DIy: Fringed Pyramid Favor Box

It's official, we love Martha Stewart & fringed boxes. Here is a DIY recipe for success :) 

Tools and Materials

• Scissors
• Colored and metallic tissue paper
• Fringe scissors
• Glue stick
• Pyramid box
• Candy favor
• Raffia in complementary color

Pyramid Favor Box How-To

1. Cut 1- by 3 1/2-inch strips of colored and metallic tissue paper. (Each face of the pyramid will require 8 strips; use more for a thicker look.) Use fringe scissors to cut 1/2-inch fringe along length of the strip.

2. Apply glue to one triangular face of pyramid box. Layer colored tissue strips, beginning at triangle base and working upwards. Once layering is complete, trim excess fringed paper with scissors. Repeat on remaining three sides of box, alternating between metallic and colored tissue. Let dry.

3. Fold box into pyramid shape. Place candy favor inside box and close. Tie box together using two raffia strands.

And if you get stuck - you can always watch the video! 

Diy : Christmas Lightened Pinecone Arrangement

Each year I like to do a DIY project & make something for Christmas as it helps me get in the spirit of things. Last year I did a wonderful cone like hanging ornament. My inspiration is Martha Stewart of course. Currently, I am planning a few Christmas parties and I came across this stunning DIY project that I just cannot pass up! I guess this is what I will be making in my spare time. Enjoy xx

Into:

Pinecone "flowers" with glowing centers fill a simple vase in this exquisite arrangement. For the petals, snip woody scales from pinecones, and glue them to plastic flowers on specialty string lights. Arrange the lights in a vase, and add tiny pinecones on wire stems for a lush, compact bouquet. Set it on a side table or a mantel for easy cord-hiding.

You Will Need:
Pinecones
Flower lights
Hot-glue gun
Vase (a cylinder vase works well; an opaque one hides the cords)
Electrical tape
Floral wire
Extension cord

Step 1.
Clip scales from large pinecones. Remove a plastic flower from a string of flower lights. Hot-glue scales behind the plastic petals, making 2 rings of 5 each. Repeat for every third light. Clip flowers back onto lights.

Step 2.
Gather lights into small bundles of 2 or 3 (leaving some pinecone flowers single); use floral wire to wrap their wires together, creating "stems" about 4 inches long.

Step 3.
Gather bundles together. Near the ends, wrap with electrical tape to secure, leaving the end of the cord loose to attach to an extension cord. Place in a vase. (A cylinder vase works well; an opaque one hides the cords.)

Step 4.
Give small pinecones wire stems: Cut 8-inch lengths of floral wire; wrap the middle of 1 wire around bottom of 1 pinecone, and twist wire ends together. Tuck "stem" into arrangement. Continue to fill out bouquet as needed, arranging the lights in a pleasing way.

Diy Project : Cheap and Chic Centrepiece

These lovely sphere centrepieces couldn't be any easier to make! If you are feeling lost with the instructions below (I am totally a visual person!) check out our previous post on DIY Decoration Ideas :) 

You will need : 

Balloons 

Fabric Stiffener 

String

To Make :

1. Blow up the balloons

2. Wind the string around the balloons

3. Cover the string with fabric stiffener

4. Let it try 

5. Pop the balloons and you have your sphere centrepieces! Decorate as you like :) 

 {image source}

DIY Boutonnieres

What You Need

Blooms for boutonnieres 

Bucket 

Floral wire 

Green waxed floral tape 

Ivy leaf, fern frond, or other greenery 

Pearl-tipped corsage pins

Pencil 

Resealable plastic sandwich bag 

Ribbon in a complementary wedding-day colour (optional) 

Stem cutter or sharp knife 

Wire cutters      

    

STEP 1: Selecting & Preparing the Bundles of Blooms

Pick your bundles of bouquets. Remove excess foliage and thorns, and pull off damaged petals. Fill a sink or bucket with water, and holding the stems underwater, use the stem cutter or knife to cut the stems at an angle about two inches from the bottom. Allow the flowers to drink for a few seconds with the stem ends underwater, then place the stems in a bucket filled halfway with cool water until you are ready to use them. 

