digital diy: paper iphone dock
I do not have an iPhone, but I’m certain that if I did, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford much else. Despite this (and despite my dedication to my tried and true “vintage” flip phone, of course) I’ve recently desired an iPhone or iTouch just to have a reason to make this neat little paper dock. Made with a single sheet of letter-sized paper, it’s a crafty way to be green with paper you have, without spending the green you don’t. Visit Dessine moi un objet for a template, video, and instructions. –Sarah C.
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handmade nation screenings: are you in?
Faythe Levine’s Handmade Nation, her documentary on the rise of indie crafting, is being shown in special screenings in many states. I’ll be getting out to see it when it comes to Seattle in a couple weeks. If you want to see if a city near you is on the list, check the right column on the Handmade Nation blog — cities in Missouri and Virginia are on the list, as well as Washington, DC. Even if the documentary isn’t screening near you, it’s due to be released on DVD in November — perfect for holiday giving! Watch the trailer here. –Mary T.
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get re-energized by design!
This is a sponsored post.
What is Re-Energized by Design, you ask? Well, it is an awesome web series that Shelterrific is excited to be participating in — produced by Puget Sound Energy, it’s all about incorporating energy efficiency into home design. The challenge is this: six teams of homeowners are paired with design coaches and together they compete to re-design 5 rooms with a focus on saving energy with a small budget. Cameras are documenting each leg of the challenge, and with every room one team gets the boot! The prizes are great: a home full of new LED and CFL lightbulbs from GE, a full suite of kitchen and laundry appliances from Frigidaire, and $5000.
I was fortunate to be paired with the Bedford family, who are just delightful. Kristen and her husband Slade have a great contemporary house, fun design aesthetic, and are really willing to completely put themselves into every challenge. This experience for me has literally been re-energizing to me as well, ending a year-long creative rut and getting me back into blogging and crafting and having fun again. I can’t wait to share what we’ve created together.
But as of today, I won’t have to wait much longer, as the first webisode is available at 6am PST at the Re-Energized By Design site — this week’s is an introduction to all the contestants. And stay tuned each week as we reveal another webisode. Also be sure to go to the Re-Energized page on Facebook, where you can enter to win a new Frigidaire appliance like those featured in the challenge!
book excerpt: make an eggy pig from creature crochet
If you’re crafty and like all things cute, you can try your hand combining the two with Creature Crochet, a new book by Kristen Rask. Rask is the owner of Schmancy Toys and has contributed to our pages before. Creature Crochet, available at Barnes & Noble, not only contains instructions for 12 creature projects to crochet, it includes materials to make two of them. To give you a sneak peek, here’s instructions on how to make the ultra cute (of course!) and fairly simple “Eggy Pig” — just click the link for the how-tos! (more…)
my ongoing pillow project: the search for fabric
I intend to recover my throw pillows sometime this year. I know a year is a very large window, but I don’t like to stress myself out with deadlines. It’s not the actual sewing I’m concerned with; I’m a decent sewer, and if I dig my sewing machine out from the hall closet, the recovering will really take no time at all. The large window of time is to accommodate my search for the perfect fabric for the project. I love this zip code pillow from CB2, and while I’m not fully ready to commit, I think it has inspired me to find skyline fabric for my pillows. A quick search uncovered this colorful cityscape fabric. What do you think? –Erica P.
vintage fixing: re-webbing a patio chair
I’m a huge fan of traditional webbed patio chairs, but they can be hard to find these days. The only stores I’ve seen them regularly in person are True Value Hardware stores, where I’ve also spotted re-webbing materials (Frost King seems to have the market cornered on those). I’ve also seen them at the DoItBest site. But here’s the rub: the new chairs are usually webbed in boring colors like brown or forest green. That’s why, for the past few years, I’ve found my own webbing online (searching for “chair webbing” or “re-web kit” on Google or eBay) and used it to re-web vintage or discarded webbed chairs I’ve found at yard sales or on the street. Re-webbing is easy — believe me, I wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t — though, like any DIY, it can be a little tedious. Click the link for the webbing how-to’s — I’ll keep things as simple as possible. –Mary T. (more…)
