Holiday DIY: Metallic Leaf and Wine Cork Wreath

I've been collecting wine corks for a couple of years now and have amassed quite a collection just sitting there waiting for a project. So, after seeing the photo below from the Soho Grand that Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently bloged about (thanks for sharing!), I decided it was time to make my own festive cork wreath.

I loved the metallic painted corks but I wanted my own twist.  I turned to my craft supplies and came upon a pack of gold Dresden leaves that I had purchased years ago at Tinsel Trading in NYC. (LOVE that shop!) If I learned anything from crafting, it's that you never know when you'll use a supply so if you truly love something, buy it!

What do you think? I love how it turned out, now if I can only decide where to hang it!

Here's a little step-by-step in case you'd like to make your own!


Step 1: Gather your supplies: recycled wine corks (you could always fill in with store bought corks from the craft store), hot glue gun, glue sticks, flat wood wreath form, gold Dresden leaves.

Step 1: Begin to hot glue each cork to your wreath form. I decided to use a flat wooden wreath form (found at Michaels) instead of Styrofoam. I find the flat shape works better with the rounded corks.  

Step 2: Continue to glue corks until the wreath is covered. If you have gaps, don't worry, you'll cover them up next! 

Step 3: After your first layer is finished, fill in any large gaps with more cork. You could do an entire second layer or just fill in as I have here. Fun tip...to personalize my wreath, most of the corks on the top layer are from local Long Island wines--they are my favorite. 

Step 4: Add embellishments. I loved the idea of using these gold leaves to embellish, but you could use anything really...faux grapes, painted leaves, or just leave your wreath as is. It is up to you!



Step 5: Hang. To hang, you can use a ribbon or attach a picture hanging clasp on the back.

Hope you enjoyed this little project. What are you crafting today?

A Chic Halloween Table

Halloween is on my mind. But with the baby on his way, I won't be able to decorate as I normally would (I'm only 3 weeks away from my due date!) So instead, I'll indulge in a little virtual decorating. I'd love to dress up my dining table and I'm feeling black, white and sparkly this year. what do you think?

Jeweled Pumpkins

I am obsessed with these jeweled white and black pumpkins from Chasing Fireflies. The price tag is pretty hefty for these sets, so I'm determined to make them myself. Its easy enough, you can find faux pumpkins, rhinestones, metallic paint pens and sparkly leaves all at the craft store. I can't wait to get started.

Phantom Candelabra

To continue my table's black and white theme, this candelabra from Z.Gallerie is a must-have. I'd place it right in the center or, if my table were long enough, I would use two--one on each end. I'd add sparkly white tapered candles.

Venetian Lace Tray

When I spotted this beautiful tray from Rosanna, Inc., I pictured it immediately on my table. I love the subtle lace design. This would be perfect for serving all sorts of yummy Halloween treats. I really love the dessert plates too, they may have to be part of my plan for next year.

Diamond Ribbon Wrap in Black and White

Save on Crafts is always my go-to for unique, special crafts supplies---those little touches that can really take a project to the next level. This diamond ribbon does not disappoint. I would use this to decorate my faux pumpkins (above) or simply use it to tie a bow around my rolled napkins. Love this!

How about you? What does your Halloween table look like?

New Kraft Office Storage @ Paper-Source

As we continue to move rooms around in preparation for our little son, we are currently working on the new office space, which is home to our computers, books, files and my loads of crafty supplies :) While I'm still on the hunt for the perfect desk (anyone have any suggestions for a small space desk?)...I'm always ready to accessorize!

I was so excited when I received an email today from Paper-Source alerting me to its latest organization collection...Kraft paper accessories! Now, for a crafty gal like me, these are heaven sent. Yes, they are plain, but that's the point...they are just begging for me to get my craft on! I love the examples Paper-Source shows below in this promo photo:

Ladies (and gents) it's time to get your rubber stamps, washi tape, Sharpie markers, rub-on decals, stickers and other goodies ready for crafting! My plan is to scoop up a few file folders, the pencil cup and file holder below.

How about you? Are you a sucker for DIY storage accesssories?

