SUMMER

Marble Painting the Easy Way

The marble trend has been growing stronger and I am loving every bit of it. People are dipping and swirling everything but their shoes (okay, their shoes too!). I think we are drawn to stuff like this where we get to influence the process but still get the joy of surprise at the moment of unveiling. Marble painting with nail polish is a big thing, but have you tried it? Lord. It is MESSY. And smells pretty bad. I found another way to get our marble on that is way less toxic, super inexpensive, and when you clean up after…it shines your sink.

Whoa.

I know. You need to check it out! over at my friends at Pentel!

PS: Photos taken in my friend Kiki’s living room. She is gradually letting me redecorate her place, which only took three years to convince her to let me do. The blue swirl art is a big step. Just wait until I show you what is going up next to them!

How to Make Coffee Filter Tulips Using Leftover Egg Dye

by aunt peaches 13 Comments

We are going on four months of snow on the ground outside, so I’m thinking it’s high time we bust out a can of spring inside. Don’t you? Since we are still a good month away from daffodil season, why not make our own flowers? And, good news! I have a secret way of doing it that is ridiculously easy, costs less than $10, and will make you feel accomplished all weekend while you binge watch House of Cards. Don’t even act like you are not watching it. I saw you.

Yes, you.

For this project, I am partnering with Paas. This is especially appropriate because the first thing I ever dyed with my own two little hands was an Easter egg using Paas tablets and that little copper wire dipper dooby (<< real word) . Even back then, after the eggs were all dyed up and looking pretty, it occurred to me that there ought to be something else you could do with all that leftover dye. Thirty years later, I have the answer. I have it!

Coffee filter flowers are not new to me or this blog, but this is the first time I have made them using the flat kind of filters, which I understand, is the standard filter outside the US. So for all y’all who have been looking for a flat filter flower craft, here you go!

And, listen. This project is super easy. The only hard part that takes a little precision is fitting the twisty nub inside the straw. As I mentioned in the video, you can bypass most of that by getting large-width straws. The striped paper straws that are all the rage right now are pretty wide as is, but if you are working with small kids or folks who struggle with their hands, using extra-wide smoothie straws is the way to go.*

Tangent: Where to get wide straws

Anywhere that would sell straws for smoothies or milkshakes is great. Ikea has some for pretty cheap, and I have found many healthy food stores carry them too. There is a place that has lots of extra tall, extra wide green straws that may-or-may-not sell these things called “Slurpies” (registered trademark here). I won’t say what the place name is, but it starts with “seven” and end with “eleven.” Now, would *never* encourage anyone to go there and take their straws for free, but, I have found that if you make an effort to buy something there, and ask the clerk nicely, they aren’t going to mind if you grab a few extras. Now, I know a lot of you do these as a class craft, or part of a group-lead activity, in which case you probably want A LOT more straws than that, in which case, you can find wide green straws online for not a lot of money, but they may take a while to deliver (these will take a good month to ship from Latvia).

Tangent: How to dry coffee filters
I didn’t explain this in the video because this can be as easy or as complicated as you want it, and it mostly depends on quantity. Coffee filter fibers do not hold liquid, so it’s easier than you think. Normally I just leave them in stacks of 5-10 then flop them over my shower rod to dry over night. If you are working with impatient munchkin types, that can be a little more difficult. Want them dry in a hurry? Two options: If your total quantity is under 10 or so, lay them on a dishtowel on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven at 225f for about 10 minutes. You may need to shuffle them around half way, depending on the size of your cookie sheet. If you are working with a larger quantity, let them set on towels for a few minutes to get the excess liquid, then throw them in a warm dryer for ten minutes. I would suggest keeping separate loads for warm colors and cool colors, but sometimes the colors bleeding on each other is pretty nifty, so yeah, that’s your call. It doesn’t take much effort to dry them off, it just depends on timing.

Look, the tulips match the eggs! Is that the most darling thing you have ever seen? And the Tulips will year round. The eggs…not so much.

Speaking of eggs, I’ll be partnering with Paas on a series of projects this spring, so be sure to stop by and keep tabs on the fun. If you make these tulips with your eggs, post a picture to their Facebook page so everyone can see your work. I’ll be looking!

