Link Love: DIY Antlers

January 16, 2015 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

It’s time for a somewhat unusual link love post, but unusual in the best way. Because, quite frankly, these craft projects are actually becoming more and more common and we don’t hate them. In fact, there are plenty of reasons crafting with antlers is actually quite amazing.

Some things to note before you send PETA after me.

Deer, and other antlered animals, shed their antlers naturally
Some, if not all, of the projects below can be made using fake antlers (plastic, plaster, etc) that you can probably find online somewhere
I don’t like hunting. I am not supporting killing deer in any way at all.

These antler projects are trending all over the place. I’ve seen antlers in home decor magazines and there are TONS of painted antlers on Etsy that are simply gorgeous. These diy antler projects will inspire you to use this renewable resource in your home decor. I like to think of it as a “rustic meets modern” sort of project. We can all see the natural element in these antler craft ideas and by bringing nature indoors, we are admiring and bringing beauty in our homes. Appreciate the natural and abstract shape of antlers and embrace the uniqueness of each one. Plus, there are even diy faux antlers that you can try to make. Learn how to make antlers with paper mache or even clay and you’ll love the result. Painting deer antlers is just one way to make these natural pieces a little more urban and chic. It’s time to make deer antlers a part of your home decor this year.

Antler Necklace DIY from Always Rooney
DIY Paper Mache Deer Antlers from PoppyQuinn
DIY Antler Jewelry Organizer from Southern Architectress
Mounted Antlers from Paisley Wallpaper
DIY Antler Wreath from Primitive and Proper
Pallet Antler Wall Art from Megan Brooke Handmade
Deer Antler Artwork from Uniquely Yours…or Mine!
DIY: Antler Jewelry Holder from The Yellow Postcard
Antler Coat Rack from Camille Styles

What do you think of the DIY antler trend?

14 DIY Rug Ideas for Barefoot Living

August 11, 2014 by FaveCrafts 1 Comment

“Take off your shoes and stay awhile.” That’s what my mom always say and it always guests into friends and family. Is there anything better than taking off your uncomfortable work boots or high heels and stepping onto something soft. With these tutorials, you can learn how to make a rug that will make your feet feel pampered and refreshed. Although it may not compare to the feeling of sand or cool water, soft rugs can provide instant comfort to hardwood or tile floors. These rugs are ideal for anywhere in the house that might need a little extra home décor.

Don’t overlook the floor when you’re busy making the house into a home. Your feet will certainly appreciate the variety of DIY rugs ideas that you can crochet, sew, and even paint. Use a DIY cheap rug to catch the drips from the kitchen sink. Enjoy the feel of a new DIY bath rug as you step out of the shower. Also, don’t forget to make a special rug meant for four legs with a special project for your pets.

DIY Rugs Ideas to Crochet

The most popular way to learn how to make a rug is by getting out your crochet hooks and stitching one together. With these tutorials, you can make rugs to fit any floor space you have. Learn how to make hexagonal rugs, oval rugs, or rectangle rugs. You can also create a rug to fit any color scheme you desire. Crocheting your own rug is much cheaper and easier than hunting for the perfect rug at the store.

Other Easy DIY Rugs

Of course, crocheting isn’t the only way to learn how to make a rug. Here are a few easy rugs that you can create using other crafting mediums. Get ready to stitch, paint, and knit your way to easy barefoot living with these fun tutorials.

What is your favorite DIY rug technique?

19 Ways to Give New Life to Old Furniture

July 28, 2014 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

Is your garage filled with your beloved thrift store finds? If you’re like me, you may have an old cabinet in the corner just waiting to be used…or maybe some old chairs that you picked up at a garage sale or an old dresser in your bedroom that was passed on to you that is just begging for a makeover. Well, it’s time to start giving that furniture the love it deserves!

