DIY Stick Frames

If two things could be said about me without a doubt it would be:

1) I love a rustic home and 2) the words waste not want not is my

mantra. That's why these stick frames and re-purposed agenda art

is a total win-win in my books. These frames are wonderful if

you're looking for an easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself way

to do a gallery wall. 

The steps to this are pretty easy: just glue the picture to the

cardboard backing and then glue the sticks to the cardboard.

You can use any kind of stick or twig, I used drift wood as

well as birch. Your frame can be a flush rectangle or the

sticks can cross over one another - options are endless! Cut

off whatever cardboard is showing. If you'd like to hang

them glue some jute on each side of the top. 

DIY Satchel

Am I ever excited to share the latest DIY project: a satchel! My

major goal for 2015 - and the rest of my life - is to become more

self-sufficient. I'm not going to lie, at times it can seem overwhelming

and as if I'm not getting anywhere. But like the tortoise won the race,

slow and steady is the way to go! I had this thick wool fabric from an

old poncho I never wore and I've been trying to think of ways to use

it. The colours of the fabric remind me of Peruvian bags, so I went

in that direction. The satchel is pretty basic, but I love the fact that

my hands made it. Never doubt yourself! 

- Silly me, I forgot to picture the thread! I used white thread for

everything except the flap, for which I used a light purple. Colours

were chosen based on the colour of my fabric. I also used a thicker

thread, I like to do this when working with wool, which is heavier. 

- Cut fabric into a long rectangle. The length and width depends

on the size you would your satchel to be. 

- Along the length of fabric fold the sides inwards. How wide you

would like your satchel is up to you. Mine is 8 inches wide. Try to

make this as straight as possible. Tip: ironing the sides keeps them

in place and makes it much easier to work with. 

- Bring the bottom of your fabric up almost to the top. Leave fabric

at the top for your flap. Again, the length (or depth) of the satchel

is up to you. Mine is 11 inches. 

- Outside view of satchel-to-be. Sew back and front together, this 

is done by pulling the satchel inside out and sewing along the

outer sides. 

- The striped fabric made sewing in straight lines easy, this might

be more difficult to accomplish without stripes. 

- For the strap I used a wool fabric belt that came with a sweater.

Anything that is long and strong enough will work though - be

creative! I folded the belt in half and sewed that to each side of

the satchel. 

And that's it! 

DIY Hanging Stick Wall Art

I've been seeing a lot stick wall art lately (see here, here, and here)

and decided to give it a go myself. I love the simplicity and how

dainty they are. I did mine a bit different from my inspirations,

with a sea-side themed bedroom and bathroom this was the

perfect opportunity for me to use my collected beach objects. 

The more I make our house a home the more I think about where

things come from and what they're made of. When my life ends I

don't want there to be a pile of my stuff left behind, a stain on an

otherwise beautiful blank canvass. This project was made up of

natural materials and leftover bits. The sticks, one shell, and sea

urchin were all found at the beach (See craft collecting post from

the summer, good thing I thought ahead!). The puka shells are from

a broken necklace (remember those things?!), while the jute and

feathers are from Michael's. Now, I've been looking into the origin

of craft feathers. I must say, there is a lot to read. I think I am going

to try to find local bird-friendly feathers. If there's anyone in the

Cape Breton area, or even the whole of Canada, that has information

on this, please do share! 

The instructions are fairly simple for this: just tie everything to the

stick with the jute! I added the beads so that the knot would be

hidden and to tuck the feathers tips in. Thanks for stopping by!

DIY: Chalkboard Ornament

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year for pulling out the craft

box and keeping those hands busy. Handmade items can be either a

prized decoration for your home (and a wonderful conversation

starter) or a cherished gift for a loved one.  These chalkboard wood

slices might be my favourite project to date - they're rustic, simple,

and since they can be personalized they'll stand the test of time.

