My husband and I have been collecting corks for years now (probably close to 4 years). I’ve been holding on to them with the idea of crafting something for the home…but no real idea what that might actually be. Many of these corks are very special because they are from our honeymoon when we went to Sonoma and Napa and discovered some of our favorite wineries while in California.
With a basket full of corks, I got to work. My first crafty cork idea was coasters – we never seem to have enough coasters, so what could be cuter for a wine glass to rest atop than a cork coaster!?
Next up, I wanted to make a “D” for the house. I had seen a really cute one on Pinterest, and thought I would try my hand at one as well. Although it didn’t turn out nearly as cool as the one Pinterest, I was rather proud at my first attempt to cut corks in half and space them out to form a larger object.
Finally, was my idea to make a large cork heart! For this project, I wanted it to be a bit more artistic, so I cut corks in diagonals and various other oblong shapes. These little strips were used to cover “holes” in the design, and to give an additional layer atop other corks.
I am so pleased with the way this design turned out!
Sadly, most of our corks are gone now. I guess it’s time to start popping open a bottle or two more often…all in the name of art.
Cheers!
I must admit, being a homeowner is more thrilling than I ever could have imagined. I am not a shopper (ask anyone in my family), but owning a home has brought out this new side to me – shopping for furniture and decor! All of the “hot deal” websites are killing me – I actually take a sigh of relief when I get an email from Ideeli, Joss and Main or Gilt and DON’T see anything I “must” have. Those, ironically, are good days.
About six weeks ago, I did find some must haves from West Elm – glass jar pendants. And what goes better with one pendant, than four additional jars to join the party?
Cuteness, right? Well…the savvy homeowner I am not only got to purchase some fab lights to replace the hideous old ones, but I also became a master electrician. Okay, master is a bit of a stretch, but I did learn to install pendants, and in the process added a new bragging badge to my ever-growing “I’m a homeowner so I must learn new things” sash.
I’ve only been in my new house for one month, but that’s been long enough to realize that decorating is so much more expensive (and frustrating) than I ever imagined. Don’t get me wrong – it’s FUN – but the frustration comes in the fact that if I could style exactly the way I wanted, my husband would kick me to the curb. He just doesn’t understand $600 area rugs – and I told him that’s actually a good price!
Fortunately, there are online stores and retail vendors that have some of the best finds at really affordable prices. As I find great deals, I will try to document for you viewing (and shopping) pleasure.
First up: a black mirror for our downstairs half bath. We have painted the bathroom in a steel blue shade, and I decided to accent with black and white photos and decor. I found a GREAT, light-weight mirror (I hate hanging heavy pieces – such a pain). My mirror was $39.99 from Home Goods – as compared to a similar style from Joss and Main for a whopping $410. That’s a 93% saving!
I think hubby owes me a back rub – anyone else agree?
Have I told you how much I love Etsy? Well, I do. I really love all the fantastic finds that are all lumped together in one awesome shopping experience. Let me add that it’s brilliant to be able to shop online when the weather is 100+ degrees outside (I’m currently feeling the pain of Texas summer).
As I prepare for the move into my house, I’ve moved beyond the large furniture pieces. We already have our plasma TV console, TV, sectional and dining table. I’m now thinking splashes of color and conversation pieces.
Enter Etsy.
I just stumbled across Susanna Shap’s work (ModernHouseArt) and I couldn’t be happier. Finally, modern art that I love (and might be able to actually afford). I love textured pieces that give a three-dimensional element, and her color selections are fantastic. These are all pieces I could actually see in my home – and don’t be surprised if a few months down the road I have pictures of my house with one of these beauties!
I won’t get into any more critique of texture and patterns. Quite frankly, I am no critic. I just know what I like. And isn’t that all that really matters? If you buy it, you’re the one having to look at it every day.
On that note, I wouldn’t mind looking at Susanna’s work every day!
This home decorating thing definitely has the benefits of technology. From smart phone apps to online rich-media apps, the possibilities are endless. I guess that could actually make decorating trickier, right?
Earlier this week I was heading to Sherwin Williams to select paint colors for the bedrooms. As I was poking around their website to get some ideas, I discovered their phenomenal tool – Color Visualizer. With this tool, you can upload actual photos of your room, and mask off portions of the wall to “try on” paint colors. Neat, right?
Since I didn’t have photos of my home yet (it’s framing and insulation right now), I used their stock photos and searched for photos online that have a similar setup as I want for my room. Lo and behold – instant visualizer for how the paint will look in the room.
Imagine how awesome this tool is when you are redesigning an existing room!
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