Posts about: diy
12/04/2023
Good morning guys. I've got SO much to share from our home renovation (and life in general) but I thought I'd get you up to date with my latest DIYs before I deep dive into reno chat!
It will come as no surprise that today's DIY is an IKEA hack. I think we can all remember a time when we owned a Billy bookcase right? well, this will be my third one and I wanted to give it a new lease of life.
I adore reeded glass cabinets, and this is a great way to achieve the look of a high-end one at a fraction of the cost. I've used window film and a quick paint job to transform the look of a standard IKEA bookcase.
Materials used:
Reeded glass film
BIN primer (the only one I'd recommend for painting IKEA surfaces)
Brass door handles
BIN primer (the only one I'd recommend for painting IKEA surfaces)
Brass door handles
You can find the full reeded glass tutorial here and trust me when I say this glass film is top-notch (not like the antiquated patterned privacy film that you may have seen in the past!)
Let me know what you think..
Back soon
Caroline x
29/03/2020
Now that spring is here I've been keen to start a few outdoor projects, aside from our back garden (which seems to need an overhaul every year) one DIY idea that's been on my to-do list for a while is a house number sign. I've seen some v. cool ones and quite frankly our current house number is so damn ugly something needs to be done about it!
26/02/2020
i'm obsessed with IKEA, it's no big secret that i go as often as possible and consider it a fun day out rather than a chore (unlike most people!) the beauty of their furniture is that is on-trend, practical and hugely affordable, but sometimes it's nice to personalise it so you don't have exactly the same things as everyone else right? meet these DIY leather pulls.. they're painfully easy to make and are a total upgrade on the rather basic fittings that come supplied.
you could use these handles on anything from kitchen cabinets, bedroom drawers or bedside tables to give them a whole new look with minimal effort.
pop over to read the full tutorial i've shared on hunker on making these DIY leather pulls and let me know if you try it on any of your flat pack furniture!
back soon
caroline x
23/01/2020
so, january has felt like a reallllllly long month so far.. right?? seriously, how is it not february? anyway, i thought i'd ease into 2020 with a simple DIY for this cane jewellery stand. i'm in a 'new year, new tidier me' frame of mind so it seemed appropriate.
13/12/2019
hey guys, i'm back today to share a cute and simple project.. a modern planter made from embroidery hoops. when i decided to use hoops for a DIY it was an easy choice for me to make them into a hanging planter (i'm a huge fan of filling my home with greenery but my shelves are at capacity so hanging them is an ideal solution.) plus, embroidery hoops are super versatile, from table centrepieces to wreaths or jewellery displays they're always handy to have in your craft stash.
02/12/2019
i'm back again with some more christmas ideas (can you tell i'm really feeling christmas crafts this year aha?)
i recently teamed up with creative rox to create 3 simple but v. cute monochrome gift toppers with their craft supplies, all of them would make the perfect finishing touch for your christmas gifts.
i've made 3 quick toppers from paper, clay and yarn that will totally up your wrapping game this year.
i'm sharing the tutorial for each one over on the creative rox blog so go check them out!
back soon
caroline x
30/11/2019
every year i have the best intentions of rounding up my favourite festive DIY projects but it never happens. this year by some miracle (and by miracle i mean the help of my mum's babysitting) i've actually managed to do it.. hurrah!
as you may have guessed i love simple DIY'S with a handmade feel so for the last few years i've focused on modern scandi-inspired makes at christmas. today i'm sharing my some of my most popular projects as i'm sure you've probably missed a few of them in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
20/11/2019
christmas fever has well and truly arrived here (in spirit.. i've not put my tree up quite yet aha!)
i'm beyond excited to celebrate christmas this year, gabe is nearly 2 and it's just the BEST age, i can't wait to wake up on christmas day and watch him enjoy the holiday festivities with our family.
as always i'm itching to decorate already but i'm showing a little restraint. until dec 1st i'm officially holding off on putting up all my fave decorations, but i made some cute little wreaths that I thought i'd show you ahead of time so you can make them for yourself!
all you need is some wire and foraged pine branches or eucalyptus to make them. you can read the simple wire wreath tutorial i've written over at hunker now!
back soon
caroline x
30/10/2019
Do you often find yourself discarding your favourite pieces of jewellery around the house? If your nightly ritual includes leaving your rings and necklaces on your bedside table this is the DIY for you!