Thank you to Paas for sponsoring this post, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Happy Easter!

Bohemian Purse Charms

by aunt peaches 8 Comments

Ever since I made those yarn bobbles last year, I have been looking for places to hang tassels (did you see my Christmas tree?) When the folks at Etsy approached me about sharing a mega tassel tutorial, I was keen to do it. I don’t have an Etsy shop myself, but many of my friends (and readers!) do. I have found a number of new, independent, affordable artists selling their stuff on Etsy and have always been delighted with the work. Also, it’s quite the community! They published my tutorial yesterday and I can’t remember a time I have seen so many positive comments. Not just on my work – anywhere. Etsy folks are out to support each other. I’m so glad they asked me to share in the fun. I hope you will pop over and check out their blog for yourself. Oodles of tremendous ideas over there!

Have an old market bag that needs a pick-me-up? Get your tassel on!

Video: Hot Glue Confetti Hearts

by aunt peaches 27 Comments

You know what they say – nothing says romance like hot glue and a vacuum canister full of confetti. Okay, maybe they don’t say that, but it’s an annual valentine tradition in my house. Every year I make another batch of these hot glue confetti hearts and every year I love them more. Now that is romance!

I published a tutorial on these hot glue confetti hearts over at ElizabethBanks.com a couple years ago. Unfortunately, her site turned into a Tumblr account a while back and the content on the old platform went away, including my tutorial. Sad face. This means, every few weeks, I get an email from someone who found the project on Pinterest but doesn’t know how to make them. There are multiple reasons I didn’t/couldn’t recreate another photo tutorial, so I’m using this as an excuse to take the next leap: video!

Many thanks to Kristen, my video guru, for getting this off the ground. I have wanted to learn video editing for ages but it’s never gone past the occasional cat video on Instagram (the rambling tour of my craft studio shot on an iPhone doesn’t count). As this is my first stab at video making, I trust y’all to let me know if this is something you want to see more often. Video takes a lot more time to pull together than my standard posts (a lot!) but I can see how it shortens the learning curve. And it’s sort of fun for both of us. For sure, it’s new territory. I have watched more craft videos in the last two weeks than the last two years combined, so I am a new (BUT VERY DEDICATED) club member.

Do you watch creative/craft/instructional vidoes on Youtube? Let me know if you have a favorite channel. I would love to check it out!

Painted Thrift Store Purses

by aunt peaches 21 Comments

Last December I started painting gift bags and I liked it so much that I was sad when January rolled around and I had nothing left to paint! This is my problem. I have some weird emotional baggage when it comes to comes to painting for the sake of painting, so somehow, sticking to familiar/functional/inexpensive objects allows me to free up my creative mojo, which is exactly what I want right now. The dreariness of winter has a way of squashing my creative spirit, so a simple project like painting old thrift store purses is exactly what I need. Also, cute purses. Look!

There really isn’t any design or method involved here, just a series of slaps and dashes and color. Lots and lots of color.

Thrift stores are fantastic for finding pocketbooks for a dollar or two. Many of them appear to be new or nearly-new, and lot of them are made from leather, silks and satins. I almost feel bad painting them!

The key ingredient here is an all-purpose paint that will stick to fabric or vinyl, and great flat brushes. Mark-making is such an easy way to create simple patterns, but if you don’t have a couple of great brushes, it’s much more difficult to get the paint to lay down just right. Double-tip brushes are especially handy for building up leopard-like patterns in a hurry.

Apparently Lolabelle does not approve of this method and decided to knock everything over.

Thanks, Lola.

Heads up: you might see some more painting projects around here the next few weeks. I’m not sure if it’s a phase or the stirrings of winterish cabin fever, but I’m on a painting binge and I hope you’ll ride it out with me!

DIY Tassel Napkin Rings

by aunt peaches 6 Comments

Confession: I hate napkin rings.

No, really. It’s hard to hate something like a napkin ring, but I do, I really do. So imagine the surprise I felt when I was setting the table and a wave of inferiority rushed over me. I NEED POMPOMS. I NEED POMPOMS. I NEED POMPOM NAPKIN RINGS!

