found this absolutely gorgeous and totally inspiring online magazine, Inspired Ideas. It. is. Amazing! You can buy the current issue, but before you do that, set aside a few hours (or days!) to go through the archives and past issues. Start with the very first one and keep going up. If you don't have the patience, fine, but I'm telling you, you're missing out!

The first issues are all quite short, 5 or 6 pages, but they're amazing! (Have I said that already?!) I don't know what I love most - The GORGEOUS craft projects in each issue (The instructions open in new tabs so you can come back to them all later) or even the "blank" pages - no words or writing, just inspirational pictures of ribbons, trims, buttons and general vintage awesomeness, usually colour-coordinated - totally inspiring! Then there's the cute projects in each issue for a "creativity journal." The idea is that you make them all, and then compile them in your journal, which will soon be filled with craft inspiration, so you'll never be stuck for  ideas again! I loved this so much I'm starting my own creativity journal. I'm going to start with their projects and work from there.

 Gorgeous embellished notebooks!

I think what I love most about it, actually, is the fact that it has literally inspired me to just... create. Not to be afraid of wasting expensive supplies, or messing up, or wasting my time, not worrying about measurements and exact details. To go back to the kind of -for want of a MUCH better word- naive crafts I did years ago, with just some paper, glitter and my hands. Good and all as fancy tutorials and modern crafts are, I think this where I belong. Call me old-fashioned, call me nostalgic, but I love them! Don't get me wrong, I still like modern-day crafts - I sewed an envelope pillowcase for myself just today- but lately I had been feeling kind of creatively depressed. I'd see an idea, think oh, that's cute, but just not have the motivation to actually do it.

And I think that's what this mag has done. Kick-started me back to thinking up my OWN original ideas, instead of following long tutorials all the time. But the projects featured are faaar from dated! Gold leaf pen anyone?! The ideas are original, beautiful, classic, and encourage you to think creatively, to change them and alter them. Remember, the earth without art is just eh. ;)  S xx  

I'm Back! (& a card!)

Hi!
I'm back!

I had a great time and bought far too many crafting and card-making supplies (more on that soon enough!)

Anyway, this is just a quick post to show you this card I made a while ago, but never got round to uploading. Sorry it's sideways, I have no idea how to turn it around! If anyone does know, please leave a comment below! (I'm a complete beginner at all this!) Also, the picture quality is terrible. I'd like to blame my camera, but I'm pretty sure it's me and my <non-existent> photography skills. Oh well, enough complaining, here it is.

It was a Congratulations card for my aunt who had gotten a new job. I used a kit I have with mini clothes-hangers to make a suit, shoes and handbags (all very business like!) and then used handmade (by me!) paper flowers and a cute bumble-bee sticker to brighten it up. (Are you getting a pain in your neck from staring at it yet?!)  The greeting I made online, using this super-cool website called Spell with Flikr. It does what it says on the (metaphorical) tin, and you can spell anything you want and then print it off for.... <catchphrase-alert!> FREE! Yay!  :)  That's all folks,  Hope you liked my card!  S xx

Back Soon!

Hi there!
I just popped in to say I'm going away :), so there won't be any posts for a while. If you're looking for craft or DIY projects, free printables, kid's crafts or decorating ideas while I'm gone, check out my Pinterest boards! There should be enough there to keep you going, and normal posting should resume in about 2 weeks! :) See you then! S xx

*Cue pictures of awesome things you are mising out on unless you check out my Pinterest*