DIY no-sew scalloped tablecloth

Many years ago, I bought white flannel-backed vinyl by the yard at Walmart with the intention of making a scallop-edged tablecloth for my round pedestal table. Fast forward past two moves and the sale of that table, and this fabric remained rolled up in a closet. I […]

2021-01-31T01:53:28-08:00October 12, 2020|

I’m a homeowner! The before pictures

I am sorry to have neglected Crafty Nest for so long. But this time I have a great excuse. I bought my first house!

Here are some “before” pictures of my “new” house. It’s a 1927 Mediterranean bungalow, with loads of charm including original light fixtures, push-button switches, built-ins, and gorgeous hardwood […]

2021-03-07T20:48:18-08:00October 14, 2013|

DIY mitered-corner cloth napkins

When I needed cloth napkins for my Easter table setting, I couldn’t find any that looked good with the color palette. But I had the ideal fabric on hand. So I examined the perfectly mitered corners on my Williams-Sonoma napkins and figured out how to […]

2021-02-08T08:38:02-08:00May 1, 2013|

Carpet samples = DIY Easter placemats

This stack of carpet samples has been hanging around my apartment for three years. I picked them up for free on Craigslist. My original plan was to let the girls at camp paint them to make fun prayer rugs. The problem was that cheap craft paint […]

2021-01-31T02:10:13-08:00March 30, 2013|

Plain bookshelf = DIY fancy china cabinet

This small unfinished pine bookshelf was shuffled from room to room. I planned to paint it, but never did. I was on the verge of kicking it to the curb. (This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a small commission. You can […]

2021-03-05T02:16:27-08:00October 16, 2012|

Chandelier makeover: the tutorial

My apologies to everyone who has been waiting since last summer’s blog post for me to share this chandelier tutorial! Life got in the way and delayed my ability to pass on this information. First there was girls camp, and then I got a new job, and […]

2021-01-31T05:54:03-08:00August 6, 2012|

DIY Easter tree, egg ornaments & garland

My grandmother and great-grandmother were both crafty. My great-grandmother specialized in tatting, crochet, and ribbon roses. My grandmother dabbled in many handicrafts, including painting china, sculpting clay roses, découpaging, quilling, welding, and making 3D pictures (I’ll teach you the latter someday). She even made adorable […]

2021-04-03T20:22:22-07:00April 7, 2012|

Carol’s DIY decoupage plates

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 […]

2021-02-25T16:31:53-08:00November 9, 2011|

DIY dining room makeover: the after + a giveaway

American Express asked me to make over a social space using merchandise available through Membership Rewards points. I chose to make over my dining room. Deciding what to buy with 150,000 Membership Rewards points and dozens of fabulous merchants to choose from was a challenge. […]

2021-03-24T10:57:21-07:00June 20, 2011|

Dining room makeover: the chandelier

I am happy to report that most of the work is done on my dining room makeover that American Express generously sponsored. Unfortunately, however, I ran into a few snags. The dishes I ordered using my Membership Rewards points arrived broken, and […]

2020-09-29T07:00:24-07:00June 8, 2011|

DIY dining room makeover: the plan

Wow. I should ask for your input more often. You gals shared some great ideas! I didn’t think it was possible, but you changed my mind about some of my original ideas for this dining room makeover sponsored by American Express. After […]

2021-03-23T20:12:19-07:00May 31, 2011|

DIY dining room makeover: the before + a giveaway

First, I know I still have three tutorials to go to finish off my office/guest/craft room makeover series. But they’re going to have to wait, for a couple reasons. I’m once again planning new camp crafts for a girls camp in mid-June. Rest assured that […]

2021-03-24T11:29:46-07:00May 20, 2011|
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