…and thus, a new chapter began. Much like the last chapter, it was filled with pompoms and tassels and yarns of yore.

And by yore, I mean the largest yarn stash ever known to someone who does not knit.

I have been on a tassel making kick for months, making small batches at night in front of the TV. They pile up in plastic bags in my craft room waiting for the day (probably any day now) when I turn them into knob bobbles. If you don’t know how to make yarn tassels, check in over there first. Get your tassel on!

The keys here is to leave the hanging strings long enough to tie them together (I also tied on a couple extra long strands for good measure). Then I braided the strands together and tied it off in a loop. It’s a little messy, but really, who is counting on neatness here?!

Confession: Those aren’t even real napkins. I just buy a yard of 100% cotton fabric, rip it in quarters, wash in hot water with baking soda and towels (puffs up the fibers), and let the edges fray. Nice thing about napkin rings is you don’t have to iron. Hayo!

Another confession: These babies stopped being napkin rings 20 minutes after these photos were taken and are now hanging on a Christmas tree. More on that next week!

Painted Chargers for a Holiday Feast

by aunt peaches 12 Comments

I have been toying with the idea for painted holiday plates for a while, but I’m not patchouli enough to hang out at the local pottery shop wearing Tevas and tube socks. Since Thanksgiving is upon us, I decided to do a little experiment with painting chargers. Neither chargers nor placemats have been of interest to me in the past, as it seems like just one more thing to have on the table. BUT. In this case, when you pair a painted charger with a glass plate, it’s like having mini art pieces on the table.

Lookit!

Wouldn’t mashed potatoes look really good on that?

Yeah. I know.

Want to make some? It’s crazy easy. It’s just layers of splotches in a circle-ish pattern around the plate. Let each layer of paint dry before you move on to the next. Or not. Maybe you want them to blend. You do that. You be in charge. Get it girl!

Materials
Gold Chargers $1.50 each
Martha Stewart craft paint, Satin finish $1.99 each (colors used here, bottom to top: Wild Blueberry, Granny Smith, Wedding Cake, Beach Glass, Habanero)

PS: You’ll find everything here at Michaels craft store. Yes, I am a Michael’s Maker. No, They aren’t sponsoring this. It’s just handy when you can find everything in one place.

Won’t the paint wash off?
I can’t speak for every acrylic paint on the market, but I really like this Martha Stewart paint in the satin finish (mixed review on the others). `The label reads:
“Use on Wood, glass, metal and fabric. Indoor/Outdoor Water based. Non-toxic. Weather resistant. Shake. Dry 1 hour between coats. For glass: Clean surface with alcohol. Cure 21 days. Top-rack dish wash.”
Because the charger here is probably plastic coated, and acrylic will never stick to plastic as well as other surfaces, I would probably not put it in the dishwasher. And I would never soak it in a sink like regular china. But a soapy rinse and wipe down? Sure thing. These haven’t even cured 48 hours and I can testify to them surviving a good rinse and dry in my kitchen, no special sealer or anything. And I’m not eating on them directly, so really, I’m not that worried. Worst case, if some of the paint did come up, it would just mean more of the gold underside showing through, and I like that. Problem solved. Boom.

You gotta love fancy china, but there is something awesome about clear glass plates. Especially since you can find them at most any thrift store or Dollar Tree. Inexpensive, all occasions, and you can add to your collection at any time.

And…while we are chillin here before dinner, did you see my centerpiece?

A cluster of glittery gold candle sticks, also from the thrift store (all five for sunder $10, btw)….but using my not-so-secret method for making no-shed glitter objects. Because nobody needs glitter in their cranberry sauce.

Or do they?

You can get the deets over at ILovetoCreate.com.

I’ll admit, I made these chargers just for the fun of it. I’m not doing a big Thanksgiving feast, butttt, if I was, I would go back and make these in autumn colors on this metallic brown base. Or for Christmas or Channukah, maybe a selection of blues in navy, white and periwinkle on these silver chargers. Or maybe just buy some blanks and let the munchkins go wild. Is that a family art project I hear coming down the tracks?