The fact that they're unbreakable is a plus too, if you have a

rambunctious kitten or a dog's wagging tail, then you'll enjoy

these wood ornaments. This project is a great one to do with

a friend or partner too - Paul and I had a blast making these!

Materials:

- Wood Slices (I have yet to buy some power tools so my mom cut

these. If you don't have access to a tree and power tools, I believe

craft stores, like Michael's, sells wood slices.)

- Chalkboard paint or spray

- Eye screws

-  Painter's or masking tape

-  Ribbon 

- Chalk 

Steps: 

1 Purchase wood slices or cut your own tree. My mom had some

trees in her yard she needed to remove. This year after Paul and I

take our tree down, we're going to cut that up into wood slices for

future DIY projects. As they say, waste not, want not. 

2 Tape sides of wood slices to stop paint from getting onto

the wood.

3  Spray/Paint wood slices. I had to do four coats, letting it dry

24 hours each time. Wood absorbs the paint more so than a wall

does; I only had to use two on my kitchen wall. 

4 Remove tape

5 Screw eye screw into the top

6 Add ribbon

7 Write whatever message you want - the best part! 

DIY: Mini Pine Cone Wreath Ornament

Here we are, another DIY as easy as the A-B-C's - not to mention

incredibly light on the wallet. So cheap you could collect sidewalk

change to pay for this project! The idea for this ornament came as

I was cutting the tops off pine cones for my wreaths and all these

little flakes fell off. Instead of throwing them away this is what I

did! Everything I used except for the glue was from the earth or

leftover bits, such as the cardboard and jute. If anyone knows of

an eco-friendly alternative for glue sticks, please share! So put

cheery Christmas music on, fill your glass with deliciously

creamy eggnog and go make some holiday crafts! 

Steps:

1 Take pine cone flakes off your collected pine cones.

Note: Try to take already fallen cones from several trees.

If they are damp and closed, just wait a couple of days,

they'll open up. 

2 Make wreath cut outs on cardboard or other non-flexible

material. Cut out. 

3 Glue pine cone flakes onto cut-out. 

4 Glue jute onto back. 

Easy-peasy!

DIY Pine Cone Wreath

My home just doesn't feel festive without a wreath - or three. 

Whether hanging on the door as an invitation or on the wall as an

art piece, wreaths are classic. They're a perfect addition to your

holiday decor since they can be personalized to the nines and are

very easy on the wallet (unless you choose otherwise that is). I also

find making holiday crafts puts me in the mood. Although, the

glass of delicious cold eggnog on the table and the Christmas

movie playing on the TV might have something to do with it! 

Materials:

Pine cones

Glue gun 

Glue sticks 

Cardboard

Scissors 

Ribbon

Steps:

1. Collect a whole bunch of pine cones.

2.  On cardboard, or another semi-flexible

material, draw a circle. I used bowls of

various shapes. 

3. Cut out the circles. To cut out the middle,

fold the circle in half. 

4. I used only the tips of the pine cones, that

way the wreaths are more flat. This is optional.

If you do cut them, save the ends and pieces

that fall off, I have for you a tree ornament

that will use all those bits up! 

5. Glue the pine cones facing upright onto the

cardboard. 

6. Hang with ribbon. This is also optional. 

And voila! That's it. Pretty simple and very

inexpensive. I'm not sure how the pine cones

will hold up, if at all, this is the first one I've

made. My goal this Christmas is to make my

own things as much as possible, to refrain from

buying things made in say China or Vietnam.

Sorry, China and Vietnam, no offence meant

by calling you out there. I just think I ought

to support my own country; you know,

promote industry at home. I know - who

invited Debbie Downer? It's not so much a

pain for me as it is a way to test my creativity.

And I'll stop now. I have a bunch of DIY 

ornaments coming up in the next few weeks

so stay tuned!

