I removed this old, scratched, chipped mirror from an ugly plastic frame (which I turned into a bulletin board). Even though the mirror had seen better days, I couldn’t just throw it out. Despite it’s flaws, I loved the shape and thickness of the mirror.

I wanted to glue on some sort of frame and either hang it or use it as a vanity tray. The leftover glass gems from my studded tile mirror were the perfect solution. And they cover up most of the mirror’s flaws. But all the glass gems had popped off of my studded mirror, one-by-one, so I hunted for a better glue. After trying three other glues, I found it. For the tiered jewelry tray tutorial, click here.

Tutorial and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

This one is for Alyson. She’s been asking me to blog about jewelry storage ideas for, um, years. I’ve had this tiered jewelry tray idea in the back of my mind for a long time. The delay came down to finding the right glue. I think I’ve found it—well, almost. This is the best glue by far for gluing glass to glass or ceramic to glass—and I’ve tried just about all of them. But there’s one caveat. (More on that later.)

The large tiered jewelry tray is great for watches, bracelets, brooches, and rings. The smaller one is ideal for earrings. Or you could just make the larger one and use it for both purposes. Next week I’ll show you how to make the beaded mirror in the photo above.

The three small plates are from a salvage yard. The medium plate is from Ikea. The large plate is from Crate & Barrel. If the Crate & Barrel plate looks lopsided, that’s because it is. I’ve had the salvaged plates for years. It took me a long time to find larger plates that were the same bluish-white color and the same basic shape. It wasn’t easy. The candlesticks were a thift-store find. And the knob is from The Home Depot.

Tutorial and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

When I needed cloth napkins for my Easter table setting, I couldn’t find the right ones. But I had the ideal fabric. So I examined the perfectly mitered corners on my Williams-Sonoma napkins and figured out how to miter the corners on my own DIY cloth napkins. After one minor misstep that involved repairing with an iron-on patch (oops!), they turned out better than expected. Once you figure out the first one, the rest are a breeze. BTW: Handmade cloth napkins make a great Mother’s Day gift.

When making napkins, choose a soft, lightweight 100-percent-cotton fabric. Personally, I hate it when you dab your mouth with a cloth napkin and it feels rough. Most cheap, poly-blend, store-bought napkins are too rough for my taste.

Tutorial and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

In case you haven’t noticed, my day job has been eating up my blogging time for the last year and a half. So, I thought I’d share a little of my day job with you. Recently, I took a business trip to Salt Lake City, and I stayed in a lovely hotel, Hotel Monaco. Always on the lookout for great DIY and decorating ideas, I snapped a few pictures of the trendy decor with my mobile phone.

This white leather cocoon loveseat was one of my favorite pieces—and it makes a statement right inside the front door of the hotel.

This reminds me of decorating walls with empty picture frames and and ceiling medallions, but on a grander scale. Notice that the starburst mirrors are actually all one piece. And I’m always a sucker for decorative moldings and big white fireplaces.

More photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

Photo by rangerx/iStockphoto.com

I have a love-hate relationship with cut flowers. I love how beautiful they look and smell the first couple days. Shortly thereafter, love turns to hate. That’s when the wilting and stinking phase kicks in.

Worse, my former roommates never changed the water, and they kept the poor, dying blooms around long past their prime. Inevitably, I faced droopy flowers in mucky, reeking water on the dining table while I ate my morning oatmeal. Not appetizing.

Then I discovered that some flowers last much longer than others. I received a mixed bouquet for my birthday. Over the next few days, I removed each dead flower and changed the water. Soon, all that was left were a bunch of lavender mums. I checked them day after day, and they continued to look beautiful. After I had them for a month, I took the picture above.

That got me thinking. What other flowers are long lasting?

Tips and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

This checkerboard is made from two free carpet samples. By the way, if you can’t find carpet samples to make any of these crafts, FLOR modular carpet tiles work just as well, and they come in better colors.

I’m excited that my DIY checkerboard rug idea actually worked. I was a little trepidatious about cutting carpet. I thought it would be difficult and require special tools. I was wrong on both counts. Cutting the carpets was the easiest part of making this checkers set.

Sure, a black and ivory checkerboard would be more classic and classy, but I already have plans for those carpet samples. Plus, the blue and green is fun and unexpected.

A carpet checkerboard and felt checkers makes for the quietest checkers game you’ve ever heard. And it’s transportable because the felt doesn’t slide off of the carpet. If you’re more of a chess person, you can buy chess pieces or make your own.

I made the entire game from supplies I already had on hand. I love it when it works out that way. And it only took half a day to make.

Click here for carpet-sample craft number one. Five more carpet crafts coming soon.

Tutorial and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)

This stack of carpet samples has been hanging around my apartment for three years. I picked them up for free on Craigslist. My original plan was to let the girls at camp paint them to make fun prayer rugs. The problem was that cheap craft paint didn’t work, and we didn’t have the budget to spring for something better. Plus, many of the carpet samples are puke-ugly colors (at least to young girls).

So I hung on to the little carpets—planning to create area rugs out of them. And they sat. And sat. And then I moved. And the carpets came with me. I finally got tired of storing them, so I broke them out of the closet last week and started planning. This is the first of seven projects I have planned for these rugs. And I can’t wait for you to see them!

These soft wool carpet samples made excellent placemats. The size was perfect, but the colors were a little drab and mismatched. I fixed that with bright-colored pom-pom fringe. Then I made matching pom-pom napkin rings, which, of course, meant that I had to make napkins for them. Luckily, I had the perfect fabric on hand. (Mitered-corner napkin tutorial coming soon.)

Then I noticed that my brown eggs looked gorgeous with the colors of these placemats, so I decided to create an Easter centerpiece. A footed bowl, candlesticks, and several more pom poms scattered and glued onto eggs finished the fuzzy tablescape. Happy Easter, everyone!

Tutorials and photos after the jump.

(Read more...)