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My name is Melody M. Nuñez, and I’m an artist and a writer. Please look around my website and make yourself at home. I post new blog entries weekly, and hope you’ll subscribe to my blog and come back often! To learn more about me, please view the “About” page…SUBSCRIBE
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Category Archives: DIY
A New Crocheted Wreath Variation: Spring!
I’m continuing to modify the crocheted wreath I created back in December – it’s so easy to do since the doilies are just pinned on! Thus far I’ve shared two versions: Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Today I’m showing my newest version: Spring!
I used crocheted doilies and floral pot holders in purples and yellows, and love how the wreath turned out. Two of my favorite flowers are irises and daffodils, and the color scheme of this wreath reminds me of those two flowers.
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I didn’t make this a “strictly Easter” wreath since this version is likely to hang until June, when I’ll work on creating a 4th of July-themed wreath. So this wreath uses spring colors, but doesn’t include bunnies, chicks, or eggs – though I was tempted because I love all three of those things!
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Spring begins tomorrow, so I’d like to wish you a Happy Spring a bit early. If you live in a cold climate, I hope you enjoy nicer weather. :]
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Warm regards,
Melody
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Also posted in crafts, holidays, vintage
Tagged celebrating spring, doilies, Easter, spring, St. Patrick's Day, vintage crocheted wreath, vintage doilies
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Crocheted Valentine’s Wreath
Hi, y’all!
Remember when I shared that Vintage Crocheted Wreath back in December? The one I hung for Christmas? Well, in that post I mentioned that it would be easy for me to modify the wreath for different holidays or themes throughout the year. By pinning my doilies and potholders on instead of gluing, it was super easy to take some of the pieces off and add new pieces to create a Valentine’s Day wreath. This version is all red, white, and cream, and I think it’s darling.
I’ll likely make a new version of the wreath for the spring, and will share that new wreath with you in a month or two. In the meantime, do you have questions, comments, feedback? I’d love to hear from you…
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in crafts, holidays, vintage
Tagged Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day wreath, vintage crocheted wreath
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DIY: Cork Pendants
Corks are pretty awesome. Not only can you stamp with them and make them into place card holders, you can make them into jewelry as well. What’s that, you say? Jewelry? Yep! I decided to try and make some pendants from wine corks, and am very pleased with the results. I think this project is incredibly versatile, and I love the idea of up-cycling.
Plus, you can likely use little bits and pieces of your existing creative stash (provided you’re into arts and crafts) – small pieces of your favorite papers, ribbons, fabrics, and a few other goodies. I only had to buy one thing (screw eyes), and bet you can make these pendants primarily from things you have on hand already, too.
Suggested Materials
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Corks – I used real corks from wine bottles (versus plastic/foam corks)
Paint, gesso, or acrylic ink
Paint brush
Ribbon
Fabric
Thin Decorative Paper
Wire
Beads
Sequins
Sequin Pins
Screw Eyes
Straight Pins
Cord, ribbon or chain to hang the pendants from
Directions
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- Apply color to cork, if desired. (I used black acrylic ink, purple acrylic ink, and white gesso) Let dry. Wipe some color off with a dry paper towel when the cork is nearly dry if you’d like a slightly mottled surface.
- Select materials to embellish your cork with, and decide on how many “decorative bands” you’ll have.
- Cut materials to proper size. Corks are 2″ long on average. If you’ll have just one type of decorative material, cut the piece slightly narrower than the cork is – end to end.If you’ll have two different decorative bands, cut each piece to 1/3 the length of your cork. If you’ll have three different bands, cut your strip to approximately 1/4″. Each strip should be long enough to wrap around the cork twice, which is approximately 6″.
- Pin one end of your ribbon/paper/fabric down with sequin pins, wrap the remaining length around the cork, and secure the ends with more pins. You can add sequins or beads onto this “closing pin” if you’d like to add a bit more pop.
- Embellish the bottom by affixing a bead or bauble with a straight pin.
- Attach a screw eye to the top. This will allow you to hang the pendant from a chain or cord.
Attaching the ribbon to the cork with pins
Pinning the ribbon closed, with sequins added
A bead and silver finding are attached to the bottom with a longer, silver straight pin
After the screw eye is attached at the top, the pendant is strung with a ribbon hanger
VERY Versatile
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Not only can you use these pendants in different ways – by wearing them, hanging them from your car’s rear view mirror, or using them as ornaments, you can also make them in very different ways.
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MILAGROS & COLORFUL FIBERS
* In this variation I drilled a hole through the pre-painted cork, threaded it onto some cool fibers, tied some extra fiber pieces into a tassel at the bottom, and added wire and milagro charms as the cork’s embellishment.
