Archive: Nesting

July 26, 2011

Christian Schallert's LEGO-Style Home

I've been into tiny houses for years now (after all, I live in a bus). But when I saw Christian Schallert's remodeled Barcelona pigeon loft, my mouth hit the floor. Driven by practicality, but without compromising on aesthetics, these 258 square feet have all the creature comforts of a larger home ... folded neatly away in the walls.

To use a piece of furniture, Schallert must first click on one of his many spring-loaded panels and -- voilà! -- the kitchen, table, or wardrobe is revealed. His bed rolls out from under the balcony stairs, and the shower is a glass box tucked neatly in the corner. In a small space, everything is within reach. And best of all, cleanliness is only a closed door away.

"At the end of the day, what do you need for living? You need a nice comfortable mattress, nice clean sheets, running water, a shower, and a stove to cook something ... You don't much more stuff."

[via Tiny House Blog]

June 6, 2011

DIY Clawfoot Tub Shower Caddy

I live in a house that was built as a vacation cabin almost 100 years ago. It's charming, but because it was never meant to be lived in full time, it has a serious shortcoming- no storage. None, not even one hall closet, and in the bathroom the medicine cabinet is 3" deep, with shelves inside that are only 4" high. My vintage clawfoot tub is heaven on earth, but I've basically ruined the finish on my wooden window sill because it's the only place to stash my soap dish and shampoo. Today Apartment Therapy has given me the perfect solution with this simple DIY shower caddy.

April 30, 2011

DIY Gold & Silver Accents

This collection of a crocodile, bunny and an vintage tennis racket get a total up-grade with a metallic spray paint. Doing a whole bookshelf like this really makes a bold statement and brightens up the whole space. P.S. I Made This has a slew of other sweet projects I am dying to do. Which one would you make?

Related:

• From Kitch to Cool
• How-To: Spray Bike Make-Over
• Spray Paint Lamp

March 25, 2011

Color Block Mountain Painting

In today's CRAFT Video we make a color block mountain range painting using a technique you could use for a plethora of projects.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

Inspired by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in my home state of Virginia, I created a 5-paneled blue gradient mounting range with only two paint cans. Using just one rich shade of blue and mixing it with various amounts of white gave us a really lovely palette to work with.

You could use this same technique on a dresser with multiple drawers, painting each drawer a different shade, you could incorporate it on a wall with big, bold stripes would make a stunning statement, or forget the gradient aspect and transform your stairs using different colors.

I first tried a mountain mural on 2 sliding closet doors that have since fallen off their hinges and been discarded. You can see my attempt here, and read the written instructions for a slightly different approach in my paint guide for Venus Zine below.

More:

• Sweet color block cabinets from Home Sweet Home
• Corinne up-dates her desk on Craftovision
• Apartment Therapy's Color Block Ideas for the Home
• Tolix boxes in gradient hues
• Venus Zine paint guide

About the Author:

Meg Allan Cole is an actress, activist, DIYer, and founder of Enderby Designs. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her musician husband Will, rescue mutts Gracie & Milo, and bunny Linus Clyde. Meg blogs, has hosted home decor videos on Curbly, Etsy and created the show Decor It Yourself for Threadbanger.

February 25, 2011

Blacksmithing With Meg

In today's CRAFT Video I had the pleasure of blacksmithing with Alex Himmelbaum at Marsha Trattner's She-Weld studios in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

This was my very first time blacksmithing and Alex was an awesome teacher, keeping me informed and safe as we made this sweet paper towel holder.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

It is really cool to be a part of making your own one-of-a-kind pieces like this to add to your home.

This is the forge, the source of heat for your metal. You have to be very careful with your hair, and should not wear loose articles of clothing near it. Even around the forge is so hot you have to give it a wide berth for safety.

This is the hammered effect. Each divot was created by hitting the piece with a hammer when it is still red-piping hot, fresh out the forge. Check out the video to learn how to blacksmith, and see me try my hand at it for the first time!

Photos by Becky Stern.

More:

• Make interview with Blacksmith Louie Raffloer
• Hand Forged Shelf Brackets
• Instructables DIY Forge

About the Author:

Meg Allan Cole is an actress, activist, DIYer, and founder of Enderby Designs. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her musician husband Will, rescue mutts Gracie & Milo, and bunny Linus Clyde. Meg blogs, has hosted home decor videos on Curbly, Etsy and created the show Decor It Yourself for Threadbanger.

