Friday, November 23, 2012

DIY // Rustic Cinnamon Stick Holiday Table Decorations



Here’s a quick idea I had for holiday table decorations that don’t fall into the trap of traditional holiday colors.  There’s a spool of scrap fabric ribbon I’ve been adding to, and I thought some of it would look nice tied around of a bag of cinnamon sticks I found from last Fall.  I’m a sucker for any kind of pastel fabric paired with natural materials. 

For this project you’ll need some cinnamon sticks, various ribbon, washi tape and anything else you think would be fun to work with.  To make the fabric ribbon, collect some scraps and cut them into strips.  You can mix and match the sizes.  Tie them together and wind them onto an empty spool. 


Cut 18” of the ribbon and tie it around the cinnamon sticks.  I used two sticks, but feel free to add more – just be sure to cut a few extra inches of ribbon.  These are nice to sit on napkins for place settings or to accent a centerpiece.  To make place cards, you can tie on a shipping tag as well.

After making a few with the fabric ribbon I decided to break out the washi tape (because I love to add it to everything) and tried making one that way.  It looked a little plain so I added a thin strip of cream polyester ribbon.  The tape gave it a nice modern look.


Pine cones would be another way you could try to make these.  The idea is to find materials to work with that are in season, but to have fun with the colors you accent them with.  Experiment with what you find and show me what you make!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Little Joys // Postcards, Postage Stamps & Paper Goods, Oh My


In the never-ending task of organizing all of my things so that I can re-claim and re-decorate my bedroom, I went through my ephemera collection yesterday.  Right now most of it is tightly nestled in photo paper boxes and small plastic bins, but I’m working towards getting everything displayable.  One day everything will be tucked into nice albums and binders that will rest on my coffee table.

I started collecting in my junior year of college.  Always a snail mailer, my first passion was for postage stamps, but I quickly became attracted to the materials the stamps were attached to.  Today I also collect postcards, art cards and ads from art shows, and everything else in-between. 

Looking through everything on days like this is one of the most rewarding parts about collecting.  There’s this little rush of comfort and content I get from filing through familiar pieces and sorting out new additions.  I once read that collecting is the result of an unused trait leftover from the days when we were hunter-gatherers.  There’s something really beautiful and primitive about that, don’t you think?

 photo boxes full of fine art advertisements

 new stamp arrivals from China, Japan and Korea ready to be sorted

 a box full of unsorted paper goodies

one of my favorite pieces; this hung on the wall of my old studio to remind me to take a breather and smile each day

Monday, November 5, 2012

Happy November!  I hope everyone is well on this Election Day eve.  This is going to be a busy and exciting month for me because I will be launching a new line of hair bows in my shop, and I will be a braidsmaid in my cousins wedding in just a few more weeks.  It's already getting very chilly outside, and although the beautiful Fall leaves are still in warm vibrant color, it looks like the Fall weather has left for the season.  I hope you enjoy this Monday's Picks inspired by warmth and love.




 via SoFino