DIY projects

Water Bottle Chandelier

I’ve wanted to make this chandelier for a few years now so it was especially fun for me to make this project. I first saw water bottle flowers on Magpie Design Studio’s amazing chandeliers. Then I saw a display in Anthropologie a few years ago that used them. They are so easy to make and I love that you are reusing the plastic water bottles. This would be perfect for a party or even just for your living room! See full instructions and more photos after the jump.

Click through for full instructions and photos.

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Fruit Balloons DIY

by Brittany Watson Jepsen

We’ve been planning a “fruit party” for a few years now, the gist is that everyone brings an exotic fruit and we, the hosts, provide a batch of the more common kinds. Who doesn’t want to feast on a smorgasboard of Mother Earth’s natural sweets? These balloon garlands were a cinch to make and provide maximum effect.

You will need: balloons (make sure to get some long ones for bananas), green paper for leaves, twine, scissors, tape

Step 1: Blow up your balloons. To really make them look like fruits, size them proportionally so that a blueberry is smaller than an orange, etc. To make the grapes I taped the small purple balloons in clusters.
Step 2: Tie the twine around each end of the balloon.
Step 3: Cut out leaves

Step 4: Crease the leaf to provide the 3D effect.
Step 5: Tape the leaf to the balloon using the end of the balloon as the stem.
Step 6: Continue tying the balloons to the twine to create the garland. Have fun fruiting!

photography by Hilda Grahnat

Bridesmaid Kits from Menswear

This post is sponsored by Dove® ClearTone™ Deodorant – designed to visibly reduce underarm dark marks and even skin tone.

Here is a little project that takes about 45 minutes to do and about $6 in supplies. These little bags filled with gifts for the bridesmaids are made from old menswear jackets from the thrift store. You can find such quality fabrics in old vintage pieces to rework into something new. This project was put together by Alexis Birkmeyer and I think it is so clever. You’ll need basic sewing skills but it is really really simple and takes less than an hour to make. You can find the template and complete instructions below. When it’s done fill it with gifts for your bridesmaids.

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Paper Calla Lilies DIY

by Chiara Alberetti Milott

Usually when I think of calla lilies, I think of plain old white ones. But there is a whole world of colored calla lilies out there. Gorgeous pinks, corals, mangos, yellows, and deep purple, even. Colors that make me want to go find gelato or sorbet right this instant. Here is a simple way to dress up a gift using just a few supplies – maybe for your dear, sweet mom for Mothers Day?!

Materials needed: various colored paper, tape, stapler, hole punch, yellow crepe paper streamer, scissors.

Step 1: Begin by cutting a square of paper in the shape of the top left image shown above. The size of the paper will depend on the size of the flower you want. I used a range of 3 – 5 inch squares.

Step 2: Cut a 5 inch piece of crepe paper, fold it in thirds width wise, then in half length wise (I made a bunch of these all at once, production line-style). Pick up your petal shaped paper and bend both sides together while holding the crepe paper rectangle inside. Staple the layers at the base of the flower and set aside.

Step 3: Repeat, and staple this flower to your first flower. When you have two or three flowers stapled together, you will want to hide the staples by covering them with a green leaf. I used a little double-stick tape to secure the leaf to the flowers.

Step 4: Punch a hole through the leaf and flowers, for your ribbon, twine or string to go through.

Step 5: Wrap your gift and tightly tie your flowers on top.

You can put as many flowers on each gift as you like – check out the photos below where I went kind of nutso with the flowers!

I have to give credit to Abbey at Aesthetic Outburst for the clever and cute idea of using neon electrical flagging tape – available at the hardware store – to wrap gifts.

Happy Wrapping!

Geometric Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Garland DIY

by Jenny Batt

Maybe it is because sunshine makes me think of tacos, but I have fiestas on the brain.  I really think it is just the pretty summer sets coming out everywhere that are making me think of bright pops of color hanging from string. Fun patterns of easy to cut shapes gives a update to the traditional fiesta bunting. What fun!

All the instructions and more photos after the jump.

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