DIY giant cross-stitch on a canvas

I learned how to cross-stitch in my preteens. I didn’t stick with it for long because I found it tedious. My mind wandered out of boredom, and soon I’d discover that I’d made a mistake five stitches back, and I’d have to pull it out and start again.

And the cutesy-folksy cross-stitch […]

2021-07-10T11:53:13-07:00July 6, 2021|

DIY colorful, funky lampshade

While shopping at West Elm several years ago, I came across a capiz table lamp (see below), and thought, “I could make that.” But I didn’t want to make it exactly the same. The brown color wasn’t my favorite aspect of it. Besides, where would I get capiz […]

2021-03-05T02:44:36-08:00January 30, 2021|

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 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|

Camp craft: DIY stitched leather bracelets

As a teenager, I was jealous of my brothers who got to do leather crafts at Boy Scout camp, while we at girls camp never did. So I was determined to teach these girls a leather project this year. We ended up doing two leather projects. This stitched leather bracelet is […]

2021-01-31T05:53:19-08:00July 8, 2011|

Isabela’s DIY leather coffee sleeves + a giveaway

I am happy to present our next guest nester: my new friend Isabela! Her husband and I met at Sportivo Coffee Bar (which is now closed) in Redwood City, Calif. (I don’t drink coffee, but my friend owned the place, so I visited often.) Isabela makes these leather coffee sleeves, which […]

2021-02-17T08:52:03-08:00June 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|

Book review and Q&A: ReSew by Jenny Wilding Cardon + a giveaway

I am pleased to offer my first book review and giveaway here at Crafty Nest! And what a worthy title to start with: ReSew: Turn Thrift-Store Finds into Fabulous Designs by Jenny Wilding Cardon. In her book, Jenny turns secondhand basics […]

2021-03-07T15:01:10-08:00February 25, 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|

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|

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 tank top totes: six pockets or gathered

Before you pack away your summer clothes for the winter, you might want to set one of your tank tops aside to make one of these easy totes. The best kind of tank tops to use for this project are ones that have front and back necklines that are the same […]

2021-02-24T03:10:58-08:00October 15, 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|

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|

First-aid tape = quick DIY hem repair

I just had to share this: If you need to make a last-minute mend of a fallen hem or a temporary patch of a tear, reach for your first-aid kit. 3M Micropore first-aid tape works remarkably well in wardrobe mending emergencies. It even held through multiple washings […]

2021-01-31T06:14:24-08:00November 5, 2008|

DIY bound books

Book binding can seem intimidating because it usually requires specialized tools and costly supplies. This is an easy and inexpensive way to bind books — and it requires minimal specialized tools. Plus you can make these books any size you want. Many thanks to my friend Jessie for helping me refine […]

2021-03-24T10:21:49-07:00September 3, 2008|
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