Author: camilla
Lampshade Bowls
Old lampshades are wrapped in fabric strips and transformed into interesting bowls. Use old shades of your own or check out your local thrift store. Lampshades are usually available in abundance and for a very small price…
Paper Yo-Yos
One thing always leads to another. My T-shirt project from a few weeks ago started me thinking about yo-yos. I wondered if it were possible to apply the same technique to paper. I love brown paper bags so, that was my first choice and it turned out to be a successful venture…
This Is Not A Magritte
It’s not a shirt – it’s a creative experiment. The famous “ceci n’est pas” works of René Magritte inspired the thinking behind this t-shirt project. I picked up a plain, black shirt at Michael’s for $3.99 and created this simple design – mixing French and English for fun…
Sock Rocks Rock!
Yesterday’s post put socks on my mind. Using a rock I found at the beach and a lonesome sock from my drawer, I created a paperweight for my desk. You’ll need a smooth rock, a sock, a needle and thread…
Coffee Bag Vase
I’m obsessed with Vespa scooters lately – this Starbucks coffee bag grabbed my eye at the supermarket for that very reason. When I was through with the coffee, I cut the bag in half and used it as a vase. It holds water without leaking…
Homemade Mummenschanz
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Mummenschanz is a non-verbal performance art group that became popular the 1970’s. As a child I was absolutely fascinated by Mummenschanz. I became so familiar with them through their TV ads & PBS performances, that I would attempt to recreate their costumes and movements…
Car Crayons
When it comes to working on projects with children, sometimes the process is just as exciting as the end result. That is definitely the case with this craft. Crayons left to melt in the car take on a great new shape and are reborn as “car crayons”…
Cupcake Lights Are Sweet
I found great looking cupcake tin liners at IKEA – they reminded me of small pleated lampshades. Within minutes, I created a softer look on a strand of bulbs hanging in my garden…
Reusing Shower Curtain Magnets? Why Not?
As I was replacing my shower curtain liner, I couldn’t resist repurposing the magnets that were sewn into the hem. With a simple addition of adhesives numbers, I created a set of magnets for my work space…
Small Gardens For Small Hands
You don’t need a lot of room in your yard to let your kids have a some room to grow plants – give your child a large pot and let them create a small garden of their own…
A Sweater For Your Seat
This cool, vinyl thrift store chair had a lot going for it in terms of style, however, the seat had a gash in it. I thought I’d mix up the textures a bit and use a sweater in the same color as the vinyl to recover the seat…
Quick Change
I picked up this chair at the Salvation Army for $10.00. I considered painting the frame – but then I decided against it. Instead, I polished it up a bit and just recovered the seat. I like the contrast of worn wood against fresh fabric…
Recycled Serving Set
A cardboard cup holder from Starbucks and a few blueberry containers from the farmer’s market are repurposed to create a casual serving set for snacks…
Kids’ Happy Hour
I have noticed that no child can resist an artfully arranged platter of cut veggies and fruits – add to that a large sheet of paper, crayons and lemon water with a straw and the deal is sealed! You’ve just bought yourself 20 uninterrupted minutes in the kitchen.
A Blank Canvas Is Hard To Resist
This is a great project to work on with an older child ( 8+ years). Camp programs and trips to the pool or the beach will keep this bag in good use this summer…
My Backyard Living Room
We used to have a dining set out here, this year we switched things up and created an outdoor living room. No walls to hold me back – I brought on some serious color and patterns – crewel work, ethnic prints and neon colors – they are all at work in this setup. We are loving it…
Playing Under The Table And Dreaming…
As a child, I was thrilled to hang out underneath a heavily skirted table that my mother kept in our living room. I would drag pillows and a flashlight into this dark, cozy world and my imagination would take off. I created a small room of my own and I loved it…
Jello Jars and “Jargaritas” For Alfresco Fun
When packing up a meal to eat alfresco, the convenience of a single serve package is hard to resist – however – the additional cost and unnecessary trash is a turn off for me. Here are some earth-friendly ways to pack up single servings for a meal out in the open air…
Picnic Pots
When eating outdoors, it is best to protect food from annoying flies with some sort of food cover. By attaching a drawer pull to the bottom of a terracotta pot, I created a unique food cover of my own…
Kitchen Window Herb Garden
My kids love it when I plant herbs in the garden – the idea of eating the leaves of a plant is exciting for them. I placed a small box outside the window of our kitchen that only contains herbs – when we need seasoning for our meals the girls can open the window and clip fresh herbs for us…