Baby Love: Fabric Scrap Puzzle Blocks

Pinterest is an amazing distraction :)  I came across this adorable kids craft project: a puzzle made using wooden blocks and scraps of fabric. It is from a great crafty website...Craftiness is Not Optional.

I love the idea of reusing and repurposing craft materials, especially when you are left with random bits of leftovers. I'm all about crafting for my little one-on-the-way and this could be a great toy to have ready for him. Plus, I totally love that I can use up some of my favorite fabrics for an attractive look :)

Here's another version....

... and click here for the tutorial.

Enjoy and happy weekend!

Easter Egg Inspiration!

I love swapping projects and ideas with my crafty pals, especially around holiday time! Easter is nearly here and the super-creative (and very funny!) Jeanne Benedict shared with me her latest crop of oh-so-fab Easter egg designs. These black-and-white scroll work eggs are my fave, but be sure to check out ALL of her ideas over on Jeanne's website!

How about you? Do you have Easter egg decorating on the brain? What are your ideas this year?

Five things I love about Martha Stewart Living...

I am a huge Martha Stewart fan but will admit I've taken a break from reading MSL each month so when I picked up the September "home" issue (my favorite always), I was so glad to be back. Here's why:

1. Good Things. If I could choose a dream job it might be to produce the Good Things section every month. I am obsessed with recreating this wallpaper shade on p. 63.

So smart to use wallpaper scraps to jazz up a plain roller shade. I have some patterns that would be perfect...

2. Blogs. Martha and her editors are fearless in their quest to share their ideas. I'm exicited to start reading the new Home Design and Taste of the Test Kitchen blogs along with my fave The Crafts Dept (oh, to be part of the craft team...maybe one day...)

3. "The Big Reveal" feature. This month, executive editorial director Kevin Sharkey shows off his finished, renovated apartment. Check it out online here. In a word, stunning.

4. "Icing on the Cake" feature. No one does frosting like Martha. Not only were the photos drool-worthy so were the recipes. I'm dying to try each and every one, especially the cream cheese frosting below...

5. Tassels. I'm gearing up to make a bunch of my own. If anyone remembers, I sort of have a thing for tassels....so thank you to the MSL team for showing me how to make them!

All photos via marthastewart.com, except for top photo...I took that one!

Did you pick up the September issue yet...what did you think?

Crafty Contest Alert!

Attention crafters: Impress Rubber Stamps, one of my favorite crafty sources, is having a Mother's Day Card contest on Facebook! You could win a $50 Impress gift certificate (that would buy loads of fun supplies!)

Between now and Wednesday, May 5, simply email a photo of a card or project you have made for Mother's Day, using at least one stamp or product you have bought from Impress, to: customerservice@impressrubberstamps.com.

Each day, they will post the photos up on the Impress Facebook page (www.facebook.com/impressrubberstamps) in a album called Mother's Day. Then, the one with the most comments before Mother's Day (May 9) wins a $50 Impress gift certificate!

Amazing! I can't wait to enter! Ready, set...get crafting!

Moss Monogram Letters

I was spending some time over on Etsy recently, one of my favorite places, when I spotted these truly unique monogram letters from Spotted Leopard. They are covered in moss, come in various sizes and are ready for hanging with a pretty silk ribbon!

I love the idea of using them to decorate the church doors for a wedding, as they show you here in this photo. If I were getting married today...I would absolutely do this!

I also love the idea of using these to decorate for the holidays or to spruce up a spring-themed bridal or baby shower...possibilites are endless!

Weekend Craft Project

I was reading through the new issue of Country Living last night and stopped in my tracks when I saw this sweet project. I love how they re-purposed mis-matched tea cups to embellish a vintage candleabra.

Unfortunately, the project isn't posted on their web site yet...so to get the how-to you'll have to pick up the March issue right now....or follow my basic summary from the how-to's in the magazine:

1. First, unscrew the candleholders from a vintage candleabra.
2. Spray it with primer and then with two coats of white spray paint.
3. After drying, use a five-minute epoxy to attach each tea cup to each candleabra arm and one at the top.

I am really inspired by this project...and plan to add it to my spring project list. I think it would make a great centerpiece for my Easter table.

Brilliant idea...thanks, Country Living!

