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Tutorials

Decorating

customizing a winter/Christmas wreath | Christmas decorating

Earlier this week, I showed how I made this full, fluffy Christmas/winter wreath out of two thinner wreaths.  Not only did it add fullness to the wreath, but it added more texture.  You can read all about it and see a video tutorial on how I did it HERE.  The two wreaths I used were and . I really loved the wreath without any additional decoration, but I thought it would be fun to customize it further.  I used things I already had on hand – sprigs of faux greenery, dried orange slices, and a blue and white checked ribbon.  You can see how to dry and decorate with orange slices HERE. I bought the ribbon from Hobby Lobby last year and I wasn’t able to find it online, but here are a few nice alternatives… JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.   The

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crafts

my top 15 favorite Christmas crafts

Last year, I was particularly in the mood to get crafty for Christmas.  Some years, I just want to focus on big-picture decorating, but last year, it was the details that captured my attention and I really loved it.  I have already dried my oranges and bought the ingredients to make some new salt dough ornaments, so I am ready to start making things!  If you’re feeling that same pull, I hope this curated list of fifteen of my favorite Christmas crafts I’ve made over the years will get your wheels turning… favorite christmas crafts | one | salt dough ornaments I bought some cookie molds on a whim off of an Instagram ad and it felt like it might’ve been a purchase I would regret.  I ended up using those molds to make salt dough ornaments and cinnamon salt dough ornaments and I absolutely love how they turned out. 

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All Things Home

custom living room blackout curtains

As I’ve shared over the past couple of weeks, I have to bounce between things that need to be done that aren’t super exciting (like organizing the basement and wiping wallpaper glue off the walls) and things that flex my creativity and are fun.  By jumping between the two, I feel like I’m productive, moving the needle in the things that need to be done, but I’m also staying motivated and feeling fulfilled.  It’s a delicate balance but it seems to be working.  Aside from a few boxes in out-of-the-way places, we are unpacked and able to live comfortably in the house.  We’ve made the sprint and can now slow to a comfortable jog for the next few years to bring this house to where we envision it.  One of the fun things (whether sewing is fun is debatable) I worked on last week was making custom blackout curtains for

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All Things Home

how to make a custom pleated lampshade cover | video tutorial

When I shared that I wanted to cover the lampshades in my family room, several people asked if I would share my method.  I have covered lampshades in the past, but I don’t think I’ve ever done it the same way twice.  I’ve used peel-and-stick lampshades.  I’ve adhered fabric to a shade using spray adhesive.  I’ve hot glued fabric and/or trim, sewed lampshade slipcovers, and painted tired shades.  I feel like I might win at a game of DIY lampshade cover Bingo.  So, I’ve learned a lot along the way about what works and looks nice and what looks like a DIY lampshade cover.  Before getting to the family room lampshades, which are a bit of a tricky shape, I decided to test out some things on a couple of simpler lampshades.  I made a mini pleated cover for a drum shade and a wider pleated cover for an empire

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Crochet & Knitting Patterns

selbu mitten knitting tutorial | parts three & four

Well, it took me a little while, but I finally got around to editing the final video in the Selbu mitten knitting tutorial.  I really hope this is a helpful tutorial for those who, like me, always, wanted to make something like this.  You learn so many knitting skills when working on a mitten like this, so it’s easy to move on to other projects like socks, more details hats, and (dare I say) even sweaters!  I don’t know if I’ll ever have the patience and perseverance to make a sweater, but I like little projects like mittens and socks that take a few hours and still look pretty impressive. In case you missed it, you can find the first two parts of this Selbu mitten knitting tutorial below… Selbu Mitten Tutorial Part 1 | Materials, Working on Double Pointed Needles, Casting On, & Starting the Cuff Selbu Mitten Tutorial

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All Things Home

how to remove wallpaper glue from walls

When you do an internet search for “how to remove wallpaper glue from walls”, you end up finding all sorts of articles that suggest all manner of mixtures to rewet glue and remove it from a wall.  I read a lot of those articles as I needed to wash wallpaper glue off of the walls of our primary bedroom and was hoping to get it done before having new hardwood floors installed.  I learned, though, that most of these articles aren’t written by people who have or are in the process of washing wallpaper glue off of their walls.  It’s missing the angst that comes along with doing this unenjoyable and discouraging DIY project.  It’s also missing the combination of products, materials, tools, and techniques that actually work to remove the glue and prepare the walls for painting. Since I just spent the better part of last week doing this

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Crochet & Knitting Patterns

Selbu mitten knitting tutorial | part two | colorwork

Is anyone knitting selbu mittens along with me?  I spent the weekend working on the mitten I’m filming for the tutorial, which was a nice activity given that I’ve been ordered to stay off my foot.  I gave several pairs as gifts to friends and family this year, but I still have a few more pairs to make, which is why I’m getting a head start as we start heading into fall.  (I wish the weather felt more like fall.  I am over the humidity.)  Anyway, this post and video are part two of the selbu/nordic mitten knitting tutorial.  In this video, we’ll get into colorwork knitting.  I’ll show how to start the pattern and how to make increases for the thumb. You can find the selbu mitten knitting tutorial part one HERE.  In that post and video, we review the materials, cast on, learn how to work on double-pointed

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Crochet & Knitting Patterns

Selbu Mitten Knitting Tutorial | Part One

I started making Selbu mittens last year and several people asked if I could make a comprehensive selbu mitten knitting tutorial, so here it is!  It’s still in the 90s outside, but if you want to make these for yourself or to give as gifts, it’s nice to get a headstart.  Since it’s a process with several steps, I will break this tutorial up into a series of videos and blog posts.  These mittens take me about 6-8 hours to make, but I am not a very fast knitter.  People who have more streamlined mechanics can probably crank these out faster! If you’re new to knitting Selbu (Norweigian/Scandinavian) Mittens, I would suggest checking out this post as a resource before you get started – Making Selbu Mittens |Tips for Beginners. I’ll reiterate some tips and encouragement here, though.  First of all, making mittens might seem intimidating and these selbu mittens

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I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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