Filled with 19 amazing suggestions for transforming old furniture into new pieces that will help beautify your home, How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects, is a must-have free eBook for DIY’ers of all kinds. Brought to you by FaveCrafts and DecoArt, this eBook teaches readers how to use Chalky Paint to completely transform your furniture. Add character to an old dresser or paint a cabinet to give it that well-worn look. Complete with instructions, tutorials, how-to’s, and even an interactive shopping list, this eBook is all you need to help you start looking at your furniture in a whole new way.

Download your own copy of How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects for free today!

Tables and Chairs

An old end table can be transformed into a nursery room staple with the help of this Gorgeous Starry Side Table tutorial. Great for holding all of baby’s essentials, this cute table is easy to make and would look great in any baby’s room. Sometimes it’s hard to find a table that’s unique to your nursery theme or that really stands out, but with the helpful tutorials and lessons you’ll find in How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects, you’ll be able to make a table that best suits your needs!

Download your own copy of How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects for free today!

Bookcases and Dressers

Give your old bookshelf an instant makeover with the tutorials and projects you’ll find in this section of How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects. By simply adding color to the backing of your bookshelf, you can create an awesome design element that would look striking in any room. Take this Thrifty Chevron Bookcase, for example. The simple chevron pattern on the back of the bookshelf really makes this furniture piece pop with color and style…and you can create this look with any color combination you’d like! Storage doesn’t have to be boring. Store books, pictures, and other nick knacks in plain sight by decorating the furniture piece that holds them.

Download your own copy of How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects for free today!

You can find these projects and so many more in our new free eBook, How to Paint Furniture: 19 Upcycled Furniture Projects. Download your own free copy today, and start looking at your furniture in a whole new way!

BONUS! As an added bonus, we’re giving away $280 worth of DecoArt supplies, including 29 jars of Crafty Finish paint! You have until August 24th to enter, and you can enter to win once a day…so the more you return, the greater your chances of winning this awesome giveaway! Head on over to the giveaway page and register to win today!

What DIY tips do you have to share when it comes to working with thrift store finds? What do you look for? What is your favorite product to buy? Share your crafty wisdom with us!

18 Ways to Use Embroidery Hoops

July 11, 2014 by FaveCrafts 1 Comment

One of my earliest crafting memories is learning how to use the embroidery hoop. My great-grandmother, who was a master sewist and knitter, had a large assortment of embroidery hoops that she gave to my mom after she moved to Florida. My mom spent several days teaching me how to use the embroidery hoop and how to sew and embroider patterns onto fabric. I had remembered watching my great-grandmother embroider and I loved the poetry of her movement…how she effortlessly created all kinds of embroidered napkins, pillowcases, and handkerchiefs by simply pulling a needle and thread through the fabric.

When I got old enough, I created my very first embroidered pattern, which was a haphazard dedication to Harry Potter. When I stumbled upon this project a few years ago, it brought me to tears and I instantly hung it above my bookshelf, where it sits today.

As I sat looking at one of the first things I ever remember making, I wondered what else I could do with my great-grandma’s embroidery hoops. I have a variety of hoops in different sizes…so I did some exploring and gathered up a few of my favorite embroidery hoop projects for you to enjoy! Whether you use them to embroider or decorate your home, these plastic and wooden hoops can do wonders for your home decor. Projects like the Jolly JOY Ornaments make for a quick and easy Christmas decoration…and the Embroidery Hoop Bulletin Board is a great way to keep your life organized.

No matter how you use them, these fun embroidery hoop ideas are sure to give you a reason to dig those old hoops out of your craft stash! Enjoy!

18 Ways to Use Embroidery Hoops

How do you use embroidery hoops in your crafting life?

8 Patterned Pillow Tutorials We Want You to See

June 8, 2014 by AllFreeSewing 2 Comments

You’ve got to admit, pillow tutorials to sewists are mugs to a regular Joe. No matter how many of them you have, you can’t help yourself from collecting one every time it catches your eye. We understand, and we’re here to enable you even more. The editors at AllFreeSewing happen to adore an easy pillow tutorial (and mugs, in fact), and today we’re featuring 8 Patterned Pillow Tutorials We Want You to See.

