DIY

I finally bought myself some really beautiful handspun, hand dyed yarn for no reason other than to crochet myself a little present. Isn’t it so pastel-pretty? I whipped up this women’s crochet earwarmer which is just like the ones in my shop, only with just one strand of yarn because of the thick wool. I bought the yarn off Etsy from twistedwool (almost didn’t want to link back because I so want to go back & buy the rest!) and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the color mix but I’m in LOVE. All my favorite subtle, girly springy, almost Easter-eqsue colors in one skein! 

I wish I could afford to stock my shop with only crochet accessories made from hand dyed yarns. For the fall, I hope to be able to provide a few pieces. Unfortunately I’d have to price items much, much higher – which is so worth it – but my goal is to provide amazing handmade accessories to people like me, who wouldn’t be able to afford to shop on Etsy if it weren’t for those more affordable shops. And being able to do that is really important. Buying in bulk & during sales has helped a lot, but I definitely can’t wait to be able to add more color combos to my inventory. 

Around the same time I received my wonderful yarn in the mail, my boyfriend brought me to a new craft store when I was feeling a little down, and I got some new crafts just for fun. Sometimes I’m so busy thinking of the purpose of each of the things I make – i.e., to sell, to adorn my home, to function in a specific room, etc., that I don’t just buy that cute letter “A” or craft journal, or whatever.

What have you made lately? What do you do when some of your favorite materials are too expensive?

Have you ever had a series of disappointments that made you hesitant to announce when you were actually really excited for something? That’s what happened with this apartment my bf and I were planning to get. It was a fairly short term lease, which was perfect for us (and very hard to find), but we felt the change would be just enough to make us feel refreshed & happy after a tough year of adjustments. We’d had a disappointing search with apartments last fall, so when we were told we could move in last weekend, we were so excited! Then I had to go and jinx it by announcing it to friends, family, and here on the blog! I’m only a little superstitious. The whole thing fell through at the last minute, and here I am at my family’s house again. Not that I don’t love them, but I’m almost 23, I thought I’d get an apartment (and subsequently a kitten!) for my birthday. 

Thus began a 48-hour period full of surprise, confusion, and plan-making. Ultimately, I thought better than to  rush back out into the cruel world that house-hunting is, and we’re going to wait a bit, save our money, and figure out what we really want–most of all where we really want to live.

Saturday we went to Ikea anyway as planned before the big letdown, and we bought a few things for when we do move, and I focused on getting things that would get me out of my creative rut. I wish I had taken before pictures! I moved my teeny bed underneath my inspiration board, formerly above my desk.

I bought a pretty rug to center the room with, and it really makes a difference!

Then I traded out my bulky desk for Ikea’s simple table, which I customized with a brown top and gray legs. I still don’t have enough room for all my books, so I stacked some beneath it. The little gray cart is also from my Ikea trip–super amazing for crafty goodness, but kind of a pain to put together!

The focal point in the room is my DIY of the weekend, a cheap clothing rack in white for $9.99, that I spray painted (I used two cans) mint green (it’s Catalina Mist if you choose DIY!) which matches my vintage-style bird art and other wall art, and is also my favorite color. After I do all my laundry, this will be filled with spring dresses–there is most definitely not enough room in my closet for them.

I spent about $100 at Ikea, and got a ton of stuff that helped me organize my space a bit and feel a little more comfortable not having my own private apartment for the immediate future. I’ve been really interested in styling small spaces lately (see: upcoming feature!) so this was a nice lesson in design.

Back when I thought I was moving out of my parents’ house promptly after graduating & getting a job (cue needless whining), I started collecting items from thrift & dollar stores to add to my little collection of housewares and decor. Finally, I got around to painting these simple wooden spoons, after seeing many tutorials floating around Pinterest for months.

I didn’t use any specific tutorial but some of my favorite versions of this wooden cutlery are here, here, and here. All you need for this project are wooden spoons, acrylic paint in your favorite colors, and some type of sealant/overcoat (I have yet to go over mine with a finish; if you have a suggestion let me know!). My color scheme includes mustard yellow, peach, sage, and aqua. I didn’t want to do anything too bright not knowing the decor in my future kitchen. For now, this kitchenware will be put in a very overstuffed cardboard box of the stuff I’ll use one day…hopefully soon!

These are just some of the pretty packages I’ve worked on lately to get ready for the holidays in both my shop and gift giving! I love wrapping presents just as much as I love unwrapping them. Not kidding. My mom actually wrapped up a huge pack of multi-colored tissue paper for me one Christmas. I think it was a joke but I loved it all the same!