ALL POSTS TAGGED "[Handmade]"

Weekday Crafternoon: Anchor-Stenciled Boat Bag

by Marianne Canada May 14, 2013 1 Comment

I don’t know how the weather has been in your part of the country, but here at HGTV Headquarters we had a long winter and unseasonably cool spring. The chilly temperatures have just made summer more tantalizing, and with Memorial Day only a couple of weeks away, I’m ready to kick off summer and head out on the lake. On my arm? This adorable stenciled boat bag.

Didn’t I say I was excited about freezer paper stencils? Ever since I heard about them on Alison’s blog, I’ve been hooked. They are easy to use and the results are amazingly crisp and professional. Download our free “Boat Bag” and anchor stencils, and you’re all set to make your own nautical-themed tote bag.

How to Stencil a Boat Bag for Memorial Day

Are you gearing up for a fun Memorial Day weekend? Do your plans involve heading out to the pool or lake, or will you stick closer to home? I’m counting down the days until that long weekend…

Missed an episode of Weekday Crafternoon? Catch them all, and more from Marianne, right here.

Make an Easy-to-Craft Jewelry Box for Mother’s Day

by H. Camille Smith May 8, 2013 3 Comments

Mother’s Day is sneaking up fast (it’s this Sunday!) but you still have time to craft a handmade gift — especially one as simple as this sweet little jewelry box. Best of all, the materials for this project cost less than $20 and you’ll be ready to surprise her with your thoughtfulness in no time flat!

Get the step-by-step instructions>>

All you need is paint or stain, a decorative knob and a pair of fence post caps (1 flat and 1 raised). Yep, just plain old fence post caps. You can find them in the fencing department of your local hardware store and they look like this: Wooden Fence Post Caps

Thanks to the flat cap’s stepped design, it fits nicely inside the raised cap to create a lid – like so:
Easy Jewelry Box Made From a Pair of Wooden Fence Post Caps

Finish your jewelry box with the paint or stain color of your choice, add a knob and surprise Mom with a charming personalized box filled with a small trinket or sweet surprise. Stain Fence Post Caps and Add a Knob to Create a Wooden Gift Box

Ready to get crafting? Get the step-by-step instructions>>

MORE MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTS TO TRY:
Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps
Make a Simple, Floral Mother’s Day Centerpiece
Hand-Painted Wooden Bracelets for Mother’s Day
Make a Fingerprint Table Runner for Mother’s Day
Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag

Weekday Crafternoon: DIY Paper Cloud Mobile

by Marianne Canada May 7, 2013 5 Comments

Yep, it’s time for another project for ye olde nursery. I’ve been plugging away, making art for the walls and even a Rocking Sheep, but this week my energy was focused on making an inexpensive-yet-adorable mobile for Baby Boy’s abode.

Armed with our free printable template, card stock, fishing line, and an embroidery hoop, you are less that $5 away from making this show stopping mobile.

DIY Paper Cloud Mobile

Dreamy, isn’t it? For more episodes of Weekday Crafternoon, head over here. See you next time!

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Daily Delight: Disco Ball Helmet

by Grant Dudley April 5, 2013 5 Comments

It’s Friday! And to celebrate our making it to the weekend, today I highlight the sparkly and fun Disco Ball Helmet. Created by San Francisco-based designer Natalina Walsh, she writes of her piece, “Why make a disco ball helmet? Because it’s awesome. Nuff said.”

Think I can convince Marianne to make this her next Weekday Crafternoon project?

Photo From Instructables

Have a great weekend, D-Happers!

Even More Sparkly: Lili Talks Sequin Pillows >>

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Daily Delight: DIY Little Boy Bow Tie (Too Cute!)

by Grant Dudley April 2, 2013 1 Comment

Make a spring bow tie for your little guy — Jessica from Living the Swell Life shows you how.

DIY Boy Bow Tie

Handmade From Design Happens >>

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Daily Delight: Vintage Rotary Telephone Perfect for Collectors

by Grant Dudley April 1, 2013 7 Comments

Real mink has been added to this phone’s receiver while its base has been uniquely bedazzled with fabric, gems, glitter, and beads (notice the artful pinup cutout on the right). This stunning antique telephone would be a perfect addition to any room with a Moroccan flair.