Crafty Monday: Jenny Hart's Embroidered Effects

As I was wearily searching through my emails on this Monday morning (does anyone like Mondays?!), this photo over at The Purl Bee definitely perked me up!

This bright and cheery hummingbird is an embroidery pattern from Jenny Hart, who has a brand new book out called: Embroidered Effects. The photo below, also via The Purl Bee, shows off one of her funky patterns:

Jenny, for those of you who may not be so familiar with her work, is a crafty lady extraordinaire...back in 2000 she just about single-handedly brought the embroidery craze back with her popular website, Sublime Stitching and hasn't looked back since! With her funky patterns like skulls, unicorns (below), sushi and more, she definitely made embroidery modern.

I took one of her classes with a friend of mine in NYC a few years back...not only did we have a blast, but I definitely pick up my embroidery now and again bc it is just so fun. I love Jenny's patterns because they are so fresh and really unlike anything else out there.

I have her Sublime Stitching Craft Pad and really need to open it up and get to work! Embroidery is an easy skill to pick up and inexpensive too, all you really need is an embroidery hoop, some colorful floss, a needle and one of Jenny's fabulous patterns!

If you're looking for a new hobby to pick up this winter, I definitely recommend it. I'm vowing to start a few new patterns and share my work with you this week!

DIY Christmas Wrapping Ideas

Here on Long Island, we're awaiting the big snowstorm that's on its way from the south. It is such a quiet, still, cold morning...it's rather lovely. Almost as if the pending snow has forced us all to hunker down indoors and forget the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

My plan today is to sit by my tree, wrap my Christmas gifts and make some gift tags and cards.

Here are a few DIY holiday wrapping ideas to tackle on this snowy day. I created these projects with a very good friend of mine two years ago at Quick & Simple Magazine (RIP). We were locked up in a conference room for days surrounded by paper, glitter, glue, doilies, ribbon...you name it, we had it. This vignette was my favorite. You can view the entire story at quickandsimple.com.

1. We used scraps of solid wrapping paper, yarn and stickers to dress up this collection of packages. To make the "hole-y ribbon," take a large hole punch to a band of paper in a coordinating color. We topped off the first one with another scrap of paper rolled into a tube.

The middle package is simply dressed in leftover white yarn and we added a few ho! ho! ho! stickers. Super cute!

2. Doilies are so fun to work with, especially for kids. We used a bunch and layered them with paper to create these pretty packages. Working with blues is a nice way also to wrap up holiday-time birthday and Hanukkah gifts.

3. This one is my favorite. We used baker's twine to tie a glittered chipboard letter to the package. For my how-to's on how to make your own glittered letter, click here.

Hope I've inspired you! Happy snow-day wrapping!

Holiday Inspiration...from me!

The holidays are here and I'm sure you're all busy planning, shopping, baking, cooking and crafting.Well, me too!

I wanted to share a few holiday projects that I worked on this past summer and fall that have just been published. Shameless self promotion? Ok, maybe a bit BUT I love to exchange ideas with all of you...here goes:

Country Living
Check out the December issue for my sweet little Cookie Tin Kits. I re-purposed old cookie tins into "kits" to give as gifts such as this sewing kit that they posted online (its #4 in the flipbook).

While you're there check out all of the holiday projects and recipes, they have such great ideas!

Holidash.com / AOL
Looking for great gift ideas for the ladies in your life? Check out my gift guide for women--everything is $100 and under!

Or maybe you need a really fun hostess gift? Check out my other gift guide...everything is around $40 and under.

Celebrations.com
Check out this fun little stocking stuffer round-up. And while you're there, pop on over to my desserts-only holiday open house party for some sweet entertaining ideas.

Finally, if you need a break from the holidays and need to switch gears for a little cozy winter decorating advice, check out my latest LI Pulse article here (or if you're on Long Island, pick up a copy at your local bookstore!)

Happy holidays!

Halloween Tips and Tricks

Halloween is just a few weeks away! I know I'm excited, how about you?

I wanted to share some of the new Halloween articles I recently produced, including the "True Blood" Party for Celebrations.com.

