Recycled Wood Project - d.i.y.

There's a Canadian daily daytime show here called Cityline where they cover everything from Home & Garden, Food & Entertaining to Fashion & Beauty. And they always have top talent on with various projects/how-to's. Although I missed this segment, I found a post about it via a blog I came across today called, Crafter-Holic, out of the UK (go figure). This d.i.y. seems like a rather easy looking project and with spring just around the corner even if you live in the city, there must be heaps of neighbors pruning trees for the materials needed here, no?, Click here for the instructions.

Make it! Hooped Faux Tapestry Wall Art

While browsing through the fabric store just before Halloween for costume notions, we came upon this fun faux tapestry fabric and instantly stopped. Nearby were these embroidery hoops and voila - instant art!

This is such an easy and cheap way to make some wall art! Great for gifts, or your own wall. We also saw similar fabrics with horses, birds or flowers. The strip of fabric cost $10 (and made these three pieces). The hoops ranged from $1.50 - $2.50. Total $16.

Fabric and hoops from Fabricana.

make it! downloadable letters to make vinyl decals

Download a letter pdf file here (includes A to Z), print it out on your printer. Cut out letter and tape onto contact paper reversed so when flipped over it reads properly. For the contact paper choose a favorite color or faux bois. (Note: The contact paper is removable). Using a craft knife cut out traced letter onto contact paper. Stick above hooks (an initial for each person) for a nice organized entryway or use wherever!

Thank you readers! Here's a lemony treat! (a free downloadable poster)

To thank you, our readers, we have created a downloadable art print just for you. We really appreciate you visiting us, and just wanted to send out something. Using the eye chart idea, we put the phrase, "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy" into a downloadable pdf print. It's 8.5" x 11" so everyone should be able to print it out on their printer instantly and frame (if you so wish)! It fits well into an Ikea RIBBA (12.5" x 16.5") frame. Hang it in your office to inspire you when you run into a challenge or great for a kid's room too! Click here to download. It's a lemony treat!

make it! silver crates

We received an email from reader, Lucie Summers who saw these amazing crates in this month’s Elle Decoration (UK) by Orto Frutta. They are made from cast aluminum and designed by Andrea Salvetti.

She thought it was a fantastic idea to be included in our “make it” section (which we totally agreed). These ones cost £600 so why not grab a can of silver spray paint, a fruit crate begged from your local farmer’s market and voila! (If you can't find any crates, she suggested getting them at Baileys Home and garden). Thanks Lucie !

make it! a cool new clock

I thought this d.i.y. up over the weekend for my newsletter and can hardly wait to pick up the ingredients. Inspired by a canvas grandfather clock I had seen here (thanks Fiona), I came up with a smaller version that you can make yourself pretty easily I would think. Here's the how-to:

Supplies Needed:

1 illustration of a clock fotosearch.com (8.5" x 11")
1 t-shirt transfer avery.com
1 canvas cloth or (preferably just the cloth so you can iron onto it and then stretch it onto a frame) opusframing.com
or 1 framed canvas (this will just be trickier) opusframing.com
1 frame for canvas (if you go the cloth way) opusframing.com
1 clock mechanism kit michaels.com

Instructions:

1. Download a clock illustration you like from one of the great image banks out there (this one is from fotosearch.com) or scan one in from an old book if you like. (Try to make sure the hands are not on the face, or photoshop them out if you have to).
2. Print it onto a t-shirt transfer
3. Iron the transfer onto the canvas.
4. Stretch canvas onto the wood frame unless of course you have a pre-framed one (just trickier).
5. Attach the clock mechanism to the place where the clock hands should be.
6. Voila! A cool new clock you made!