simply sublime

Straw Coasters

Several months ago I shared some photos of oddball supplies that were piling up around my house, including lots and lots of plastic drinking straws:

Well, I finally have the finished project to show you -- some colorful woven straw coasters that are feautured in the July issue of Country Living.

(photo via Country Living/Miki Duisterhof)

These were a lot of fun to make and would be a cute 4th of July project if you whipped them up in red, white, and blue!  You can get the full set of instructions for these and a bunch of other warm-weather crafts on Country Living's website. 

Now I just have to get my hands on that drink recipe...yum.

 

Summer Crafts in Dash Magazine

I wanted to share some fun and easy craft projects I did for Dash Magazine recently. This first project is a new twist on an old favorite:  Easy Alphabet Rocks!   What is it about this time honored kid's craft?  I could paint rocks all day long... 

(Image Via Dash Magazine/Luis Ernesto Santana)

I was really excited about how the raffia tree ornaments below came out, too.  To find out the "secret" to making these perfectly round, check out the online directions over at Dash's website. If you want, you can also turn these ornaments into outdoor lanterns. Just add a little battery powered or rechargeable LED candle--(I found mine at Home Depot.) 

(Image Via Dash Magazine/Luis Ernesto Santana)

And here's another way to light up your outdoor table -- Dipped Votive Holders! These are super fun and somehow really satisfying to make, and they are also very inexpensive.  (The glass votive holders cost about a dollar at Pier One!) They make great decorations, or whip up a whole set to give as a gift.

For complete instructions, and three more summer craft projects, check out the full post over at Dash. Summer will be here before you know it.

 

DIY Fabric Necklaces

I love this necklace idea from Sis Boom.  They're made from cording covered in beautiful Sis Boom Fabrics and miscellaneous charms found on Etsy.

(photo via Sis Boom)

I don't know which is going to be more fun -- making these necklaces or hunting for the charms!  Take a look at these cool trinkets I found from an Etsy store called Dime Store Emporium:

(Vintage Happy Birthday Charm)

(Arabian Style Medallions)

(Vintage Porcelain Cameo)

Can't wait to dig into this project!

 

Tattooed Easter Eggs

Ooh...I'm so excited!  The tattooed Easter eggs I made for the April issue of Country Living ended up on the cover!  (Well, at least some of the covers.  The magazine put out two versions, and the eggs are on issues at selected newsstands around the country.)  So just in case your copy doesn't have eggs on it, here it is:

And now, about the whole tattoo thing.  That's right, these eggs are "tattooed" with beautiful images I found online.  Most of them are from The Graphics Fairy -- an amazing free clip art site and one of my favorite blogs.  If you don't know about this site, you're going to become an instant fan.  I also found some beautiful graphics at the Vintage Moth.  These eggs were so much fun to make, and very simple. (The step by step instructions can be found on Country Living's site, along with links to all the supplies I used.)  But I have to mention one more thing here:  the eggs themselves!  I got these beautiful pre-blown eggs from Bracken Ridge Ranch.  The woman who runs the ranch is also named Jodi. She went above and beyond the call of duty to get these eggs to me in time for the story.  And when the box of eggs arrived at my house -- in shades of blues, greens, browns, and soft creams -- I was awestruck.  The eggs were simply GORGEOUS.   I couldn't believe the eggs "came" in those colors. 

Make sure to check out all the goodies for sale at Bracken Ridge Ranch.  You'll love the eggs, whether you tattoo them or not.

Happy Spring!

 

Chalk Rocks

For a new twist on an old classic:  decorate rocks with chalk instead of paint.  It's easy, less messy, and if you make a mistake, you can just rinse off your rock and start over. If you want to set the image, just spray it with a coat of clear hairspray, which acts like a fixative. This is a really fun project to do with your kids (Or -- forget the kids, grab some chalk, and let your inner child take flight!)

Barbie's Spring Wardrobe

I came across these fabulous frocks on Pinterest (my new latest obsession -- like the rest of the world!) That led me to Jess (the designer of these adorable Barbie clothes) and her wonderful blog: craftinessisnotoptional.com.  I cannot stop thinking about this T-shirt:

Or this party dress:

(all photos via craftinessisnotoptional.com)

Check out Jess's blog for more adorable photos and instructions how to make Barbie's new threads.  I'm in love with these, and have to figure out an excuse to make some myself!

 

Cross Stitched Canisters

I just learned how to cross stitch about a year ago, and now want to embroider everything I see.  I designed these "stitched" canisters for the March issue of Country Living using a free embroidery font called Home Sweet Home:

(photo via Country Living/Seth Smoot)

You can find glass cracker jars like the ones above at the Container Store.  And the other day I saw some at Target, too.  Get the full set of instructions to make these kitchen canisters on Country Living's website, along with lots of other ideas for "practically free" crafts.  

 

Valentine's Day Crafts

I love Valentine's Day -- and I love Valentine's Day crafts!  So when PARADE magazine asked me to come up with some fun, easy projects (and templates) for readers, I was only too happy to oblige: 

IRON-ON CONVERSATION HEARTS

Check out the full instructions for this project on PARADE'S site, along with 12 downloadable Conversation Heart templates. Iron the hearts onto T-shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, even canvas sneakers to make a one-of-a-kind gift for everyone on your list.  And make sure to save the scraps from the iron on transfers for this next project:

HUGS AND KISSES GLOVES

You won't believe how easy these are...you can whip these up in about 15 minutes!  You'll find the instructions and templates here.

And here's one more:

HEART SHAPED CRAYONS

I've always wanted to try making crayons in silicone molds, and I found that it is so much easier than pouring (and cleaning up!) different colors of hot wax.  My daughter and I got kind of obsessed with making these. Visit PARADE'S site for the complete instructions and a link to the nifty silicone pan that we used.  

Happy Valentine's Day and XOXO!

 

Dippity Doo Dah

I've been fixated lately on anything that's dip dyed -- especially Ombré fabric, paper, etc!  (Ombré, the French word for "to shade", is often used to describe the dip-dye effect in which colors graduate from light to dark.)  Here are a few of the cool dipped projects and objects I've come across recently:

Fun dipped gift tag idea.  Click here for the complete tutorial. (Photo from Momtastic via Say Yes To Hoboken).

Dipped bag from Teddyfish via Oh Joy!:

Here's a DIY version from Freshly-Picked:

And....check out these ombre cookies! LOVE THEM!

 
You can find out how to make these at The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle -- a yummy new blog I just stumbled across.  Dip Dip Hooray! 

 

DIY Heart Pincushions

I'm so excited to share my latest Country Living project with you:  Heart shaped pincushions made from vintage cookie cutters.  

(photo via Country Living/Seth Smoot)

These are really easy to whip up and make great Valentine's Day gifts.  Hunting for the cookie cutters is half the fun -- (I found the ones above this summer when I was in South Carolina, but I've also spotted several on eBay listed for just a few dollars.)  You can find all the instructions to make these and lots of other gifts from the heart on Country Living's website.  XOXO!