Make your own book
I’m not usually fond of self-published books, no matter how worthy the subject – there’s something quite special about having a team of people working together on a book project to come up with the very best of all visions. Throughout the process of producing The Crafty Minx, my clever publisher Kay Scarlett, editor Sophia Oravecz or designer Vivien Valk would suggest something that changed my direction or influenced the book here and there. It always made an improvement – more heads are better than one.
That said, I read about this service on Daily Addict and felt it was too good not to mention: Blurb.com provides software you can download to make your own books, and inexpensive printing and postage. I’m thinking of making a book of our family life, just for us (and for Olive to see when she’s big) and maybe an additional copy for my lovely in-laws. This is a great idea for publishing images of your own photography, design or craft projects, don’t you think?
Simple idea #4
Driftwood: designed by nature
I’ve always had a thing for collecting shells, pebbles, feathers and dried leaves – particularly when I’m on holiday. Just one or two at a time, but now we have quite a few dotted all over the house in ceramic bowls and mini-middens, reminding me of the places we’ve been. It’s also a way of bringing the outside in to our urban home.
A few weeks ago I found this beautiful piece of driftwood on the beach after an early morning swim, currently residing on our living room sideboard. Forget expensive ceramics or sculptures if you’ve no budget to speak of – just keep your eyes open for the very best decoration nature has to offer.
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Gnarly
Crafty brides love DIY
Vintage wedding frock
My lovely friend Colette is getting married next year and we had a chat recently about clever DIY solutions to expensive wedding fripperies. This is a huge subject so here’s a few ideas to get you started if you’re planning a wedding…
Firstly, The Dress: I’m all about sourcing an excellent vintage or second-hand number. There’s so many out there, and if you’re on a budget you can lop a large sum off your total spend right here. Not long ago we had a weekend away in the Blue Mountains and I spied, hands down, the most beautiful wedding dress I’d ever seen at Victory Theatre Antiques. The slim sheath was circa 1940s, made of silk-satin and French lace in a gorgeous pale tea colour with long sleeves, high neck and divine covered buttons up the back and arms. The price? A mere $400. But the St Vincent de Paul on Alexander Street, Crows Nest always has a huge selection for $80 each (as do most charity stores, which you’ll find similarly priced – often with a tatty veil thrown in you might want to re-donate). You’re looking at 1980s rather than 1940s, but give it a go. The fabric alone is usually worth a fortune and can be re-purposed.
I find op shops a far more fun environs to try on dresses than stuffy wedding boutiques anyway, but maybe that’s just me. Take a friend. BYO champers.
Other top spots to source good second-hand frocks are ebay and flea markets such as Rozelle Markets, where I found a beautifully beaded, silk taffeta wedding dress from the 1950s for a paltry sum. I’m going to dye it emerald green for an upcoming party. Remember, you can always have it altered professionally, or ask a crafty friend to do it for you if you’re none too agile with needle and thread.
More on flowers and invitations later, but check out Once Wed (thanks for the heads up, Anna!) for more inspiration on all things wedding-related.
Simple idea #3
Window poetry
Wet weekends are the perfect time for feeling introspective and curling up indoors.
Seeing the Sea Angels site made me think about poetry, and reminded me how lovely a few words penned on a window with Posca look (a graffiti pen, available from most newsagents or stationery supplies stores).
Give it a try, or borrow someone else’s prose for inspiration if you’d rather not use your own.
If you’re very brave, you could even write it on a bare wall with some texta or waxy black crayon.
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Buttons maketh the outfit
Winter coat with vintage horn buttons
It’s incredible how different an item of clothing can look if you change its buttons. I am forever swapping fastenings on favourite coats and cardigans to update or transform them into something new. Buttons in bright, contrasting colours will draw attention and can make boring high street clothes look far more expensive than they really are. Get rid of chipped or tarnished metallic buttons and replace dull plastic with vintage pearl, bone, shell or horn as I’ve done here.
Some of my favourite places for new buttons: All Buttons Great & Small, Bird Textiles and Ici et La. For cheap-as-chips tins of miscellaneous buttons, try your local charity store or flea market. And don’t despair if you can’t find a full set: who says they have to match?
Found: cute buttons
Covered buttons from Bird Textiles
Clever solution or one OCD step too far?
My OCD colour coding
For years friends and colleagues have teased me mercilessly about colour coding book spines. I saw it in a design magazine once and have been quite obsessive about it since. It’s true the books in that feature were coffee table-type tomes (not weighty, worthy classics) but I think the concept holds true: not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but if you’re at all a visual person, it’s a great way to organise your books (or anything else facing spine out ie DVDs, CDs… pesky, ugly things to display and far better left in a closed box or cupboard, if you ask me).
Simply think of the book cover and you can usually locate it within minutes.
Bedroom bookshelf
Pretty
Very bright book collection
Lively up yourself
The kitchen sink
Our kitchen is so dated, I wish we could rip it out and turn it into a lovely big open-plan kitchen/diner… with a roughly-hewn wooden table for ten, French doors to the backyard and an Aga (a girl can dream). But that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Rather than live with it as is, we decided to highlight the kitschness of it all. Mainly so people wouldn’t look too closely at the details – exposed wires, tired lino and the like.
If you have a horrible room that needs renovation, why not freshen it up with some new paint and inexpensive fabric or artwork? Just until you have the funds to do it properly. On the downside, you might never get around to it. On the plus, you won’t cringe every time you’re in it.
Tiny teacups
Mr T-Rex on his pink cupboards
Teapot wall sticker
Fabulous formica
Mama wants a new stove
Simple idea #2
Henna hand
I bought a stack of these henna hand stencils from a little hole-in-the-wall Indian boutique on South King St, Newtown for $1 each. They’re slightly sticky so hold against the wall, but won’t leave any marks and can be peeled off with no dramas.
Try it – they come in all sorts of colours and patterns and look great above a light switch.
