17Jan07
Holly Becker over at decor8 posted this fabulously green idea yesterday that seemed perfect for those among us who need a 12-step program to rein in our magazine addictions: design-your-own wallcovering.
Tools: a paper shredder that can turn those Vogue mags into long and lean ribbons. Cross-cut patterns will work too, but you will have to work harder with smaller pieces. Old magazines (if you’re a pack rat, consider clipping out the pages you want to keep and shredding the rest. If you haven’t looked at a magazine in over a year, shred away!).
See the full post at decor8. Photo and idea originally taken from Budget Living: Home Cheap Home.
Make it Fabulous:
Get creative with your materials. Play with recycled newspapers, old greeting cards, wrapping paper, colorful junkmail, the West Elm catalogs that arrive in your mailbox every other day, past IKEA catalogs, maps. The choices and patterns you can design are endless.
If you design it, send us a photo!
27Nov06
There’s nothing more rewarding that learning a new hobby, or actually making something with your hands. With so many DIY books out there, these are my personal plum picks for folks who are more artsy than craftsy. More Jonathan Adler than Bob Vila. If you or your special someone wants to bring out their inner designer or fashionista, it may be worth checking out these fab five:
The Sunlight Print Kit: Materials, Techniques, and Projects for Homemade Photography by Paul Grivell Chronicle Books
Sun prints are some of the earliest forms of photography made using three basic ingredients: light-sensitive paper, water, and sunlight. This Sunlight Print Kit provides everything one needs to make gallery worthy prints to design accessories for the home, or invitations, greeting cards, and more.
In Stitches by Amy Butler, Chronicle Books
I’m not yet a sewing maven but I love the projects featured in Amy’s book. From floor cushions to handbags, placemats to organizer baskets, In Stitches features projects to beautify your pad and your wardrobe. Thankfully it’s spiral bound for easy use, and claims to teach without the technical lingo. Amy also offers thoughtful tips on finding and treating new or vintage fabrics. [Fab Freebie: A free preview pattern available here for the plucking.]
Handmade Modern by Todd Oldham, with Julia Szabo, Harper Collins
I flipped through this one at Urban Outfitters last week, and found at least five home decor project I’m dying to tackle–including the Eames-inspired shelves and the bench with under-seating storage featured in the photo below. Easy to follow instructions with photos to entice someone’s handy side and satisfy his or her midcentury modern tastes.
DIY: Design It Yourself by
Ellen Lupton,
Princeton Architectural Press
Another top choice for my wish list this year (or I may just buy it used on Amazon now because I simply can’t wait). The emphasis here is on DESIGN-it-yourself. Which means there are great projects from where one’s imagination can just take off. Wedding invitations, a website, business cards, CD package for friend’s band. For YOUR band. Also filled with interviews with top designers; the history and theory of the DIY design movement; and hundreds of innovative and beautiful projects for inspiration. More design, less craft. Extra goodie: checkout Ellen’s
supplemental website for more ideas. Free.
Generation T by Megan Nicolay, Workman Publishing New York
I bought this book recently to jumpstart my sewing education. Cast-off tees are easy to come by for experimentation. Megan’s book is packed with fashionable patterns for those of us inspired to pick up a machine for the first time. More than a third of the projects are even “no sew” so anyone can start personalizing her wardrobe right away.
Sew Subversive: Down & Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista by Melissa Rannels, Melissa Alvarado and Hope Meng,
Taunton
The cover doesn’t do this book justice. The projects are fashion-forward and a prime source for learning how to deconstruct and refashion preloved duds. This one is another source that’s directed at fashionistas.
16Nov06
Danny Seo, longtime green home expert seems to be EVERYWHERE these days. Quickly becoming a household name, he’s been anointed the title of “green Martha Stewart” by the press. Here’s a quick gifting idea I spotted on his website that I’ll be using this season. Excerpted from his book Giving, a little book packed with inspiring ideas for crafty folks.
Gorgeous Gifting: Instead of Styrofoam peanuts or plastic bubble wrap, protect fragile items with fillers from nature or around the house. Fresh pine, straw, real peanuts and even the stuffing from an old pillow are all effective and prettier alternatives. One Christmas my brother asked for money. She handed him a small box packed inside with little bills scrolled up over a bed of hot red pistachios. My brother ended up more excited about the nuts than the cash! Another tip: try a trick my friend Summer Bowen at BTC Elements uses to package eco-fashions for her customers: colorful shredded magazine ribbons.
Name Your Poison: None of your guests will lose their liquor with these fabulously DIY wine tags made from your leftover paint chips. Best yet, you can reuse them again for future fetes with your inner circle.
FG Variation: I’ve also used my leftover paint chips to make holiday cards.
Thanks Danny!
