The DIVA is BACK! - DIY Bus Blind

Righto....I've a fair bit of apologising to do!  But please let me explain... I've been a bit AWOL (absent without leave) for most of this year.  I guess if I'm to be honest, it's been due to just being too busy with life (you all know how it is), and going through a bit of a DIY drought!  But I'm not finished apologising yet ...I've one more apologoy to make....but this one is in advance.  I'd just like to let you know that there won't be too many DIY posts from me for the rest of the year...due to the family moving overseas and then baby #2 arriving in the new year!!

But rest assured, you haven't heard the last of me.  I've a few more unfinished posts to get out.....that's if I can finish them!  And I won't be leaving you totally high and dry without any DIY inspiration....I'll make sure of that!  

So on that note...I've found a tutorial for a super easy and affordable DIY bus blind that I've been meaning to make this all year...**sigh**....never mind...there's  always 2013!


DIY Bus Blind Tutorial - via 'A Beach Cottage'

Enjoy!

DIY - Revamped Pin Board: Before + After

DIY PIN BOARD

What you'll need: 

• A piece of board in the size you want.  I used hessian board as it's sturdy but soft enough to put pins into.  You can also use MDF or plywood (but it would be fairly heavy), or cork-board.
• Wadding for a padded look
• Fabric of your choice
• Lots of ribbon. 
• Stable gun

How-To:

1. Lay the wadding on the floor and place the board on top. Trim the wadding so that it wraps around the edges.  
2. Staple wadding to the back of the board.
3. Lay the fabric on the floor and place the board on top, wadding side facing down.  Trim the fabric so that there is enough to wrap around the back tidily.  Staple in place.
4. Starting with the longest length (oppossite corners), staple your ribbon to the black of one corner. Pull tight to the opposite corner and staple in place at the back.  
5. Continue with the other corners.
6. Repeat the process working your way outwards at even intervals from the first two lengths, alternating the criss-crossing.
7. Decorate with photos, notices, bills, business cards etc.

BEFORE...

BEFORE: Black fabric with white elastic.

Ok, so my before shot isn't so great...the elastic was all a bit stretched and wonky! Elastic isn't so great to work with, so I recommend using ribbon.  My first attempt didn't have enough strands either, so didn't hold much items.

AFTER.... 

AFTER: Black fabric with multi-coloured ribbon.

I love my new-look pinboard, and it currently houses magazine clippings to remind of upcoming markets etc, and family photos! 

Enjoy 

Yvette xxx

DIY - Stunning Stick Art

Want some fantastic looking art for your home? 

Check out this easy peasy DIY stick art tutorial!

DIY Stick Art

This is possibly one of the easiest, most visually stunning DIY art you can make!  Everyone who visited my home commented on it, and EVERYONE asked where I'd brought it and how much it cost!  I like to tell them I brought it at a boutique store and that it cost $300 and then wait for their reaction....while I then confessed to the truth!!

What you'll need:

• STICKS: Forrage some sticks from the garden/park/forest.  Try to find ones of similar thickness.
• Or else find someone with some brush fencing and 'borrow' a dozen or so sticks.  We were actually putting up brush fencing ourselves, and I had a few metres left over, and had the bright idea to make this!
• If you use sticks from the garden you may want to spray paint them to give them a more uniform look - try a natural looking brown, or you could go bold and use black, white (if you have a feature colour wall), or gold/silver.  
• Wire
• Pliers
• Snips (like tin snips, or secateurs). NOT scissors...they're not strong enough!
• String/Invisible thread or very thin (jewellery) wire for hanging.

How to:

1. Gather your sticks.  
2. Lay them out in a rough pattern so that they overlap each other.  I used a floor rug (approx 80cm x 120cm) for my shape and lay the sticks over this.
3. Use wire to loop around the sticks where they intersect. Twist the wire to secure in place.  Continue to do this until all or most of the sticks are secured by wire.  You'll know when you attempt to lift it up, weather the sticks are secure or not, as they'll flop about!
4. Trim any sticks that stick out with snips.
5. Loop a small piece of wire around a stick at the top of your creation and tie it securely, so that you have a loop to hang on a hook.
6. VIOLA! Your stick art is finished and ready for display!

Enjoy

Yvette xx

DIY - Custom Flag Bunting

I've been wanting to make some bunting for my daughters room for ages, but just ever got around to actually doing it.  So the past few weeks have seen me make a total of 12 metres of bunting! I decided to make custom bunting for my daughters room rather than buying some, so I could choose the material to match her lamp that I recovered (see my tutorial here) and her cot bumper that I made (tutorial here) and her fabric covered canvases (tutorial here).