Telephone As Art

Kids’ Craft: Dye Marbleized Easter Eggs

by H. Camille Smith March 27, 2013 6 Comments

I first fell in love with marbleized paper on a college trip to Italy — the swirl of rainbow colors just seemed so magical. In Florence, a local artist showed us how it was done. It’s an amazingly simple process: You mix olive oil with watercolor or gouache paints then drop the mixture into a shallow pan filled with water, swirl the floating paint to create patterns then lay paper on the water’s surface. Because oil and water don’t mix, the paint isn’t diluted and floats on the surface, creating a swirling multicolored pattern on the paper. I loved the process for its ingenious simplicity and the fact that the results couldn’t be controlled.

With Easter on the horizon, I thought I’d try a twist on the Italian marbleizing technique when dyeing eggs by adding olive oil to the food coloring dye solutions. Here are my results: Try a new twist on dyeing Easter eggs this year -- add oil to the dye to give them a marbleized effect.

I have to admit the polka-dotted effect was unexpected but I really like it so I left several eggs as-is after a single dip in the dye bath. Others I dipped in a second color for a more traditional marbleized effect. Ready to get started? Here are the step-by-step instructions>> Rolling a dyed Easter egg in ollive oil before dyeing it a second color will create a marbleized effect.

Proudly display your finished eggs in a handmade nest or bed of excelsior: Try a new twist on dyeing Easter eggs this year -- add oil to the dye to give them a marbleized effect. MORE EASTER IDEAS:
15 Easter Egg Decorating Ideas
Our Favorite Easter Decorating Ideas
Easter Kids’ Craft: (Cute!) Painted Pail With Ribbon Roses
Weekday Crafternoon: Easter Wreath With Paper Flowers
Printable Bunny Ears — Free Printable PDF
Hatching Chick Egg
Kids’ Craft: Dyed Easter Egg Animals — Free Printable PDFs
How to Make Cascarone Confetti Eggs

Easter Kids’ Craft: (Cute!) Painted Pail With Ribbon Roses

by H. Camille Smith March 6, 2013 5 Comments

Can you believe it’s only 3 weeks till Easter? Time to hop to it and get crafting! For a fun twist on a traditional Easter basket, try a painted pail instead — it’ll look great filled with treats on Easter morning and is just the right size for stashing toys or craft supplies the rest of the year.

All you need is a metal pail, spray paint and round stickers. Get step-by-step instructions here: Easy Kids' Craft: Cute Easter Bucket With Ribbon Roses

The ribbon roses may look complicated but they’re actually a snap. Wired ribbon and scissors are all you need — no sewing necessary. Learn how to make them here:
Easy Kids' Craft: Cute Easter Bucket With Ribbon Roses

So, are you ready for Easter celebrations? No? Well then you’re in luck — check out the project ideas below and keep checking Design Happens for more Easter inspiration to come!

MORE EASTER IDEAS:
Printable Bunny Ears — Free Printable PDF
Hatching Chick Egg
Kids’ Craft: Dyed Easter Egg Animals — Free Printable PDFs
How to Make Cascarone Confetti Eggs

Make it This Weekend: Play Dough Valentines

by Marianne Canada February 8, 2013 4 Comments

Have any big plans this weekend? With the day of love right around the corner, I’ll be hanging out with my little lovebug Lulu, making Valentines for her classmates.

Play Dough Valentines

This year we are skipping the candy and making these sweet homemade play dough Valentines. I love this project because it’s a no-cook play dough recipe, so little kids can help out.

Cutting out play dough

What about you? Do you go the homemade route for Valentine’s Day, or do you hit up the store for love letters from your favorite cartoon characters?

Valentine’s Day Kids’ Craft: Chocolate-Covered Fortune Cookies and (Cute!) Takeout Box

by H. Camille Smith January 30, 2013 7 Comments

Just 2 more weeks till Valentine’s Day, can you believe it?

The stores are stocked full of tasty little bon-bons packed into pretty packages — which are all very tempting but so…well, mass-produced. If you’re looking for an easy way to surprise your valentine with an equally pretty box filled with homemade tasty bon-bons, then I’ve got you covered! This heart-and-arrow takeout box is a snap to craft and dipping fortune cookies into chocolate couldn’t be easier — even for a certified non-cook like me.

Kids will love making these to give to classmates, family friends or grandparents, and your wallet will appreciate that the materials can be picked up, inexpensively, at your local market and craft store.

Ready to get started? Get the complete step-by-step instructions.

As a variation to the heart-and-arrow box, I added square corners cut from paper doilies to each side, then surrounded the lace with self-adhesive rhinestones.