More! Bigger! Shibori-Dyed Zipper Pouches

Posted on November 12, 2021 by jewelsathome

Are you looking for some DIY gift ideas? I had so much fun making the shibori-dyed zipper pouches for holiday gifts a few years ago that I decided to do this project again this time with larger pouches. The small size … Continue reading →

DIY Botanical Print Ring Dishes

Posted on November 7, 2021 by jewelsathome

A couple of summers ago, when I was addicted to macrame, I started describing my crafting style as “serial crafting monogamy,” and that was definitely true with these little polymer clay ring dishes! My latest variation is botanical prints! If you want to look back at other versions, check out the stamped white and gold dishes and the marbled clay dishes. I am sharing this post in time for those of you looking for DIY holiday gift inspiration!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Premo Sculpey in white (approximately 2oz per bowl)
Rolling pin or smooth glass jar
Plant cuttings. I used lavender, nasturtium, and crocosmia from our garden
Parchment paper or wax paper
Circle to trace (approximately 4″)
Bowl or other oven-safe mold
Optional: sandpaper
Paint brush
Gold paint
Paint to color plants
Clear glossy varnish

Here’s how to do it:

This white clay collects and shows dust and lint very easily, so try to keep your hands, tools, and work surface as clean as possible

Using a parchment or wax paper work surface, knead your clay and roll it flat – about 1/4″ thick

Place your plant cutting and roll over it to make an impression in the clay

Place your circle on your mold

Bake according to the instructions for the clay

Let it cool, and sand rough edges
Paint the leaf imprint green and lavender flowers purple

Paint rim with gold paint

Coat with clear varnish

This is what the bowls looked like out of the oven, before paint and varnish. I like the matte look, but I suspect they’d get dirty over time.

Next step: paint the flowers, add gold paint to the rim, and finish with clear gloss varnish!

I’ve got at least one more variation I want to try making!

Julie aka “Jewels”

Favorite Fall Decorating Ideas

Posted on October 29, 2021 by jewelsathome

Between the start of school, two boys’ birthdays, and Halloween costumes, I’ll confess that many years I skip right over any fall decorating. This year, we are in the middle of moving, so I’m not sure how much decorating I’ll do.

But when I do decorate for fall, I’ve found you can create a lot of atmosphere with a few changes. I set the mood with some pumpkins and candles, creating something neutral yet festive.

Here are some of favorite pictures from years past. Projects seen in this post include

Here’s to crisp fall days!

Julie aka “Jewels”

Marble-painted Christmas Ornaments

Posted on November 16, 2020 by jewelsathome

So, with this being a low-key Christmas, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do new craft projects – I mean, other than the pastel Christmas village I made way back in January (dorky!) But blame Pinterest, I got the idea for these pretty marble-painted ornaments!

I used the tutorial from the Creativity Exchange as inspiration, and I adapted it to some clear plastic ornaments I already had.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Clear glass or plastic ornaments. I had these two-piece ornaments in the house already, but if you are starting from scratch, this style with the opening at the top will be easier to use and give a more polished finished product
Craft paints. You’ll need the most of the white color. I used three different colors for each ornament – white, a color, and a metallic paint
skewer or toothpick to mix the colors
Ribbon or ornament hanger

Here’s how to do it:

Squeeze a small amount of paint into your ornament (I put some in each side of the two-piece ornaments) – mostly white, with a bit of a color and a bit of metallic paint
To create flecks of color, you can splatter some paint (mine happened naturally, when I was at the end of a jar of paint, and it came out in small amounts) and let it dry a couple of minutes before starting to swirl the paint
Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to swirl the paints gently – don’t overmix, as the colors will continue to marble in the next steps
For the two-piece ornaments, I closed the ornament and slowly rotated it to let the paint marble. To let the paint slowly fill the open areas, I rested the ornaments on top of my paint bottles, with the open area at the bottom. For the one-piece ornaments, after rotating a few times, you can rest it upside down over a paper cup to let the extra paint drip out
Once my two-piece ornaments were completely painted, I opened them back up to let the paint try, careful to keep the two matching halves together
Once your paint is dry, you can reassemble your ornaments and add a hanger!
I love that this is one of those projects where every result is different, and you can’t go wrong!

Here are some pictures of the finished ornaments. Looking forward to putting together our pastel-and-metallic Christmas decorations soon!

Julie aka “Jewels”

Pastel Christmas Village

Posted on November 15, 2020 by jewelsathome

So, I actually did this project in January, being the Christmas decorating nerd that I am. It’s strange to think of all the things that have happened this year since I started planning our Christmas decorations. It will be our … Continue reading →

Nightstands with Faux Bone Inlay Stencils

Posted on October 25, 2020 by jewelsathome

Here is the third and final (for now) installment of my dresser painting trilogy. First was the mid-century dresser; next came the faux campaign dresser; and last but not least is this faux bone inlay project! If you are thinking … Continue reading →

Faux Campaign Dresser Makeover

Posted on October 24, 2020 by jewelsathome

I’m on such a furniture makeover kick right now! Even as I was still finishing up my mid-century dresser makeover, I was already planning my first attempt at a faux campaign dresser! I had my eye out for an actual … Continue reading →

Mid-Century Dresser Makeover – How to Paint Laminate Furniture

Posted on October 22, 2020 by jewelsathome

Do you have a DIY bucket list? Finding a vintage dresser with mid-century details has been on my list for years, and finally, the perfect project came along! It started when I was browsing NextDoor and came across a dark … Continue reading →

Anthropologie-Inspired Vintage Mirror Makeover

Posted on August 24, 2020 by jewelsathome

This project combines so many of my favorite things: vintage furniture (I have an extra weakness for chairs and mirrors), DIY, and Anthropologie! I’ll link to some of my other favorite mirror projects at the bottom of this post! I … Continue reading →

Sunroom Funroom!

Posted on August 25, 2019 by jewelsathome

When we moved into our house, the small enclosed balcony became a place for LEGO, board games, and other toys. Now that the boys are older, I’m excited to reclaim this room as a more grown-up space for reading, lounging,… maybe even napping!

At 5’x15′, there is not much space in here, which made this a quick project! The key elements I wanted to include were:

Comfortable seating with plush cushions
Side table for books and drinks
Plants to bring the outside in
Throw blankets to snuggle in all seasons

The look I wanted to achieve included:

White paint
Light-colored fabrics
Natural materials, like rattan and bamboo
My signature blue-and-white decor

Here are some pictures of how it has all come together. I did buy this daybed quilt set, but otherwise, everything in the room we already had in our house!

I love this ceramic garden stool, but I have been looking for the right spot for it – what could be better than this indoor-outdoor room?!

This bookcase was my grandmother’s. I repainted it about 20 years ago and added the caning (post coming soon) for this space, to create a tropical feel.

We’ve had this round mirror for a while, and it’s a bit small for where it was hanging before, but it works perfectly here. The walls in this room are crazy hard to drill into (which makes sense, because they are actually exterior walls), so I braided some rope from my macrame days and hung it from a hook in one of the ceiling beams. I like how it adds to the outdoorsy, bohemiam vibe in here!