It's as easy as pie, and even if you don't have a sewing machine, you can still make this....

6 metres of custom bunting 

What you'll need:

• Computer paper, baking paper or newspaper.
• Ball point pen
• Sharp scissors
• OPTIONAL: Pinking shears (crinkly scissors)
• sewing machine and thread OR fabric glue.
• Bias binding tape (I used 2x 3 metres)
• Fabric of your choice with a minimum of a 20cm width.  
• I used 5 plain colours and 1 patterned fabic, and made 4 flags from each.  That meant that I cut out 8 individual triangles from each fabric choice.

HOW TO:

• The first thing you need to do is make a triangle template.  I just drew a rough triangle onto computer paper and decided I liked the shape so simply tidied up the edges using a ruler.  Otherwise the internet will have templates you can download.

Trace and cut out triangles.  You will need TWO fabric triangles to make ONE flag.

 1. Trace your template onto your fabric using a ball-point pen.  I started tracing each individual triangle but this results in messy lines, uneven triangles and is too time consuming.  In the end I marked the points of the triangle on the fabric, placing the triangles end to end and side-to-side ensuring that I got the most out of the fabric until I had the desired number of triangles.  (REMEMBER: you need two fabric triangles to make ONE flag!). Next, use a ruler to join the dots.  Cut out triangles with good, SHARP scissors!

2. Place two triangles together and pin in the middle.  Remember that if you use a patterned fabric, that the patterned side needs to be on the outside.  OPTIONAL: Iron your triangles before you sew.  


3. Sew around the triangle, leaving 1/2cm or 1cm from the edge of the fabric.


NO-SEW OPTION: This is where you'll need fabric glue.  Glue your triangles together, again leaving a 1/2cm or 1cm edge.

 4. Cut around the edge of your triangles with pinking shears.  If you don't have them (I suggest you get some, as they're totally worth it!), then a straight cut with good sharp scissors will be fine.

This is what the bias binding tape looks like.
It's a strip of thin material that has two edges folded in towards the middle.

5. Keep the folded edges in towards the middle and fold the bias binding tape in half and iron in place.  Iron on hot setting so that the tape stays closed and won't open easily.  It should look like this.

6. Lay out your bias binding tape and arrange your flags in order.  I found doing this on the floor so I could see the whole 3 metres was helpful in choosing the pattern.

7. Start with the middle of the bias binding and slip in your first triangle. Pin it in place. Then pin a triangle at each end, leaving 1-2cm at the end for your to hang it up with.  Next, pin the triangles that are in the middle of the centre and end triangles.  Pin the rest of the triangles, ensuring the gaps between them are consistent.

8. Sew along the bias binding, ensuring the triangle is securely in place and held in by the stitching.  I used a zig-zag stitching as I think it looks nicer.  Please excuse the sewing to the right...the sewing machine was playing up and catching the bias tape...grrrr!


NO-SEW OPTION: Again, use your fabric glue and glue the triangles into the bias binding.  Once finished, glue the rest of the bias binding together.


9. This step is optional but highly recommended...IRON your bunting before hanging!
YOU ARE FINISHED!

I love my bunting, which has been the finishing touch on my daughters room!
She loves it too, and loves learning about the different colours!

Enjoy!
Yvette

DIY - Guest Bedroom Art

So....I've been a little slack this year with the whole DIYing and blogging thing. Forgive me!  So as I get myself sorted and have some great DIY projects planned, I thought I'd better blog about all the stuff in the backlogs, that I did last year and over the summer.  

This blog's DIY project is a favourite!  I stayed with a relative (who's just a crafty as me) and she showed me all her DIY projects.  This one was originally a backdrop at the reception for her daughter's wedding...isn't it stunning!

Blue painted canvas with wire heart and polished NZ paua shell hanging from the wire.

So here's a quick 'how-to':

What you'll need:

• 1x blank canvas
• Paint in your colour
• Wire
• Shells (NZ paua shell is used here), or any other embellishment.
• Pliers
• Drill
• Thinner wire (like for making jewellery) to attach the shells.

