Craft | Design Happens

ALL POSTS TAGGED "[craft]"

Introducing Weekday Crafternoon: 3 Easy Pumpkin Projects

by Marianne Canada October 23, 2012 19 Comments

Readers, I am super excited to share this new video series with you. Take a look at your new crafty best friend: Weekday Crafternoon. Every week, I will be walking you through a different craft project, ranging from handmade gifts, to centerpieces, and more. This week I have three last minute pumpkin crafts that pull double duty: they look as good on your front porch come trick-or-treating time as they do as part of your Thanksgiving tablescape.

So please take a moment and watch the video above. And then tell me: what craft would you like to see featured on Weekday Crafternoon? I love a crafty challenge!

Pumpkin Stack

Halloween Ideas: Haunt Your House

by H. Camille Smith September 26, 2012 10 Comments

Three weeks ago, I shared ideas for outdoor Halloween decorations. With just a month till the big day, it’s time to move it inside. I’ve gathered 4 spooktacular projects to get you started, and best of all these are projects you can knock out this weekend.

Get the kids to help create these cute mini bat pumpkins:

Whip up a spider web pillow: How to Make a Spider Web Pillow

Featured

Designer MacGyver: 5 Wood Pallet Furniture Projects to Inspire You

by Briana Mowrey September 10, 2012 33 Comments

Back when I used to work in a big bookstore, I’d often see wood pallets littering the receiving room. Pallets are indeed useful for shipping goods, but their use doesn’t have to stop there. According to Yahoo!, they’re the latest DIY craze with searches for “pallet furniture”, “wooded pallet projects,” and “pallet ideas” spiking. Want to get in on the trend? Take a look at these five fab uses for pallets and see which one inspires you to recycle with style.

SAFETY NOTE: Before crafting with pallets, be aware of the potential hazards like loose boards, bacteria and wood that may have been treated/come into contact with toxic chemicals like preservatives, fungicides and/or pesticides. Read here for more info, get smarter pallet crafting tips from Funky Junk Interiors and please craft responsibly!

Featured

Designer MacGyver: Party On With 5 Balloon Crafts

by Briana Mowrey August 27, 2012 5 Comments

What’s a late summer party without balloons? Whether inflated and strewn about or filled with water for epic fights, they’re a good time. But even if you’re not planning on having a Labor Day party, balloons can still be tons of fun, especially if you like crafting. Take a look at these balloon crafts blowing up on Pinterest and see which one really pops for you.

Featured

Designer MacGyver: Surprising Toilet Paper Roll Arts & Crafts

by Briana Mowrey May 21, 2012 24 Comments

This MacGyver has not been stumped by bottle caps, binder clips or wine corks, but when our own Marianne Canada asked me for inspiring arts and crafts featuring toilet paper roll tubes, I knew I would be facing my greatest challenge yet. Would I find suitable projects in time for Monday’s post?! Well, I think I scraped by, but you be the judge.
READ MORE

Featured

Daily Delight: DIY Bird Baths

by Briana Mowrey April 26, 2012 4 Comments

Despite my black thumb, I think having a garden would be fun purely for all the bird watching potential. My grandmother’s bird bath must have been a hip destination for local birds, because there always seemed to be a “pool party” going on in there. If you’re the industrious sort, we have a fab DIY bird bath tutorial on our site (made from a salvaged sink!), but the only problem for me is that it requires a tree. Not so with these cute teacup bird feeders/bird baths I found on Something Wonderful.

diy bird bath

They’re dainty and a perfect reuse of chipped or mismatched tea sets. Plus, you can stake them right into the ground, no trees necessary! (A boon for us city or small-space dwellers — even with a “backyard,” trees can be hard to come by.)

[Via: Pinterest]

Nature DIY: 3 Ideas to Inspire

by Erin Loechner April 18, 2012 4 Comments

Every now and then, Ken and I like to take a break from the heavy-lifting, sweaty renovating mode and switch gears to something a bit… lighter. Today, I’m making three nature-inspired crafts I found online that will have you shopping in your backyard in a heartbeat! Behold, branch hangers, geode bookends and light bulb planters – oh my!:

DIY truly can be a walk in the park, yes? Enjoy!

Featured

Daily Delight: Easy Christmas Card Holder Craft

by Briana Mowrey December 8, 2011 3 Comments

I’m terrible about sending Christmas cards, and it turns out I’m not much better at receiving them. I get these beautiful cards — mini works of art, really — and have no place to display them. Oh, there’s the fridge, of course, but anything less than my DREAM FRIDGE just seems too everyday for the good tidings. Fortunately, I stumbled upon this clever solution from Jen of Tatertots & Jello.

Jen made her own ladder and painted it blue to match her decor. She then dressed it with twine and clothespins, and ta-da! Now she can show off those Christmas cards in style. What’s more, Jen points out that the ladder can also be used to string up an advent calendar, or you could even use it to put up some stockings (especially handy for those of us without fireplaces). Check out her tutorial for all the steps. You may have to take down your Christmas tree after the holidays, but this is one attractive craft you can leave up year-round.

Get more festive holiday craft and homemade gift ideas here!

[Via: Houzz]

Featured

Daily Delight: Homemade Piano

by Briana Mowrey September 7, 2011 7 Comments

Happy National Piano Month! I never learned how to tickle the ivories (I know, what were my parents thinking, right? I was busy taking tennis lessons, I guess?), but if I had, you’d better believe I’d be contacting Dutch musician and artist Harm Goslink Cooper to commission a handmade piano, like the one he made below.

handmade piano

File this charmer under “Things I Didn’t Know You Could DIY!” I’m not sure how Cooper constructed it, but one thing I am sure of is that it’d be a treat to sit down to those colorful keys. Check out his blog to see even more amazing instruments. (I spy a cello and an upright bass on the first page alone…)

Daily Delight: Stenciled Window Shades

by Carol Schoenfeld March 12, 2011 3 Comments

Plain white roller shades can be so dull, but this DIY project can really add personality and pop to your window treatments. I love that you can customize stencils to create a unique design.

roller shade stencils

All you need is some paint and a stencil design to spice up your existing vinyl roller shade. This project is definitely an inexpensive way to change up your window treatments. You could pair it with some curtains or a valance or you could totally leave the shade hanging alone.