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* GOAL PENDANTS
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I made these two corks into Goal Setting & Reminder Pendants. I’m a big believer in setting goals and taking action, and I thought that writing my goals and working it into a pendant would be a great way to stay focused on that goal. Wearing the pendant is a reminder of what I’m working towards – a way to keep my aspirations close to my heart. Literally. :]
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*I made these two corks into Goal Setting & Reminder Pendants. I’m a big believer in setting goals and taking action, and I thought that writing my goals and working it into a pendant would be a great way to stay focused on that goal. Wearing the pendant is a reminder of what I’m working towards – a way to keep my aspirations close to my heart. Literally. :]
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To make these Goal Setting & Reminder Pendants you’ll just need to write your goals down, and attach your text layer to the cork when you pin down your ribbon/paper/fabric. Just make the paper that you write on a bit shorter than the decorative/outermost layer that goes on top of it.
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PAPER & BEADS
RIBBON & BEADS
INFINITE POSSIBILITIES!
There are so many ways to modify and customize this project. I’m glad I have several more corks to work with! Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you, dear readers…
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Oh, and by the way, I’ll be launching my Etsy shop soon and will be listing some Cork Pendants for sale. So, if you like these pendants, would like one of your own, and know that you won’t get around to making one for yourself, please keep an eye out for my shop’s launch announcement! :]
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Warm regards,
Melody
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Also posted in art supplies, crafts
Tagged cork crafts, cork pendants, DIY pendant, Goal Setting & Reminder Pendants, making things with corks, pendants, upcycle
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Making Button Bracelets
I’ve been wanting to make button bracelets for the longest time. Why? I love buttons, and love the idea of making jewelry out of them! I also may have a small of a collection to choose buttons from, so it’s a great way to make use of one of my favorite things.
Okay, so I actually have a photo box full of buttons sorted by color. But really, who doesn’t?! Kidding. Yes, I have a thing for buttons. (The glass bowl in the upper left corner contains buttons I bought last week but haven’t sorted by color and put away yet.) I finally got around to ordering a few different types of bracelet blanks, and made my first two button bracelets.
There are many tutorials about how to make these bracelets online, so I won’t go into super explicit detail, but here’s an overview.
Materials
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Buttons
Bracelet blanks (I purchased mine online, here – two different types)
Aleene’s Jewelry & Metal Glue or a similar permanent adhesive
Wire cutters
Sand Paper
Directions
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- Select the buttons you plan to use, and get them ready for gluing. If your button has a shank on the back (like the the buttons on the bracelet left did), cut them off carefully with the wire cutters. If any of the shank remains, sand the bottom of the button on the sandpaper until the bottom is level.
- If you’re going to layer buttons (like the buttons in the bracelet on the right) glue or sew them together before glueing the bottom buttons to the bracelet blank.
- Decide on the order you’d like the buttons in, and glue them on. Let set if need be – depending on the type of the adhesive you use.
- Wear and enjoy, or give as a gift!
Do you have any questions, dear readers? I hope you like my first two Button Bracelets. I can’t wait to wear them, and to make some more!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art supplies, crafts, vintage
Tagged bracelet blanks, Button Bracelets, vintage button bracelet, vintage buttons
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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!
I really enjoy decorating for the holidays, and was excited to change things up a bit this year. We usually decorate with the same items and theme, and I decided this year would be different. Why? I guess it feels like I missed out on celebrating some things this year since I didn’t dress up for Halloween and was sick on Thanksgiving Day with a nasty headache. So, when it came to Christmas I decided to go big. I’m feeling particularly festive since I’ve been cleared by the doctor for full use of both my hands. Hurray! It was a real pleasure to decorate our home for the holidays, and I hope you enjoy what I came up with.
Doilies Everywhere!
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As I mentioned in my Doily-Inspired Mandalas post, I’ve collected a number of doilies over the past few months. One of the lots of doilies included several identical white doilies, and I decided to make a garland with them – to hang over a doorway. I also decided to use some of the larger doilies for wall decor. But first I had to stiffen them. Armed with a mixture I made by cooking cornstarch and water, I did just that.
The eight white doilies are linked together with old-school brass brads. I added some ribbon bows and vintage silver candy molds to add some “pop”.
These three large doilies look nice alongside the window, and the silver floral trim that I glued in the center really added some sparkle to otherwise flat pieces.
This view is from the bedroom, showing the backside of the garland – looking towards the tree.
Our tree has to be elevated up off the ground because of our pet rabbits, and I decided to use a table cloth that my mother-in-law cross-stitched years ago for our “tree skirt”. I love the look of it, and it has a lot of sentimental value.
Our main tree, lit. I left our typical hand-painted tin Mexican ornaments off the tree this year, and used lights, glass bulbs and snowflakes instead. I already had all those things though – the only things I purchased were the doilies used elsewhere in the room.
