Lately I’ve been seeing a ton of clothing with just a touch of leather here and there. From leather pockets to leather trim, there’s tons of DIY potential. Many of these looks would be easy to accomplish with small pieces of leather, or even leather trim, which often can be found in the trim section […]
The Knitster: Elbow Patches
Recently I received a review copy of The Knitster: 20 Patterns for Hip Knitters, which comes out next week. If you’re knitting for a hipster man (or are a male knitter), this might be the book for you. Although many of the patterns are unisex, it definitely has more projects geared towards men than many […]
Hat Makeover
Remember this hat I found at Goodwill recently? I gave it a makeover! As you can see, I added a piece of black velvet ribbon and a tortoiseshell buckle. The ribbon is secured in several places with a couple of stitches, so I can easily switch it up later if I decide I want to […]
DIY Lightbulb Aquarium Tutorial
Earlier this year I came across marimo (literally “ball seaweed”), which look like cute little balls of moss. They’re actually a type of algae ball from Japan that are popular as no maintenance “pets.” I bought mine in a local plant shop (Pistils), but you can also find them on Etsy. This week I decided […]
Tips for Fall Flower Arrangements
A couple of days ago I decided my dining room table needed a flower bouquet. I knew I wanted it to be very autumn-y, so I stuck to backyard flowers and seasonal foliage. Here are some tips for making your own autumn bouquet. Flowers with fall colors (gold, red, orange, yellow) are a good place […]
DIY Napkins Sewing Tutorial
Cloth napkins are one of those things that can class up any meal, plus they’re much more environmentally-friendly than the paper version. (We love our trees out here in the Pacific Northwest.) Often I find myself reaching for cloth napkins when I’m photographing food and drinks, and I was sorely lacking in options. So I […]
DIY Re-Styled Collage Necklace
Reading The Sparkle Factory re-inspired me to tackle the collage necklace I’d been meaning to make. So I dug up some of my vintage jewelry stash and went for it. I played around with the pieces until I figured out a design I liked, and then I disassembled the vintage earrings I had chosen, and […]
Craft Book Review: The Sparkle Factory
Tarina Tarantino is known for her playful, glamorous jewelry and accessories. Her unique pieces have undoubtedly inspired plenty of DIY versions, so it’s fitting that she’s released the how-to manual The Sparkle Factory: The Design and Craft of Tarina’s Fashion Jewelry and Accessories. The book features 20 projects, plus sections on how the Tarina Tarantino […]
DIY Metallic Print Bag
The other day I decided to play around with the metallic pen I used for this ring holder. I started with a small plain black faux-leather pouch. I made the one I used, which is a smaller version of the one I made in this tutorial. (If you don’t want to sew your own, here […]