STEP 2: Choosing & Preparing Particular Flowers

Choose a particular stem and/or flower for the boutonniere. Use a stem cutter or sharp knife to cut the stem to a length of approximately three inches. Create a bed for the flower: Take an ivy leaf, fern frond, or other bit of greenery and place it behind the flower. Note: The bed should not extend much beyond the top of the flower and should be visible from the sides. Place a six-inch piece of wire behind the stems. 

STEP 3: Crafting the BoutonnierePrepare the stems

Starting from the top of the stems, begin to wrap floral tape down the stems in a spiral to secure them together; wrap until about 3/4 of an inch is covered. Trim away the excess stem and continue to wrap floral tape around the wire about three inches down, then wrap the tape back up toward the flower head. Once you're back at the top, wrap tape around several times to be sure it's secure. Trim the excess tape. 

STEP 4: Securing the Boutonniere

Finish the boutonniere stem: Trim the wired and wrapped stem so the total length is about 1 1/2 inches. Curl the end around a pencil point and pinch the tip to finish it. Attach a ribbon bow (if you like). Depending on the weight of the boutonniere, insert one or two pearl-tipped pins into the stem to use later for attaching it to the lapel.  

The boutonniere is now complete! Mist it with water and place it in a resealable plastic sandwich bag (blow a puff of breath into the bag before you seal it to provide airspace around the boutonniere). You can place up to two boutonnieres in the same bag.

DIY Project: Book Planter!

I am such a book nerd that this DIY project seems super cool to me! What a fun & unique way to display flowers at your next event or even wedding :) 

Materials needed:

• vintage books (you can find these super cheap at thrift stores or your local library)
• succulents and succulent planting soil
• moss
• an exacto knife
• modgepodge
• fabric flowers
• cling wrap

To create the planters:

1. Draw a rectangle the size you want the planter to be to serve as the cutting guide.

2. Use an exacto knife to hollow out a 1-2 inch deep space where the plant will be. Then seal that with the modgepodge.

3. To further protect the book, place a layer of cling wrap in the space and sprinkle a layer of succulent potting soil. Plant your succulents along with moss and fabric flowers and you’re done!

{Source: Green Wedding Shoes}

DIY: Wooden Wax Seal

Derek and Kim are a husband and wife team that comprise RageHaus- design & artwork extraordinaire. They have kindly explained how to make a DIY Wooden Wax Seal, which is not only classic & that something special but would be amazing for your guests to receive. Here is their tutorial...Enjoy xxx

Before you begin, make sure you have access to all of these items:

                                                    wooden dowel 

                                               pencil printout of design

                                                     xacto knife

                                         wood burning tool with a fine tip

                                                      sandpaper
                                                         tape
                                                         stain
                                                        old rag
                                                   vegetable oil
                                                   paper towels
                                                    sealing wax
                                                       matches

TIP: Measure the diameter of your wooden dowel and don’t rely on the diameter that is written on the package or tag. If you are familiar with buying wood products, you know that the item you bought, whether it’s a 2′x4′, a piece of plywood or a dowel, is almost never the exact size. It usually falls just under the size it is sold as. Knowing the exact diameter is very important for this project when designing the seal. In my case, the 1 inch dowel I bought was actually 13/16th’s of an inch.

STEPS:

1. Prep the dowel by sanding the end you plan on using as the seal. Try to get out the little dings and scratches, otherwise they will show up in the wax impression.

2. Measure the exact diameter of the wooden dowel and design your seal. If you are designing a simple monogram, such as the above RageHaus seal, you can easily design it in a variety of computer applications. Start by drawing a circle that is the exact diameter of the dowel with a thin stroke. Then arrange the letters within the circle. Keep in mind that you should keep the detail relatively simple unless you have a lot of experience wood burning small detail into wood.

