Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

I love mason jars so I like any tutorial which gives a good suggestion of how to use one - and I think this soap dispenser is a one of the most useful.

Starburst Mirror

A funky mirror for your kitchen don't you think? It's made from cutlery and a plate - see how to make one on this page.

The Royal Wedding

As I live in the UK, I am obviously very aware of the Royal Wedding tomorrow, and I have to say I do like the Royal family and their quirks so I am looking forward to it (although the weather forecast looks terrible eek :-/)

I think that Wills and Kate (aka William and Catherine) seem lovely and I've never seen a Royal wedding before so this will be a new one on me!

If you'd like to get into the spirit with a Union Jack battenburg cake or other novelty treats, click here for the recipes.

So, are you interested in the wedding? Are you going to be one of the 2 billion (!) who will be watching?

Hanging Garden

Bring the outside in with these DIY hanging plants - click here for the tutorial.

Foam Board Letter Lights

Go here to see how to make these stylish letter lamps.

Doily Lace Lampshade

Very dainty and feminine lampshade made using doilies, which you can make yourself using this tutorial.

Mock TV Dinner

This page has a list of the best food related pranks including the above mock TV dinner.

Honeycomb Shelves

These hexagon shelves are awesome and are pretty simple to do - click here to see for yourself.

Creative Business Card Ideas

If you've got your own creative blog or art/craft business, handmade or embellished business cards are a great idea for making your card stand out from the crowd, and cement your branding (logo, colour scheme etc) into people's minds. You can create your business cards completely from scratch or get them printed professionally before adding your own embellishment, or you can create a completely unique concept/design.

For ideas and a few tutorials, click here.

Neat Pepper Trick

Lavender Scented Bath Tea

These giant tea bags with cute embroidery are a lovely idea for a relaxing soak in the bath. Go here for the instructions.

DIY Piñatas

To learn how to make a pinata as fabulous the fantastic bird, monster and girl ones shown above, go here.

Paper Scrap Light

Find how to make this very striking light with just paper scraps by clicking here.

Ravioli Gadget

I love the idea of the checkered rolling pin gadget shown above, as it's an elegant piece of kit which makes identical and neat ravioli shapes neatly and quickly - cool, huh? Click here for a ravioli recipe to try out, as well as a link to where to buy this gadget.

Envelope Origami

If you send letters through the post and want to save money (or have run out of envelopes), follow these instructions to fold your letter so you won't even need an envelope - very handy!

Disposable Camera Tricks

For 20 creative and simple techniques you can try with a disposable camera, click here. I especially love the double exposure trick and the water damaged film effects.

DIY Asterisk Clock

I love the ultra modern style of this clock and you can make you own for just $10! Go here for the how-to.

Woven Leather Stool

This stool looks very professional, but with the right tools this stool is a straightforward project for anyone to make. Go here for the tute.

Coolest Sculptures

Awesome sculptures from around the world can be viewed on this page, with links to many more fantastic examples of public art.

Geometric Clay Necklace

I think this faceted clay pendant looks very designer-esque, and it's straightforward to make too. There is also a link on the how-to page to a tutorial on making your own faceted clay earrings to match.

Best Pizza Dough

If you want to make your own perfect pizza base at home, try out this recipe - with honey as the magic ingredient.

Fun Face Pillows

This is actually a really easy pillow to make and all you need is felt. The facial features are moveable so it's great fun too!

Go here for the tutorial.

Super Mario Money Bank

This project is quite techy but I think the end result is so geeky-cool! The idea is to make a Super Mario coin block into a real life money bank which shoots a coin out of the top when hit from below - I love it!

Click here for the instructable.

Handmade Seller Interview: Pillow Pallooza

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of Pillow Pallooza on Etsy, a seller of fun and colourful handmade pillows.

How did you get started in your handmade business ?

I've always enjoyed decorating and making things for my home and I find that making pillows is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to transform and update almost any room in the house. When I was first introduced to Eco felt, which is an environmentally friendly felt made of, if you can believe it..... fibers made from recycled plastic bottles ! I was immediately inspired by this humble fabric but I knew the possibilities where endless and I loved how soft it felt. The first pillow I made using Eco felt fabric was for my boys bedrooms. It was an appliqued pillow based on a vintage poster of an actual police practice target: (www.etsy.com/listing/35964302/target-practice-20-x-20-inch-pillow-in) I wanted to experiment further and design fun and unique pillows. Ultimately this inspired and led me to open my online pillow shop on Etsy.

What first made you want to become an artist/crafts person ?