You won’t find these DIY pillow designs on AllFreeSewing just yet; they’re newly discovered and we’re absolutely in love with them. Best of all, all eight of these handmade pillow tutorials are totally on trend with the latest fad of prints and patterns. Super stylish patterned pillows allow you to keep the major pieces in your house, like couches and chairs, timeless and neutral. Instead of picking a print for your love seat that you’ll hate ten years from now, stick with a solid color and infuse life into your home with DIY pillows. Small but strong accents like those created by these pillows’ prints can keep a room’s décor from feeling overwhelmed and busy while still appearing fresh.

Take a look at the latest in pillow fashion and get inspired to pile on the prints!

What do you think? Do you love these DIY pillow patterns? Are they causing you to jump from your computer, grab your pillows, and refashion them with loud and lovely prints? Maybe you lack the enthusiasm that the editors at AllFreeSewing do for such home dec designs as pillows and pillowcases, but we hope you at least feel inspired to go forth and create from this roundup of pillow ideas. If anything, they’re easier to store than mugs 

Win a copy of Kate Smith’s newest collection of crafting tutorials, Makery.

Love making accessories for your home and friends? Then you will absolutely LOVE this adorable book. Full of fun, fancy, cute, creative, and absolutely do-able projects, Kate Smith’s Makery is a crafter’s dream. Enter to win a copy today! Contest ends on June 23rd, 2014 at 11:59:59 P.M. Eastern time.

Do you DIY any of your home dec?

Mad for Monograms

March 17, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts 1 Comment

When I was little my mother would put my initials in just about everything. This prevented the inevitable “Is this mine?” confusion that happens when every kid has the same lunch box, jacket, mittens, etc. While monogramming has been around forever, I’ve noticed in the past few weeks that it’s truly been trending.

Everywhere I turn there seems to be another tutorial on how to proudly display your initials, with everything from monogrammed jewelry (something that seems to be particularly popular at the moment), to mugs and homemade Christmas ornaments. My Pinterest has been flooded with monogrammed coasters, pillows, bags, and necklaces. Even my Etsy newsletters have been filled with monogrammed home decor and jewelry.

With school graduations coming up, and wedding and baby shower season kicking into high gear (I like to call this time of year “Milestone Season”), I thought it might be fun to share some fun ways to make something personal for the special people in your life. In my opinion there’s truly nothing better than receiving a homemade gift. Even if it’s not perfectly crafted, it holds so much more meaning knowing that the person spent time creating something so thoughtful. After all, it’s the thought that counts!

Monogramming goes even one step farther, making it personal for them as well! Just think how perfect a monogrammed pillow or wall decoration would be for your graduate, or some monogrammed glasses or coasters would be for a pair of newlyweds. Let’s go mad for monograms with the help of these wonderful tutorials!

DIY Home Decor:

DIY Jewelry:

More monogrammed crafts!

Looking for more homemade gifts?

Check out the book Simple Gifts: 50 Little Luxuries to Craft, Sew, Cook and Knit and win a copy from AllFreeChristmasCrafts! The contest runs until March 25, 2014, don’t miss out on your chance to win!

Link Love: DIY Antlers

What do you think of the DIY antler trend?

14 DIY Rug Ideas for Barefoot Living

DIY Rugs Ideas to Crochet

Other Easy DIY Rugs

What is your favorite DIY rug technique?

19 Ways to Give New Life to Old Furniture

18 Ways to Use Embroidery Hoops

18 Ways to Use Embroidery Hoops

How do you use embroidery hoops in your crafting life?

8 Patterned Pillow Tutorials We Want You to See

Take a look at the latest in pillow fashion and get inspired to pile on the prints!

Win a copy of Kate Smith’s newest collection of crafting tutorials, Makery.

Do you DIY any of your home dec?