06/08 DIY

DIY Striped Inkodye Napkins- Merry Mag Summer

DIY Striped Inkodye NapkinsYou guys!  A couple exciting announcements with this one.  First, I’ve never done a napkin DIY nor have used the star material of this project before, so we’re entering new territory on both fronts.  Second, this DIY is part of the second issue of Merry Mag- Summer Edition!!

MERRY-SUMMER-COVER

Merry Mag is an online lifestyle magazine full of handmade ideas by a group of talented bloggers that I’m so honored to have collaborated with on.  After how successful Merry Mag Holiday was, Melissa from The Sweet Escape brought us all together for a summer edition and guys… it is really, really good.  We’re talking flowers, ice cream (already my two favorite things right there), decor,  DIY, entertaining, recipes, fashion, there really is something for everyone and it is guaranteed to start summer NOW.  You MUST check it all out right here at merrymag.com

Ok but also don’t leave and forget about me.  Stay a second to see what I DIY’ed!

Striped Inkodye Napkin

Here’s how it went down.  I knew I wanted to do something with dying textiles, because I immediately associate that ritual with summer, but then also add on using the sun to dye the fabric and we’ve got ourselves a pretty darn summery project here. I’ve also been meaning to witness the magic of Inkodye for a long time now, so let’s go.

Materials:
white cotton napkins (or any natural fiber will work)
Inkodye (got mine from JoAnn)
-mini paint roller
Inkowash detergent
-rubber gloves
-tray/aluminum foil (depending on your available setup. I’ll explain that soon.)

This is a very very easy and simple DIY, so much that there are only two photos of the process, but that also had to do with how I had some fails and how photos including these ones didn’t turn out so pretty, which means I have tales of warning.  First one- do all prep indoors away from a window.  On my first attempt, I did everything outside and it was a frantic mess because the indirect sunlight started dying the napkin even when in the shade, so start inside and then bring the napkins outside.

Second one- shake the Inkodye bottle vigorously before using.  I didn’t do this the first time, and the color came out very faded (duh, how did I overlook this), which is cool I guess if that’s the desired look, but I wanted the blue to be bold.

paint rollerI laid down sheets of aluminum foil to work on top of, then used a roller dipped in Inkodye to fully saturate every inch of the napkin.  I had the Inkodye in a small tray that I dipped from whenever the roller needed a refill.  Also (especially for those who have been following the blog for a while), is it weird that I use aluminum foil so much??  I don’t see it used in DIY land the way that I use it, but it’s probably my most used material HA.

foldedOnce the napkin was fully covered with Inkodye, I accordian-folded it and propped it up on a tray covered in yup, aluminum foil.  Third warning- wear gloves.  The rubber gloves I had were so big that it made folding really difficult, so I figured I’d just use my bare hands and wash off the Inkodye immediately after.  My hands and nails were blue for a week.  Don’t do it.

I then carried this tray outside and left it in direct sunlight for 20 minutes.  Immediately after, I threw it into the laundry machine for two back-to-back cycles with Inkowash and out came this.

Striped Inkodye Napkin DIYBecause the edges of the folds were facing upright, the sunlight dyed these little sections and created this organic stripe-like pattern.  Pretty neat yea?

DIY Striped Inkodye NapkinsI love the imperfect lines and the faded ones in between.  Feels like a tie dye effect, only this way is much much simpler.

Striped Inkodye Napkin- DIY

DIY- Striped Inkodye NapkinsThis striped pattern actually wasn’t my initial plan.  I had first laid mini palm leaves on top of the napkin to create a palm leaf pattern, but because the leaves didn’t lie flat, the imprints weren’t sharp and it just looked blurry in a not cute way.  Using foliage to dye patterns with Inkodye however is a popular option, and if I were to do it again I’d make sure whatever I used lays flat.

Have you used Inkodye before?  Also having a thing for blue?  I’m on the blue train these days, and with the watermelon in these photos it’s looking pretty patriotic, which was completely unplanned, but still appropriate with that important holiday coming up!

06/05 Life

Real Talk: DIY or BUY?

Succulents

I have no idea if there’s interest in discussing this topic, but it’s something I think about often because it’s what I ask myself a lot and maybe something that probably goes through the thoughts of someone considering taking up a DIY project.

I saw a comment on a large public forum for DIY (ok it was Buzzfeed) that I see on almost every DIY roundup of this nature, and that is something along the lines of why don’t you just buy it because a) it’s cheaper than sourcing materials b) takes less time/less stressful c) will hold up better.

