DIY Decor & Crafts

Brown Paper Packages

Published on December 10, 2012December 10, 2012 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

Tied up with paper tape.

This will be our first Christmas spent at our own house. Heck, in our state. The first year our little family of four won’t pack up to head to Minnesota for Christmas. Instead, we’re staying home, sending gifts to family and friends through the postal system. To keep wrapping simple, I used plain kraft paper, paper tape, and a black Sharpie to decorate the packages.

Paper tape, from Target’s office supply section (I tried to find it online, but I didn’t see a link), adds a festive, unsquishable, mail ready ribbon replacement. And festive flair.

In all honesty, I don’t know what USPS allows for wrapping paper. To prevent issues, I kept decorations flat, sticky, and minimal.

I think it still seems fun and holiday-ish.

For the boys, we’re using fun patterned wrapping paper they picked out and simple stick on bows. Because that’s what makes them happy. Especially the snowmen, deer, and mini bows.

Do you wrap/adorn gifts you mail out? Have you picked up paper tape at Target? Four rolls for four dollars is hard to beat.

Winter Pillows

Published on December 6, 2012 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

Each season, I try to sew new pillow covers to fit the time of year. For the fall, I made an assortment of coral, tangerine, and yellow covers. When winter rolls around I think of blues, deep greens, silver, and white. Lucky for me, I bought a few yards of pretty blue fabrics over the summer. These fabrics set the tone for the winter look. Because I have to make everything more complicated than necessary, I set out to make a hexagon patch pillow cover, similar to fall’s triangle one. To make it, I made a template in Photoshop, printed it to card stock, cut it out and traced it on scraps of linen/cotton blend fabric.

With my pieces cut, I pinned the pieces together to make a strip, alternating colors.

I wanted a small seam, so I stitched along the sides, keeping the edges of my presser foot and fabric aligned.

Easy enough, just a few straight lines. But sewing the strips together was more complicated. First, line up the strip, fold the right sides together, then pin one side only, like this:

Continue sewing each side, one at a time, working down the row. Or skip sewing strips and add one piece at a time. Check out this full tutorial to get a better idea of how to sew hexagons together.

Once I had a sheet of hexagons large enough to cover a pillow front, I cut pieces of silver satin for the back envelope closure.

For the stripe pillow, I simply cut out a 19 inch square (for my 18 inch insert) at an angle. It also has a shiny silver satin back.

Ben thought six pillows on the couch was overkill, so we’ve only got four.

Because the designs aren’t winter or Christmas specific, we can use the pillows year round or elsewhere in the house.

Do you rotate pillows with changing seasons or holidays? What colors seem most wintery to you?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

Published on December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 by Our Humble Abode19 Comments

If you’re getting ready to wrap up your holiday gifts (literally) and shopping, I’ve got a little something to share today.

Get a slightly glittered look without using glitter. You know what they say about glitter, right?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays glitter tags:

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays hexagon tags:

If these new designs don’t tickle your fancy, try this assortment or last year’s woodland critter set.

But now I’m curious, do you wrap gifts in a theme? Or buy a variety of papers and go crazy?

Tiny Art Collection

Published on November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

I’ve got an unnatural fascination (bordering on obsession) with miniature things. The smaller, the cuter, the better. When the boys and I went to Minnesota, we collected (lake) shells. Then I noticed a few teeny tiny ones and began searching for nearly microscopic shells. And I found some, quite a few, actually. Rather than keeping these mini cuties in a jar or drawer, I dug out glue, black card stock, and an empty frame to display my collection. A small dab of glue holds each shell in place, arranged in a neat grid.

I hung the frame near my computer screen, so I can admire them while I work and remember a fun beach day with my boys. From across the room, the shells seem to be white dots, which makes people want to go in for a closer look.

To round out the group, I added a few more small art pieces. A wooden block with mine and Ben’s thumb prints, an old photo of Ben and his brothers, and a mini business card.

This business card from Mai Autumn is a tiny version of her Landscape with Birds painting, which is beautiful full-sized, and completely smile inducing as a mini.

I plan to buy or make a small frame and further expand this little art collection. Because I’ve got a big thing for little things. Whatever makes you smile, right?

Please tell me you’ve got a strange fascination with miniatures. Or something else like turtle figurines.

I Love Geometry

Published on November 27, 2012November 27, 2012 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

On Sunday, we hauled the Christmas decorations out of storage and set up the tree. Not before discovering mouse poop in the box though. Boo to those creepy little critters. We all discussed ‘themes’, wondering what we should go with. Last year’s theme was Winter Wonderland, but I wanted something more colorful this time. After tossing out ideas, we settled on a geometry theme, spurred by a box of wooden blocks. Basically, simple shapes in fun colors.

Last year, my sister found plain wooden blocks in three sizes at a garage sale. She bought them thinking I could craft with them and the boys could build. Turns out, I really liked the way the blocks looked after a coat of paint. But cubes looked a little sharp, so I bought some plain wooden beads at Hobby Lobby and gave them a coat of paint, too.

Small eye hooks, also from Hobby Lobby, screwed in the blocks have a place to attach a hook.

And voila; simple, minimalist ornaments that only cost a few bucks.

To go along with the geometry theme, I bought two packs of silver bead garland from HoLo. You know, because every Christmas tree needs extra sparkle. I’m still planning and working on other geometric ornaments, too.

Do you make ornaments for the holidays? What themes have you used? Or perhaps you stick to a certain color palette?