DIY

DIY felt Christmas ornaments

December 21, 2014 by Angela

Time (and energy and my sanity) have gotten away from me this month. I’ve had so many things simultaneously in the works, like all these DIYs (did you see my pom pom garland?) and a new blogging endeavor at The Blog Market, that it’s been difficult to put the finishing touches on this blog. But anyway, I had this idea for DIY party hat Christmas tree ornaments in my head for quite some time, and tried them a few different ways (including paper, which was just as cute but not as durable).

I’ve mentioned before that I went on a pom pom buying spree this month. I came across these felt ones at Paper Source and knew I had to edit my original idea. I’d love to make a garland version of these hats for a birthday, but these particular ones are for my little Christmas tree. They’re a wonderful solution for those of you with pets who like to pick off your glass ornaments from the tree and create a mess. I’ve only had one casualty with these so far… The kitties don’t find them as intriguing as the curling ribbon on our gifts, I guess.

Note: Making these ornaments with felted poms instead does make for a more difficult time threading the string through, so try to go with as small a hook + thread as possible while still creating a strong hanger.

YOU’LL NEED

·Felted pom poms
·Needle, thread, & scissors
·Felt, cut into small circles
·Hot glue & gun

DIY FELT CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

1. Cut small circles from your sheets of felt and cut a triangle out of each circle. Fold them into the party hat shape like you would a paper cone. You’ll actually not need entire circles, as they’re so small they start to overlap. Cut off the excess and tweak until you have the look you want.

2. Using a hot glue gun, glue the felt pieces together into a cone.

3. Thread your string through each felt ball to create a loop for them to hang from the tree. You can also try simply threading your hook through the top of the felt (behind the ball) but I found it didn’t hang as nicely from the tree.

4. Glue the ball to the top of the hat, with the loop centered at the top.

5. Wait for them to dry + hang!

Some were more like santa hats and some where not so Christmasy. I love when people do away with red + green for the holidays so I thought I’d just choose whichever color poms would go nicely with my sheets of felt. I think next time I’ll add glitter.

Did you make any of your holiday decorations this year?

DIY Pom Pom Garland

December 16, 2014 by Angela

I’ve been on a major pom pom kick lately, and it all started with a little DIY. I wanted to create Christmas ornaments with pom poms (sharing this later), and at first all I could find were those basic green + red ones. Cute but not cute enough! Luckily, everywhere I went, I kept finding better and better poms. So I ended up with these sparkly wintry bits to string along my living room.

I don’t know why I’ve never made one before. DIY pom pom garlands are among the easiest DIYs you can do. All you need are the balls, string, and a sewing needle. I used one of my larger needles and had no trouble. Simply pull the thread through the pom, string it along, and tie each end.

I love all the different sizes.

Instead of stringing them along the wall, I draped them from the artwork above my tiny Christmas tree. I didn’t even have to put a hole in the wall (dream decor for renters, then?).

Happy decorating!

Pom poms: Michael’s | Art prints: Alphonnsine

Red & gold gift wrap ideas

December 9, 2014 by Angela

People have certain decorating traditions from year to year: fake tree vs. real, red and green vs. blue and white, a little pink or no pink, handcrafted or not, traditional or modern, quirky or trendy. Holidays have changed a lot over the years for my family and me, and my aesthetic for decorating has never quite stayed the same. Sometimes I want to grab a white tree and break out my coveted collection of vintage aqua + pink bulbs (which I haven’t done yet, for fear the cats would make them their play things). Sometimes I want to go to a real tree farm, which I’ve never done either. I like to think I’ll try any and all. Same goes for gift wrapping. On this particular day I was feeling the traditional look of red + gold as paired with some of today’s cutest trends, like polka dots, chevron, and glitter…

Chevron & Polka Dot Bags: Gift shop in Larchmont Village | Ribbon: Scrap pieces from Pulp, Los Angeles | Glitter mats: Michael’s | Bells & clothespins: My stash | Boxes & gift wrap: Recycled

Sunday I had a little holiday craft session. I’d shopped LA on Small Business Saturday and the weekend after, but in the end, I wrapped my gifts using mostly pieces from my collection. Small gifts can be the best gifts: jewelry, tickets, a handwritten letter, goold ‘ol cash.There’s no doubt about that. My mother always insisted on wrapping every single little thing in our stockings, which were full of dollar-store accessories and travel sized goodies. She knew if you had to unwrap everything, you’d enjoy the moment a lot longer. Why not make the outside just as exciting as the inside?