December 10, 2010

Retro Christmas Star Ornament & Mulled Cider

The holiday season is in full swing! Everywhere I look there are twinkle lights, ornaments, and Christmas trees. Even us design junkies get into the holiday spirit and want to make our homes festive while still keeping in the classic retro look we all know and love.

Last year I made this DIY Silver Retro Christmas Tree, so this year we're making a retro mod orb star ornament as a tree topper. It can also be used as an ornament, or be put on display in a pretty glass bowl.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

As a warm and tasty treat we mulled some cider as well. Mulling cider is so easy, makes your home smell delicious, and is the perfect cozy cocktail for a holiday party.

More:

• My 1st Holiday Special
• Make a Holiday Stocking
• New Year's decorations
• DIY Wreaths
• Coconut Eggnog

About the Author:

Meg Allan Cole is an actress, activist, DIYer, and founder of Enderby Designs. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her musician husband Will, rescue mutts Gracie & Milo, and bunny Linus Clyde. Meg blogs, has hosted home decor videos on Curbly, Etsy and created the show Decor It Yourself for Threadbanger.

November 30, 2010

How-To: Owl Mug Cozy

By Jessica Wilson

I know owls have been a fashionable bird for quite some time now, but I don't think they have finished their reign as a quirky crafty bird just yet. This year I am hoping to make a good portion of my holiday gifts, and what better inspiration than this wide-eyed bird? When the weather turns cool, I turn to warm drinks - tea mostly - and when one brews tea, one usually brews a whole pot. When you have a whole pot o' tea keeping you company, keeping it warm is as easy as popping a pretty tea-cozy atop your pot. What do you do if you are a cocoa or coffee drinker? Why, you make a tiny-sized cozy that perfectly keeps your favorite cuppa warm. So here you go, a combination of lovely winter dreams - owls and a hot mug of goodness.

Read full story »

November 29, 2010

How-To: DSLR Camera Cozy

By Christine Koh

Though the DSLR handbags now available for women are truly lovely, they're an investment and a wee bit too permanent feeling for someone who likes to switch bags as frequently as I do. Recently, I invested in my first DSLR and was looking for a way to protect the camera in my handbag du jour. So I decided to craft a DSLR bag - a super camera cozy, if you will.

Read full story »

November 23, 2010

How-To: Make a Potluck Dish Cozy from an Old Sweater

By Diane Gilleland

I got this idea from my mom - when she brings a hot dish to a potluck, she usually wraps it in old towels so it stays warm in transit. So I decided to refashion a felted wool sweater into a kind of padded envelope to carry potluck dishes in. The food will stay warm, and when you get there, you'll have a built-in trivet to set it on!

Read full story »

November 22, 2010

How-To: Acorn Napkin Rings

By Marie LeBaron

We have buckets and buckets of acorns that are falling from my parent's trees. So I've come up with a crafty way to use them up and make our Thanksgiving table pretty as well. These acorn napkin rings are the perfect way to spice up your table for fall.

Read full story »

November 19, 2010

Holiday Moss Tablescapes

There is already so much talk of what is going on our Thanksgiving tables and links to great Christmas cards it's a little overwhelming. Busy hosts don't have a ton of time to put into table decor so today we bring you a few easy ideas that will bring the outdoors in and your table to the next aesthetic level.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

You can interpret and alter these projects to be custom made to what you want. You can add more moss, stack the birch branches or use a ton of tea lights for effect. I saw the moss frame and a ton of other lovely ideas that could be spun into table decor ideas on Ruffled Blog. You can find table decor inspiration anywhere, but be sure you don't forget to include place cards. Here is my feather design that can be printed out on card stock paper and cut out to be a place card.

For more check out:

• Decor It Yourself's Thanksgiving Special
• My Thanksgiving Table decor round up
• Martha's Fall Decor crafts
• Autumn leaf mobile
• Curbly's Ultimate Thanksgiving Ideas
• A Modern Thanksgiving Table

About the Author:

Meg Allan Cole is an actress, activist, DIYer, and founder of Enderby Designs. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her musician husband Will, rescue mutts Gracie & Milo, and bunny Linus Clyde. Meg blogs, has hosted home decor videos on Curbly, Etsy and created the show Decor It Yourself for Threadbanger.

November 9, 2010

How-To: Cookbook Splatter Guard

Instructables user bunnstuff shows us how to make a clear plastic "book apron," or cookbook splatter guard, useful for keeping your recipes and cookbooks clean and dry while you cook your heart out.

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