What to do:

1. Choose your canvas.  The bigger this is, the easier it will be to construct the wire heart...and it will look better too.
2. Paint your canvas a colour of your choice.  A darker colour is better as the wire will stand out more.
3. Purchase/find some wire that is thick enough to stand out, but light enough to be pliable and easy to work with.  Construct the outline of your heart.
4. Attach wire in a criss-cross pattern through the inside of the heart, using the pliers to secire in place.
5. If you're using shells, drill very small holes very carefully into each piece.  
6. Use the thinner wire to thread through the shell/embellishment and secure in place on the criss-cross wire.
7. Add string/hooks on the back for hanging on the wall.
8. Viola! Hang in your guest bedroom for a unique look!

The finished product in the Guest Room.  The shells work well as this is a beach-side home and fits in with the surroundings and home decor!  Perfect!

Oh, and while you're at it...dress the Guest Bedroom ready for your guests -
Here we used an antique serving tray, and added plush towels in colours to complement the room, some gorgeous beauty products and a divine smelling room diffuser....

...who wouldn't want to stay here!

Enjoy

Yvette xx

DIY - Photo Collage Canvas: Display ALL you photos

Someone recently asked for ideas on how to display photos, and make photo galleries.  Well, here's the first (hopefully of many) DIY photo gallery you can make yourself.  It's super easy and looks fantastic!

These make an awesome photo gallery and add some dimension to your walls! They're also a great personalized gift for someone too!

What you'll need:

• A bunch of photos.  People are probably better than scenery pictures.
• A computer and access to a printer or photocopier
• Some blank canvases (the number and size depend on how many you want to make).
• A smallish paintbrush (not a portrait painters paintbrush, but a small paintbrush you'd find in the paint department).
• PVA glue (or Mod Podge if you have it)
• A plastic ice cream container or something similar (for the glue).

What to do:

1. Get on your computer and copy your photos onto a word document.  You'll need lots of pictures if your canvas is big.  You can also duplicate the photos if you don't have enough.
2. Print or photocopy the photos making sure they are in black and white.
3. Cut out each photo and glue with PVA onto your canvas.  It looks better if you wrap the photos around the corners of the canvas edges.
4. Keep cutting and pasting until you have a beautiful collage of pictures.  It looks better if the photos are overlapping, that way all the photos of varying sizes will fit on the canvas.
5. Ensure all the photos are stuck in place and wait for the PVA glue to dry.
6. Squirt some PVA glue into a container. If you don't have enough, you can dilute with some water as the effect is still the same.
7. Brush the PVA over the top of the photos to cover the whole canvas and sides.  You can repeat the process if you wish for extra protection.
8. Wait for it to dry and viola....

This is how the collage canvases look grouped in three's.

Enjoy! 

Yvette

DIY - Fabulous Art from Art!

So as I embarked on my first DIY project of 2012  - redecorating my niece's bedroom - I came across a box full of my nephew's artwork from kindy.  Now that he's a big school boy, the artwork has been shoved in the back of a wardrobe, never to be seen again!  There were some adorable pictures...you know the ones, stick figures minus the bodies that represented the family (even the dog!), and one that had his Mummy on a swing with a caption that said "My Mummy can swing really high" (awww....too cute for words!).  Then there were the really abstract kind, where'd they'd been stamped, squashed, blotched and rolled.  


"What are you going to do with these?" I asked my sister.  She looked at me a bit shamefaced and I knew that they were going back in the closet!  "Ok" I said, "Do you mind if I so something with these?".  She knows what kind of things I get up to, and wanted specific details.  ".....um, can I chop them up?" I asked.  She didn't look too happy about that.  "Come on! They're only going to get put back where they came from and eventually you'll throw them out" I said. She sighed, "You're right.  Ok do what you want".  YES!  So I quickly got to work, making a template and cutting up the artwork, keeping the best bits.  We ended up with HEAPS of art squares....too many to put into a frame, so started off color co-ordinating them, and put her favorite colors (orange and green) together.  This is what we ended up with...

Art from Art.
 I love this so much, my nephew has given me some of his artwork to keep that I can frame myself!  

This is such a neat way to display kids art, and it tells them that you value all their hard work, but putting it in a nice frame and hanging it on the wall!  Plus, you're guaranteed to have personalized artwork that no one else will ever have!  We put this up in my nephew's room and it looks awesome!  It gives the room real personality and colour!

