Crafty DIY Round Up June 19, 2011

Crafty DIY Round Up June 19, 2011

Fragrant Herbal Firestarters

One of the most fun parts about summer outdoor fun are bonfires. But we’ve all had that experience of sitting around the fire and not being able to keep it going. Whole living offers this easy remedy to the dying fire, by creating fire starter wraps out of newspaper, pinecones and dried herbs. Just throw them on the fire and it will be blazing in no time. A great project for kids on a camping trip, or for your backyard fire pit, it’s a chemical free alternative to other fire starters and totally safe.  And it also makes a great way to rid your yard from all of the excess pinecones!

DIY Vintage Book Envelope

Here used as a wedding invitation, this DIY how-to shows how to create a unique, one of a kind envelope from an old children’s book. With just a little bit of cutting and folding, a ruler and a glue stick, you can send these awesome envelopes for invitations, graduation cards, thank you’s, or to revive the snail mail greeting card. It’s super easy to do, totally eco friendly, and a great resource for an Etsy seller or any other kind of creative connoisseur.

Jersey Knit Bracelet

Tutorials on how to “Transform a Tee-shirt” have been absolutely viral this week, and this tutorial is no exception. We’ve all seen the 20 dollar woven cotton summer bracelets at American Eagle, J Crew, Gap, Anthro…but you can create your own here for free! Using an old tee-shirt learn how to weave these trendy bracelets using your fingers as a loom. There are three demos here for demos of how to use two, three, and four fingers to get woven bracelets in varying lengths. Make them pop by using the bright colors of summer 2011, switch it up with a funky printed shirt, or mix and match different colors together. Soon enough your friends will be asking “Where did you get that?!

Eraser Stamps

Stamping and print making has always been left to the linoleum blocks in the artist studio, but did you know you can design your own stamps out of an eraser? Using just an exacto-kinfe, some paint, and your imagination this simple project will transform the way you make cards, packaging for your Etsy products, ect. Or take a leaf out of the book of this post and try your hand at creating your own gift wrap! Just be sure that your image is raised up enough from the rest of the eraser that it will make an impression, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

Paper Bag Pinwheels

This season pinwheels are trending as one of the hottest ideas for summer décor. Not just limited to (But still great for) a child’s toy, beautiful, handcrafted pinwheels have become table centerpieces, gift toppers, party decorations, hanging garlands, and even wedding bouquets. This easy demo shows how to make cute summer pinwheels out of paper bags, a great project for the home, or just for fun! Check out the article for tips and plenty of ideas on how to decorate with your recycled pinwheel.