let's make coastal accents with seashell pasta

Happy Summer! Welcome to my Let's Make Sunday Series where I'm sharing easy peasy projects. I live in the Ocean State and love spending time not only at the beaches but wandering the local stores. Aside from t-shirt shops (I have way too many whale and anchor-motif long-sleeves) my faves are places that sell either beautiful coastal decor or on the other end of the spectrum – kitschy souvenir shops – the junkier the better! If your summer vaca plans look a bit different this year, you can still make yourself some seaside accessories and here's how:

One of these things is not like the other. Can you guess which one? It's the can – covered in sea shell pasta and spray painted white!

You will need:
A base (tin can, flat frame, foam wreath, etc.)
Seashell pasta
School glue
White spray paint

Attach shells with glue, let dry, and then bring outside to give a few coats of white spray paint. Here's a step-by-step from the Camp Tinker archives: click here.

Here's a mirror from IKEA given the seashell pasta treatment.

This project was meant to be in my second book Seaside Tinkered Treasures but didn't make the trek to the UK in one piece despite two shipping attempts! Use the same application of shell pasta and glue and white spray paint on a styrofoam wreath form.

People mistake this for real shells most every time! Use to hold pens, flowers, plastic cutlery... what a fun idea to decorate for the Fourth of July!

Happy tinkering + please stay safe at home + well!

xo
elyse

*Looking for copies of my books? Please consider first checking your local independent bookstore or try Barnes & Noble before buying from a big retailer like Amazon. Shop small, buy local.

let's make cottage style god's eyes

Happy Summer! Welcome to my Let's Make Sunday Series where I've resumed blogging since March to share easy projects. Many of us will be having a home-based summer and need to find ways to make the everyday special, so my plan is to post grown-up twists on summer camp faves. As always, the makes presented will be simple and fun, using things you are likely to already have or are not difficult to find. 

Welcome to Camp Tinker! Today we're making that staple of summertime arts and crafts: the God's Eye or Ojo de Dios. To give it cottage style or a shabby spin, we're using strips of cotton fabric instead of yarn or twine resulting in a rustic home accent.

You will need:
2 sticks or twigs
Scissors
Scraps of fabric

I foraged around outside and found a nice thin stick which I snapped into two equal pieces.

Prep
Next, I snipped the edge of a length of fabric and tore a strip about a half inch wide. You will need many of these strips – which you can prep by tearing all at once – or rip along as you go. Tie each fabric end to the next and knot resulting in a single long strip. Place the sticks into an equal cross. Tie the fabric strip into a knot at the center of one of the sticks

Working clockwise from the center knot, wrap the fabric around the stick, rotate and do the same to the next stick. Once you begin to get the hang of it, it will be like turning a steering wheel, wrapping the fabric around and under as you go.

I hope these images will help but if they don't – there are many tutorials to be found with a simple Google search. They will most likely use yarn but the method is the same.

I didn't want my finished piece to be too large, so I snapped all four branch ends. Once completed, I knotted the final strip to another piece hidden in the back. Tie a final fabric strip to one of the sticks and knot into a loop for hanging. 

The resulting woven pattern is very pretty. I used a few different fabrics, mostly pinks and whites with rose motifs, but the possibilities are endless.

Happy tinkering + please stay safe at home + well, campers!

established july 2, 2012

xo
elyse

let's make a desk set from wallpaper

Hello! Welcome to my Let's Make Sunday Series where I'm sharing easy projects to make from things you are likely to already have at home. I recently developed a post for the Laura Ashley USA blog using their Peonies Dark Blush wallpaper for some of all-time favorite tinkering projects: a pencil cup, decorated clothespins, a book cover, even a desk blotter.

Rather than my recreating the post here, let's go on a field trip! 
http://blog.lauraashleyusa.com/pretty-organized-wallpaper-desk-supplies/

No wallpaper? Use your favorite paper for any of these projects {but it sure is pretty!}.

Happy tinkering + please stay safe at home + well!

xo
elyse

PS
Find me on Instagram at @elyse.press.major

let's make postcards

Hello! Welcome to my Let's Make Sunday Series where I'm sharing easy projects to make from things you are likely to already have at home. During this time, it's especially nice to reach out to people in various ways so I thought it would be fun to make postcards.

This project starts humbly using thin cardboard boxes from food and drink packaging.

You will need:
Empty cardboard package
Glue
Paper
Ruler
Scissors
Tape

Most postcards seem to measure at 4x6 inches so I hunted through the recycling bin and found boxes from graham crackers and seltzer that were graphically pleasing on their own. I flattened the boxes, opened them up at the seams, and then measured and cut into 4x6" rectangles.

Using an existing postcard as my guide, I flipped each card to the brown cardboard side and drew a line to set aside space for postage and the recipient's address. If you like the graphics on the front, your postcard is ready to write and send.

I decided to cover the packaging side with white paper to conceal the graphics, creating a blank canvas on which to decorate with a collage of paper scraps and stickers.

When you make things with paper, even the scrappy mess is pretty!

I added a few stickers to my collage, too. Be sure that any paper flaps are secured with glue or even clear tape so that your masterpiece doesn't arrive torn.

You can even buy post card stamps online.

This project appears in my second book Seaside Tinkered Treasures (CICO Books) as Cracker Box Postcards on page 80.

Surprise someone with a postcard. I'm sure they'll be glad you did. 

Happy tinkering + please stay safe at home + well!

xo
elyse

*Looking for copies of my books? Please consider first checking your local independent bookstore or try Barnes & Noble before buying from a big retailer like Amazon. Shop small, buy local.