DIY: Taped door

We all know tape is cool but it doesn't get any better than on this door! I don't understand much of the blog post but I think it's pretty self explanatory...

DIY: two toned lights

Nothing like improving some of your Ikea furniture. Proof is this tutorial for two toned lights by Chatelaine Magazine.

DIY: Dip-Dyed Baskets

Oh I can't wait to make on of these dip-dyed baskets! Easy DIY projects like this are totally my thing...


Martha Steward

DIY: chandelier

Who doesn't love a bit of DIY? I know I sure do. Although I have to admit when it comes to this beautiful chandelier, I'll let my boyfriend take the honours. Just don't feel like electrocuting myself...

It's that time of year again...

I've been very busy, the last few days making a Christmas wreath. It involves a lot of glueing and watching glue dry, so process is slow but as soon as it's finished, I'll let you guys have a peek.

But to give you a bit of an idea what it looks like, these are the lovely wreaths I used for inspiration.


Bright.Bazaar


Eddie Ross


SilknLightsdesigns

DIY: Valentine

The day of L.O.V.E. is just around the corner. Unfortunately with the recession still lurking in the background, these are not the times to splurge on expensive gifts.

But who wants a lot of bling when you could give something from the heart. Something you made yourself.

So here are some very cute DIY valentine gifts:

Valentine's day brownie bags


We heart flowers


Sweet straws

DIY: Colourful mirror

Absolutely adore this mirror decorated with colourful spoons. Who knew that cutlery could look this good?



Find out how to make it over here.


Country Living

DIY: doily curtains

This is a great way to spruce up your curtains and find a use for those well intented gifts from grandma.


Sweet Paul

DIY: Umbrella lamp

This umbrella lamp is utterly divine and looks so stylish. Find out how to make it over here.

Pixel library

My books are arranged by colour, but now you can get much more creative with your personal library.

Just download this dust jacket template and create your own pixelated bookshelf.


Through PicoCool

One for the books

After I posted about creative ways to recycle your magazines, reader Yellowgoat asked for an innovative way to store her magazines in her small apartment.

And I think I might know the answer: storage beds.

Now, not the ugly bland storage beds you get at your local furniture store but the really stylish ones you make yourself.

Like the 'bed boot' from Jetteke and Alex


Photo by Paul Bellaart

Or the DIY platform bed from David


Apartment Therapy

As light as a feather (+ tutorial)

I already showed you the mural I did for my sister's bedroom. But that's not all she got: I also made her a feather lamp.



I had seen similar designs on the web and decided to try and make one myself.

I used a pink Japanese paper lamp as base.



I drew about a million - or so it felt - leaves from craft tissue paper, using a stencil and tracing pencils (used for sewing) and then cut them out with scissors.



Then I added glue at the top of the leave using a glue roller.



And started sticking. (I fixed the lamp to a microphone stand to keep the lamp sturdy while sticking)



Because I used different colours for the paper lamp and tissue paper, you get a great effect when it's lit.




I really liked how it turned out...


But it gets even better, my talented boyfriend made a matching painting!



P.S If you want to see more of his work you can find it over here and here

Creative with magazines

I love magazines and generally buy about 5 a month. Some of them I keep for research reasons: Vogue, Delicious, Elle Decoration... But then there are others that I simply throw away, for instance Glamour.

Actually since I don't like throwing away stuff, my old Glamours generally move into the toilet for a few months – you would be surprised how much the boyfriend knows about fashion and pms by now – until I finally get over it and recycle them.

But maybe there's a way of recycling my magazines without actually getting rid of them...

I could get creative and turn them into a lamp like Australian Designer Andrew Aloisio.



Or into a magazine stool – (Dutch) tutorial on 101 woonideeen.



Or use them as a book case support...


Trough OWI

Do you have any other ideas how you can recycle magazines in style?

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, It's a mural! (+tutorial)

My sister and I have a deal: she is going to help us build or renovate our future house — she's an architect — and I'll help her out with all her futher graphic needs: wedding invitations, birth announcements...

I thought I had the better end of the deal since she actually isn't engaged yet and so far it doesn't look like their will be any babies on the way soon. But then she moved into her first rental house with her boyfriend... And she aked her big sis to design a nice mural for their bedroom.

So I knocked out a design and started painting with some help from the boyfriend.

I'm not that good at freehand drawing so I made the design in Illustrator and we then projected it on the wall using an video projector from my boyfriends work.



We traced the outline with a pencil.



And then started filling it in. This step actually went a lot faster than I thought. It did however take about 3 coats to get the color right.



And here's the result.

Ring in the new

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's eve.



This year me and the boyfriend kept it very low key, we just had a few close friends over for dinner and afterwards we just sat around and talked, nobody felt like going out in search of a somewhat decent party.



To be honest, I didn't mind at all. I must be getting old...

Prezzies!

Christmas is upon us! I'm preparing for an over the top – food wise – Christmas dinner at my parents and off course there will be a lot of presents too!



I decided to make a little more effort this year on my gift wrapping. I actually went out and bought Chrismas themed wrapping paper, instead of just using whatever I had lying around, and made gift tags out of paper coasters.



I'm actually going to be a little sad when they are unwrapped...

What a bright time!

I already showed off my Christmas tree but that's not the only decoration going on in our apartment for the moment.

I made this little sculpture with the remaining ornaments, lights and a vase I once got as a present but which is actually too huge to put any flowers in.



The blue mirror ball baubles are my favorite Christmas thrift store find of 2008!



Then there's my PVC deer pop up. You need a little bit of Rudolph to get you through the season!



And last but not least, I hung these gigantic Christmas baubles from the ceiling beams. I rescued these a few years back from the garbage bin of a local shop, they were old store decorations.

O Christmas Tree!

I tought I share my tree with you, I'm very proud of it, even if we had a rather difficult start.



My colour scheme this year is white and gold with just a few touches of silver (I ran out of gold ornaments).





Most of my baubles are thrift store finds. I just love everything vintage plus they are very budget proof. I tend to get a bit shopping mad during the Holidays...



There's one 'new' bauble this year, a retro Mickey that I got in Disneyland Paris.



I made my own garlands using hard cotton balls from the craft store and wooden beads that I painted gold.



And some feather boa's to add a touch of glamour.



Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make myself a hot cup of chocolate and stare at my tree for an hour or two...

It's that time of the year again!

I've been so bussy at work lately that I almost forgot that my favourite holiday of the year is coming closer and closer. Yes, Christmas is knocking on the doorstep!

Since I have a tradition of giving handmade presents to my closest friends and family, I am totally behind schedule! I'm not even sure what I'll make for everybody this year!



However, I'll probably make some teacup candles. I made these last year for a friend who was moving into her first apartment. They're very easy to make and they look gorgeous!



That's one done and another zillion to go...

P.S.: A few minutes after I posted this, mother nature send me a personal reminder... It started snowing!

Let them eat cake

Last weekend I had the urge to make some cupcakes, a feeling I often succumb to. I was however a bit disappointed that, after the baking was done, I didn't had a nice way to present them. The sight of 12 cupcakes cramped on one plate, was just a little bit unsatisfying... And the boyfriend wasn't at home so he couldn't solve the problem by sneakily eating half a dozen behind my back.

But then I thought of the cake stands I saw on various places on the web, made out of vintage ceramics. So I decided to make my own cake stand and headed over to my local thrift store.

And this is what I came up with.



It's a very basic stand but since I love using patterned cup cake papers, I thought simple might be best. I might make a more elaborated stand in the future, but for now I'm quite happy with this basic one...



And in case the above picture made you drool all over your keyboard, you can find the recipe for the Banana Nutella cupcakes over here.