Toot toot!

Welp. That’s it. Your place is set. Who is coming over for dinner?!

Decorative Trays From Duct Tape and Box Lids

by aunt peaches 10 Comments

I don’t know that there isn’t a problem that a good accent tray can’t fix.

Got a jumble of crap on your nightstand? Put it in a tray.
Crap on your dining table makes your place look perpetually messy? Let a tray take care of it.
Conflict in the Middle East got you scared? Nope. Trays can’t help with that.

But they try real hard!

Things is, even for hard-core thrifters like me, trays can get limited and/or pricey. Sometimes you gotta get creative. Duct tape goes a long way, especially now that it comes in every color and pattern under the sun.

Here I used a cardboard cat food tray, but you can use the lid from a file box, show box…just about anything. Heck, you could make your own. Custom size. After all, it’s duct tape!

Tip 1: Stick to patterned duct tape. I love mixing solid color stripes on other projects, but wrinkles and lumps are pretty inevitable on this particular project, and the patterns will cover the flaws beautifully.

Tip 2: Duck brand duct tape is my favorite, but there are some other good generic brands. There also some bad ones (read: I’m not a fan of Scotch brand duct tape. No offense Scotch, you make amazing colored masking tape, but your duct tape formula is no good). Anyway. Just make sure, whatever you choose, it’s super sticky. Usually I can tell by rolling back a piece slowly and you can see the adhesive fibers stretching and pulling, that’s a good sign. It should take effort. If it comes off the roll too easily, you can bet it’ll fall off your box in a few weeks.

They come together real quick. Last August I was using my friend’s house to photograph these paint chip art pieces for the Queen Latifah show. Their place looks great, but the coffee table was lacking something…something, like…a tray!

Doesn’t that look better? Yeah. Told you. It’s all about the tray.

So that is what I know about that. It’s take you five minutes and cost the roll of tape. Are you on it yet? Get going!

Feel inspired? Here are some other terrific and inexpensive ideas I have found around the web this week…

Apple votives (perfect for Thanksgiving!)

Sugar Skull Caramel Apples

Hexagon wall art

Leaf garland from plastic bags

Cheap and easy ribbon organizer

Hand stamped pendants

Storybook owl necklace

10 Minute Drum Shades

by aunt peaches 5 Comments

It appears that I’m going through an anti-curtain phase. A year ago I thought extra tall patterned curtains were the best thing on the planet, but now I’d be happy to live curtain free the rest of my life. That’s me. Fickle, fickle, fickle. I worry I’ll exhaust my options and a year from now I’ll go head-on into a vicious passion for vertical blinds. Won’t that be fun!

Welp. The dining room curtains came down for painting the walls this summer, and the moment they were off, I realized how much more spacious and bright the room felt without them. So they stayed off long after the paint dried. Me likey. Isn’t it funny how painting a room has a domino effect on everything else?

If I didn’t live so close to neighbors, I’d probably live curtain-free altogether, but as privacy is an issue, I need something. A little something. Café curtains would have fit the bill, but I wanted a cleaner look. I measured the panel the exact width of the window, and stitched two channels along the top and bottom hem, then slipped in the tension rods and BAM. Tight as a drum.

The bottom half of the window is covered, but light can still get in, and the fabric panel is shown off to its best advantage. Plus, I can still open the window whenever I want – I just nudge up the bottom tension rod and the fabric folds over nicely. Nifty huh?

You could do this in any room of the house with less than a yard of fabric, and very little sewing skills. In fact, you could probably skip the sewing and use a roll of iron-on stitch witchery, or fabric glue instead. I’d still use an iron to get the crisp edges, but other than that, it doesn’t take much. Just a little fabric and tension rods. Shazam!

PS: I bought this Marimeko fabric for $5.95 a yard at the Crate and Barrel Factory Outlet in Naperville. Marimekko normally sells between $50 and $100 a yard, so I stocked up good. If you in the area, you have got to get out there. They just put out the Christmas goodies and the getting’ is good!

Five Minute Tassel Necklaces

by aunt peaches 17 Comments

Ways in Which Tassels are Rad by Aunt Peaches.