I don’t disagree with all that.  I do believe there’s a time and place for DIY and that it’s not always the number one option, and if it’s something that’s going to stress you out a lot and not be fun, then of course, don’t do it!  Please!!  I totally have my moments where I just think yea I’d rather buy this than spend xx hours on making one.  I also believe some jobs to be generally best left to professionals, like a complicated upholstery project, or major renovations, but that brings up the question of why someone DIYs…

There are purely practical reasons, maybe it’s saving money (DIYs CAN be cheaper) or creating a custom design you can’t find anywhere, and then there are reasons of pure interest and passion.  Both lines of reasoning apply to me.  For my DIYs, I try as best as I can to keep it to a standard of “would I buy this?” and if not, I’ll tweak the design or idea until I think yea, I totally would.  Other times, I just make because I need to.  The joy of making, the pride that comes with creation from your own two hands, it’s a thrill I consider necessary for my happiness and something I truly believe everyone innately craves to feel in some way, whether or not it’s something you would actually “buy”.

I’d love to have you guys weigh in on why you DIY, or what might keep you from doing a project.  When do you DIY and when do you say screw it?  Hoping this will help me cater ideas to you guys better, but also I’m just curious to hear about what motivates you.  Whatever thoughts or stories you have to share, I want to hear them!

Image is from my white and copper succulent planters DIY.

06/02 DIY

DIY Modern Tassel Wall Hanging

DIY Modern Tassel Wall Hanging

One of my FAQ’s is how I come up with all of my DIY’s, and if it isn’t an idea born out of a need, then most of the time I’m not entirely sure (so boring and unhelpful of me, apologies), but this project reminded me of a huge source of inspiration, one that I enjoy terribly and always wish I had more time for: shopping.  Yes to more excuses to shop!

Some kind of idea always comes to me if I walk around window shopping, like maybe I spot a pattern or a color combo I like, and when that recently brought me to a window display full of black tassels, I said black tassels I must make.  I loved how the monochrome design looked so chic and modernized a simple idea.  The texture of the tassels still bring a summer vibe despite the lack of color, and though this project could easily be done with more colors, I find it so striking and unexpected to do it all in black.

Materials:
wood dowel (0.5″ diameter, 24″ in length)
wood beads
black acrylic paint
foam brush
bamboo skewers.
washi tape
hard cover notebook or book
yarn
super glue
scissors

There’s three parts to this project, all very simple- the beads, the tassels, and the assembly.  First the beads:

skewer and beadI folded Washi tape into a flag shape on the end of a skewer then slid a wood bead over on top of it to keep it in place.  I made seven of these and used a foam brush to paint each bead with black acrylic paint.

beadsTo let the beads dry, I stuck them upright into a cup filled with a few wood beads at the bottom to hold the skewers in place.

For the tassels:

How to make a yarn tasselFun fact- I only use this notebook for making yarn tassels.

1. Start by cutting a piece of yarn and holding it at the spine of the notebook.
2. Wrap yarn over this piece and around the notebook 30 times and cut off the excess.
3. Taking that first piece of yarn at the spine of the notebook, double knot it tightly around the wrapped yarn.
4. Cut the yarn down the side that’s opposite of the notebook spine.
5. Lay the tassel on a piece of yarn, then double knot it to create the head of the tassel.
6. Cut off any scraggly excess ends at the bottom of the tassel.

For the assembly:

hangingsI cut a wood dowel to about 24 inches in length before painting it black with a foam brush and acrylic paint, then tied each end of a piece of yarn to each end of the dowel.  With the dowel hanging, I tied on a piece of yarn at the end of the dowel and double knotted it with the knot facing down.  From here on out, I reinforced every double knot with a dab of super glue to prevent the knots from slipping out.

I slid a wood bead on to the yarn then triple knotted the yarn underneath it to keep it in place.  Next, I tied on a tassel by slipping the end of the yarn through the top loop of the tassel, then double knotted it before cutting off all excess yarn.  I did this seven times, evenly spaced along the dowel.

double tassel-2For the middle three hanging yarn pieces, I added a second tassel in between the bead and the tassel hanging at the bottom.  I tied it on using the top strands of the tassel that were tied together in step 3 of the tassel making instructions, cutting off the excess after double knotting.  I also tied an extra piece of yarn around the bottom of the head of this tassel and the yarn it’s hanging from to better keep it in place.

