The remains of a wardrobe part 2: the mirror

ελληνικό κείμενο

Hello everyone!

It still feels like summer here at least in the morning so I admit I wasn't inspired to do any fall decoration at all.
Instead I will show you a mirror I made out of an old wardrobe door a couple of months ago. It is not a complete tutorial, more of a before and after post with some tips. Except I forgot to take a picture of the before.
 

Repurposed frame

ελληνικό κείμενο 

I decided to decorate my table a bit because for months all you could find on it was papers, toys and and a laptop. So I collected a few things to make a small decorative composition but couldn't decided where to put it on. I should make something. 

Color your jewelry

ελληνικό κείμενο

Today I want to share with you a cool diy project I found the other day. Aunt Peaches shows us an easy way to turn clear glass, crystals or plastic jewelry any color we want with just markers and nail polish.

 Click here for the details.

Christmas tree from wood and rust

ελληνικό κείμενο 

Today follow me again to Rdeco, where I am guest posting about another Christmas tree you can make with literally junk.

Click here for more photos and general instructions (in greek).


This post links to: 
Centsational girl
Nesting place 
Craftastic Monday 
Just something I whipped up 
Masterpiece Monday 
Motivate me Monday 
Craft-o-maniac link up party 
The cure for the common Monday 
I gotta try that 
Mop it Monday 
Market yourself Monday 
Make the scene Monday 
Time to shine  
Funky junk interiors 

Christmas decoration: sequin stars

ελληνικό κείμενο

Shiny, sparkly things go hand in hand with the holiday season so I decided to make a couple of silver stars to go with my dressed bottles and use them together to decorate my mantel.
Here's how I made them:

I chose a star pattern I liked from the internet and used it to cut two stars on thick cardboard.

Christmas decoration: dressed bottles

ελληνικό κείμενο

In Tuesday's post I showed how I decorated my mantel. Today I will show you how I made the two bottles I used for it.

Christmas decoration: a frame

ελληνικό κείμενο

Today I will show you a Christmas project that is rather traditional in style. The ribbon I used was sent to me by Abakhan Fabrics, to make a special tutorial with it, and the exchange was arranged via Totally Tutorials blog. 

Rustic Christmas star tutorial

ελληνικό κείμενο

Since the weekend is ahead, here's a small tutorial for a rustic Christmas ornament in case you feel the urge to make something.

How to make pom pom Christmas ornaments (and a few thoughts)

ελληνικό κείμενο

It's November the sixteenth already. Which means that Christmas isn't very far. To tell the truth I don't like decorating my home too early, and by early I mean earlier than a month before Christmas. I detest festive shop windows in late October. I remember that when I was little my parents used to decorate our Christmas tree only a few days before Christmas. Then little by little the habits changed. Of course as someone who wants to make his own decoration I need to get organized early so I won't let unfinished projects because of lack of time, which I do most of times. This year I will try to accomplish what I want on time.

Therefore I officially call the beginning of festive period here on A few pretty things.

How to make organic style fabric flowers

ελληνικό κείμενο

Last weekend was very hot, it seemed like summer was still here, we even went swimming.  But it was a perfectly autumnal day yesterday, exactly as days are supposed to be in October, with clouds and fresh wind and even a few drops of rain, which put me in the mood for making something. So I came up with these no sew organic style flowers.

How to make patterned birdies to decorate your wall.

ελληνικό κείμενο


 My wall in the dining room needed some color, so I decided to make some patterned birdies to decorate it.

I started by drawing on paper the bird parts, a branch and two leaves.

I chose some colorful papers with various patterns.

I cut the colorful papers using the bird drawings as patterns. I used different paper for every part of the birds, the branch and the leaves.

I also cut the bird patterns on cardboard, the kind architects use to make models. It comes in various thicnesses and you can choose the one you like.

I glued the patterned papers on the right place on the cardboard. Ideally if you want to hang your birds in a wall colored other than white, before glueing the patterned papers on the cardboard,  you should paint the edge of the cardboard birds with the color you used for your wall, or at least a similar color, they will look better.

I used buttons as eyes and I glued the birds on the wall using blue tack.

A very quick and easy project

 ελληνικό κείμενο

This is a spot in my living room. I love the combination of brown and acqua but I had the feeling it needed a drop of  a warm, cheerful color to add some life to it.

So I took a branch from the garden and colorwashed it with white acrylic without covering completely its surface with color.

