Upcycling A Wine Bottle with Spray Paint
It’s been a while since my last post, I’ve been on holiday and also working on a couple of exciting projects that I’ll be able to share soon but I’m back now and back to crafting with a vengeance! One thing my holiday confirmed for me is that I really like wine, which is unfortunate because not only is it alcoholic so not acceptable to consume that often, it’s also the devil’s work when it comes to dieting (sugar overload). You can’t win them all can you? One of my favourite wines is a Rose called Mateus Tempranillo and its unusual shaped packaging is a great candidate for an upcycling…
How to Update Denim Shorts with Ice Cream Applique
Following on from my love of fruit motifs I’m also quite fond of food in general, particularly if it’s unhealthy! A while ago I saw Caitlin from A Little Dash of Darling had posted this image on instagram and the ice cream cone was so cute and simple that it inspired this DIY! Ever wondered how to update denim shorts to make them a bit more fun? This tutorial is for you! I had some old denim shorts that I’ve upcycled here but you don’t need to update your denim shorts if you don’t want to, the design would work just as well on a jumper or a skirt or…
DIY Camera Strap Tutorial from Riley Blake Chevron Fabric
Before I made the leap onto WordPress I had a Tumblr account where I posted my recent crafty projects, since then and even after porting it over to a new platform, one of my most popular posts has been this DIY camera strap tutorial made from a pair of old jeans. A year (and lots of use later) and I decided to make a new camera strap – a change is as good as a rest after all! I bought a remnant of this Riley Blake chevron fabric ages ago and haven’t been able to make up my mind what to do with it until now. To make the camera…
Upcycling Ideas: DIY Gold Birkenstock Sandals
When I was little that my grandma had a pair of two strap Birkenstocks and I remember thinking to myself every time she wore them how ugly they were, how I wouldn’t EVER wear shoes that were so clumsy and old lady looking… probably shouldn’t admit that based on what I’m about to tell you! 20 years later and I’ve pretty much changed my tune, I love Birkenstock style shoes, they are SO comfy and I now appreciate that they’re so ugly that they are, in fact beautiful. Especially when they’re gold! I bought these white double strap slider sandals from Topshop a couple of months ago and have worn…
Orange & Lemon DIY Clutch Bag Pattern
I few weeks ago I posted about how I’m loving fruit prints at the moment, it’s such a cute trend and quite 80s inspired which always wins style points with me! This clutch bag was meant to be a lemon but I didn’t have enough yellow felt, in the end though I love it a little more now that it’s both a lemon and an orange, two for the price of one! I made the clutch bag large enough to fit all the essentials – iPhone, keys, small purse, bits of makeup. Unfortunately, it’s not big enough to hold spare shoes (an essential for a night out in my eyes)…
DIY Flower Crown Tutorial #2
After my visit to Glastonbury I fell more in love with flower crowns than ever, they were everywhere, but it also highlighted that ALOT of people shop at Topshop or ASOS so if you want to be unique then you’ve got to DIY! As my first DIY Flower Crown Tutorial used pre-wired artificial flowers from a garland I thought it would also be useful to show you how to convert any old artificial flower arrangement into your own DIY flower crown. To make your flower crown you need: – Artificial flowers (mine are from eBay – just search for “fake flowers” or “silk flowers”) – Glue gun – Garden wire…
DIY Doily Envelopes: Things To Do With Doilies #4
I think this is my favourite use for my doily die that I’ve found so far, miniature doily envelopes. They’re super cute and can form part of a number of awesome craft projects – even better they’re really easy to make. To make DIY doily envelopes you need: A doily (I made mine with the DoCrafts Doily Die) Paper glue A ruler (Trumpton design optional) 1. Fold the sides of the doily towards the centre, use the ruler to keep the fold straight and even. 2. Fold up the bottom of the doily so it overlaps the two sides. 3. Place a strip of scrap paper inside the newly formed…
Renovation Sensation – Upcycling an Ottoman
Excitingly, I was recently invited to take part in the Direct Blinds Renovation Sensation competition. The premise of the competition is to demonstrate that old, discarded pieces of furniture can be renovated and given a new lease of life. Which, for a crafter, is pretty much a given and I loved the concept as it’s an important message to share with the world! To buy my piece of furniture I went to the British Heart Foundation Furniture and Electrical Warehouse in Sale – this place is AMAZING. It’s chock full of awesome furniture that’s been donated or picked up at house clearances and it’s all going for a song, not…
DIY Heart Bunting from Paper
The beauty of being crafty is that there are always lots of things to make and do to keep your environment fresh without having to spend any money. I’ve recently been suffering from tonsillitis which has meant I’ve been spending alot of time on the sofa, under a blanket in the living room watching TV and it made me realise that I’m a bit bored of the ‘welcome home’ bunting that I made a while ago and fancied a change so after dosing myself up with some soluble aspirin and a hot drink I made the journey up the stairs to the craft room and got started on some new…
DIY Upcycling Wine Bottles & Coffee Jars – Topps Tiles Mosaic Challenge
Summer is finally here and it only means one thing (to me anyway) – barbeques! I am a true carnivore and barbeque is my absolute favourite food. Hand in hand with outdoor cooking goes outdoor dining and when I was invited to take part in the Topps Tiles Mosaic Challenge I thought it was the perfect opportunity to liven up my al fresco dining experience with some mediteranean inspired tableware. Mosaic tiles make me think of swimming pools and holidays so for me, they’re a perfect fit for an outdoor project. As I’ve talked about before, I find it hard to throw things like empty jars and bottles away because…
