Category: Projects

  • Easy Fixes Around the House

    Easy Fixes Around the House

    I hadn’t heard of Sugru until recently, but as I looked into it a bit, it seemed like pretty useful stuff to have around the house. It’s a moldable glue that you work with kind of like play dough. It sticks to just about everything and cures overnight, turning into flexible rubber with a strong hold.

    I realized after looking at some of its uses that it would be perfect for fixing the toothbrush holder on our sink’s backsplash. We aren’t using the holders for our toothbrushes (I put a couple of glass tumblers in them because they seemed odd when empty), but the right one was loose when we moved in and time has only made it worse. One screw won’t fully tighten because it’s stripped, and the other doesn’t even catch the threads! I’d thought about fixing it with superglue but I didn’t want to do anything that couldn’t be reversed since the sink is an antique. Sugru is removable from nonporous surfaces, so even though I don’t plan on taking it apart, it’s nice to know that I could if I wanted to. I used about half a packet to make a little ball, putting it behind the backplate of the toothbrush holder before reattaching it. Done! It’s even waterproof.

    Fixing with Sugru
    Bathroom with Antique Marble Sink

    Of course, once I already had that packet open, I started thinking about where else I could put it to use in the house. There was a loose sconce in the other bathroom, where the plaster could no longer grip the screw. A little Sugru on the backplate, the same way I used it for the sink’s holder, fixed it right up.

    Fixing a Sconce with Sugru
    Guillermo del Toro Sconce

    (Brandon calls these our Guillermo del Toro sconces. Can’t unsee.)

    Guillermo del Toro Sconce

    After that, I figured I’d go fix a wobbly lampshade that had been driving me nuts. I’d tried before to fix it with tape, then wire when that didn’t work, and eventually I just resigned myself to straightening it whenever I noticed it had gotten out of whack again (which was often). I mixed up some gray Sugru to match the silver on my lamp’s harp, leveled the shade, and fixed it in place. No more wobble!

    Sugru
    Sugru for Fixing a Crooked Lampshade
    Pink Lamp with Silk Lampshade

    If you aren’t familiar with Sugru (I wasn’t before), they have a ton of different ways to use it on their homepage and a bunch of creative uses, too. I know I focused a lot on how you can use it to fix things, but I also put together a collection of my favorite tutorials and project ideas. (Aren’t those magnetic copper vases clever?)

    Sugru is being sold nationwide at Target now, so it’s easy to get your hands on some. It’s good stuff to keep on hand for getting handy and for when you’re feeling crafty!

  • Beatrix Console, Three Ways

    Beatrix Console, Three Ways

    I spotted the most amazing console table online last week, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I don’t have a spot for it, but that didn’t stop me from imagining a few different ways to put it to use! (These sketch/plans are so much fun to make, you guys.)

    Beatrix Console, Three Ways
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    hr 644
    2

    hr 644
    3

  • Making Beaded Necklaces

    Making Beaded Necklaces

    I recently helped a couple dozen ladies turn waxed cording and beads into necklaces at my Anthropologie craft event. I made one at home beforehand so I could pass it around as an example.

    DIY Handmade Beaded Necklace

    I went to Bead in Hand for our supplies, and chose beads that would mix and match and work with a variety of styles. Some of the attendees would be experienced crafters (I spotted one with a thimble that she’d brought with her! Hardcore.), and some had never even strung beads before, so I was going for a project that could be adaptable for different tastes and skill levels.

    Beads
    Leading a Craft Workshop

    I explained a few options (like knotting the cord to suspend beads higher up, and adding beads to the trailing ends in the back), and then we ate fruit and pink macarons, drank mimosas, and got to crafting.

    Pink Macarons, Fruit, Watermelon-Infused Water, and Mimosas
    Making Necklaces

    We were all working with the same “ingredients,” but there was a huge range in designs.

    DIY Handmade Beaded Necklaces
    Craft Workshop at Anthropologie
    A DIY Handmade Beaded Necklace
    Craft Attendees

    Thanks, Anthropologie, for hosting, and a big thank you to everyone that came out! It was a great time.

  • Design Mom’s Book and Book Tour (Hey, Chicago!)

    Design Mom’s Book and Book Tour (Hey, Chicago!)

    Gabrielle Blair, of Design Mom, is coming to Chicago tomorrow, for the next stop on her book tour. I’ll be helping her host a DIY session at the Lincoln Park Pottery Barn, making the You Are Special Today plates from the book. You can sign up for one of the craft spots, or just come down to meet Gabrielle and pick up a copy of her book to be signed from 6-8 o’clock!

    You Are Special Today Plate DIY

    The book is amazing. Here’s a little peek inside at some of my favorite parts.

    Design Mom, Gabrielle Blair

    Design Mom, Gabrielle Blair

    Design Mom, Gabrielle Blair

    Design Mom, Gabrielle Blair

    I’m so glad Gabrielle’s coming to town and I hope to see a bunch of you at the event tomorrow night. If you haven’t met her before, you’re in for a treat!

  • Mother’s Day Crafting at Anthropologie

    Mother’s Day Crafting at Anthropologie

    I’ll be hosting another crafting event at Anthropologie soon! Last time, we made wooden Valentines, and this time we’ll be hosting a craft for Mother’s Day gifts the weekend before the big day. I’ll be gathering all of the supplies, and we’ll have snacks and drinks and everything we need to create a beaded statement necklace that you can give as a present (or keep for yourself — I won’t judge).

    We have limited space for the event, so be sure to RSVP to grab your spot!

    Making it Lovely + Anthropologie Event

    We’ve reached capacity for the event. Thanks!

  • Six Months Old (Calvin’s Monthly Photo)

    Six Months Old (Calvin’s Monthly Photo)

    Six Months Old (Calvin's Monthly Photo)
    Six Months Old (Calvin's Monthly Photo)

    Six months old! Starting to sit by himself. Two teeth, on the bottom. Ready to try some baby food. Doing the inchworm scoot. Still the happiest baby ever.

    (I’ll be taking a photo of Calvin sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his sister, Eleanor, and his brother, August.)

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