DIY simple fabric-covered photo album

Confession: All my photos are still in photo boxes or on my hard drive. Excuse #1: Scrapbooking isn’t for me. It’s too time consuming. Plus, I want my photos to take center stage, not some pretty paper cutouts. Excuse #2: I’ve never liked the idea of a collection of mismatched photo […]

2021-03-05T02:43:32-08:00November 6, 2020|

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|

DIY fabric-covered box = recycling tote

Ever need something that you’re sure exists, but once you go looking for it, you come up empty? I searched for a bin in which to toss all my paper recycling (let’s face it: junk mail). And I wanted it to fit on the bottom pull-out shelf of my not-so-attractive-but-necessary microwave […]

2021-03-05T02:20:10-08:00May 22, 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|

DIY reupholstered ottoman

Lately I’ve been coveting a coffee-table ottoman. You know: one of those oversized ottomans that you can kick your feet on from nearly any seat on the couch and use as a coffee table by merely adding a tray. I loved Pottery Barn’s striped Alexandria Ottoman (see […]

2021-03-05T02:13:28-08:00October 6, 2012|

DIY recycled Christmas card advent calendar

Remember when I told you three years ago that I was going to make an advent calendar the same way I made my hanging postcard collage? Well, I finally did it! Apologies for posting so late in the season. You probably already made or bought an advent calendar this year. […]

2021-01-31T02:12:29-08:00November 30, 2011|

Camp craft: DIY fabric flower headbands & barrettes

As some of you may recall, I saved last year’s yo-yo crafts for this year’s girls camp. The girls with patience and determination loved making yo yos. For others, hand sewing was a bit arduous. So, I came up with an easier alternative: fabric flower […]

2021-01-31T05:53:07-08:00July 28, 2011|

Sylvania DIY room-makeover challenge: the after

This is the first whole-room makeover I have attempted on Crafty Nest. What an undertaking! I had been planning to make over my office/guest/craft room for some time. The makeover involved a ton of DIY — which is definitely why I had procrastinated the job. Then Sylvania […]

2021-02-18T23:15:22-08:00April 11, 2011|

DIY handbag set: coin purse, tissue pouch, pen sleeve, eyeglasses case, business card pocket

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! This year I made myself my own Valentine’s gift. I loved the feel of this reversible fabric scrap that I got from FabMo. It’s woven but soft and thick like knit. The beauty of this craft project is it takes very little fabric. […]

2021-01-31T05:54:34-08:00February 14, 2011|

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|

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|

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|

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|

DIY no-sew tank-top headband

Remember my tank top totes from a few weeks ago? Well, I just had to share this tip. The piece I cut off the bottom of the one of the tank tops made a perfect — and super comfortable — headband. My neighbor Rhean did a beautiful job […]

2021-02-24T03:03:43-08:00November 13, 2009|

DIY mini framed magnetic board

What can I make with an old picture frame that’s missing glass, a free fabric sample from FabMo, and an 8- x 10-inch LoRan magnet board that my friend Chris gave me? Another friend, Kristi, had an idea: a mini magnetic board.

If you add a […]

2021-03-26T19:22:47-07:00September 30, 2009|

Salvaged window = DIY shadowbox frame

Why anyone would paint over window panes is beyond me. But that’s exactly what someone did to this window that I bought at a salvage yard for $20. It took a couple hours to scrape away all the stray paint and caulking, but the effort was totally worth it, considering I […]

2021-02-24T00:25:51-08:00September 24, 2009|

Ugly plastic mirror = DIY bulletin board

One of my friends referred to this as the “ugly mirror.” Another friend said, “Whatever you paid for it, you paid too much.” I get more excited about a project when I hear comments like that because I think, “Just wait till they see what I do with it. Mwahaha!” For […]

2021-01-31T06:07:37-08:00May 6, 2009|

Reclaimed dining chairs DIY makeover

I found these chairs curbside with a “free” sign taped to them. They have a nice shape but suffer from two problems: a shoddy paint job and cracked seats. I knew I could fix both issues. I wasn’t settled on the how part until I saw what Melissa did to her […]

2021-01-31T06:08:43-08:00April 1, 2009|

Easy DIY pillow cover with zipper

I am redecorating my living room. Red has been lovely, but the colors of the sea are calling me. I like Ikea’s Fjädrar inner cushions (which are 20 x 20 inches), but none of Ikea’s pillow covers go with my new color scheme. So, using […]

2021-03-07T14:51:44-08:00March 18, 2009|

DIY decorated canvas tote bags

My apologies if you had difficulty with my site this week. I tried something that didn’t work. It’s back to the old design until I work out the kinks. While I do that, I thought I’d post a project from two years ago. I bought a bunch of

2021-01-31T06:10:20-08:00February 25, 2009|

Old flip-flops + bath towel = DIY spa slippers

When I told my brother about this week’s project, the first thing he said was, “You know you can buy those, right?” Halfway into the project, I started to wish I did. My old shower slippers fell apart recently. I examined the shreds and decided that I could make my own—only […]

2021-01-31T06:10:36-08:00February 11, 2009|

DIY hanging postcard collage

Last year, I asked for suggestions on ways to display my postcard collection. Everyone had great ideas. But this postcard “tapestry” idea came to me, and I had to try it. It would also work well for photos or Christmas cards. You can easily rotate in new ones whenever you like. […]

2021-01-31T06:14:12-08:00November 12, 2008|

DIY bulletin board with shutters

I found these shutters at a salvage yard. I loved their shape, but couldn’t decide what to do with them. Then it occurred to me that shutters were the perfect way to cover a bulletin board (which can look messy). It hangs right inside my entry — a great place for […]

2021-01-31T06:17:15-08:00August 6, 2008|

DIY fabric-covered lampshade & ball finial

I got this lamp for free from two sweet ladies on Craigslist. I love the base, but the shade had seen better days. I couldn’t find the perfect replacement, so I made my own. And I’ve been obsessed with round finials — which can be pricey. I […]

2021-02-16T23:31:42-08:00July 30, 2008|
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