3. Print the final design and cut out the letters with an xacto knife. Think of this step as making a stencil. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do want to capture the structure of the design.

 

4. Flip your stencil so it reads backwards and trace the image onto the dowel.Remember that your design needs to be backwards on the seal so the impression it leaves reads correctly. Tape the stencil onto the dowel and trace your design. Once you have a good trace, take off the stencil and fill out the design where you see fit.

 

5. Carve out the design with the wood burning tool. I found that this tool works well for this task. They are readily available in most craft stores and come with a fine point tip that can capture small detail. I will warn you that this is the hardest part of the tutorial. I went through about three dowels before I was able to get a carving I was happy with. As you carve your design, keep the depth you carve relativity the same for the entire design so you can create an even, smooth impression in the wax.

6. Seal the wood with stain. My dowel was small enough that I was able to dip it in the stain and give it a good rub down with an old rag. Once you have stained your seal, put it in a warm place to dry overnight. You don’t want to worry about getting stain on your hands or on your envelope.

7. Gather the sealing wax, matches, oil, paper towels and an envelope. This process goes quickly and it is important that you have everything you need right in front of you. After you are sure your seal is dry, you can test it. TIP: Invest in a sealing wax - you will find that it has a thick viscosity that creates a strong seal.

8. Have your envelope in front of you with the back facing up. If the flap you want to seal doesn’t lay flat then you should weight it down. I used my xacto knife to do this.

9. Hold the sealing wax over the area you want to seal and light the wick. Give the flame a chance to strengthen before you tip the wax to begin dripping it. Once you get a good drip going, keep an eye on the diameter of the wax puddle in relation to the diameter of the seal. This will take practice figuring out how much wax you will need, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t get it on the first try.

10. Give the wax about 15 seconds to set up, in the meanwhile prep the seal for action. While I let the wax set-up a bit, I like to take this time to prep my seal by dipping the tip in oil. This gives you double the protection from having the wax stick to the seal. Blot the excess oil on a paper towel and make sure you wipe down the edges of the seal.

11. Press your seal gently, but firmly in the wax and let it sit. Let the wax dry completely before removing the seal. When you are sure that the wax is completely dry, start to wiggle the seal back and forth gently until you feel the seal release from the wax.

 

 
12. Voilà! A seal is made. With a little practice it will get easier. You can also use this impression to go back and fix anything you might not have noticed while carving out the design.

DIY Sugar Scrub

This post is entirely dedicated to my lovely friend Rachel. Not only is she an amazing med student, great friend and an incredible cook, she is also my little inventor! You see my friend Rachel decided to make a DIY scrub using sugar & mixed it with her usual body wash. I am all for natural & home made beauty mixes so I thought I will try this one but with a twist! Turns out - Rachel is amazing! This is by far the best scrub ever! I have tried many (my mother was a beauty therapist so I got to try various expensive and amazing beauty products) but I have to say Rachel, this simple recipe is a success.


How to make your own:


1. Mix one cup of sugar (I used brown sugar) with coconut (or vegetable) oil. You really have to decide how much because the goal is to mix it together to create a good paste. 

2. Add a few drops of your fave essential oil & scrub away. I used the Geodesis Tiare Tiare. If you keep water out of the mixture it will last for a few weeks! 

Optional: I read that caffeine has tightening effects so naturally I worked in some coffee beans in there ...oh and the smell of coffee! 


Seriously ladies, try this one at home because it is the greatest thing for smooth legs :) xxx

Father's Day!

