Inspired By: Gold

there is usually quite a lot of thought and inspiration
that goes into the tutorials and projects i share with you.
so i thought it might be fun to start a new feature on the blog
called "inspired by:"
where i show those things that have inspired my making!
like a peek inside my crafty brain.
what do you think?

today is a little grouping of tutorials i've found
that all involve shimmery shiny gold.
i'm not usually a gold lover,
but all of these folks have styled it so fresh and springy
i can't help but want to get crafting with some gold myself!

- make some plain notebooks fabulous with this tutorial by eat sleep cuddle.

- this personalized gold bracelet tutorial by born in eighty two
  would make a darling mother's day gift.

- add some sparkle to your style with the diy sequined heart hairbow on whimseybox.

- dress up your desk with this diy polka dot mouse pad by lovely indeed.

what are your thoughts on gold?
do you find it too over the top or do you love a hint of glamor?

Mother's Day DIY: Make A Pom Pom Bouquet!

now what are we going to do with all the pom pom's we made
from wednesday's how to make a pom pom tutorial?
how about something special for mom?!

these little pom pom flower bouquets have to be
the most cheery things i've seen all week!
with their bright colors and wooly design
they will keep mom's windowsill bright and festive for a long time.

- these giant dandelion pom poms by dana made it would make a fabulous oversized bouquet

- if you don't have time to make one, you can purchase this pom pom flower bouquet
  from stephlovesben (via a subtle revelry)

- lastly i love the colorful stems from this pom-pom flower tutorial by tabula rosi

i'm off to enjoy the sunshine that has finally arrived in portland
and hopefully work on some project's i've had in the planning stages for far too long.

what will you be crafting this weekend?

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how to make a pom pom (without a pom pom maker)

i've always known the "make a pom pom with your fingers" trick,
but my pom poms always came out way too scraggly...
maybe i just do them wrong.

well when i was working on my big pom baby beanie,
i looked to see if there was a different method,
but all i could find were tutorials using pom pom maker.
that's when i figured out how to make a pom pom maker from some cardboard!
quick? cheap? easy? sounds like my kind of project :]



what you need -

- two pieces of cardboard
- a circular object to trace about as big as you want your pom pom to be
- scissors, pen
- yarn!

how to make your pom pom

- trace a circle onto each piece of cardboard, including a smaller circle inside.

- cut them out, adding a slice on one side of the circle, and hold the two circles together.

- wrap your yarn all over your cardboard!
  the more layers you cover the cardboard with, the more dense your pom pom will be.
  try experimenting to see how your different pom poms turn out.
  an additional tip, don't wrap too tightly or it will make the next step a little difficult.

- starting at one of the slit ends of the circle,
  slide your scissors in between the two cardboard circle layers
  and cut through all the yarn wrapped around the top.
  you will want to hold the middle area of the circle tightly
  while you do this so you don't lose any yarn.

- once the yarn is all cut, slide a piece of yarn a couple inches long
  in between the cardboard layers and tie as tightly as you can!
  if it's not tight enough you might lose bits of your pom pom over time.

- give your pom pom a little haircut if there are any uneven spots.
  just make sure not to get too carried away, or you might end up with
  a much smaller pom pom than you were planning on!

- either cut the ends of the string you tied,
  or use those ends to attach your pom pom to your project, like the top of a hat.



now go make yourself a million little pom pom friends!

i don't know why, but when i was doing this tutorial,
these little pom poms were making me so happy, haha!
i ended up making quite a few more than i was planning on...
now to find something to do with them all...!

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as well as all upcoming DIYs sent straight to your inbox for free?

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good bye google reader - hello email newsletter!

have you heard the news?
this summer, google reader is shutting down. boo!

but that's okay because i now have something even BETTER for you to follow my blog with -
my shiny new weekly email newsletter!

sign up and you will get all of my diy project and tutorial posts
sent straight to your inbox for free every week
along with other crafty goodness, news, and special deals from sponsors.

so what are you waiting for?!
sign up here or on the sidebar
to get the next diy project before everyone else!

you can also follow my handmade adventures through
bloglovin, hellocotton, facebook, or pinterest.

hope you have a fantastically crafty weekend :]

april showers mobile diy

april showers bring may flowers,
especially in portland... haha!

i made this little mobile for the wall above my little man's crib
with some colors a little cheerier than the grey skies outside most days.
the best part is, it only took a nap and a half to make!

if you want to make one for yourself this weekend - here's how!



for supplies you'll need -

- white cardstock
- some colored cardstock or maybe paint chips
- tape, scissors, thread, ruler, pencil



here's a quick trick for cutting out a bunch of triangles the same size -

- first make a strip two inches wide
- on one side of the strip make a mark every inch
- on the second side of the strip, move the ruler up half an inch, then make a mark every inch



- cut diagonally across the strip, from one mark to the other, and presto!
   you have a bunch of tiny triangles!



- sketch out a cloud to fill your whole sheet of cardstock.
  don't feel bad if it takes a couple tries to get it just right... haha



- line up all your triangles on a table just how you want them to hang,
  front sides down if there is a front side
  then lay a piece of thread on top of them and tape it down.
- tape those strings to the cloud, and you're all done!



hang it wherever you might need a little bit of spring time cheer
and a reminder that the rain isn't all that bad ;]
happy weekend!

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as well as all upcoming DIYs sent straight to your inbox for free?

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on stash busting

happy friday friends!
looking for a fresh spring project to work on this weekend?

my dear old college/blogger friend heather is hosting a series all about stash busting
and finding ways to whittle down those massive piles of fabric i'm sure we're all hoarding...

heather asked me to contribute a little something
and so i shared this stash busting swatch bunting tutorial on her site.



instead of cramming all your gorgeous fabric into a drawer or closet
where you can so easily forget about it,
why not string swatches around your craft space
so you can be inspired while you work?

be sure to pop over to heather's site for the full tutorial and story.

now it's time to fill that notebook with projects and plans for the weeks ahead!
what will you be crafting this weekend?

the two week birthday party

the past two weeks have been one long party!

for my 25th birthday, my boys surprised me with a secret weekend road trip
where we stayed in a fancy hotel with the best breakfast a girl could want,
antiqued in kitschy old cowboy towns,
hiked through thousand year old lava fields,
watched some pretty hard core rock climbers,
and drove on twisty roads to see gorgeous, snow capped mountains from every angle.

then a week after that my sister came to visit!
we walked all over town for supplies to do craft projects,
spent lots of quality time giggling with the little man,
and had long discussions about this here blog
and making our ultimate dream life a reality.

i got spoiled with all kinds of crafty trinkets and project supplies
from those two weeks full of adventures.
i also treated myself to a new fancy lens for my camera!
with a clean desk full of supplies
and a desktop full of photos and memories
i am feeling so grateful for my family and so inspired for the road ahead with them.

i think 25 will be a great year :]