Spring 2011 craft workshops

I am excited to share the news that I’m teaching my first craft workshops next spring at Sharon Art Studio in San Francisco! I’ll be teaching three classes in February/March. 1) Paper Lantern Making, 2) Duct Tape Wallets, Cases, and Bags, and 3) Fabric Flower Brooches. If […]

2020-10-07T23:45:17-07:00December 16, 2010|

Small thrift store purse = DIY belt bag

I am all about being hands-free and reducing the weight on my shoulders. I use a lumbar bag instead of a backpack for hiking. Being an asthmatic, taking the load off my shoulders makes a world of difference. And any chiropractor will […]

2021-01-31T05:54:55-08:00December 13, 2010|

DIY sheet music Christmas tree ornaments

Homemade ornaments are so much more fun, rewarding, and cheaper than buying them. Especially when they’re made of paper — in this case, sheet music. That’s why I included so many paper ornaments in my handmade holiday gift list. For this project, I made stars, but you […]

2021-01-31T05:55:05-08:00December 8, 2010|

Plastic wardrobe = spray-painting tent

Check out my new spray-painting “tent.” I don’t have a garage, and I don’t like to spray paint inside my apartment. Spray painting outside is also problematic because of the lovely ocean breezes. Then I found a plastic wardrobe discarded on the side of the road. It […]

2020-10-06T08:36:57-07:00November 15, 2010|

DIY frame within a frame

I adore this “bird cage” illustration by Emma SanCartier. And I wanted to make this small piece of art stand out. I could have mounted it in an up-sized frame with generous matting. I decided to make a frame-within-a-frame instead, mostly because I already had all the […]

2021-01-31T05:55:17-08:00November 11, 2010|

Fabric + pom-pom trim = DIY tablecloth

I own blue and white dishes. Normally this isn’t a problem — until I try to find a cute tablecloth that looks good with my dishes. Apparently, blue as a kitchen or dining color has been out for several seasons. The market is flooded with red, green, and aqua.

Instead of waiting […]

2021-02-23T21:05:44-08:00September 29, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 7: media, service, cards & wrapping

This is the final part of my list of 137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas, and we’re down to these categories: media, service, cards, and wrapping. Media, as in photos, books, music, or other means of communication. Service, as in giving experiences or assistance. I included cards and wrapping because oftentimes […]

2021-03-09T03:01:46-08:00September 8, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 6: for children

You thought I forgot about the kiddos, didn’t you? Well today’s inexpensive, handmade Christmas gift ideas are all about the young and the young-at-heart. The list includes everything from handmade play dough to cardboard games to an indoor fort-building kit. My personal favorite is the coloring/activity book using free printables. All […]

2021-02-21T06:41:22-08:00September 6, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 5: themed gift sets

Personally selected gift sets are a great way to give a meaningful present without spending hours crafting. And they’re especially handy when the container is part of the gift. You’ll probably find ample baskets to choose from at your local thrift store. The traditional gift basket is a solid choice, but […]

2021-02-21T07:03:37-08:00September 3, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 4: jewelry & accessories

Part 4 of this seven-part list of inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas comprises jewelry and personal accessories. Tote bags, belts, scarves, wallets, bracelets, headbands … all the things we like to carry on us or with us. Few, if any, of these DIY projects require any special talent or skill. And […]

2021-01-06T06:21:45-08:00September 1, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 3: from the kitchen

Anyone who knows me, knows cooking is not my specialty. That’s why I’m not one of those bloggers who takes a picture of whatever masterpiece she made for dinner and shares the recipe. I can, however, bake quite well. Maybe it’s because I’m good at following the directions in a recipe. […]

2021-01-06T06:21:56-08:00August 30, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 2: Christmas-themed

Handmade Christmas-themed gifts often double as decorations, so you might want to give these gifts early so they can be properly enjoyed during the holiday season. Or maybe the gift is making some of these together with family or friends. Either way, these crafts get in you in the holiday spirit, […]

2021-01-06T06:22:04-08:00August 27, 2010|

137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas. Part 1: home & garden

Why Christmas when we’re in the throes of summer? I know. I worked six years in retail. In my experience, nothing incited more groans than Christmas being stocked on the shelves in August. However, I think this a worthy exception. After all, if you’re going to have a handmade Christmas, you […]

2021-06-03T01:07:30-07:00August 25, 2010|

Camp craft: DIY resin pendant necklaces

These resin pendant necklaces are the final craft that we made at girls camp last June. (I planned one more craft that we didn’t have time for in the end: yo yo headbands and pins. You can see that tutorial here.) I’d always wanted to […]

2021-02-09T09:11:28-08:00August 19, 2010|

Camp craft: DIY subway tile nameplates

All you scrapbook fanatics are going to love these. The girls at camp took this idea and ran with it. I wish I had photos of all their great plaques. These subway tile nameplates to stick on your bedroom door were inspired by a reader, Josie, who asked me for […]

2021-03-03T00:59:54-08:00August 7, 2010|

Camp craft: DIY fleece alphabet pillows

I anticipated that this these pillows might not be as well-liked as the other camp crafts because hand stitching is rather time consuming. Surprisingly, these fleece alphabet pillows were very popular at girls camp.