Father's Day is this Sunday (tomorrow!!! yikes) so we are sharing a few ideas to make your dad feel special :) 


1. Packaging 

a. Bow Tie Wraps, b. Ties and Suspenders , c. Paper Ties 

DIY Project- Bow tie and Necktie Boxes :) 

Supplies you’ll need:

gift box template + bow tie / necktie template
a printer
cardstock for the box and tie(s)*
scissors
a ruler
a pen or pencil
glue dots
double-sided tape
1/4 inch circle hole punch (for bow tie box)
a scoring tool (optional)
a cutting mat (optional)

Print the box template onto lightweight cardstock, cut out along the solid lines, and assemble according to the directions found in the template file. Place your gift in the box, and use double-sided tape or glue dots to securely close the flap. Print bow tie/necktie templates, cut out, and trace onto your choice of patterned or solid colored paper. Cut out the tie(s) and attach to the box flap using double stick tape or glue dots. If making the bow tie box, punch out three 1/4 inch “buttons” using a hole punch, and attach to the front of the box using glue dots (small Zots are the perfect size).

Alternative directions: Assemble the box and attach the tie to the top flap first, and add your gift last.

These boxes will hold a variety of small Father’s Day gifts, including watches, fishing lure, small food treats, gift cards, and tech gadgets like iPod Nanos or USB thumb drives.

2. Cookies!! 

Photo Credits:{1} The Pastry Tip {2} Bakerella {3} Bees Knees Creative {4} Eleni's NY  {5} Amy Atlas 

Happy Father's Day Everyone :) xx

DIY - Embellished Caplet

Remember when the super stylish Jennifer Lopez wore that beautiful caplet to the Golden Globes? Well wouldn't it be perfect it we could all have one :) xxx

DIY: Bubble Chandelier

DIY BUBBLE CHANDELIER 

Supplies
•   2′x4′ white wire grid panel 
•   CB2 Bubble Balls (50 small & 40 large) 
•   Silver Christmas ball ornaments (80 small, 80 medium)
•   Fishing line
•   One spool of sterling silver wire (20-22 gauge)
•   4 ceiling mounting hooks
•   White chain (about 10 feet, cut evenly into 4 pieces)
•   4 S-hooks
•   2 lamp cord kits 
•   2 half mirror light bulbs 

Tools you will need
•   2″ nail
•   Pliers
•   One pair of wire cutters (or use scissors if you must)
•   Scissors

Step 1: Insert your 4 chandelier hooks into the ceiling and attach about 2-3 feet of your white chain to each (make sure it is secured in the ceiling so as to carry the weight of the chandelier!). You need that extra amount of chain so that you can bring down the wire grid low enough to work on and install the lighting fixtures (and then raise up to the ceiling when you are done). Suspend the wire grid from the ceiling using your chains and s-hooks.

Step 2: At your work table, cut the silver wire into 2″ pieces (your quantity depends on the number of glass balls you are using). Loop each 2″ piece once around a nail to create the toggle. You can use pliers to adjust the size of the loop, particularly to make it small enough to fit inside the top of the glass bubble.

Step 3: Cut a piece of fishing line a few feet long. Knot one end to the silver toggle you just made. Slip the toggle inside the top of the glass CB2 ball. Then attach the other end of the fishing line to the wire grid. Hang each glass ball at varying lengths. Start from the center of the grid and work your way out.

Step 4: In the very center of the grid add 2 light sockets. Wire both sockets close to the top of the grid and plug in both cords to the ceiling fixture (or you can easily have an electrician wire the cords to a single ceiling outlet). Plug in your Half Mirror Light Bulbs.

Step 5: Add silver ball ornaments to the chandelier. Hang these balls extremely close together near the top of the grid so as to completely conceal it (the grid shouldn’t show when you’re done). 

Step 6 (optional): Create a cover around the top of the chandelier so as to conceal the chains holding it up as well as the sides of the wire grid. Simply, create a light-weight crate that could be hooked to the chains holding up the rest of the chandelier. Paint it a colour to match the color of the walls. Another option is to create a framework around the chandelier and cover it in a semi-sheer fabric so as to let the light shine through, much like a lamp shade. If you hook the chandelier close enough to the ceiling, you don’t need any cover.