For small, special gifts:

Try a cute paper bag instead of a box, and close it with washi tape and ribbon.
Double up on different types of ribbon.
Glitter never disappoints.
Sneak a little somethin’ extra onto the ribbon, like an accessory or decoration.
Always handcraft your tag.

Etsy gift packaging

September 16, 2014 by Angela

Although I just ordered a few calling cards to pack with orders (about time!) I have tons of scrap paper and materials, so I did a little destash anyway and created a collection of handmade gift tags to put with online orders. It’s the easiest way to put a little personal touch on your packages, and it only takes an hour or two to knock out a month’s worth of orders.

To DIY your own gift tags, you’ll need:
Cardstock
Paper scraps (scrapbooking, old book pages, or colored paper)
Washi tape + stickers
Stamps + an ink pad
Yarn
Hole punch

The marketing part of me knows it’s pretty much never recommended to go for an entirely nonuniform look from one package to the next – but I do this with new gift tags, collections, photos, and everything else – so maybe there’s uniformity in the diversity? Sure. Happy gifting!

DIYs to add color to your home

August 28, 2014 by Angela

A quick update on life: Home decor/houseware DIYs are some of my favorites. That said, I haven’t had time to do anything to my apartment in a good two months. I have a full calendar of post ideas and DIYs to do myself that I want to share here, but it just so happens that IFM gets pushed to the bottom of the daily to-do. So, without any further excuses, I thought a few good ol’ roundup posts would help me get back on track, and inspire me they did!

There isn’t much I can do about these psuedo-neutral, nonwhite walls of mine (I even looked in the rental agreement for what the consequences of painting would be – it didn’t go well), so I use DIYs and decor was a way to brighten things up a bit. Pair these with some white furniture and any room is a bit more lively.

Easy DIY Clay Jewelry Dishes by Gaby @ Hello Natural

MUST do these ASAP.

DIY Tree Slab Side Table by Emily Henderson

One of these days there will be trees in my home.

DIY Watercolor Mugs by Poppytalk

All you need is a mug and some nail polish.

Handmade Scrap Fabric Twine by My Poppet

Already scheming up ways to use this colorful twine.

How to Reverse Indigo Shibori Tie Dye by Fall For DIY

Think of the decor possibilities.

Now, all I need is some uninterrupted DIY time.. This weekend, perhaps?

Late summer DIY floral crown

August 7, 2014 by Angela

Can you believe it’s already August? This is the month where people are frantically making plans to complete everything on their bucket list (or is that just me?!) And it involves a good balance of beach time and craft time.

I’ve got another quick little DIY floral crown project to share today. I’ve made so many by now I’m starting to think I should open a booth at the flea market. But I knew I had to make one when I saw these pretty fall-inspired bouquets at the craft store. Isn’t it perfect for a late-summer hairpiece? The best part is that you can whip this up in about 4 steps.

You’ll need:

Faux florals
A stem from a faux floral garland or floral twine
Hot got + gun
Scissors
Floral wire and/or tape

Create the band by shaping into a circle and securing with the wire.

Add leaves and flowers, securing with the wire when necessary. For the pieces without stems, secure them with hot glue. Make sure to give it time to dry and re-apply glue if necessary. Wrap green floral tape around the wires to prevent them from getting caught in your hair.

What do you think of the latest in my floral obsession?!

This DIY project was inspired by the fresh floral crowns by Bright, Bold, and Beautiful, as part of the Martha Stewart #SavorSummer series. My goal is to try with real flowers next time!