I found this vintage tinsel star at a thrift store in Kansas in 2009. Cost? A mere 75 cents!
This smaller green tree sits atop our bookshelf. If those star ornaments look familiar, it’s because I shared how to make them in a DIY post last year: Aluminum Star Ornaments! The star atop the tree is – yep, you guessed it – another stiffened doily. I glued an old rhinestone earring into the center of the star to add some oomph. The tree’s base and the the top of the bookshelf were “doilied”, too. :]
Here are the little tree and wreath that I put out in the studio, in the corner next to (and above) my desk. Tinsel rules in the studio this year, but I still have doilies under the tree and under the tiny baby Jesus.
And of course, here’s the Vintage Crocheted Wreath I shared on Tuesday – which is hanging on the inside of our front door.
I wasn’t kidding when I said there are doilies every where! The look I was going for is Modern Vintage, which is how I often describe my artwork – particularly my collages. I love vintage, but want to keep it “clean” and interesting – and I don’t want it to look too saccharine. Pretty, unique, and a bit unexpected – those are words I’d like used to describe this year’s decor. Do you think I succeeded in keeping a bit of an edge?
Do you have a theme that you work with when it comes to your holiday decor, dear readers? I hope you’ll comment and share. Oh, and if you’re interested in the recipe/process for stiffening the doilies with cornstarch, just let me know. I’d be happy to post a link in the comments to the page I referenced when I worked on the doilies.
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in antiques, holidays, inspiration, life in general, vintage
Tagged decorating for the holidays, doilies, doily, holiday decor, using doilies to decorate for Christmas
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Vintage Crocheted Wreath
Back in October I saw a super cool wreath idea on the blog 20 North Ora. ”Ms. Ora’s” wreaths were made with vintage crocheted potholders and doilies, and I just loved the idea of using beautiful needleworked items in a wreath. So clever! I found the doilies and potholders I needed to make the wreath on eBay and followed the directions on the 20 North Ora blog post with just a few exceptions.
1. I did use a straw wreath as instructed, but covered it with inexpensive white acetate ribbon instead of lace. The wreath I selected is 13″ in diameter at the outer edges.
2. I didn’t use any glue, I just pinned the doilies on with T pins. I like the idea of being able to take this wreath apart and re-make it in a different color scheme/pattern if I want.
Straw wreath covered with ribbon
Crocheted pieces laid out, ready for pinning
Pinned, before the bow was attached
I think vintage needlework is lovely and am pleased with how well the three round pieces and three square potholders came together on this one wreath. I just added a simple bow of aged and tattered lace to finish it off, and it was ready to hang. What do you think?
Personally, I really love that this wreath idea is so versatile. By mixing different colors and patterns you can make themed wreaths for any occasion – Christmas, Chanukah, Valentine’s Day, Spring, 4th of July, and more. Or just choose colors and patterns that will appeal to you year-round and skip the seasonal reference!
Oh, and by the way, if you happen to have any vintage crocheted potholders similar to those on my wreath, aren’t using them, and want them to go to a good home, please keep me in mind! I’d be happy to adopt them. :]
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in crafts, inspiration, vintage
Tagged crocheted doily wreath, crocheted potholder, crocheted potholder wreath, doily, wreath
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Washi Tape & Cork Place Card Holders
I was recently given a big bag of corks (Thanks, Megan!), and have started the fun process of coming up with things to create with them. My first DIY with these corks is this set of place card holders. These little beauties are fast and easy to make, and require few materials. What’s not to love?
Getting back to my bag ‘o corks, some of the corks are “natural” and some of them are made from foam and plastic. Today’s project is made with the latter – the synthetic corks. I found them to be more symmetrical, and therefore easier to wrap with the washi tape. Washi tape is easy to work with, since it’s easy to peel up and straighten, and the color, pattern, and mix-n-match possibilities are endless!
Materials
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Synthetic corks
Washi tape
Xacto Blade
Cardstock
Pen
Directions
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- Wrap Washi tape around the cork. The corks I used allowed for three “rows” of tape to be laid out next to each other, with a wee bit of overlap. You can use all one color, as I did on most of my corks, or mix and match, like I did on my black, white, and silver cork.
- Cut across the top middle of your cork with your Xacto blade. The cut should go all the way across the top, as shown, and should extend downward into the cork so the placecard can be slid down into the cork about 1/4 of an inch.
- Prepare the cards you’ll be displaying and carefully inset them into the cut foam slit. Make sure they’re centered so they don’t tip over.
Not only are these super fast and easy holders perfect for place cards, they’re also great for labeling food and dessert platters. You might also consider using them to hold cherished photos.