And have you checked out AOL Home's newest site: Holidash.com yet? I was proud to contribute this DIY Haunted House story. My friend is one of the editors and she is doing a great job!

Oh, I also recently put together this small, sparkly display in my home. What do you think?

I propped up two glittery skulls from the dollar store on a pair of purple zebra-print candle holders I already owned. I added faux plastic skeleton hands that I also found at the dollar store. To finish, I covered my lampshade with faux spiderweb and a plastic spider or two. Kinda fun I think.

Don't get me wrong, I love to decorate but when you're busy writing about it all day long, sometimes it's nice to find cheap, quick and easy ideas for your own home!

What do you think?

Glitter Crafts

Sunday afternoon was all about crafting outside in the beautiful fall-like weather. Inspired by my recent Wendy Addison / Tinsel Trading post, I decided to play with glitter!

First up...glittered letters. I have a set of chipboard letters leftover from an old project. I'm not a fan of the leafy green print as you can see in this "before" shot.

I decided to see what would happen if I decked a letter out in Martha Stewart's gold glitter. I love how it turned out!

I used Design Master Spray Adhesive Glue for Glitter, an aerosol spray that I find to be easy to work with. First, I gave the letter a light coat of the glue and then covered it in the glitter.

Tip: To prevent a huge mess, be sure to wear rubber gloves and work in an empty cardboard box.

I let it dry for about 10 minutes, shook off any excess and then applied a second coat of glue and glitter to fill in any missed spots. After drying another 10 minutes, I gave it a final spray of glitter glue, just to seal it, which worked great. Just be sure to let these types of projects sit for a few hours to really settle.

My plan is to spell out the word "LOVE" and glue magnets onto the back of each so I can display them on my fridge.

Next up, peat pots. I picked up a set of 20 pots for $.79 at Michael's recently. A good friend of mine used these to create the cutest little Halloween treat holders a few years back and I've wanted to try it myself ever since.

Following the same steps as the glittered letter, I covered the pots in the glue and then the gold glitter (and one in copper-colored glass glitter). Here they all are drying together in the sun. See how they glisten!

I want to use the pots as decoration for my Thanksgiving table, maybe fill each with a bit of tissue paper and a few Hershey Kisses. I know, I'm way ahead of myself but the holidays will be here soon!

Next up, I want to glue a variety of these Dresden Thanksgiving die cuts to the center of each. Then, I'm on the hunt for a unique way to make a handle for these little pots. I've seen it done with pipe cleaners, but I'd rather give mine a more grown up handle. Any ideas??

I'll post more pics as I finish up these projects. See how a little quiet, creative playtime can yield exciting new projects?

Tinsel Trading and Wendy Addison

It's a sunny Friday afternoon, a long weekend is just around the corner and I'm in the mood for some serious crafting. When I was working in NYC, on days like this I would sneak away and take a stroll down to Tinsel Trading.

This amazing shop is bursting with inspiration from its always creative window displays to its shelves packed with vintage trims such as ribbons, glass glitter, faux flowers, ephemera and so much more. This shop is the go-to for serious crafters and stylists looking for unique embellishments (Martha Stewart is a HUGE fan!).

I decided to pop on over to their web site today and was so glad I did! It is totally revamped and packed with great eye candy. I was most pleasantly surprised to see their gallery of window displays. Now anytime I'm longing for a trip to the store and can't make it in person, I'll head online for a peek at what's new.

Another surprise was the new Wendy Addison line, exclusive to Tinsel Trading. Wendy is an amazing artist that I've admired for years. (You may have seen her items in home accessory boutiques around the country and HomeGoods too).

Her vintage-inspired paper and glass glitter crafts are magical and beautiful. I especially love her Halloween shapes...

...and Christmas stars...

Plus, they've also announced, Wendy will be making a special appearance for a Halloween celebration on October 12 from 12-5. Sounds like a great reason to make a trip to Tinsel Trading in person!

Happy Friday everyone!

All photos from tinseltrading.com.

DIY: Paper Butterfly Napkin Rings

I recently found a pretty bohemian-inspired butterfly-patterned paper at the craft store and decided to transform it into napkin rings. How can you beat spending 40 cents on a sheet of paper that will yield about 8-10 napkin rings?

