Last week, I blogged about Carol Endler Sterbenz’s new book Homemade: The Heart and Science of Handcrafts. This week, I’m honored to welcome Carol as a guest nester! This decoupage plate tutorial is just one of the many fabulous projects in her book. Carol writes, “Of all the DIY techniques I have learned or been inspired to try, few have equaled the beauty and ease of potichemanie, a form of decoupage where prints are glued behind glass so that they gleam like fine porcelain.

“This straightforward technique can be used to decorate plain glass plates in any style or size you want. Begin by decorating a small dessert-size plate and then, when you are ready, decorate larger pieces, such as a platter or other serving piece. The top surface of the decorated plates can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Do not submerge the plates in water.”

Tutorial and photos after the jump! Read more »

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 suggestions for what to do with some leftover white tiles that were given to her. I thought of the ceramic nameplate that I’ve had since I was a child, and decided white subway tiles would make excellent nameplates. We decoupaged scrapbook paper and added stickers, rhinestones, ribbon, etc., but you can use whatever artist’s medium your heart desires. Paint? Glitter? Knock yourself out. Read more »

I bought this trolley for a steal on Craigslist. You may have seen it here. You can’t tell in the photo, but it’s banged up and rickety from years of use. My friend Peter added some reinforcement to make it sturdy, then I filled in the nicks with wood filler and oiled the squeaky wheels with WD-40. Finally, I made cosmetic changes—using paint and wallpaper left over from Sunset’s Menlo Park Idea House. Thanks, Sarah! Read more »

I picked up these drawers on Freecycle. They were salvaged from the kitchen of a 1940s house that was demolished. My original plan was to put the drawers on wheels and use them as under-bed storage. Turns out, no two drawers are the same height, which would look janky. So I tried stacking them vertically instead (anchoring them to the wall, of course). You could also hang these drawers as individual shadowboxes. Read more »