Handmade

Because we know you want plants EVERYWHERE. (We do, too.)

Did you stand in bookstore lines for the newest releases, dress up in robes for midnight premieres, and take every single House quiz? The Harry Potter series enchanted the world when it first came out, and the phenomenon continues to grow through its amazing fandom. We’ve summoned up the best DIYs to keep the magic going. (Just make sure to invite us to your next Harry Potter movie marathon.) The Deathly Hallows mark is so striking that it lends itself to any kind of DIY.

Seeing your face on TV can be an exciting and surreal experience — but if you’re an artist, seeing your work on TV might possibly be even more exciting. Apartment Therapy reader Lauren Williams is a textile designer and artist, and she recently had the honor of seeing her artwork featured on HGTV’s most popular show, Fixer Upper. Here’s how it all happened: Back in August 2017, Lauren was doing a little networking.

Today we’re talking about a popular project that’s burning up Pinterest these days, for good reason. It’s cheap, so easy to make, and turns into fantastic home decor in minutes. It’s knotted cord decor and it brings great texture and life to your home, no matter what your personal style. According to the Pinterest 100, saves for “paracord” are up 275% this year — which means people have caught on to the beauty of this basic material.

Soap is one of those DIYs I thought would be more complicated than it turned out to be. All the soaps on Pinterest are so beautiful — there was no way they could be easy as well! But with my rapidly growing essential oil collection, and need for some quick holiday gifts, I thought this would be a good way to use them. Before even preparing the soap base, mix your essential oils to preference in a non-reactive container (like glass).

This is my first Christmas with a puppy and I have to admit, I’m in full blown, crazy puppy mom mode. Every time I’m out, I can’t help swinging by the pet section, just in case something begs for me to take it home for pup. But I’m also the do-it-myself type and am excited to make something for my pupper this year. If you are too, take a look at these ideas (for cats, too!) The holidays are full of treats and pets don’t have to be left out.

December is flying by and I, for one, still don’t have my apartment fully decked out with boughs of holly. I am running out of time! Luckily, the DIY bloggers of the world are never short on inspiration and have a myriad of quick project ideas for us to steal. Just look at The Merrythought’s light garland! I love the idea of combining the usual garland pieces with string lights so you’re not left trying to remake a garland each year.

Make naturally festive decorations using what's right outside your door.

An unexpected and festive use for an everyday product.

Mini cocktail kits make perfect gifts because they’re just the right amount of thoughtful, and can be adjusted to fit both the giftee’s tastes and the gifter’s price range. The added genius of this gift is that, the more of them you give, the cheaper they get per unit — if you buy the supplies in bulk. So gift away, and make sure none of your friends (or 30 coworkers) go thirsty this holiday season. To go high end, use top shelf liquor and beautiful boxes.

Tired of decorating your tree with candy canes, snowflakes, and ornaments from the Hallmark Store? This year, deck the halls with piñatas, gumball machines, unicorns, s’mores, and Princess Leias, all made by your own talented hands. Get started on these 14 tutorials now so you can adorn your tree—or presents—with the most creative projects ASAP. Why shouldn’t unicorns be part of the Christmas mythos!

If you’re giving the gift of a bottle of something delicious—wine, beer, homemade syrup, fancy sparkling water—consider sprucing it up with a bit of handmade cheer. These 10 projects range from the classic Wrapped-In-A-Tea-Towel to the delightfully unnecessary Transformed-Into-A-Pineapple… These are so unbelievably gorgeous. You could wrap a case-worth of bottles and use them as decorations until it’s time to give each one away.

Liz Corkery is a Sacramento-based artist who founded and runs Print Club Ltd., an online source for fine art silkscreen prints. Through Print Club, Liz works with other artists to create and sell limited edition works on paper. She has shared some simple instructions for creating your own set of festive greeting cards for the holidays — using a technique that can be used for any kind of design.

When it comes to making your own art, there is no shortage of project ideas. If you have artistic tendencies, you can likely take any idea or inspiration (online or IRL) and turn it into something worthy of that much-coveted spot on your gallery wall. However, if you have less-than-artistic tendencies, those ideas may be more likely to become Pinterest Fails than framed masterpieces. And that’s okay. My advice when it comes to DIY art is this: know your limits.

Meet Liz Corkery, a Sacramento-based artist who founded and runs Print Club Ltd., an online source for fine art silkscreen prints. Through Print Club, Liz works with other artists to create and sell limited edition works on paper, but she also has a deep love for cooking and entertaining so has combined those interests in this beautiful set of hand-printed napkins.

