Marianne Canada

"I keep my glue gun in a holster."

Marianne is the Special Projects Editor for HGTV.com. She was the girl in college who saved her waitressing tips to buy a Knoll chair and the perfect vintage couch. All these years later, she still has both, and she's ever on the hunt for unique pieces to add to her home. Marianne's style is almost always vintage, rarely ever mass-produced, but still leaves room for the occasional trip to Ikea. She's not afraid to be patient, it took her 7 years to find the right rug for her living room and she's been hunting for a vintage leather chair for longer than that. Her greatest design fear? Her home looking like everyone else’s. Clean but eclectic and always, always livable.

Check out my weekly craft video series here.

What's the Color of the Month?

Marianne Canada ON INSTAGRAM

Follow Marianne Canada on Instagram

Marianne Canada ON PINTEREST

Follow Marianne Canada on Pinterest

POSTS BY Marianne Canada

Weekday Crafternoon: DIY Bird Feeder Craft

by Marianne Canada January 8, 2013 18 Comments

The holiday season is over and I don’t know about you, but I’m already starting to feel cabin fever setting in. As the mother of a small child, these winter months stretch before us as a period where we are cooped up inside without the respite of the park or zoo to channel toddler energies. With this in mind, this week’s episode of Weekday Crafternoon features a kid-friendly craft that also benefits our feathered friends. To prove it’s kid-approved, I enlisted my own daughter, 3.5-year-old Lulu, to help. Check it out:

Making these DIY homemade bird feeders is a great way to spend an afternoon indoors, and with February being National Bird-Feeding Month, we’re ahead of the game. We hung these feeders on the branches of a rhododendron bush outside our house and the birds went crazy for them. As fun to watch as they are to make!

DIY Bird Feeder Kid Craft

Also worth noting? This is a peanut-free bird feeder craft, so it’s safe for kids (and adults!) with nut allergies.

Want more ideas that are for the birds? Check out this DIY bird bath project from our archives. And as always, you can find all of our episodes of Weekday Crafternoon right here. See you next week!

All That Glitters: January’s Color of the Month

by Marianne Canada January 1, 2013 13 Comments

Happy New Year! All of us at HGTV are home ringing in the new year in our pajamas, but we didn’t forget to vote on our first Color of the Month of 2013 before the offices closed. And what color had us ready to embrace the coming year? It’s warm, it’s shiny, it glows…it’s GOLD!

Gold Color of the Month January

Color Team member Jill pitched Gold in December, but it didn’t make the cut for 2012. But then Kayla put her spin on it and suddenly we all had the Midas Touch. After the festivities of New Years Eve, the richness of gold just feels right.

Gold Sideboard and Accessories

So what say you? Are you feeling the warm glow of gold to kick off the new year? How would you decorate with this always-in-style metallic?

For more golden inspiration, check out the HGTV Color of the Month Pinterest board.

Weekday Crafternoon: Last Minute DIY Gifts

by Marianne Canada December 18, 2012 5 Comments

I don’t know how to break this to you, but…Christmas is officially less than one week away. I KNOW. Are you ready yet? Because I am not. Suddenly my free time is booked solid and the remaining handmade gifts I was hoping to tackle? Not happening, people. But it’s not too late to give something handmade from the heart, thanks to A Hip Handmade Holiday. Check out these excellent last minute gifts using the most adorable printables:

Cute, am I right? A Hip Handmade Holiday is a sweet ebook from the ladies at The Craft Pack, and it’s chock full of adorable handmade gifts for anyone on your list, all ringing in at under $10. Pretty great stuff.

Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas

Don’t forget, you can always find even more handmade gift ideas right here on HGTV.com. Are you guys giving handmade gifts this year? Are you all finished or elbow deep in glitter, glue and spray paint?

Missed a past episode of Weekday Crafternoon? Check them all out HERE.

Weekday Crafternoon: Handmade Felt Ombre Trees

by Marianne Canada December 11, 2012 5 Comments

Today’s craft comes straight from the ever-inspiring Handmade section right here on HGTV.com. I couldn’t resist these Ombre Tabletop Christmas Trees and decided to recreate them in neutral colors. I love how they look a little bit like snow-capped mountains!

These make a great centerpiece, but I paired them with some oversized ornaments and created a charming tableau for my mantel. I can’t wait to use these year after year!

