{ Crafts + Ideas Category }

Dirty Laundry Bag

Not that my piles of dirty clothes mulling in my super-plain laundry hamper (great visual image) aren’t enough to make me do the laundry, but wow, this gray ruffle laundry bag would at least make it slightly more enjoyable.

It can be bought here, for a very dirty-laundry price of $36. {But lets be real: I don’t think I could muster the energy to actually shop for cotton voile, let alone sit down and realize how crappy I am at basting ruffles for 2-3 hours, only to churn out a mediocre replica…}

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Flowers in Vases

Hello! The next time I get flowers, they are going to be parsed into small glass bottles and placed on window sills around my house. {This spread could even spruce up my dull office desk if only the architects of our newly constructed building believed us office-worker minions deserved windows in our rooms}.

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{If you haven’t checked out Ginny’s blog, my favorite color is shiny, go there now! She has great sense of Southern charm + style, and all things nostalgic. Photos above are from her blog.}

Manu Necklaces

Endless hours at a soul-crushing office job, wasted! I could have been making these amazing paper-clip + color-tape {MANU by Lauren Manoogian} necklacesĀ  instead. Now that I have some free time {so long Spring semester!}, I need to get my craft on-on…just need me some paper clips…

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manu_breast_plate_necklace

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L is for Letterpress

I’m so excited! The brilliant craftsters at Lifestyle Crafts have made a mini letterpress! that will actually fit in my house! and doesn’t break the bank! It’s the “greatest thing since sliced bread” of the crafting world.

Although, there are some notable downsides {i.e., plates prone to cracking; problematic brayer}, creating satisfactory printsĀ  {with some modifications to the tools and techniques} is still possible! {Phew! Dream of letterpress still intact!}

With this, you can make …

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all this!

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{Images via L Letterpress}

DIY: Flower Brooches

One of the {only} productive things I managed to do during my brief vacay was lounge around making some of these Anthro-esque floral brooches. They were surprisingly easy to make and you only need fabric scraps, needle + thread, and a pin backing. {Instructions from the wonderful diy/craft-loaded blog, My Mama Made It}.

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DIY: Ruffles

I love it when I find cool {and easy} DIY projects amongst talented crafters in the blogosphere. Say hello to DIY ruffle v-neck. Fabulous and practical, no?

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DIY instructions from say YES to Hoboken {and another ruffle DIY shirt, here}.

{Found via, Design Mom}

DIY: Beaded Necklace

I want to go home and make this simple DIY bead necklace, right now! It looks fairly easy to make, and the materials are simple enough: beads, thread. Good mix of muted colors/shapes yet bold enough to be considered a statement necklace.

ms_wooden_bead_necklace{a la Martha Stewart, of course}

Directions, here.

{Photo via Martha Stewart}

Outdoor Movies

As the summer wanes, and the onset of autumn weather begins {if you’re lucky enough not to live in the southern half of the US}, I can’t help thinking how enormously fun it would be to host an outdoor movie night. Nothing schmancy or overly-technical; just another way to enjoy the remaining dog-days of summer…

And I love the set-up Courtney, from (In)side the Loop, used:

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Sew Awesome

This handheld sewing machine seems crazy! Does it work? I think I’ll have to buy this guy and find out! It might come in handy for quick hemming or craft projects….

smartek_handheld_sewing_machine{Pocket change price tag: $15}

Oh, but I would love to have this industrial-looking machine! Straight out of 1930…

singer_vintage_sewing_machine{Yikes! $300}

Wow, I’m loving the sewing goods that Urban is now promoting. My mom said that sewing was really popular in the ’70s and it looks like there’s a resurgence, especially if sewing supplies are being sold at mainstream stores.

vintage_sewing_helper{This looks like a tool from Edward Scissorhands’ home; $12}

{Image via Urban Outfitters}

Weekend Sewing

Apologies {to the 3.5 readers who stumble upon this little blog on an average-basis} for the lack of posts lately. I’ve gotten myself in a little car accident snafu and am recovering from foot-metatarsal + ligament surgery. {Booo…} To avoid cabin-fever I think I might order this book to keep my mind off things…

weekend_sewing_book{Only $18 at amazon.com}

{Heather also has a wonderfully adorable blog!}