DIY Modern Tassel Wall Hanging-

DIY Modern Tassel Wall Hanging

Modern Tassel Wall Hanging DIYI do plan on using more color this summer, just like last summer, but I had to get this one out of my system, and probably many more like it to come, ha.  I always always always come back to black (and white) so sometimes I feel like I should switch it up and branch out, but also maybe it’s just what I should stick to.  I think about this a lot for all the redecorating decisions I’ve been trying to make, and a black and white space is something I bet I’m always going to love.

Are you down with the black tassels?  Would you do this in different colors?

05/29 Friday Links

Friday Finds

peonies
Hey guys, happy weekend!  Sorry it’s been a little quiet around here.  I shared a bit on Instagram that I’ve been really sick over a week now and it has knocked me out from functioning normally, but I’m starting to get back my energy and play catch up, so thanks for the well wishes and sticking around <3

This weekend I’m attending the Dwell On Design event at the LA Convention Center since I was invited by the lovely people from Porch.com.  Should be fun, and I’m always down for some inspiration!  Other than that, I’m still trying to rest up and get back to 100%.  Hope you guys have fun plans and a relaxing weekend ahead of you.  Here’s some stuff to get you started.

 

Really cool home tour with a closet/shoe collection dream.

Just realized this is everything I wanted as a child.

Want this for our bedroom.

I can’t stop with the black and white spaces, guys.  I need.

According to this quiz, I’m from the South (I’m actually from the Midwest, ha)  Where does it say you’re from?

Loving this DIY trend.

Should I cut my hair like this?

Been eyeing this casual tote for a while- love the simplicity.

05/28 DIY

Summer DIYs to Try

Summer DIYs to TryI’ve got full-blown summer brain and am dreaming up of things I want to make for this season, the theme of inspiration so far being natural textures, which totally works year-round, but my recent attraction probably has to do with how I haven’t done too much in this realm.  I’m loving the general neutral palette natural textures lean towards, but the potential for color is definitely there too.  Check these DIYs out, and let me know what you think!

DIY Tasseled RugDIY Tasseled Rug by A Pair and a Spare

Sqaure-Hanging-Planters-Fall-For-DIYSquare Hanging Planter by Fall For DIY

berry basketBerry Basket by Earnest Home Co.

simple-cocktails-with-hand-painted-glassware-2Painted Glasses by Paper & Stitch

shibori pillowsShibori Pillows by The Blackbird

basket-9No Sew Rope Basket by Alice & Lois

Bonus: a couple projects I did last summer that you may have missed!

Sunglasses PouchNo Sew Sunglasses Pouch

DIY No Sew Beach ToteNo Sew Beach Tote

Feeling inspired by any of these and can’t freaking wait for summer to start?  Let me know what’s inspiring you or what kind of DIY’s you want to see this season!

05/22 Inspiring Spaces

Tan Leather Sofas

I’ll just say right away I have zero plans for getting a tan leather sofa.  That does not mean however, that I am not in love with the idea.  You guys know I’ve been looking a lot at decor, almost to the point where it’s probably unhealthy, and it’s been fun but also maybe is adding too many things to my obsessions list.  Inspiration can run both ways- either it can help an idea stick and propel a focused idea or it makes you run around in circles thinking how you’re going to have the time and resources to make every single beautiful thing in the world happen because it’s all so amazing (guess where I’m at!)

A tan leather sofa isn’t even in the top 10 things I’d think of for my style, but when I really think about it aka stare at photos, it fits.  Especially with a sofa that has clean lines, the natural texture can look really chic but still mellow out some of the glam elements I tend to gravitate towards.  Plus, tan leather looks really, really excellent with black and white.  Most things do I guess, but tan leather dayum.

tan sofa

tan  leather  sofa

tan leather sofas

tan leather sectional

tan leather  sofa

tan  leather sofa

leather sofa

leather sofa and blueLooks pretty amazing with blue, too, another color high on my obsession list.

leather sofa- tan

This is also maybe the first home thing I’ve shown my guy that made him respond with enthusiasm- the rarest rarity of them all.  He’s always been into more natural textures, so a sofa like any of these would be a first time decor common ground between us.  SO surprising he didn’t agree with all the gold and floral things I’ve shown him.

Thoughts on tan leather sofas?  Go or no-go?  And might any of you you possibly be the lucky owner of one?

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