craft ideas
Ribbon Lampshade Available in a multitude of widths, colors, and textures, ribbon is a versatile DIY staple that can embellish almost any home accent. In this , a plain lampshade is dressed up with bright green ribbons. Secure the ribbons to the shade with hot glue, making sure the seams are on the side that faces the wall.
This bulletin board goes off the wall and around a lamp base in this easy-to-follow craft. Trim a length of cork to the height and circumference of the lamp. Notch a small hole in the back for the cord to poke through, if needed. Peel off the backing of cork and attach, smoothing it down and around with your hands. Cut out a circle for the base’s top and attach with hot glue.
It's sometimes difficult to say goodbye to a beloved piece of furniture—no matter how weathered—so skip the fond farewell by refurbishing an old but cherished bookcase. Whether it needs stripping and sanding, a layer of lacquer, or a fresh coat of paint, a worn bookcase can be made as good as new with a little effort.
When executed with patience and the right solutions, painting a chair’s upholstery can be as successful as painting its frame. By mixing a textile medium with latex paint and lightly sanding between thoroughly dry coats, Jilly, of the blog Jilly & Mia, created a pair of functional, wipe-down kitchen chairs with a hip, laid-back Belgian vibe.
This $25 West Elm-inspired floor covering relies on only a Sharpie and a plain rug to re-create the original's stunning Moroccan Kasbah design. Cut out cardboard shapes and then, with the rug lying flat on the floor, tape them in place to form the desired geometric pattern. Trace the shapes with a pen, then display the fashionable finished product proudly in any room of the house.
Water rings are no match for these $25 agate coasters, near twins of those sourced from the aisles of Anthropologie. To re-create the slip-proof coasters for your own seasonal soiree, use a small brush to line the edges of agate slices in liquid leafing. Then, glue rubber feet to the bases for a set of stunning table-protectors that firmly stay in place.
Fake a flat-woven texture by painting prewashed pillow cases using geometric stencils inspired by the rich tapestries of Turkish kilim rugs. If you don’t have fabric paint on hand (or you cannot find your favorite hue in stores), combine acrylic paint with a textile medium to convert it into a fabric-friendly coating.
You don’t need Van Gogh’s artistic prowess to create a wall hanging that looks like a watercolor masterpiece. Produce a one-of-a-kind print by adding drops of a few different oil paints to a shallow basin of water thickened with methylcellulose, then delicately stirring up the floating pigment until you're content with the effect. Transfer it onto absorbent paper for a marbled artwork that will marvel your guests.
Cut-up Kid Face Pumpkins Take super silly photos of your child and print them onto cardstock or photo paper. Let the kids cut out each of their features and stick them onto a pumpkin using a scrapbooking adhesive like Glue Dots. Basically it’s your kids' version of Mr. Potato Head, or should we say Mr. Pumpkin head.
Glam Candy Corn Pumpkin This glittering candy corn pumpkin makes the perfect hostesses gift. After painting the base colors, glam out the gourd by applying decoupage glue and then glitter. Once happy with the glitter coverage, apply two more coats of decoupage glue (with at least an hour of dry time in between each) for a protective coating.
Glow-in-the-Dark Pumpkins This spooky effect is easy to create. Start by carving a design — the larger the cuts the more glow you will see. Then paint the inside of the pumpkin (we used faux pumpkins by Funkins) with high-quality glow-in-the-dark paint. Make sure to paint the inside of the cut areas. During the day the glow-in-the-dark paint will be charged from the sunlight and your carving will magically be revealed at night.
Painted wallpaper Jones design company
Heirloom Boxes For your travels abroad, curate all of your knick-knacks and mementos into a box labeled by location. Once you have constructed a small wood-paneled box from the reclaimed wood, you can paint it using chalkboard paint and give it a distressed look.
Q