Aren't these super-cute? It might be hard to tell but the butterfly on top is a pop-up, it looks like it's floating. So fun! Want to learn how to make them? Here's a simple step-by-step guide for you:Here's what you'll need:

• One 12 x 12 sheet of patterned scrapbook paper. (Mine is Winsome 12 x 12 Ambrosia by Basic Grey)
• pinking shears
• small paper scissors
• mini glue dots
• scraps of white cardstock

Step 1:Use pinking shears follow the paper's pattern and cut several 12"L strips of paper. To figure out the width, follow the width of your pattern, mine was about 1"W.Step 2: Each strip can be cut in half, to about 6", that should be long enough to wrap around any rolled napkin. Set them aside.Step 3: Reserve a strip for your "floating butterflies" and use the small paper scissors to cut a bunch out.Step 4: Measure and cut a strip of white cardstock about 3/8"W x 1 3/4"L. Fold the paper accordian style (see below).

Step 5: Add a mini-glue dot to the back of your cut-out butterfly shape and place it on top of one end of the folded paper.Step 6: Use another mini-glue dot to attach the other end of your accordian-folded paper to the center of your napkin ring strip.Step 7: Roll the napkin ring around a rolled napkin and use another mini-glue dot to seal the ends.That's it! Simple, right? Have fun and send me a photo if you make them!

DIY: From Junk to Gems

A bit of shameless self promotion here, but I'm excited that my latest column for LI Pulse Magazine is out! For August, it was all about cool DIY projects made from, well junk!

Photo via lipulse.com

One of the talented staffers at the magazine, scoured junk yards and other surprising sources for cool stuff that she re-invented into functional home accessories. Check out the bookends she made, above, using old license plates! To find out how to make them and other projects, click here.

Speaking of junk, it is flea market/yard sale/antique show season! End-of-summer and fall are perfect times to get out there for the best tag sale goodies. Sometimes, it's great to just find a cool antique that just needs a little cleaning but when you're on the hunt this year...keep your eye out for less-than-perfect objects or "misfits" no one else seems to be buying. Put your thinking caps...you may be able to re-purpose it into a fab new project!

To help you locate a tag or yard sale where you live, check out this cool new site called yardsaletreasuremap.com. I read about over at Daily Candy today. Just plug in your address and it will give you the locations of yard sales in your area! Brilliant!

Happy Junking!

Crafty Cocktail Party Invites

The next time you're hosting your pals for a summer cocktail party, I think you should make these snazzy Margarita invites from Impress Rubber Stamps.



I love the use of the cocktail umbrellas, genius! Plus, when you click on over to the website and read the description for the cocktail umbrellas you'll find a free pattern to re-create the adorable beach bag card in the photo.

Etsy Find: Paper Flower Bouquet

Photo via etsy.com

In need of a little crafty inspiration, I logged onto Etsy.com this afternoon. As soon as I spotted this Paper Flower Bouquet, I knew I had to share it!

The talented seller (box 64 studios) has beautiful flowers made from handmade papers for sale. I love the cool prints--you could get lost gazing into each flower's center. They remind me a bit of the Norsa paper flower kits from Paper-Source. But the best part is that if you buy these paper flowers, they're already made!

I love the idea of buying this bouquet for a new mom who'd much rather take care of her new baby than worry about watering fresh flowers! Or honestly, at $15 for each bouquet, how sweet (and budget-friendly) would it be to stock up on a bunch for a wedding?

Paper Love at Purl Soho!

Photo via purlbee.com

Purl Soho is one of my favorite crafty shops, they stock the most amazing yarns and fabrics and notions. I don't get to visit the store on Sullivan Street in NYC all that often, but I LOVE their online site and their blog, The Purl Bee. They always have cool projects with very thorough step-by-step postings such as these cute summery curtains (above). I think I am going to give them a try, I really need to get sewing again!

Photos via purlsoho.com

But what I'm even more excited about is that now they are stocking wrapping paper (above), well really, its more like art paper. I would use this paper for tons of decoupage projects or to mat photos or just frame the paper as is for instant art. When you think of it that way, $9 for two sheets for what can ultimately become artwork is a steal!