Tassels are rad because of lots of the following reasons. Ahem:

1. Tassels look very cool.
2. Your cat will think they are toys.
3. Tassels make your outfit look ethnic and bohemian enough to be interesting, but not so ethnic and bohemian you look like you work at the Renaissance Faire.
4. Tassles are Pom-Pom’s big sister, so that’s pretty neat.
5. Tassels look good on doorknobs.
6. Tassels are easy to make. Even for kids. Or people who say they are “all thumbs.” Because people with hands full of thumbs deserve cute jewelry too.

The End.

….actually, not the end. Actually there is a lot more. This is a huge post. Keep going!
That thing took five minutes to make. No, really. Five.

This one took a bit longer. Maybe 20 minutes. Half an episode of True Blood. That means I got a cool necklace in half the time it took to kill a vampire. Epic winning.

When Blitsy contacted me about making something featuring their awesome craft supplies, I thought this one was a no-brainer. Literally, you don’t have to think about it. You just get some embroidery floss and go to town.

The secret here is the embroidery floss. You buy it in these teensy candy colored bundles. Or, if you are like me, you buy it in a not-so-teensy jumbo pack and supply yourself for a year of tassel making (listen, I don’t mess around. Christmas is coming and the tassel situation is about to get real).

I’m going to split the instructions on this depending of how custom you want to make it.
Let’s start with level one; a jumbo two tone tassel of goodness.

What do you need?
Two loops of embroidery floss and a plain bead necklace (salvaged from the back of your jewelry box, or make one custom), and your sharpest pair of scissors. Now let’s get started!

How do you make it?
Tie the two floss loops of floss together in the exact center. Fold over, then use the knot strings to attach it to the necklace with another knot. Bring those knot strings back into the rest of the floss, and use a new 6″ piece of floss to wrap around the entire bundle tightly. Tie a double knot, then trim off the bottom as long or as short as you see fit. Presto!

Here is another version in green. I cut it a little shorter to keep it nice and neat. It goes with everything. Jeans. Pajamas. Ballgowns. Hospital robes. Everything.

And here is a version using super small tassels attached to a ready made yellow necklace. I hadn’t worn that thing in ages, now I’v worn it twice this week. That’s the power of tassels!

Speaking of tiny tassels…want to make something a little more high end? No problem. It’s easy to make and you can get all the supplies from Blitsy.

What will you need?
Embroidery floss (one loop will make two small tassels), jewelry quality twine, large wooden beads, small metallic beads, O rings.

How do you make two tassels out of one loop of embroidery floss?
Thread a 6″ piece of floss to the middle of an O ring and tie in the center. Use the knot strings to poke through a loop of embroidery floss and tie at one end. Repeat this process at the other end of the floss loop. Use another 6″ piece of embroidery floss to tie off the bundle of thread 1/2 from the end. Repeat on the other side, then snip in the middle

How do you make a necklace?
Slide the following onto an 18″ length of jewelry quality twine (BB = Big Bead, SB = Small Bead, T=Tassel)

1 BB | 3 SB | 1 BB | 3 SB | 2BB | 1T| 2BB | 1T| 2BB | 1T| 2BB | 1T| 2BB | 3SB | 1BB | 3SB | 1BB

…then fill up the reminder of your strand with small beads and tie a secure knot. This is why I like making jewelry with twine – simple knots. No need to worry about fasteners or findings. Only thing you have to be careful about is that the hole in your small beads is large enough to thread twine. I’m crazy about the contrast between small metallic beads and big chunky wooden beads, but you can do all sorts of nifty things with just about any combination.

I’m thinking about revisiting this project with a whole hodgepodge of beads and tassel of varying sizes (stay tuned!) but I like the look of this one, especially paired next to a bold pattern fabric. Very Anthropologie.

This post is sponsored by Blitsy, an awesome source for online jewelry making materials, as well a host of other craft supplies at discount prices (seriously y’all, they have some good deals). Drop by their website, or connect with them online: Facebook and Pinterest and Twitter.

Thanks, Blitsy!

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SUMMER