Not everyone is a fan of curtain pull backs and that’s absolutely respectable. I myself am a fan of straight hanging panels. But if you’re drawn to this look or want to give it a try here are 7 DIY projects to inspire you. (Above) Let’s kick things off with these wood bead tie backs. They fit in with the popular Scandi design trend and will cost you less than $15 for the set. If you want to add a little more color, you can always paint or dye the beads before stringing.

Get an early start on the gift giving this year.

If you’ve ever stepped foot into a SoulCycle studio (it’s okay to admit it, this is a safe place…), you’ve been hit with the alluring, invigorating, and obviously soulful scent of Jonathan Adler’s citrusy grapefruit candle. If you’re more like me and consider your daily exercise doing lunges with bags of groceries up 6 flights of stairs at the end of each day, then maybe you haven’t experienced this tantalizing scent…at least not yet.

If you’re one of the many who adopted a shelter animal this month (or even if you’ve had your trusty pal for way longer), it’s important to make sure your new family member feels at home. If you’ve got a crafty bent, you don’t have to rely on what the pet store has to offer — take a look at these diy projects which add style to your home and bring comfort and fun to your pooch.

Fall is a time to pile on comfy textures, introduce richer color palettes, have fun with Halloween decor or just fill your home with pumpkins. The downside? Fresh, seasonal flowers are now few and far between, unless you have a strong passion for mums. Ruffled This stunning paper magnolia bouquet by Lia Griffith was originally made for a summer centerpiece. However, the muted colors definitely are fall-appropriate.

When I was little, I always imagined building forts out of sticks or rafts with ropes to float down the river like the Boxcar Children or Huck Finn – completely not realizing that probably wouldn’t happen in suburban Florida. But I was always drawn to how people could create things with minimal supplies and loads of inventiveness.

Every year, Halloween just gets bigger and bigger. Maybe it’s the subtle pressure of social media that makes everyone want to outdo each other, or maybe it’s just because Halloween offers an endless amount of creativity. Regardless, this October is your time to shine, and we’ve got the most creative costumes to help you live your best life. Above, who wouldn’t want to dress up as a greenhouse like this DIY costume from The House That Lars Built?

When it comes to Halloween, you can truly never go wrong with the classics. Black and orange decor, hand-carved jack-o-lanterns, and fall foliage are the ultimate nostalgia-inducing elements this time of year, and we’re okay with that. So if you’re into tradition, this project is for you. Make your own no-sew felt banner to welcome all the neighborhood witches, warlocks, and monsters for some good old fashioned trick-or-treating!

For the minimal and modern decorator, Halloween decor doesn’t have to scare you. Go for muted tones and more understated details, like this easy to make a celestial moon garland that can easily stay up way past the last trick-or-treater. Air dry clay in white Circular cookie cutter Rolling pin Parchment paper Gold paint Toothbrush Gold jump rings for jewelry 1. On a piece of parchment paper, roll out your air dry clay using a rolling pin. The clay should be about 1/4-inch thick. 2.

What do you get when you mix Edgar Allen Poe and a bit of glam? A bewitching style that’s all about rich blacks, candles, and skulls. And if you’re into skulls, you’ll be into this quick and easy DIY. Using silicon skull molds and plaster, you can add the perfect garland accent to your Halloween spread, or leave it up and keep your glam goth game strong all year long. Plaster of Paris Silicon skull ice mold Eye hooks String Bucket Paint stirrer or similar 1.

Wall weavings have certainly made their way around the DIY and craft circles the last few years, and for good reason. Whether weaving is your job (I mean, just look at the craftsmanship over on Etsy), your lifelong hobby, your meditation device, or just a one-time thing, the results are often stunning. And that, to me, is reason enough to give it a go. If the word “weaving” intimidates you, not to worry.

Spice up your entryway, bedroom, or hallway with a bold statement piece that’s sure to mesmerize and beautify. The blush pink fringe is the perfect pop of color, and the sleek shape has “chic” written all over it. See how to make your own, from cutting your own custom mirror to dip-dyeing the perfect fringe, with this helpful tutorial.

One of the greatest intersections of design happens when function and taste meet. Even more so is finding the sweet spot between functional kid-friendly toys and tasteful decor. In an age full of plastic, heavily-branded games, and now fidget spinners and glitter slime, it’s hard to imagine a world where toys and games can double as home decor. Unless, that is, you purchase an expensive artisanal alternative, or make your own.

I’m seeing blue everywhere these days – kitchen cabinets and islands, sofas, and curtains, to name a few. What about adding those stunning blue hues to your walls? And no, I don’t mean with paint. You may have heard of an old technique called cyanotype printing. It’s been around, well, since the 1800s, and has since stretched from a practical means of making blueprints, all the way to various forms of art in the printmaking and photography world.