I bought some orange pom poms from a sewing supplies store. You can make your own if you have some wool, read how here. 

With a few drops of fabric glue I glued the pom poms on the branch. I have a blooming  branch in my vintage coffee pot now and I like this shelf  more.
 

Even a tiny balcony deserves to be pretty

 ελληνικό κείμενο

It 's been a hot day. You worked for many hours in the city but now, late in the afternoon  you are back at home sweaty and exhausted by the high temperatures. You make yourself a drink and head to the garden where you collapse in a comfortable chair in the shadow of a tree. Time to relax, you think. The blue reflections of the swimming pool are tickling your eyes....and then you wake up in your small apartment with your miserable tiny balcony. Don't get despaired, with the right moves you can have your little corner of paradise too. Maybe you won't be able to have a party with many guests but at least you 'll have a cool spot to drink your coffee or read a book. Think about the positive aspect of the situation, since your balcony is so small you can make it on a very tight budget.
First you 'll need plants. Unfortunately you won't find gardening advice in this blog because all I know about plants is that they need watering. Anyway, suppose you get some plants. Now you have to place them somewhere. Υour balcony may be of minimum surface, but there are some walls and railings normally. So you have one solution: go vertical! Mount your flower pots on the walls or hang them on the railings, so that they leave the floor free. Hanging baskets, shelves and vertical flower pot racks make space for your plants without taking up much surface of your balcony. Small side tables and stools in the corners can do the job as well.

 via Apartment Therapy 

picture by pimpelwit-styling

picture by EDWW day dae

 Here's a great idea that will save you space and allow you to have your own herb garden in a small balcony.

via sprig

Cans painted in striking colors is something you can make yourself and will add a mediterranean look to your balcony.

picture by Happy Sleepy

A new trend in gardening is vertical gardens, a wooden frame with soil and vegetation which can be hang on a wall. 

picture by Jill Clardy

and more examples

on Flora's Blog 

A ladder leaned against the wall could provide you with some additional space to put flower pots and some decorative accessories.

found on Viva Terra

Here you can find a tutorial to make easily a vertical stand for flower pots which will allow you to have flowers in you balcony but also save you space. 

Now that you have plants but still some space left you will need furniture so you can sit and enjoy the results of your labor. Choose a table and chairs that don't take up much space, folding furniture is ideal. Don't use your balcony to store away broken or mismatched furniture unless you are sure the mix is pretty. 

via Home Guide

via Flourish

 picture by ambrayasmin

What your balcony lacks in surface must gain it in style. Add color by using colorful flower pots, accessories and fabrics.

via Better Homes and Gardens 

Έτσι απλά  (Etsi apla)  magazine

picture by de zus

Then you have to add some things that will make your balcony a special place to spend some time in.


Some ethnic additions like a Buddha statuette

 picture by designerscall

or moroccan pottery

 found on E-Mosaic

will give an exotic style to your balcony.

It doesn't have to cost you much, it could be as simple as a collection of food tin cans to use as planters or vases,
  

via Mary You Me 

or pebbles you collected last summer

picture by robep 

But your work won't be finished until you light up your candles and lanterns 

 via Craftynest

picture by Tarkeena 

because the point here is to create the right mood that will carry you away, no matter how many square meters are available.

Have you tried it yet, to make the most out of a tiny balcony? I'd love to see some pictures.

How to make a wall hanging from doilies

ελληνικό κείμενο

Despite my last post, I 'm still here. Moving was postponed, because due to the work it requires, it can't be done now. But still, I made some changes . I refreshed my blog's appearance and separated it to two sections, one with only English text and one with only Greek text. It looks more right this way and it' s easier to read.

I also made something to decorate my home. I thought I could use some of those doilies my mother kept hidden in her closets -she didn't like them much either. She was very surprised when I asked her to bring me some.

When I emptied the bag, I was thinking of what I could make with them.  Then I remembered of that wall in my dining room which is quite empty and decided to make a wall hanging to decorate it.

I boiled equal quantities of sugar and water

and after the syrup cooled down, I completely soaked the doilies in it,

then I laid them on baking paper and waited with patience for them to get dry .

 The method proved to be very effective, it stiffened the doilies without altering their appearance. Moreover, if you change your mind, all you have to do is wash the doilies and they return to their previous situation.

I used small copper rings, as they wouldn't show against my brown wall,  to link 5 doilies and just one pin to hang the wall hanging.

If you republish this tutorial or/and photos, please put a link back to this blog.