This is a quick little project, but I really like how it spruces up our powder room. I had a simple soap and lotion set from Trader Joe’s, and I decided to decorate them with some marble contact paper.
Ta-da!
Category Archives: Art
West Elm Manzanita Candelabra Look-alike
“Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose.” Rosie Perez as Gloria in White Men Can’t Jump.
Does this happen to you? Sometimes I see something I really like from one of my favorite stores, and I think to myself, “I’ll wait for it to go on sale,” only to find that it’s sold out when I go look for it. Such a bummer! If it’s something I really love, I can often manage to find it on eBay or craigslist (win!)… but sometimes, I don’t (lose!).
Today’s post is kind of a “tie.” I immediately fell in love when I saw the Manzanita candelabra from West Elm a couple of years ago. But since I didn’t really have a use in mind, I procrastinated. Now, I’d really love to have this for our winter decor, and it’s all sold out. No luck on eBay either.
West Elm Manzanita Candelabra
So off I went on a copycat chic, high/low adventure!
I did find this one which looks very close but costs a bit more than I want to pay.
Finally, I was happy to find a candelabra at Target:
I used silver spray paint on mine, and I actually love how it turned out! The silver color makes the chunky metal look sleeker, and it’s going to be perfect!
Which is your favorite?
No longer desperately seeking candelabra,
“Jewels”
Washi Tape Gift Jars
These little jars are so cute for teacher gifts, hostess gifts, and just-because gifts! It takes a little patience to collect the jars, but then it is pretty straight-forward to put everything together. Materials: empty jars gold spray paint metallic … Continue reading
Accordion Folded Photo Album
So, it’s no secret that decorating for Christmas is a big deal around here. We tend to stay pretty low-key with the gifts, though. Our family is fortunate to have so much already, so we usually have a few meaningful gifts … Continue reading
DIY Gold Feather Table Runner for Fall
Thanksgiving at our house has been pretty small the last few years. Most of our family is not in town, so we enjoy a quiet long weekend with just me, Steve, and the kids. Sometimes, however, I crave the hustle bustle madness of a big Thanksgiving celebration. I’m excited this year because we get to host one of my new coworkers!
To help make our Thanksgiving dinner this year extra festive, I have some new decorations planned. One of them is this simple linen table runner.
I sewed the runner and used gold craft paint to add this feather design inspired by a rubber stamp Creatiate on Etsy.
Up next, a “stenciled” runner for our dining table. Red wine included 🙂
Happy Turkey Day! May your hearts be full of thanks!
“Jewels”
Metallic Geometric Garlands
For our Mod Metallic Christmas, I wanted to make garlands for the tree and beyond. I love how these turned out, and I love that they are neutral enough to use for any occasion!
To make the garlands, I used beautiful metallic contact papers and simple twine to create a variety of garlands. You can find twine and white contact paper at a lot of local hardware stores, and here are the links buy the metallic contact paper:
I made three different garlands – squares, triangles, and circles – by cutting out shapes from the contact paper and sticking two sides together with twine sandwiched in between.
For the circle garland, you could also buy pre-cut circle stickers which would make the project even faster!
Here are the finished garlands, ready for when we put up our Christmas tree and for many celebrations to come!
Cheers,
“Jewels”
Chinoiserie Chic Living Room
Our living room has evolved over the years. Here’s a look at some of our latest additions, including the color block drapes and these pretty turquoise chairs from Article (formerly Bryght). I have to admit I was pretty nervous when the intense color showed up in my living room, but I am so glad I took a risk!
Over on the other side of the room, I have a little bar set up next to the dining area:
I recently moved this painted Chinese screen over the bar area when I was rearranging our art. I really like how it brings the eye up and emphasizes the tall ceilings.
And here are two paintings by my mom that I recently added to the living room. These remind me of De Gournay wallpapers and add an authentic bit of Chinoiserie to our home.
Hope you enjoyed the details in our living room!
“Jewels”
Kids’ Upcycled Easter Garland
We had a great time celebrating Easter with my sister’s family last year. I had wanted to make a garland with the kids, and a stack of drawings was the perfect starting point! Why leave all those creations hidden in a pile when we could hang them up to enjoy?
I made two templates out of cardboard: an egg and a bunny face. With older kids, you could add more shapes, but our three- and four- year olds barely managed with the egg, so this was perfect for us.
J and his cousins chose drawings and created some new ones. We traced the shapes and then cut them out. I made two small vertical slits at the top of each egg or bunny, and we threaded some ribbon through.
It was great to see these preschoolers practicing their fine motor skills and helping each other to put together our Easter decorations.
Hoppy Easter!
“Jewels”
Ideas for Handmade Romantic Gifts
So, it was just Valentine’s Day and we’re going to Steve’s sister’s wedding in a few weeks, so I’ve been busy searching for the perfect romantic gifts with a handmade touch.
Here are my favorite ideas. I’ve tried some of them and can’t wait to try the rest!
1. Printed pillowcases
I love this and all the other whimsical designs from ZCreate on Etsy, and how perfect that this business is run by a couple!
2. “I love you” collage
I made this collage for our family a few years ago. It took a lot of time and work, but it’s not technically difficult, and it’s almost free! You could customize this with a wedding date or other details.
3. A year of dates
This is what I actually ended up giving Steve for Valentine’s. One activity for each month, some at home and some out on the town, including some local adventures I have been waiting to try!
4. Personalized wine or bar glasses
I love these vintage monogrammed glasses I found for our Mad Men party a few years ago. You could also make your own with Glass Etching Cream.
5. Personalized wine labels
What a fun way to personalize a gift of wine, with these milestone labels available from Label the Occasion and other sellers on Etsy. Or design your own and print on blank labels.
7. Message written with paper mosaic
I used Chinese characters (love, double happiness, and family), but you could do this with an English phrase, too. I printed out the template in reverse, glued one inch squares onto the back side of the paper, then cut out the template and glued it on a background.
8. String art heart
You can buy this from Etsy or make your own with some wood, nails, and red embroidery floss. I’ve been wanting to try this for a while!
9. Personalized luggage tags
I made these luggage tags and other art projects out of wedding invitations. I found the self-laminating tags here.
10. Framed wedding invitation art
You could also do this with a birth announcement. It’s special way to preserve your friends’ favorite images.
Hope you’re in the mood to create something special for the ones you love!
“Jewels”
Playing with Paper: Custom Greeting Cards
Here’s a short post where the pictures speak for themselves. I love playing around with pretty papers, and I put these together recently as a gift for a friend.
I used the same basic idea I shared in this post on quick DIY cards, but I varied the papers and added some fun washi tape as well. The other addition to these cards was using a corner rounder
“Jewels”
Jewels at Home 