project: wood wall

Today I'm sharing a pretty darn easy (& incredibly affordable) way to give a plain wall a face lift.  We have a bi-level home, with our living quarters upstairs and the garage, a daylight studio space and a guest suite downstairs.  The studio space is where I work and I knew that I wanted a wood wall somewhere down there to add warmth and texture to the room, plus use it occasionally as a backdrop for photos (like I already have on my instagram a few times, below).

make: large lyric art print

Hi friends!  Sorry I have been a little MIA as of late... seriously life is just being lived over here.  Lots of settling, exploring, loving, living, thinking, dreaming.. you know?  I missed this little place and after a few concerned texts & emails I know a few of you missed me too, so thank you! Lets pretend I was on an extended spring break and forget it mmkay? =)

If you have seen this project as a canvas painting diy (examples here & here), but haven't gotten around to doing it yet, then here is a great excuse to get on it.  Not only is this a simplified version of the tutorial, but its also more affordable.  No need for a large canvas, paint or brushes!

Only a few supplies are required for your DIY: standard size white sheet of paper, pencil, black marker, ruler if you want the lines more straight (i just free handed it) and your lyrics or quote. 

First up take your paper and plan out the placement and size of the words you are using and draft  them in pencil.  This might take a few tries, but the imperfection of this is what gives it so much charm.  After its looking all fine & sexy make it permanent with a marker!  When you are done go back through and erase as much of the visible pencil markers as possible as they will show up when enlarged.

The artwork itself took me in all about 5-7 minutes and the longest part of the project was driving to the printers!  I headed over to Kinkos because it was closer than Staples, but they both run about the same price.  Kinkos (fedex) charges 75 cents per square foot and Staples about $4-6 total depending on size.  When you print these you will ask for a 'blue print copy'.  They will scan your artwork and print it out in black & white pretty quickly for you- I actually get a lot of artwork that I purchase made into blueprint size (with the artists permission of course) because I love huge art!

As you can see the size comparison of an 8x11 to the fullsize blueprint is quite different, isn't it amazing??  Now remember with blueprint copies, things can get a little fuzzy (pixelated unless its sized to be enlarged) and it shows all flaws- but like I said, thats the charming part!

For the purpose of the tutorial I hung this up by my couch, but I actually made another one after this and used lyrics from Iris by Goo Goo Dolls because I walked down the aisle to that. Awww!  I hope you like this revised tutorial of one of my favorite DIY projects out there, if you end up making something- share it with me! xo

make: printed fabric

Projects for the home are one of my most favorite to do.  Don't get me wrong I love shopping for decor, but at the end of the day seeing something I made feels just a little more special.  Since we recently moved to a new city, I've been trying to come up with more projects I can do that have a high impact with low cost (because lets face it, moving isn't cheap!).  I've seen this plus sign print all over lately, but in my quest for pillows one case having a price tag ranging from $38-52 wasn't doing it for me- this is where the diy saves the day! (i originally shared this diy on gussy sews)

You can use this tutorial for any sort of fabric project you have, but today I'm showing you how I made new pillow cases for our future home.  The supplies I used were fabric paint, brush applicator, stencil and pillow cases.  I used a thin piece of cardboard for my stencil, which was hand drawn & cut out with an xacto-blade.  Tip: Pre-wash and dry your fabric so the chemical base the manufacturer uses on the fabric comes off and it accepts your paint better.

If you are going to be making a lot of prints with your stencil make an extra copy as the paint can weaken your stencil as it gets wet.  Place a piece of cardboard or some sort of protector under the layer of fabric you are working with so it doesn't bleed through.  Tap your brush in paint and dab-dab-dab like this to fill up your design with paint.  Tip: if you aren't a stencil type, opt for stamps!

When you finish lay flat or hang to dry for a minimum of 24 hours and wash & dry your fabric again (or follow the manufacturers instructions from the paint you are using).  This project is great because it really can be used for so many things like tote bags, scarves, baby stuff... enjoy!

If you have ever painted on fabric how did it go?  If you have any tips or tricks, share with me!

make something: instagram coasters

I shared this insanely easy tutorial on Gussy Sews last fall and I thought it would be fun to share here in case you missed it.  Have you tried making your own coasters yet?  If you did and you had any questions about this tutorial or you have any new tips & tricks, make sure to share!

Since instagram is all the rage and the photos are already a square I decided to save a few photos from my feed* and print them on the paper.  Cut your photos to fit the frame of your tile and apply a thin layer of Mod Podge directly to the tile and place your photo on top.  Project tip: allow your printed photos to dry completely or use Mod Podge for paper for the first layer to prevent ink bleeds.