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Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you, dear readers. Happy washi taping!
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Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you, dear readers. Happy washi taping!
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Warm regards,
Melody
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Also posted in art supplies, baking, cooking, crafts, family, food, life in general
Tagged cork place card holders, entertaining, place card holders, Washi Tape, washi tape place card holders
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Another Look: Holidays!
Welcome to a new installment of Another Look! This post is designed to share some goodies from my archive while I’m recovering from my surgeries. I hope you enjoy these links, whether you’re seeing them for the first time or have seen them once before. Today’s category is holidays! Just click on a photo to link over to the original post…
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Seven Suggestions for a Happier Holiday Season
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DIY: Aluminum Star Ornaments – Frugal & Festive!
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Magic Cookie Bar Recipe
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My Festive Cubicle!
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Fudge Recipe
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My Visit with Santa Claus
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Sugar Cookie Recipe
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My Christmas-y Cubicle
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Letting My Inner Child Out to Play: Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows
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Vintage Snapshot Ornaments
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I hope you have the happiest of holiday seasons!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in baking, crafts, family, food, holidays, inner child, life in general
Tagged holiday-related posts
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Another Look: More Crafts!
Welcome to a new installment of Another Look! This post is designed to share a handful of goodies from my archive while I’m recovering from my surgeries. I hope you enjoy these links, whether you’re seeing them for the first time or have seen them once before. Today’s category is More Crafts! Just click on the name of the post to link over…
Making Greeting Cards from Scraps!
A Chocolate Box Transformed (Your Heart’s Desire)
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Vintage Snapshot Ornaments
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Dyed Coffee Filter Flowers
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Beribboned “Art Saves” Mobile
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I hope you’ve enjoyed Another Look at some of my crafting projects! What have you been crafting or otherwise creating lately? New recipes? Artwork? Enhanced inner peace? Please share…
Warm regards,
Melody
DIY: Cosmetic Bags Turned Pen & Pencil Cases!
I recently transformed some clearance cosmetic bags I found at Michaels into customized pen and pencil cases, and thought I’d share them with you. The bags, a steal at 50 cents each, were pretty enough as is – but I wanted to make them at bit more artsy and more durable. I was inspired to use them to hold pens, pencils, and other art supplies, and just knew I’d come up with some fun looks. They’re easy to make, and can be customized a million different ways!
The cosmetic bags – BEFORE..
My customized Pen & Pencil Cases – AFTER!
Basic Instructions:
The first step on each bag was to tape along the two sides (where the bag was stitched) and the bottom. This laid a base for my other tape, and adds extra strength. Next, I taped along the top edge, by the zipper, and worked my way down. In most cases I worked horizontally, but you can tape vertically (up and down) as well like I did on the Washi Tape Case. This project is very loose and flexible, so just play and find what works for you.
Washi Tape Case
I made this case by using three different patterns of washi tape and clear packing tape. I used the packing tape as a base layer on the whole bag, applied the washi tape in a repeating vertical pattern, and then “sealed” the case with another layer of clear packing tape. I’ve put colored pens inside this case.
Silver & Black Duct Tape Cases
I made these cases by taping along the sides and bottom, and then taping along the top and down the bag. The black pen case also has another layer of tape along each of the sides, to cover some of the edges of the tape strips I applied horizontally. The silver case holds my Caran d’Ache water-soluble crayons, and the black case holds my black pens.
Vintage Ledger Paper & Masking Tape Case
I made this case by attaching pieces of vintage ledger paper to both sides of the case using a very strong double stick tape. I covered the entire case with clear packing tape, and then accented the sides and bottom edge of the case with pieces of masking tape cut to assorted sizes. This case holds assorted art tools like small tapes, my XActo knife, pencils, and an eraser.
Now, rather than having bunches of things loose in my “art supplies on the go” case, I’ve got these fun, sturdy, and budget-friendly cases keeping things tidier and more organzied. Woo hoo! Oh, and if you missed my post on how to repurpose a vintage train case into a travel case for your art supplies, please click here. I love the way the case turned out, and it’s really handy – whether I’m just creating here at home or am out and about.
WANT TO MAKE A PEN OR PENCIL CASE OF YOUR OWN?
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I picked up some extra cosmetic bags, in case some of you would like to customize a bag for yourself or someone you know. If you’d like me to mail you one of the unaltered cosmetic bags, please leave a comment indicating as much – and use the CONTACT feature to email me your mailing address. The first FIVE people to comment and email me their addresses will get one of the bags.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, dear readers. And Happy Fall!
Warm regards,
Melody
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Also posted in art, art supplies, crafts, giveaway, inspiration
Tagged Duct Tape, pen cases, pencil cases, vintage ledger paper, Washi Tape
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