DIY: Refurbished Nightstand

It's that time of year again. The birds are flying south, our lives are blanketed in

darkness, and I turn to do-it-yourself projects. When the sun is shining and warms

my bare skin I can be found enjoying the great outdoors - nothing can keep me

inside. I do a complete 180 when the cold creeps upon us. My latest project is this

nightstand - with just a little paint and a new handle this baby is like brand new! I

don't think I'll try this again though.  Painting laminate furniture is quite a pain, it's

much much easier to paint wood. Great emphasis on the "much." Despite the many

layers of paint and waiting for them to dry, I am pleased with the results. Now

this once gaudy table fits perfectly in my by-the-ocean themed room. 

Here's to reinventing! 

Secondhand Nightstand

White Paint

Handle from Home Hardware

DIY: Planter

Well, since we all know my affinity for garbage and unwanted things you

can bet I'm a sucker for this DIY! I actually try to steer clear of canned

goods, so it did take me quite a while to acquire these. I'm really happy

with the result though, which means someone might have to go rummaging

through the neighbour's recycling soon! I can see my future clearly now:

the village bag lady. 

DIY: Handmade Floral Crown

The sun is out and the grass is green - it's time to put on that pretty summer dress

and don a floral crown! These little things are magical.  As soon as you place one

upon your head you are instantly transported to another realm. Angels are singing

and harps are playing. All you desire is a meadow to run through deliriously happy.

It may be no secret that I dream of being a mischievous fairy working  for Mama N!

Living in a big city I feel that my floral crowns clash worse than a gangsta at a

Renaissance fair. In a little over a week I will live in a house with a forest to the

left of me and the Atlantic ocean to the right of me and no longer shall I feel out

of place with my wanna-be fairy princess 'tude. I have three floral crowns made

from the usual faux-flowers, but when perusing Pinterest I came across these

delicate floral crowns made from wire and nail polish - how original! Since this is

not my original idea and I very much stuck to the instructions given by someone

else, I'll just give the link (here) and just show my finished project. These were a

tad more difficult than the fake flower crowns and took a hell of a lot more time,

but the end result is totally worth the work! Enjoy!

DIY: Boho Necklace

Inspiration found here. I've been practicing making complete dream catchers,

but I need to tweak a few things. So for now I went with an open circle.

- The large metal ring I used was an old earring. That's why it has those

holes, which makes it much, much easier!

And here again with yet another DIY.  Seems as if this blog has taken a little

d-tour. Winter can be a hard time of year when it comes to fashion. Paul

usually works until 5, at which point the sun has set. It's been too cold for me

to even think of removing my parka when I'm outside. My apartment faces the

north, something I didn't think of beforehand which seriously diminishes my

planting ability due to the lack of sun. I prefer to spend my time with friends

in cozy, dimly-lit cafes or dusty used bookstores. Not the best for picture

taking, although I prefer isolated areas for pictures rather than have an audience.

And apparently, it's been record-breakingly cold this winter! I knew I wasn't 

just being a baby.  I wonder if I'd have such an affinity and appreciation of

summer without the winter for a stark contrast.  You'll never catch me

complaining in the summer though: I'm a flower child through and through.

And apparently I've been channeling my inner flower child lately

through jewelry. I've never really been one for diamonds, glitz,

or sparkly things. I prefer neutral, earthy tones and semi-precious

stones. I also find myself moving towards my bohemian side more

and more as of late. Paul and I have been... let's just say, purging

our lives. It hasn't been easy either, especially considering no one

is patting you on the back and saying, "Job well done!" It's all in

the name of a greater cause and unfortunately there's no immediate

reward. Perhaps that is one of the very reasons people ignore

what the earth requires of us at this point. At first taking the stairs

over  the elevator was annoying, but now it's nothing.  And it's

not always easy on the wallet! Finding Canadian made products

is not only time-consuming, difficult, but also more expensive.

We also used to get all of our cleaning products, cream, milk,

and dry goods at Walmart...well, no more of that. It also takes

up a lot of your time. Researching companies and their business

 practices, where our food comes from, what's in our food. etc.

It's enough to make your head spin! I've kind of gotten off track,

but really, fashion tends to be a reflection of our personality, no?