Category: Craft

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Violet

Berries near piobocco

Since it’s the beginning of a new year, I thought I’d share some art, food, destination, and DIY ideas inspired by Pantone’s color of the year, Ultra Violet!

1. Berries, Le Marche, Italy. 2. Pantone Ultra Violet. 3. Chocolade Van Brugge, Scottsdale (photo: Stephanie Haworth). 4. Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix.

 

Mari Orr art

5. “Victoria” painting by Mari Orr. 6. Photo transfer tutorial. 7. Ed Mell art for Riders of the Purple Sage. (Photo: Tim Trumble).

 

8. Yuma Garden Company’s colorful carrots. 9. Making Chive Flower Vinegar. 10. Lo & Sons O.G. Overnight Bag.

 

Resolution ornament

11. Chaparral sage, Tucson. 12. New Year’s time capsule DIY. 13. Let’s Be Better Humans campaign bus. 14. View from Sunset Point rest area near Black Canyon City, Arizona.

 

Finally, a cake decorated with actual fresh violets….

 

 

Photos via respective sites, except as noted.

 

 

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10 Crafted Coffee Sleeves

Coffee sleeve

Coffee sleeve

A Zarf

I learned the word zarf when I was writing about a coffee travel kit with a list of accessories that included “Two Felt Zarfs.”

Looking it up, I found out it’s another word for something that goes around a coffee cup to keep you from burning your hands on it. Like a scarf for your coffee.

Coffee sleeve

They definitely could have said “coffee sleeve” or “cozy” instead. But zarf is kind of a cool word. Originally, it was a fancy metal thing used with glass tumblers. Now it’s a cardboard ring around a disposable cup.

***insert pithy observation about the decay of civilization here***

The good news is there are several ways to make a zarf/coffee sleeve/cozy that you can use over and over.

(My sister-in-law Liz made me the cool fabric one above. I love the colors!)

Coffee sleeve

Craft

1. Reusable Coffee Sleeve: First, a coffee sleeve in the most literal sense – made by upcycling the cuff of an old shirt.

 

Leather koozie
2. Leather Cup Jacket: Make a leather jacket for jars or other cups without handles.

 

DIY Coffee sleeve
3. Fabric Coffee Sleeve: Inspired by projects she had pinned, Sarah from One Crafty Home sewed up a reusable sleeve and a put together a tutorial with a template, so you can make your own, as well!

 

mug cozy
4. Crochet Cup Cozy: Julie Tarsha of Simply Notable created this cute pattern for a cable-knit cozy that you wrap around a mug and secure with a button.

 

Coffee sleeve Pattern

5. Felt Coffee Cozies: Tutorial for making 16 felt coffee cozies at once, so you can give them as gifts or set them out next to cups for hot chocolate at your holiday party.

 

R2D2 Coffee sleeve
6. R2D2 Coffee Cup Cozy: Twinkie Chan created this clever crochet pattern that uses acrylic yarn, a red button, a silver eyelet, and a safety eye with the post snapped off to make exactly the droid you’re looking for.

Shop

And, of course, if you’re not up for DIYing this time, there’s always Etsy!

Caffeinating Please Wait Cup Cozy by Sew Tara ($14).

Happy Fox Cup Cozy

Happy Fox Cup Cozy by Tiny Bubbles Crafts ($12).

Reusable Leather Coffee Sleeve by Wilhelm and Frienda

“You Got This” Leather Coffee Cozy by Wilhelm and Friends ($18).

 

If you do end up with a cardboard sleeve around your cup, you can still re-purpose it as a travel flower press or work it into collage and other paper craft projects.

Photos via:

DIYs –

1+2. Me

3. Modcloth

4. Matt Pierce / Design*Sponge

5. Emily Abbate / CafeMom

6. Julie Tarsha / Simply Notable

7. Purl Soho

8. Twinkie Chan

 

Etsy sellers –

1. Sew Tara

2. Tiny Bubbles Crafts

3. Wilhelm and Friends

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How to Get a Melted Candle Out of a Jar

Candle

I love the look of candles in glass jars – until they’re all melted and stuck to the sides. I’d read a tip about freezing them to make the melted candle stub easier to remove, but that only works some of the time.