Enjoy

Yvette xx

DIY - Photo Frame Jewelry Stand

So after a fantastic holiday resting, eating and chilling, I decided I'd better do something productive...so I thought I'd do a stocktake of my jewelry! Productive?...absolutely!  Necessary?...probably not!  Seeing as I was traveling, before we set off I made an executive decision to put all my jewelry into a little plastic travel container.  "Bingo!" I thought.  "This will keep all my jewelry safe and secure".  And yes it did.  But what I didn't count on, was that all that traveling meant that all that bling was being shaken about like a tea-towel on fire, and became tarnished. Yuck.  There's nothing worse than tarnished looking silver and dull gold, if you ask me.  So here's when I thought a jewelry stand would come in handy.  And it just so happens that someone in the house received a gorgeous photo frame as xmas gift.  "That'll be perfect" I said out loud, with a sideways glance, followed by, "Thanks Mum! I know you won't mind!"  


So off I went and brought some white gloss spray paint (this is an absolute MUST for the DIY-er I've found), and rummaged in the Old Man's garage and found some polystyrene foam board stuff - just perfect for poking earrings into!  A few moments later and this is what I'd made...

My DIY Photo frame jewelry stand...I'm so in love with this! 

Here's the how-to:

I ALWAYS forget the 'before' photos....This is what the frame looked like before...ok so not quite 'before', lets try during.  The red was the original color, but I chose white so that the earrings would stand out better.

After two coats + drying time, this is what it looked like.

Cut a piece of very thin (I would say the thinnest you can find...as mine was a bit too thick)
 polystyrene to fit into the frame.

Viola! A gorgeous jewelry stand to organise and display your precious bling!
I absolutely love this and now find it so easy to find matching pairs of earrings!

A little bit of styling, and you've got a beautiful display of jewelry!

Enjoy!

Yvette

Hands Up If You're Busy!? - Easy Last Minute Gift Ideas

If you're anything like me, you'll have had all your Christmas shopping done by November and the presents all wrapped, ribboned and labelled by last week. But you know what?  Not everyone's of the organised variety.  Some of us like to live life on the edge...and that means leaving the present buying to the VERY LAST MINUTE!!!  


Is that YOU?  No worries this year, because the Diva has found some easy to acquire Christmas gifts...

Grab some plain dinnerware.  Duck into spotlight and buy some porcelain paint.
Head home and draw anything that tickles your fancy on your ceramics.
You can even write a xmas message on the back.
Let dry overnight and place in the oven to set for 30 mins.
Easy peasy personalised gift!
p.s. allow 24 hours for this one!

Movie Hamper for the movie buff...
Chuck in a DVD or two and fill a basket with all those movie munching favourites we all love!

Scout around for a nice (not tacky) box.  Fill it with some very exquisite chocolates or confectionery that people don't normally buy themselves....think Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, or Guylian.

Create a 'Spa Pamper Pack' for that busy person.  Fill a basket with self-indulging goodies, like cushy slippers, a plush bathrobe, eye mask, face mask, moisturiser, hand cream, bath salts etc.  

Or, if you're really pushing it for time, check out Real Living Magazine.  They've done the impossible...made really cool last minute gifts under $50......all from the supermarket!  

Or if you're really pressed for time, nip into the supermarket and grab yourself a packet cake/muffins/cookies and a wooden spoon.  While you're taking the time (pun intended)....pick up some ribbon and a bit of nice card to write on too....so you can make this AWESOME GIFT....

The "Sorry, I'm Too Busy Gift". which says,

"Christmas is Jolly
Christmas is Sweet
I'm stressed out so...
Make your own darn treat!"

Enjoy

Yvette xx

DIY - Custom Pinboard: The Perfect Gift

So you've done most of your Christmas shopping, but there's still that one person that you have to buy for.  I bet it's that person that's got everything, who doesn't really need anything.  WRONG!  There's one thing that EVERYONE needs.....everyone needs to be organised.......so make them a customised PINBOARD!  


This DIY project is perfect....it's suitable for everyone, from your wee niece or nephew to show off their artwork and school awards, to the busy mum and dad who need somewhere to keep their bills and receipts at hand, to the grandparents who need somewhere to display all the grandkids' photos!

The Perfect Gift....and even more special because it's homemade.

So I've made a couple of these for the house - only a bit more simple in style.  They're easy peasy to make...here's how:

• Get yourself some cork board or some hessian board.  Cork is lighter and easier to use (you can simply use pins instead of staples as it's very easy to puncture.  However hessian board is stronger.  
• Go find some adorable fabric and matching ribbon.  You'll need a fair bit of ribbon too.
• Tools: Staple gun or pins/tacks and a sharp eye.
• Optional: If you're going to give your pinboard the 'button-tufted' look, then you'll need to use cork board as you can puncture right through it.  You'll also need to get some beads, buttons or embellishments of your choice, and a very thick needle (darning needle perhaps), and some strong clear thread (the plastic type that looks like fishing line).