Handmade Ombre Felt Trees

Missed any episodes of Weekday Crafternoon? You can find them all here!

DIY Garden Gifts for the Holidays

by Marianne Canada December 6, 2012 5 Comments

The first part of this series can be found here.

Just as I was inspired by my summer garden when planning my Thanksgiving menu, I look to my autumn harvest with garden gifts for the holidays in mind. First up, these beautiful hand printed gift bags packed with homemade dried red pepper flakes. My co-worker Kelly had a bumper crop of cayenne peppers this summer, and she’s turned her surplus into these spicy treasures.

RELATED: How to Dry Hot Peppers

DIY Garden Gift: Dried Hot Peppers

More DIY Garden Gifts

Weekday Crafternoon: DIY Holiday Pompom Wreath + GIVEAWAY!

by Marianne Canada December 4, 2012 25 Comments

Congratulations, Saly!

Good afternoon, Design Happens readers! Or should that be good crafternoon? Hmmm. Anyway, I digress. You guys made some excellent suggestions in last week’s episode, and several of you wanted holiday wreath ideas. Well, today is your lucky day! Also, since the ornament giveaway was such a hit (Were you the winner? Check your email!), I’m giving away this wreath as well! Scroll down for details.

I love how inexpensive and easy to customize this project is. In fact, I went home and made a big version for my own front door!

DIY Pompom Wreath

Want to win the wreath featured in today’s episode? You are in luck! To win? All you need to do is leave a comment below answering this question: are you finished decorating for the holidays? Or are you just getting started?

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 12:00 p.m. ET on December 4, 2012 and 12:00 p.m. ET on December 10, 2012. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $30. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.

Weekday Crafternoon + Giveaway: Two Handmade Holiday Ornaments

by Marianne Canada November 27, 2012 69 Comments

Congrats, Donna C.!

Oh yeah, it’s Christmas tree time; at least it is at my house. We have a yearly tradition of buying our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and it instantly puts me in a holiday mood. And so, inspired by the tree trimming going on in my abode, I decided to make some new ornaments for this week’s installment of Weekday Crafternoon.

Those glittery polka dot ornaments are seriously easy to make, and don’t you want to PlastiDip everything now? I know I do.

Handmade Ornaments

Not up for the challenge of making these festive ornaments? How about winning a set of them for free? That’s right, I’m giving away four handmade ornaments from this week’s episode of Weekday Crafternoon, just because it’s the holidays and I’m in a giving mood. To win? All you need to do is leave a comment below answering this question: what kind of craft would you like to see me tackle next?

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 12:00 p.m. ET on November 27, 2012 and 12:00 p.m. ET on December 3, 2012. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $20. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.

Weekday Crafternoon: More Furoshiki Wrapping Ideas

by Marianne Canada November 20, 2012 8 Comments

I had so much fun showing you guys this furoshiki-style beer bottle wrap that I thought I’d dig into the Weekday Crafternoon archives to bring you more of this Japanese fabric wrapping technique. We shot this episode over the summer (hence my long hair!), but it’s definitely appropriate for this time of year.

Not only is furoshiki a unique wrapping idea, it’s eco-friendly! No need for wrapping paper or ribbons, and you can reuse the wrap over and over again. What do you think? Would you ditch rolls of paper in favor of pretty fabric this year?

Small Furoshiki Wrap

Summer’s Bounty on Your Thanksgiving Table

by Marianne Canada November 19, 2012 8 Comments

I don’t know about you, but at the end of every summer I am working overtime, trying to hold on to the harvest at my local Farmer’s Market. September finds me frantically freezing peaches and berries, and this year I made my first forays into canning and pickling.

RELATED: How to Freeze Peaches

Peaches

Click Here for More

Weekday Crafternoon: Easy Handmade Gift for a Gal

by Marianne Canada November 13, 2012 14 Comments

Hello Design Happens readers! It’s Tuesday, so you know what that means: it’s time for another Weekday Crafternoon. This week I have the last handmade gift project from my Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presentation. So far in this series I’ve walked you through a thrifty gift for a group, a simple gift for a guy, and now I bring you an easy DIY gift for the ladies in your life. Check it out below.

My aunts love to cook, so I plan to make one of these crock and custom wooden spoon sets for each of them! Don’t give away my secret. How about you? Who would you make this handmade goodie for?

Gift for a Gal