Phillip came up with an ingenious improvement: give the candle a handle!

Here’s what to do to unstick melted candles from jars and other glass containers:

  1. Pour some water into the jar on top of the candle stub.
  2. Partly submerge an S-hook or something else sturdy enough to use as a handle.*
  3. Freeze.
  4. Once frozen, you can use the hook/handle to just pull the candles right out.
  5. To retrieve the handle, allow ice on top of the candles to melt.


*Phillip used IKEA S-hooks, because we had those around. Large paper clips weren’t strong enough, but a Popsicle stick or butter knife might work.

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Autumn and Indigo: A Color Story

We tend to think of fall colors in the family of rusts and browns, pumpkins and mustards. But you can also reach across the color wheel and pull in some cooler hues. Shades of indigo and slate are a perfect match for warm harvest tones, complementing them beautifully without taking away their autumn feeling.

So here is some fall color palette inspiration – with a few projects and recipes along the way.

Roasted carrots

Ceramics by Easy to Breathe

California dreamin' by @rockswell_

DIY orange garland by A Daily Something

Venice door

1. Roasted Carrot Salad via Brooklyn Supper. 2. Easy to Breathe plates via Jungalow. 3. Cheery vintage design for when all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray via Aaron von Freter (@rockswell_). 4. DIY Dried Orange Garland via A Daily Something. 5. Door in Venice, Italy.

Roasted beets and wild rice

Marigolds

Thanksgiving cheeseboard by what's gaby cooking

Willcox AZ

Tablescape by Casa de Perrin

6. Roasted Beets with Creamy Romesco + Wild Rice via Snixy Kitchen. 7. Marigolds via Viewed from Another Angle. 8. Beeline Cafe, Payson, Arizona. 9. Thanksgiving cheeseboard via What’s Gaby Cooking. 10. Near Apple Annie’s in Willcox, Arizona. 11. Casa de Perrin Tablescape via Poppytalk.

What colors spring to mind when you think of autumn?

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DIY Pumpkins and Pie!

Pumpkin pie

Here are 11 pumpkin-pie-inspired ideas you can bake or make!

DIYs and pumpkin pies

Eat+Drink

Pumpkin Pie – First, a classic. You can make pumpkin puree for pies and other recipes from a sugar pumpkin or even a regular carving pumpkin. (Really! I did it!)

 


Holiday Spice Mix – Blend these ingredients for a versatile, cinnamony spice you can use as pumpkin pie spice or sprinkle into hot chocolate.

 

Spiced pumpkin martini

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Martini – A pumpkin pie garnish on your cocktail?! Why not? After all, it is the holidays.

 


Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread – You can use canned pumpkin or your own pumpkin puree for this addictively good quick bread.

 


Pumpkin Pie Smoothie – This is a great breakfast on-the-go – especially during the holiday season when you have a lot of pumpkin around and not a lot of time. I added pecans and an extra cup of plain Greek yogurt to Jamie’s recipe.

 

Pie Slice Cookies – I haven’t made these, but they were so adorable that I had to include them! (If you’re looking for cookie decorating ideas and tips, there are TONS on the Sweet Sugarbelle blog!)

 

Pumpkin pie garland by martha stewart

Craft

Thanksgiving Pie Garland – Turns out paper pie slices make perfect pennants! #TeamPie

 

Fall Succulent Planter – Rachel of Maison de Pax planted succulents directly into ceramic pumpkins. Another option would be to place potted succulents inside a real (or ceramic or foam) pumpkin and take them out when you take down the autumn decor.

 

Pie necklace

Pumpkin Pie Friendship Necklaces – StudioDIY shared a tutorial for this making polymer clay pumpkin pie necklaces as part of a Friendsgiving post!

 

Mini Pumpkin Candles  – A simple project from Faith Durant at The Kichn that turns a pumpkin into a candle.

 

Botanical Pumpkins – Fall leaves and Modge Podge are a striking way to decorate pumpkins!

Photos via:
1, 2, 4. Me.
3. A Beautiful Mess
5. Love Bakes Good Cakes
6. Sweet Sugarbelle
7. Martha Stewart
8. Maison de Pax
9. Studio DIY
10. The Kichn
11. Country Living

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