Monday, March 10, 2014

diy dreaming

Well, I'm almost done packing up my studio! Artwork is carefully wrapped, blank canvases are stacked, supplies are (mostly) organized and boxed up. It turns out you can fit a surprising amount of stuff in a tiny 8'x12' space. Now that everything is packed up there's not a whole lot to do art-wise except a little sketching future paintings and dreaming up fun DIY possibilities for our new home.

Our new live/work studio is mostly studio, with a living room and kitchen to the side of the work area and the entryway and two bedrooms on a half-floor upstairs. It calls for some creative solutions in kitchen storage, seating, curtains, etc. I liked this article and the questions it posed about making things instead of buying them... there is something about living with things made by a loving hand that really gives a space personality and makes it feel like home.

Here are some fun projects I'm thinking of taking on...


How cute are these patchwork curtains made from reclaimed fabrics and handkerchiefs? I actually already started this project after measuring our new bedroom window (the ultimate goal being something similar to this). 


This DIY crate bookshelf could be a great option for open kitchen storage; it's inexpensive to make, rustic yet modern, and could be rearranged to fit almost any sized space.




This round doily lantern for light and texture...


This beautiful dip-dyed shower curtain in teal and violet. Our current apartment has a modern tub and a sliding glass shower door (totally terrifying if you have ever had even a minor hospital-bound glass experience... I have) so I am thrilled to get to make this and hang it around our new claw foot tub.  Dyeing fabric is a messy job so this project may be on the back-burner for a little bit until it warms up enough to work outside with the use of Mike's parents' shop sink.


This narrow entryway table from a chippy teal blue shutter I found at an estate sale. 


And lastly, this beautiful table to act as our dining table and counter space. This project looks difficult but I have faith that between Mike and I and his dad's workshop, we could pull it off. 

Let's chat about DIY. What do you think of these projects? Have you tried any of them before? Any tips? Are you a DIY-er, or is it worth it to you to spend a little more to buy something already made? What was your last project that turned out well?

7 comments:

  1. I dye alot of things in my home, most recently my curtains a deep blue. Dip dying is a much longer process than just doing one color so make sure you set aside a whole day to dye, wash and dry, but it's worth it to get the perfect look! Wear gloves lol!

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  2. I just love those crate bookshelves!! I definitely want to use that idea for bed side tables, plus the white basket looks great against dark wood. Where did you find your crates? ~Leanne

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    1. I agree, I love the crisp white against the aged looking wood. These aren't my crates, the link to the original post is right below the photo, but you can get these crates in a few different sizes at Home Depot and stain them yourself :)

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  3. I love DIY. I really try to reuse not only because I like to save money (for Mae Chevrette artwork Ha!) but also because old stuff makes a home feel more lived in and livable. The last thing I did myself was a super cute little dog bed I made out of an end table I bought off a furniture resale FB group for $10. My next DIY is to finish repainting a side table for my bedroom.

    Can't wait to see what you do in your space, Mae!

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  4. That doily light is so pretty, I am wondering how it stays so stiff?? I am not a do it yourself-er but I love watching other peoples projects.

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  5. I agree. When everything is all boxed up, the next best thing to do is planning. Planning all the soon-to-be projects you want to do to your new home. Your inspirations all looks lovely! Have you started doing any of it now? I hope. And also, I hope you had a great time moving in, and all your belongings have been delivered on time and in one piece.

    Dave

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