I have a confession: Sometimes using power tools scares me. I know – that’s embarrassing for a DIY-er to admit. But I also know, deep down, I can’t be the only one who feels this way. So, what if I told you that you could make this bench with minimal tools and minimal upholstery skills? Seriously, there is no sewing involved.

We’re very much on board with the elementary yet sophisticated look of air-dry clay projects. There’s obviously a reason why this material remains to be popular among DIY enthusiasts, and we agree that this is definitely a materials you should keep on hand for your projects. Need a new planter? Grab some air-dry clay. Want some new serving dishes? More air-dry clay. Not sure what to buy your friend for their birthday?

If you’re the kind of person who loves the look of embroidery, but “can’t even“ with the time it takes to tediously work every single stitch into a project, punch needle might just be for you. Lazy crafter? Punch needle. Can’t ever seem to color inside the lines? Punch needle. Enjoys crafting while sipping a bottle of wine? Pick up a punch needle. Punch needle has been around for a very, very long time.

Terrazzo is coming back in new and exciting ways! Love the modern takes but just want to take a tiny dive? Add some Terrazzo to your kitchen or desk with a mix of DIY Terrazzo magnets! Materials Polymer clay Wax paper Magnets Gel Superglue (like Loctite Gel or Gorilla Glue Superglue Gel) Tools Geometric cutters Step 1. Roll out your base color to approximately ¼-inch thickness on wax paper.

Whether you’re in a prime location to see the solar eclipse or not, this easy wall sconce is a sight to see, and it doesn’t require any protective eye wear. This project is the perfect way to add layers and depth to your home lighting (can anyone say hygge?!). To top it off, it requires absolutely no wiring, and no outlet. Count me in. With the simple push of a button (or remote) you can enjoy your own “eclipse of the home” for far beyond 2 minutes and 40.1 seconds.

There’s a lot to be said for DIYs that meet the ultimate trifecta of projects: affordable, customizable and efficient. I’ll take all three, and I’ll show you how to create custom brass-look decor for your home that won’t break the bank, despite it’s more luxury appearance. So head over to the local craft store, toy store, or Amazon (let’s be real, we’re all headed to Amazon) and make this project in just four easy steps!

Don't let a blah kitchen get you down - pretty it up with one of these DIY projects.

It’s about time to try a new DIY project using a glorious old Italian technique: terrazzo-ing. Is that an official word yet? I think what makes terrazzo so appealing – aside from making great use of remnant materials – is its convertibility and variety. You can customize it numerous ways, from color choices to the scale of the pieces, to the materials you use, which is a dream for creative types.

Plant ladies – and gentlemen – unite! Every houseplant is unique, so shouldn’t their planters be unique, too? With some simple supplies, a spare hour or two, and an itch for creating cool color combos, you can easily craft a playful new look for all of your plants. The coiled cotton piping offers the ultimate neutral base for all of your favorite embroidery floss hues, and it makes this DIY perfect for pairing with all things textured, natural and bright.

Oversized knit blankets crafted from chunky yarn and PVC-pipe needles have been floating around Pinterest for a few years now. And while the finished projects looked amazing, I couldn’t bring myself to buy supplies that would take up any more space in my apartment. But now that needle-free arm knitting has hit the DIY scene, I’m 100% on board with giant knit everything.

Crafting trends ebb and flow just like decor trends come and go, and at the moment, embroidery is enjoying its time in the spotlight—and showing up on everything from jean jackets to tennis rackets. Whether you choose to pick up a needle and thread, or prefer to admire these beauties from afar, we’ve pulled together a sampler of Instagram accounts offering endless stitch-spiration.

The daybed has fallen in and out of favor over the years. It may remind you of lavish palaces and paintings of nobility lounging about, waiting to be hand-fed grapes. However, the piece has made a resurgence in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of small space living. This versatile piece can seat several people, hugs close to the wall to maximize square footage, and can even be used as a bed at night.

Maybe it’s just because I’m a Brooklynite who didn’t grow up during the Victorian era, but when I heard that April 1st is International Tatting Day (don’t laugh), I assumed it was a day to finally get that tattoo you’ve been talking about. As it turns out, the holiday has nothing to do with getting inked, but is actually a day to celebrate lace tatting. That’s right, the art of creating the elegant lace found on dress collars and old-school doilies.

Yes: "Everyone needs a big pile of shawls."

If you grew up as a craft-loving kid, then finger knitting probably reminds you of middle school and summer camp crafts. The process is every bit as easy as you remember (no worries if you need a refresher course, the sources ahead offer plenty), but the projects have gotten a tad more sophisticated. Put down the needles, pick up some fabric yarn, and you’ll have a finished project in under two hours.