Smooth out the print to remove bubbles and allow for an even coverage then apply another layer of Mod Podge over your photograph.  Allow some drying time and repeat to build up a few layers.  Once completely dry use clear sealer (spray or liquid- your choice) to prevent drink condensation or spills from ruining your work.  Project tip: I used clear spray sealer, simply place tiles on paper and in a ventilated area just spray each piece following manufacturers instructions.

To prepare the bottom for table top use you can purchase pre-made felt sticky pads, some cork board or just make your own like I did.  Cut small circles of felt for each corner of the tile or a square large enough to cover bottom then adhere to tile (I used hot glue). Project tip: to get the best use out of your new coasters, lightly wipe clean or gently hand wash when needed.

This project is not only easy to make, but totally customizable, which makes it a fun project to do with friends or to use as a gift.  You could snag a couple photos from one of your friends IG feeds and surprise them with a new set of personalized coasters.  Have fun!

*to print photos from your instagram feed just visit your own
feed via instagram.com or email the photos to yourself from your phone!

finding your community

Community usually refers to a social unit larger than a small village that shares common values.  Finding the community you belong to can become quite the challenge, especially if you dwell in a small town or you simply can't find your people.  Moving to Portland, I knew this wouldn't be a problem because the resources for the handmade community overfloweth!  With just a little browsing, I found so many great places here that I can't wait to check out.

I'm participating in my first Portland market on May 11th with Crafty Wonderland and while browsing their site and clicking on through about five other vendors I came across ADX / Portland, a membership based 10,000 sqaure foot space that caters to the thinkers & makers.  Helping creatives by providing resources such as a work space, machine use, classes and support by other artisans.  

Through them I found Destination DIY, an independently produced public radio show and podcast bringing you stories about all kinds of creativity.  They hold Makin' It: listening party & project nights, basically, beer-pizza-live dj & projects. Obviously I'm going next time.

Also through ADX I discovered Portland Made, a collective of Portland based designers, local goods retailers, and manufacturers.  I'm attending their launch party tomorrow night and wanted to share a little more about them with the video below.  I plan on doing a recap of the event, so don't miss it!

Portland Made from Portland Made on Vimeo.

If you have been wanting to find a community of your own and don't know where to start- try connecting with a etsy street team, browsing the community section of craigslist for local events & classes and even a quick google search.  You never know what is out there until you look for it!

make: felted ball garland

Today I asked Dani from Be Good Natured, to share a felting project with us.  I've seen the felt ball garlands around and since she is an amazing felter I thought it would be fun to start from beginning to end so you can learn how to felt as opposed to just purchasing the pre-made pieces.

Dani is the sweetest so make sure you check out her blog where she writes about her felting adventures, DIY projects and about how she works at a zoo! How fun right?

SUPPLIES USED: 
Wool roving or batts / Felting Needle / Foam
Large sewing needle / Embroidery Floss / Scissors
For some of these supplies check your local craft store, etsy or even livingfelt.com

I'm a sucker for rainbows, and I'm longing for some Springy colors, so I chose lots of bright wool for my garland.  You can easily customize the color based on your own design needs!

Decide how big you want to make the balls.  Keep in mind that you they can't be any wider than your sewing needle, otherwise you'll lose your needle in the ball as you thread them up. :)  Compact the wool in your hand to determine how much of the roving you'll need for the size balls you want.

You can go ahead and divide all of your wool into this amount if you want.  It certainly does not have to be exact.

Time to felt! Grab your felting needle and foam. Livingfelt.com has most of the supplies you will need and tutorials that are easy to follow if you feel lost at all make sure to check them out or do a quick google/youtube search for more resources!

Keep your ball compacted, and carefully begin to shape it with your felting needle.  (If you've never needle felted before, here are some tips:  Always felt on top of some kind of foam. The needle will go through your wool, poking into the foam as you felt. Never look away and always be mindful of where your fingers are. These needles are sharp and barbed, folks. It hurts when you miss...)

 As you poke, the barbs are compacting the wool fibers.  So, turn the ball as you poke, making sure to cover the entire surface.  The more you felt, the smoother and less lumpy your balls will be. 

Voilà! Just a *few* more to go.

After you've felted to your heart's content, now decide what order you want to string up your balls.  To go with my rainbow wool, I thought it only fitting to use some rainbow embroidery floss.

The wool provides enough friction on the embroidery floss, so you shouldn't have to secure each ball in place. 

To finish off your garland, you can tie small loops at each end or leave the floss a little longer to wrap it around a nail, depending on where you will it. 

Hang it up and enjoy your wooly decor!