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Get in the Fall Spirit With These DIY Home Decor Projects

October 6, 2015 by

Fall is just around the corner, and you can't help but want to make over your home in shades of red, brown, and orange to celebrate the changing seasons. If you want to add some fall flair to your home without spending a fortune, you'll love these unique fall decor craft ideas.

Autumn Leaf Candle Holder [Country Living]
Use a simple mason jar and the first fallen leaves to create this autumnal candle holder. Use a bit of decoupage to attach the leaves to the sides of the jars, then watch as they light up against the flicker of a candle inside.

Newsprint Covered Pumpkins [paintedfurnitureideas.com]
Add a vintage look to the usual fall pumpkins by covering them with black and white newspaper. All it takes is a few minutes of gluing and a couple hours of drying to achieve this chic, understated look.

Metallic Acorns [twoityourself.com]
Acorns are everywhere come fall, so why not bring them inside the home for a touch of rustic decor. This project involves drying the acorns, painting them with a metallic spray paint and filling a clear lantern with the now-shimmering acorns. Display the finished project on your coffee table or a wall shelf to help welcome the autumn season.

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Bring Spring in Bloom with These Crepe Flower Tutorials

June 2, 2015 by

Whether you’re decorating for a bridal shower, a child’s birthday party, or you simply want to spruce up your home for the spring season, crafting crepe flowers is an easy project that really makes an impact. These blossoms look beautiful, but they last a lot longer than the real thing! Here are three great tutorials for creating crepe flowers at home.

Martha Stewart’s DIY Flowers [marthastewart.com]
Martha Stewart’s website includes a number of different ways to make various types of crepe flowers. The single-petal method produces lush, full blossoms, while the tulip version is great for creating a bouquet of life-like flowers to display in your home or give as a gift.

Crepe and Watercolor Flower Tutorial [craftberrybush.com]
If you’re interested in creating the most realistic crepe flowers possible, this is the tutorial for you. It involves first using crepe paper to form the petals themselves, then gently painting the petals with watercolor paints to create the gradation that you find on a real flower. By spritzing the petals with water, you can even get them to curl a bit in a truly realistic way.

DIY Crepe Paper Flowers [thebridescafe.com]
This simple tutorial is perfect when you don’t have a lot of time, but you still want to get beautiful results. All it takes is a bit of crepe paper, floral wire and tape and some microbeads to form the flower’s center.

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How to Make Your Own Spring Floral Arrangement

March 13, 2015 by

These fast and easy tips will help you to create a florist-quality spring floral arrangement that you’ll be really proud to display in your home.

  1. Begin with the color palette. If you want to mix and match flowers to create your own bouquet, it’s best to have a color palette in mind. Stick with muted tones, a blend of bold primary hues, or variations of one color to create a cohesive look.
  2. Create a space for each flower. Cheat by creating a sort of grid guideline inside of the vase. Place a piece of chicken wire flat inside of the opening, or even create a crosshatch of durable florist tape across the surface of the vase. The goal is to have a series of 1-inch squares where you can place each type of flower.
  3. Start with the largest flower. Create a base by adding the largest flower (or branch or fern) in the center.
  4. Add the thickest flowers. Arrange thick, heavy flowers around the tallest one in the middle.
  5. Finally, add accent flowers. Add tulips, daffodils, roses or other eye-catching accents last.

DIY Spring Flower Arrangement by Ashley Woodson Bailey [Design Sponge]
How to Make a Cool Flower Arrangement: 8 DIY Ideas for Spring [Stylecaster]
Simple Spring Centerpieces [Better Homes and Gardens]

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Creative Crafts: DIY Notebooks

June 20, 2013 by

If you enjoy crafting, check out these awesome DIY notebook projects. These lovely, handmade notebooks make great gifts, or are simply a beautiful place to record your thoughts and memories. Plus, you can fashion a handmade notebook or memo pad out of just about anything — from paint chips to wrapping paper to leather! Apartment Therapy recently collected a guide to 10 of the best DIY notebook tutorials across the web, including possibilities like:

Click here to read more about these, plus seven other DIY notebook projects.

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Unusual Crafts To Enjoy on a Rainy Day

January 25, 2013 by
If you're tired of traditional crafts and hobbies likes knitting, doing puzzles, and collecting coins or stamps, consider trying a new project. Below are a few suggestions for unique craft-making projects you can attempt right at home at Marquis at Barton Trails.
 
Papercutting
Papercutting is an absorbing art that involves cutting paper into intricate designs. Cultures all around the world have engaged in different forms of papercutting throughout history, and it is often associate with Chinese culture. You can start out simply and then progress to more complicated designs as your skills improve. This is a useful skill to hone when it comes time for  making cards for friends and family members. 
 
Quilling
This craft is yet another paper-based art, and it’s a fabulous option if you’re looking to immerse yourself in an extremely detailed and intricate activity that requires all of your attention. Quilling involves the use of paper strips that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create attractive designs. As an art form, quilling dates back to the Renaissance, when monks used quilling to adorn the covers of sacred books. Today, ithas become an increasingly popular because of the low cost of materials. 
 
Kumihimo
Kumihimo is the skill of braid-making, and it has it's roots in Japan. It involves a complex and satisfying process of finger-loop braiding in which you interlace strands in order to make cords and ribbons out of fine strands. Practitioners of Kumihimo use a foam disk to help them as they braid the strands together — these disks are available in a variety of sizes and styles so that you can make whatever kind of braid you wish, ranging from flat to circular to four-sided to hollow. 
 
Temari
This is another craft worth checking out if you enjoy intricacy and complexity while working with your hands. Temari is a Japanese art where craftspeople create beautiful and vividly colored decorative balls made of thread. This is an especially good option if you have experience with stitching-based crafts, and an added benefit is that Temari balls make lovely gifts. 
 
Tablet Weaving
This fun project, also known as card weaving, involves a weaving approach in which tablets or cards are used to create the shed through which the weft passes. This is an ideal form of weaving for narrow arenas of work such as thin straps, belts, or the trim on various garments. The materials and tools are relatively inexpensive, and once you get over the initial learning curve, you’re sure to find this an absorbing and rewarding activity. 
 
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