1. Cut the wadding to cover the front and sides of the board.
2. Cut the fabric to cover the front and sides of the board, leaving enough hem to wrap around the back.
3. Place the fabric over the wadding and staple or pin to the back of the board.
4. Place the ribbon across the longest length from one corner to another and staple / pin to the back.  Use your sharp eye to gague the pattern.  Work away until you have created the criss-cross pattern.
5. If you are going to do the button-tufted look, thread the darning needle with the plastic thread and thread on your embellishments.  Next poke the needle through the cork board and pull tight.  Tie a secure knot in the thread to keep in place.

VIOLA! One perfect for everyone, homemade with love gift for xmas!

Enjoy

Yvette xx

Come and dine! - Christmas Table Setting Inspiration

There's nothing as festive as a beautiful Christmas table setting.  But really....what with preparing scrumptious desserts and freezing them the week before, cooking the roast to perfection, making thirst-quenching punch with strawberries and mint, and wrapping those last minute presents....who's got time to think about the table?


Get inspired and have fun with these easy to create, gorgeous table ideas that will see you envied by all your friends...

LOVE the colours...a new take on  the green and red that is Christmas.  

Great DIY idea...Xmas tree branches in corks...what's even better is that these would be perfect as named place settings.

Glass soda bottles with paper labels...a great way to serve your guests favourite drink.

Simple and cute....napkin, candy cane and ribbon.  What could be easier?

Love the simplicity of the red and white theme.  Easy to make candles with red and white paper.  Also see the cute candy cane name place.  Love the shape of the plates too!

Possibly the simplest yet most stunning table setting.  It makes you feel like your dinner is so special it needs to be wrapped!

Snowflake doily table runner.....dust off those doily's, raid nana's cupboard or get them from the opp-shop for a vintage Christmas.

Christmas baubles on a cake stand.  Simple and stunning....and easy too!

Enjoy

Yvette xx

Tis the season....for DIY Xmas Decorations!

Right.  I'm going to go ahead and say it.....**deep breath** I'm not really a fan of Christmas.  I know.... gasp away....you're shocked and can't believe the Diva doesn't like the everyone's favourite time of year!  Ok.  Let me explain.  I love the holidays.  I love being with family.  I love the fabulous food.  I love boxes of chocolates.  I love presents, and I especially love giving presents.  But what I'm not a fan of, is how costly Christmas has become.  Don't worry.  I'm not going to harp on about how Christmas has become commercialised etc etc.  That's not really my issue.  What gets to me, is that it hurts the purse and you end up spending the next few months recovering!!!  


With mothers and fathers, grandmas's and grandpa's, sisters and brothers, the sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws, children, nieces and nephews, and the odd tagger-alonger...present shopping can get out of hand and very pricey!!  And that's not even mentioning the decorations!!


So the Diva does what she does best, and does Christmas on a shoe-string.  So here's some DIY decoration inspiration to get you in the festive mood....

Simple jars filled with (possibly rock salt?!) and a tea light candle.  Perfect for setting a cosy mood.

Coloured Christmas bauble decorations in assorted vases.  Very shiny!

Love this idea!  So DIY!  Star cookie cutters tied together with red kitchen twisty-ties xmas wreath.

One for those undergoing DIY this Christmas.....DIY ladder Xmas tree....just add lights!

Fabric embroidery hoops christmas tree wall feature.

Hanging baubles and bells on ribbon.

For those with good craft-knife skills....book cut-out xmas tree....cut book and join front and back covers....perfect book tree!

Everyone loves bunting......try some snowflake paper.

Really like this idea....white branches in a simple jug.....decorate with your own simple decorations.

Christmas tree bunting - Glitter paper hole-punched and threaded with ribbon....too easy!

For the wine drinkers out there...put your corks to good cuteness...glue with little baubles and create your own door wreath...size dependent on how many bottles you get through!

Another one for the Christmas DIYer...nail different size, shape and coloured wood on a plank and you have your own contemporary take on the Christmas tree.

Fallen in love with this!  Red and white peppermint lolly topiary xmas trees.  They look too good to eat!

Enjoy xmas decorating!
Yvette xx