I'm guessing you've assumed that this trinket dish is made from some type of leather? Well look again folks, this catch-all dish has been made from clay. (Yes that's right, clay!!!) FIMO has created a leather-effect clay and it's pure GENIUS. Before I tried it I was a little sceptical, I figured it would be strange to work with and wouldn't really look like leather but I was sooooo wrong.
I'm so excited to share this project with you, I'm rarely this excited about a product but this is something special.
The beauty of this clay is that once you've baked it becomes flexible. You can bend it, emboss it, cut it and even sew it. (Think of all the things you could make with leather-effect.. key rings, bookmarks, purses, jewellery. I have so many ideas for future projects already.)
I'm going to share the simple tutorial for this 'leather' trinket dish and you'll see why I'm so obsessed with this new discovery.
Materials:
Clay machine (or a rolling pin)
Knife
Ruler
Thread
Step 1. Pick your leather effect. I'm using the grey here but it comes in a wide range of colours (You can also combine different colours together to create new shades or cute effects like marble).
Step 2. Roll out the clay, use a flat working surface like a tile, glass sheet or baking paper.
Step 3. Next, roll the clay out to a thickness of approximately 4mm. I've been using a clay machine and it's a total game-changer.
I rolled my clay out waaaaay more times than I needed purely because I wanted to play with it. You just pop your clay in and turn the handle to roll out perfectly even clay.
....Obviously, you can use a rolling pin to roll the clay flat, it's just not as much fun!
Step 4. Once you've rolled the clay to a 4mm thickness you'll need to cut out a rectangle shape. (Use a sharp knife and push down when you cut leather effect to keep the edges sharp.) I cut my rectangle to measure 5-inches by 4-inches for my trinket dishes. Remove any excess clay.
Step 5. Using your knife cut out a small square from each corner of your rectangle and leave to one side.
Step 6. Pierce holes in each corner of the remaining clay shape.
The trinket dish is now ready to bake.
Step 7. Bake the clay at 130 degrees for no longer than 30 minutes. Allow to cool before handling the clay.
Step 8. Finish the trinket dishes by folding the sides up and tying some string through the corner holes to secure.
I can't believe how similar this clay is to leather after baking, it's looks and feels like the real thing, it's so damn clever!
... if you didn't know better you'd think this was a leather dish right? I'm keeping mine in the bedroom to stash my jewellery in.
These dishes are also really handy for keeping keys and coins in too.
What do you think? Let me know if you try using this clay too!
Back soon
Caroline x
27/10/2019
This is a paid collaboration with Gorilla glue. (Ad)
I'm a big fan of rainbow motifs, in fact, I'd go as far to say I'm a little bit addicted! My love for rainbow decor began with Gabe's nursery but it's not just for kids. Unlike the bright multicoloured rainbows of our childhood, the recent trend for using a more muted rainbow palette means you can easily introduce this playful decor into even the most 'grown-up' home.
I've teamed up with Gorilla to make some cute polymer clay magnets that will bring a touch of childhood whimsy to your fridge or noticeboard. (The good news for minimalists out there.. you can make these designs as colourful or as paired back as you wish!)
Materials needed.
Craft knife
Step 1.
Take 4 complementary shades of polymer clay. I'm using a simple light to dark gradient for my rainbow with white, grey and black clay. Warm the clay between your hands and form each colour into a ball.
Step 2.
Roll each ball of clay into a long sausage shape approximately 5mm thick. Line them up with the darkest shade at the top and the lightest at the bottom.
Step 3.
Gently press the clay together before bending the length into a rainbow shape. You can make this rainbow any size you wish. (Mine are 2 1/2" x 2")
Step 4.
