Pin-Up Girl

Digital media and Web resources such as Pinterest have revolutionized the way we collect, archive, and share our ideas. Call me old fashioned, but I still appreciate having a physical spot to gather snippets of my favorite things in life, as well as inspiration for personal projects.

I'd been admiring some gorgeous linen pinboards from Restoration Hardware, Horchow, and Pottery Barn for quite some time, but their outrageous price tags had kept me at bay. After stalking them for months without encountering any decent promotions, I decided to roll up my sleeves and make my own. Here's how it all went down!

Since l had a rather large pinboard in mind, I needed a lightweight foundation that could easily be mounted and secured to the wall over my desk. I scored a jumbo 36" x 48" gallery wrapped canvas at Michaels, which was a steal at 40% off (Hooray for couponing!), along with two cork rolls, tacky glue, and some D-ring hardware.

I picked up a yard and a half of écru linen at Mood. I absolutely adore the clean look of raw, unbleached linen - it creates a classic and perfectly neutral backdrop for the assortment of elements that will eventually be pinned to this board.

With the canvas placed facedown on the floor, I started by gluing the cork to its backside. I chose tacky glue as my adhesive since it offers a gummy bond after it dries and will accomodate pushpins nicely. It's like wallpapering - make sure you get an even layer of glue, match up your lines, and press down. Tacky glue is pretty forgiving, so if you need to make any adjustments, all you have to do is gently peel the cork up, reposition, and press.

I used a bunch of heavy books (and a puppy) to keep the cork anchored flat as the glue dried for two hours.

After ironing all the wrinkles out of the linen (Thank you, Chris!!), I laid the canvas on top of the fabric and traced/cut a 3" margin around the perimeter. Next, using the fabric's straight edge to ensure that its weave lines were aligned at the borders, I carefully wrapped and stapled the linen around the wooden frame. I opted to reverse the usual "hospital bed" tucking at the joints to create streamlined, yet interesting corners.

Lastly, I attached hanging hardware to the wooden frame. I used three D-ring hangers in order to support the colossal size of my board. Smaller boards would probably only require two hangers.

Voilà! I now have a lovely & splendidly enormous pinboard! I can't wait to dress it up with beautiful mementos, swatches, and muses. This was an incredibly simple project, and I'd highly recommend it for anybody looking to add a some affordable and functional flair to their walls.

Pretty, Pretty Pleats

Quite a few people asked me how I made the tree skirt from my previous post. It all started when I spotted a similar no-sew ruffle skirt project on Pinterest, pinned it, and decided to give it a try. I chose to go with pleats instead of large ruffles in order to achieve a more tailored look. Pleats always remind me of my wedding gown :)

This was a relatively easy project, but it did take a fair amount of time to complete. The most tedious part was carefully measuring and cutting 4 yards of fabric into 3" strips. I used shimmery blue-grey linen in hopes of creating "waves" under the ocean section of our tree. The best part about this project is the fact that it doesn't require a stitch of sewing whatsoever! All you need is a glue gun and a bunch of glue sticks, and you're good to go.

I didn't make a tutorial because there are already tons of fantastic ones out there. Here's a great tutorial if you're interested in making a tree skirt of your own!

Wonka was very curious and tried to keep me company, but he got sleepy a few hours in.

7 hours (and several burnt fingers) later...

Voila! We have a tree skirt!

Bow Wow

One of my favorite things about presents is the part where I get to wrap them up! Pretty packaging simply makes a gift feel that much more special. I've been having such a blast wrapping, tying, taping, gluing... and checking everyone off my list :)

Since paper is usually destroyed during the unwrapping process, I prefer using plain brown craft paper (super affordable and eco-friendly) and placing more emphasis on trimmings. This year, I'm experimenting with different styles of poofy bows and doodads. Here are three simple projects that are guaranteed to give your presents a bit of extra oomph! Click the photos for tutorials. Happy wrapping!

Gift Bows - I tried making felt & canvas variations of traditional paper gift bows, and was quite pleased with the results. Love that they're reusable!

Yarn Pompoms - These are incredibly easy to make and add a whimsical touch to anything! Tip: For smaller poms, try using a serving fork.

Paper Flower Poms - These paper flowers are just tinier versions of these. Simple & romantic!

Can't wait to share these gifts with some very wonderful people.
By the way, what do you think about our new tree skirt? I made it myself!