I got the idea from a book titled 101 Crafts Under $10 […]

2021-03-03T00:53:34-08:00July 19, 2010|

Camp craft: DIY two-color paracord bracelets

These paracord bracelets were a hit at girls camp. As you can see, even some of the male camp leaders joined in. I got the idea from Stormdrane at Instructables.com. His tutorial is excellent, but although the site pictures two-color bracelets, he doesn’t explain how to […]

2021-01-31T05:59:03-08:00July 12, 2010|

Camp craft: DIY duct tape wallets

I volunteered as a crafts director at a girls camp last month. So, for the past few months, I’ve been preparing all the crafts and buying supplies for about 90 teenage girls to make cool stuff. I’ve kept the projects secret in case any of the girls read my blog, but […]

2021-01-31T05:59:45-08:00July 6, 2010|

The hats of Victoria: DIY paper silhouettes

This is the third and final post in my Victoria magazine series. As I mentioned in my last post, hats were commonplace in Victoria magazine. In fact, every issue included at least one woman wearing a hat. Below are some of Victoria’s […]

2021-03-09T21:17:08-08:00May 20, 2010|

Victoria-inspired wish list

As promised, here is my wish list inspired by Victoria magazine. Vintage bicycles, feminine hats, and luxurious toiletries were mainstays of Victoria. You could always find classic fashion and luggage too.

The magazine also hosted a few artists- and authors-in-residence. I’ve included works by two of them: a book […]

2021-03-09T21:17:19-08:00May 13, 2010|

For the love of Victoria, grandmothers & eras

This post is a departure from my usual, but please bear with me. It’s dedicated to Mack Lundstrom, who taught me to write from the heart.

In a recent attempt at simplicity and minimalism, I’ve been cleaning out extraneous belongings that have cluttered up my apartment — and thus my life. But […]

2021-03-09T21:17:14-08:00April 30, 2010|

DIY tulle tutu pendant lamp

Ever since I spotted Swedish designer Jonas Bohlin’s tulle lamp in Gudrun Sjödén’s catalog last year (below), I’ve been dying to make my own. I finally did it! I started with Ikea’s Melodi pendant lamp, then added tulle. Never having attempted anything like […]

2021-01-31T06:00:50-08:00April 19, 2010|

Abby’s DIY wallpapered dressing table

Introducing a new guest nester! Australian Abby Matthews used to blog about the things that inspire her at Two Little Dicky Birds. Abby’s remake of this tired, chipped pine dressing table reminds me of my wallpapered cart, but she used an entirely different (and better?) process, so […]

2021-01-31T06:01:20-08:00March 31, 2010|

Sealing wine corks test

For the record, I’m against sealing my wine cork bath mat. I mean, corks are exposed to the moisture of wine for decades and seem to hold up fine, right? But several readers insisted cork needed to be sealed, so I did some research on sealing cork. […]

2021-03-03T00:50:52-08:00March 27, 2010|

DIY wine cork bath mat

I am evidently on a hot-glue kick lately. This bath mat requires just three materials: shelf liner, hot glue, and 175 wine corks. How did I gather 175 wine corks, you ask? Working at Sunset magazine had its perks. With all the wine tastings in that office, […]

2021-03-03T00:50:21-08:00March 24, 2010|

DIY salvaged patchwork bulletin board

Whenever I speak to my dad on the phone, he always asks, “Miss me?” This past month I’ve been getting concerned emails, so apparently some of you missed me — or at least my weekly blog posts. I’ve missed you too. I think I just needed a break. But I’m happy […]

2021-01-31T06:01:59-08:00March 16, 2010|

More paper lanterns with flowers

Hi everyone! Bet you thought I fell into a hole somewhere. Nah, just job hunting now that I’m done with school. Anyone want to hire me? :-)

Anyway, I attended the San Francisco International Gift Fair last Saturday, and I ran across these flower-covered paper lanterns at the zappobz […]

2021-03-24T12:47:00-07:00February 8, 2010|

DIY paper lanterns: flowers or pom poms

I planned to make a flower-covered paper lantern for months. Not until I found a white poinsettia garland at a Michael’s after-Christmas clearance did it become a reality. Normally, I’m not a fan of artificial flowers, but I think this is a great way to use them. […]

2021-01-31T06:05:16-08:00January 14, 2010|
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