Take a craft knife and trim off the ends for a nice clean finish. (Continue bending and cutting the remaining clay to make more rainbows.)
Step 5.
Once you have made all of your rainbows you need to bake them to permanently harden the clay. Pop them into an oven (follow the manufactures instructions for the cooking time and temperatures.)
Step 6.
Once the clay has cooled you can attach the magnets. I've chosen to use Gorilla Super Glue Brush and Nozzle for this project (I like the flexibility of being able to switch from using the precision tip to the handy brush applicator.)
Apply a small amount of glue along one side of your magnet, I opted to use the brush applicator as it's nice and easy to work with.
Step 7.
Place the magnet glue side down onto the rainbow and firmly hold in place from 10-45 seconds while the glue bonds. (I always use neodymium magnets for fridge magnets as they're really powerful for their size.)
The magnets are now ready to use, go forth and stick those to-do lists to your fridges immediately!
back soon!
caroline x
caroline x
30/09/2019
if you've been a little absent over here recently you might have missed my obsession with all things cane (see this cabinet, this headboard and this bedside table DIY's as proof.)
if you love cane furniture as much as me the good news is i'm back with a boho take on a classic storage unit.. the IKEA besta. i love the versatility of this storage unit, it comes in so many options, sizes and combinations you can easily pick a selection that works in your home.
i chose to create this sideboard storage unit using the larger besta units (fyi there are other options in the IKEA besta range like media units/single/double freestanding cabinets that would also look equally great with this makeover.)
i've used a different type of cane webbing to my other projects and i have to say i like this more delicate weave a lot (i have some offcuts that i'm going to stash away in case i think of some smaller projects in the future.)
you can read the full DIY tutorial i've written on over on hunker (it's so simple i guarantee you'll be tempted to try it!)
hope you enjoy..
back soon
caroline x
21/09/2019
this is a sponsored partnership with creative rox.
hey guys, i've been meaning to share this project for a while (i can't believe it's almost october... gah!) if you didn't already know i'm totally having a moment with clay, it's such a versatile material and i'm a huge fan of both polymer and air-dry clay for my projects.
i have a big collection of plants at home and i love to make my own decorative planters for them (especially for my cacti and succulents which don't need much tlc)
today i've teamed up with creative rox to show you how to make this cute textured planter that you can pop your plant babies into for some instant style! plus, to celebrate the launch of their new website you can grab 10% off the materials to make your own using the code BURK10 until sept 30th.
materials needed:
rolling pin
ruler
step 1. roll out your clay using a rolling pin. (you want the clay to be approx 5mm thick once rolled.)
step 2. take a craft knife and using a ruler cut a rectangle into the clay. (i cut my rectangle to measure 5 x 12 for my planter.) remove the excess clay and put it to one side.
step 3. roll the excess clay back into a ball before rolling it out once again. next you need to cut out a circle for the base of the planter, you can either do this freehand or use something round like a coaster as a template.
step 4. cut out your circle and put the excess clay to one side (keep it wrapped to stop it drying out whilst you work.)
step 5. take your clay rectangle and wrap it around the circular base. smooth out the joints with a little water.
step 6. take a small piece of spare clay and roll it into a long thin sausage shape.
step 7. place it inside the planter where the base meets the sides. you're going to use it to bridge the joints, use your fingers to smooth the clay into the joints to seal the planter.
step 8. roll out the remaining clay and cut out lots of small rectangles with your craft knife (you could use other shapes like circles or stars if you wish!) wet the shapes and stick them to the side of your planter by pressing them into place in a pattern of your choice.
leave your planter to dry out fully (this can take a few days.) you can seal it with some spray varnish or paint it if you choose. as it's a decorative planter you can't really afford to let it get wet for long periods so i recommend cacti or plants that don't like too much water (or just leave your plants in their original plastic pots so you can easily remove them when you need to water them!)
if you try making one let me know!
back soon
caroline x
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