M A K E :: copper wall hanging

The incredible thing about having a home is that you have this little spot in the world that's yours, a place that God has provided and allowed you to make your own. I love being able to express my creativity in creating art for our home. I look forward to our future children looking at these pieces and cherishing them as treasures as they grow old -- something I can pass on to them that will someday make their own house a home. I have seen so many beautiful weavings on the internet lately, so I wanted to create something with a similar feel. Our walls have been pretty bare since moving into our apartment, and these lovely wall hangings have added just the right touch to our home!

 

S U P P L I E S :: skein of yarn, copper couplings, two wooden dowels, scissors

1. Gather your supplies. Begin by cutting your yarn into 18-inch strands (this can be adjusted based on the length you'd like the finished product to be).

2. Once your strands are cut, fold them in half and place the ends through the loop as pictured. Do this all the way across the wooden dowel.

3. Take three strands of yarn and braid them together. Halfway through the braid, tie a knot and place a copper coupling. Tie a knot on the other side of the coupling and continue braiding. Tie each end to either end of the dowel.

4. Place a notebook or piece of cardboard atop the ends of your wall hanging. Use this as a guide to trim the excess yarn and create an even line.

Variation : Use the same technique to wrap the strands of yarn, but cut the strands to be twice as long, collect ten of them together, and then attach.

Variation (cont.) : pull the strands through the copper coupling and arrange as desired.

5. Use string or yarn to create the top hanger by tying a loop around each end and placing the dowel inside the loops. You can also make other decorative hangings by trying out other tying and hanging combinations. Display and enjoy!

I previously shared this post on the Deeply Rooted blog, which you can view here. If you haven't already checked out Deeply Rooted, I strongly suggest you do! I loved their first issue and I can't wait to get my hands on Issue Two, which just became available! Yay!

xo. melisa

M A K E :: fabric hangers

I shared this diy a few years back and thought it was time to revamp it and share it again! I love Free People and one of my favorite things about shopping there is their decor and all the sweet details; one of those being their hangers! These are a fun and easy version that you can make in just a few minutes. It's sure to make your wardrobe look nice and fresh!

S U P P  L I E S :: fabric / scissors / hangers / hot glue

1) Cut your fabric into one inch strips. Your fabric may have a few wrinkles or folds, but that won't matter.

2) Place your hot glue at the end of one of your strips and place it down at the tip of your hook. Begin to wrap the strip around your hanger. Once you reach the end of your fabric strip, glue it down and start with a new one. Yes, it's just that easy!

I love having these in my closet! The fabric provides a nice grip for tank tops or loose fabrics that would normally slide off. They're also pretty and make hanging laundry just a little more fun (just a little!) Hope y'all have fun making hangers!

xo. mel

MA K E :: leather card holder

The Summer time is full of days at the beach or pool, where you don't really want to take a big purse. I love to grab a little satchel filled with my essentials. Instead of throwing my whole wallet in there, I like to have a few cards and cash, ya know, just in case. These little leather card holders are just the trick and they're the easiest to whip up!

S U P P L I E S :: scrap leather, scissors, paint/brush, sewing machine

1) Begin my cutting out rectangles from your scrap leather. The easiest way is to place a card down and trace around it, leaving approximately 1/4 inch of extra space around each side. At the end of one piece, cut out a triangle shape - as seen in the photo below.

2 ) Using your sewing machine, use a simple stitch all the way around the two pieces of leather. Trim any excess pieces around the edges so they line up.

Use your paint to add a little extra flair! I love the way the gold came out on the nude leather - it has a nice natural and understated look. This little project took about fifteen minutes and I love them! These would make great gifts too! As always, feel free to leave a comment with any links that show how yours came out!

xo. mel

M A K E :: fabric frames

I've made it a point this year to print out more photos. With everything being digital these days, I sometimes forget to make a hard copy, or even to display our photos in our home. I've been thinking up a few ways to display our photos and these fun frames are one them!

S U P P L I E S :: fabric, wooden frame, mod podge, scissors, pen 

1) Choose your fabric and lay it out. place your frame face down and grab your pen. trace the shape of your frame onto your fabric; both the inside and along the outside.

 2) Using your scissors, cut out the shape of your frame on your fabric. try and stay as close to the line as possible, as the shape will need to be pretty precise.

 

3) Grab your Mod Podge and spread a thin layer across the top of your frame. it may dry quickly, so feel free to add a second layer. when you've evenly spread your Mod Podge, place your fabric on top of your frame and press firmly. you may notice a few wrinkles, but those can be "pushed out" by simply running your finger across the fabric from end to end. let dry for 15mins.

 

I love the way these came out and it cost me less than $5 to make all three! There are so many fabrics to choose from and different ways to customize. Have fun with it!

xo. mel

M A K E :: tiny spools necklace

Did you see this fun "tiny spools necklace" diy I shared over on Wonder Forest?? It's one of the easiest and sweetest diys to date. Check it out here!

xo. mel

M A K E :: dog teepee

Gretchen has quickly become the apple of our eye. She is just the sweetest little thing, that sometimes I question if she's even real. Her favorite is cuddling, so she loves being in her fluffy bed with her blanket on top of her. I wanted to make her bed even cozier by adding a sweet little teepee! Because every dog needs a teepee! Alright maybe they don't need it, but they sure do look cute standing inside one.

S U P P L I E S  ::  five wooden dowels 3" 1/2 , one yard of fabric , raffia (or yarn, leather cord, etc.) , needle + thread

1) Begin with three of your wooden dowels. Stand them up and criss cross them as seen in the photo above. At this point you should see how wide your teepee will be. You can adjust accordingly. Take your raffia and wrap it around each dowel, securing it tightly.

2) Add the two remaining dowels as seen in the photo above. You should make an asterisk of sorts. Notice the space between the bottom two dowels is larger; this is where the "entrance" will be. Secure the dowels using the raffia and be sure to wrap it around several times to ensure that they won't budge. 

3) Take your fabric and drape it around. You may want to cut it, and if you do, I would suggest cutting it in the shape of a sailboat (semicircle). I chose not to cut it, because I wanted it to be a bit drapey (that's not a word). Use your needle and thread to stitch across the top opening of the teepee. This will secure your fabric in place.

4) Stick your cushion or dog bed inside and add any embellishments you'd like, to your teepee. I added a little garland we had leftover from our wedding. I think it's a nice little touch.

Now your dog can enjoy her new little home! It's easy to pick up and move around if you need to. And you can have fun choosing a fabric that suits your pup and your home! Obviously, you can modify this for a kitty, which I know all my sweet cat ladies will love!

If you try this out, leave a comment below or tag me on instagram (@pienthesky) so we can all see! 

Thanks! Melisa

*for more MAKE projects, go here