Oribbon

In my opinion, it’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. I generally like to keep a stock of wrapping paper and ribbon all the time, so I am always prepared for gift giving, even when it’s not a holiday. And I am really excited about adding this to my collection of supplies.

Oribbon is a Japanese sticky ribbon. It’s a sticky strip of paper that has been scored in multiple directions so you can fold it any number of ways. With just a few folds you can create some pretty amazing three dimensional designs. The set comes with six strips of paper in three different colors, as well as illustrated instructions on different folding techniques.

My presents just got a whole lot cuter!

via upon a fold 

Corner bookmarks

Am I the only reader who struggles with bookmarks? Because to be honest, they really irritate me. Sure, they’re functional, but they never stay in place! I have taken to trading most of my books online over the last couple of years (http://www.swap.com/) so am really trying to get away from dog-earring all my pages. Well, thanks to the lovely Tally over at I Could Make That, not only do I have a functional bookmark that will stay in place, but now I have one with tons of personality too! Anyone can make them – crafty or not. All it takes is a little paper, scissors and glue. As Michael Jackson used to say, easy as 1-2-3!

Mini home makevover

The hubs gave me the green light to renovate our tiny half bathroom over the weekend. It’s kinda strange actually because this was waaaaay down on the project list, far behind a new kitchen sink, renovating the fireplace and surrounding wall, and gutting our master bath and walk-in closet. I’m not even really sure how this project came about but I’m glad it did! We like to do projects ourselves rather than hire outside contractors. One, because we’re cheap, and two because, well, we’re cheap.

Here’s a picture of the bathroom before:

This is the only picture I got since the bathroom isn’t even big enough to stand in and take a picture. It’s THAT small. The wall color is a hideous dark, grayish green sick baby poo color, which is actually a vast improvement over what it was when we first moved in the house – flourescent yellow. And the bathroom has no windows so with this dark color, the room itself is pretty dark, so yet another coat of paint on the walls is in order.

I came up with 3 different schemes for the new room over the weekend and put them to a vote. We immediately veto’d one and were left with 2 choices. I was pretty torn between the 2 and could have easily gone either way, so I enlisted the help of my Facebook peeps and asked them to vote. Hands down, #2 won out. That and the hubs picked #2 as well and since he’s footing the bill I figured his vote should count for something.

Here were the 2 options (#2 being the winner):

OPTION 1

OPTION 2 – WINNER!

I purchased everything but the countertop and the floor tile over the weekend (on the internet, of course), so hopefully we can knock this project out pretty quickly. And by quickly I mean 2 weeks cuz I’ve got some out-of-towners coming on March 16th! The difficult part will be starting with the paint because we are keeping the toilet and the sink (for a future project) so everything will have to come out of the room to paint it. This includes the lights so we can fix the wall behind it if necessary, which means the room will be DARK! And I am painting horizontal stripes (inspired by John & Sherry) so painting will take a couple of days at best. Wish me luck. I’ll keep you posted with progress and of course, the finished product!

Game on, Bob Villa!

Medicine cabinet on the mend

How sweet is this medicine cabinet? Surprisingly, it’s not a luxury, shi-shi brand that will break your bank. Believe it or not, it’s a diy project that cost a mere $6. With a little bit of frosting paint, tape and imagination, you can transform yours too!

by love&lace via shelterrific

T-Shirt Necklace

How funky stylish is this necklace? Can you believe it’s made out of a t-shirt? Pretty craftacular, I think. I recently caught an episode of the Martha Stewart Show (don’t hate, I was on vacation. AND I was hungover so I couldn’t lift my arm to change the channel) where Martha and Queen Latifah (random) were crafting together and they made these t-shirt necklaces.

It’s quite possibly one of the simplest craft projects I’ve ever seen. All you need is a t-shirt, a ruler and some scissors. No glue, no tape, nothing. Only 3 overall steps involved in the whole process too.

Just do this:

1. Lay the shirt on a flat surface; cut off the hem and discard it. Then cut the body of the shirt horizontally into strips approximately 3/4 of an inch long. (They will actually be loops.)

2. One at a time, pull the loops open and stretch until the fabric starts to curl (but not too much because then the necklace will be too long). Stack the loops on top of one another so that all the T-shirt side seams are in the same spot.

3. Once you have the thickness you desire, wrap the seams with a scrap piece of fabric (about 6 inches long) from the same shirt. Tuck the end of the scrap under itself.

Done and done.

I am a mini, so I’m not sure this look would be successful on me but I am determined to give it a go. Have any of you ever tried it? How did it turn out?

Get with the program.

I’m designing a bunch of items for my BFF’s wedding in October. Programs are among the items and I came across this idea today via WeddingGawker. I’ve always thought of programs as kind of the awkward, anti-social cousin of the wedding suite. There’s always the question of where to put them and who gets the responsibility of handing them out. But this idea, using them as part of the decor themselves, is genius! Hang one on every chair so that people can look at them and take them if they want, and if not, you won’t find them strewn all over the floor after the ceremony!

Flower power

I am completely enamored with the flower applique trend that’s going on right now. I’m probably one of the last few people to actually get on board with it, but I’m cheap so that usually precludes me from being one of the first. However, I am head over heels even more now that I came across this fabric flower tutorial from Hey! Jen Renee. I’ve seen a few before but I’m no seamstress by any stretch of the imagination so they have all seemed a little daunting. This one, however, seems completely do-able – even for me, so I can’t wait to try it!

via Lushlee

Would you like some cheese with that wine?

All you winos out there, listen up (don’t worry, I’m including myself in that category, so its meant in the nicest of ways). Check out this craft project – a bath mat made from wine corks. Now all those nights you got sauced up can finally be put to good use. I have a cork trivet and my mom has a couple of other cork-type crafty things, but this is an ingenious way to use them and one I’ve never thought of before! Guess I’d better stock up!

Tiki torch no more!

Who doesn’t love candlelight? I mean, everyone looks good by it and it saves on electricity, so what’s not to love? I especially love candlelight outdoors, particularly on summer nights with a cool cocktail and some good friends. Which is why you must, must, must check out this DIY project from gerardot & co., via design sponge. It’s an outdoor, recycled wine bottle torch and it’s way more hip and stylish than any tiki torch I’ve ever seen! And now my drinking habit can have an afterlife. Bonus!

Husband, if you’re reading this, this is next on your honey-do list.

Suzy Homemaker I’m not

I really wish I knew how to sew. Something other than buttons, I mean. Especially after seeing the fabric at Daisy Jane. Good stuff!

via small things are neat