I never had a choice, it was in me right from the beginning. My father (who sadly passed away) was a very talented self taught artist who had a significant influence on me and in many occasions we used to draw and paint together but we were also each others worst critiques. Even before I began to offer my craft for sale I had been producing arts and craft for myself and my family. I find inspiration from within and the art just naturally makes it's way out.

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Having three teenage boys, (20, 18, and 16) at home keeps me quite busy. I like a clean environment and it's how I stay focused, so keeping my home in tip top shape is quite time consuming. I also love to cook and bake so I spend a lot of time preparing healthy home made meals. I especially love to cook eastern mediterranean foods, it's what i grew up with and I do it best to the beat of very loud Israeli, armenian or greek music!

How many different places do you sell from?

Etsy is the only place I sell from, at least for the time being . I have 2 other shops on etsy: thequeenofquitealot.etsy.com and bohemianwhimsey.etsy.com

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Well, this doesn't qualify as "handmade" but rather "footmade". I cherish my kids first shoes! They are tiny and simply adorable and when you look closely you can see their little foot marks printed inside..... now that is priceless !!!

In ten years, where would you like to be?

First, I plan on being in a drier, warmer climate than here in Oregon. Southern California would be just fine. I also expect my children to be settled around me in close proximity.

If you had to recommend one movie, which perhaps isn’t so well known, which one would it be?

I have so many favorites its hard for me to pick just one. I love to watch foreign movies and especially old movies from the 30's and early 40's. There is one particular movie that I've watched maybe a dozen times called Johnny Stecchino, directed and played by Italian actor Roberto Benigni. Now if you like watching Woody Allen movies then you're going to like Benigni's movies.

What is your favorite part of your handmade business?

Honestly, I love every part of it but my absolute favorite would be the finishing touches and when I finally insert the pillow form and it takes shape.

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

That's easy but I would want to have 2 super powers. The ability to speak any language at any given time and to time travel so I can travel back to when my kids where babies and I can kiss them a million gazzilion times with no resistance on their part.

What is your earliest memory of creating something you were proud of?

When I was in 6th grade I carved out a tea set out of plain class room chalk. It was the cutest thing but unfortunately my art teacher thought so too and she kept it.

Any other handmade shops you’d like to recommend?

tushtush.etsy.com

dazzlinglanna.etsy.com

unearthed.etsy.com

www.sweetwaterfarmfurniture.com/

Arty Panda Bread

I'd not seen designs in bread before, but then I saw these awesome panda loaves!

If you want to see how it's done, click here and here.

Guerilla & Flashmob Street Art

Guerilla street art is art that springs up as if from nowhere - usually overnight - in public places to help brighten your day. I particularly like the 'yarn bombing' idea where knitted decorations are attached to trees, benches, lamp posts etc for an awesome effect, like on the tree shown above.

Click here for more examples of spontaneous street installations and other fun ideas.

Suitcase Table

I think vintage suitcase tables are absolutely charming, and this tutorial shows you how to convert your own suitcase into furniture.

Trendy Lamp

This light looks like something out a designer store, but you can make it yourself using these instructions. Cool!

Felt Light-Up Houses

I love these little felt houses with or without tealights in them, and they make clever use of fabric stiffener. Click here for the how-to.

DIY Shoe Tie

This amusing little DIY shows you how to dress your shoes smartly with a detachable tie!

Moss Photo Frame

For instructions on making this lovely moss covered frame, click here.

Handmade Seller Interview: RACHELelise

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of RACHELelise on Etsy, a seller of beautiful bags and satchels that are right up my street!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm Rachel, a recent college graduate and newlywed. I work at home on my bag business full-time and enjoy cooking, traveling, and lounging around when I'm not busy sewing up a storm.

How did you get started in your handmade business?

I've been sewing since I was in grade school, and when I got to college, I started selling handmade tote bags at a local coffee shop to earn a little extra cash. I got a really good response from the community, and someone told me about Etsy; I started selling on Etsy during college, and by the time I graduated, it was a full-time job!

What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson?

I really love creating and knew that I would always find satisfaction in working for myself and being allowed to be creative on my own terms.

Apart from crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time curled up on the couch with my husband and our cat. Relaxing after a long day of sewing is the best! I also enjoy reading, cooking, and eating cheeseburgers.

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?

I've been doing crafts since I was allowed to use safety scissors. I come from a long line of artsy/craftsy folks, and I carry on the tradition proudly. I started sewing, specifically, 12 years ago, and I've been selling online for 3 years.

How many different places do you sell from?

Etsy is the most consistent market for me year around. In the spring and fall, I take part in a lot of trade/craft shows in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. You can get information on those shows at my website: www.rachelelise.com. I also sell wholesale to boutiques, mostly in the U.S., but sometimes internationally.

Have any pets?

I have a cat named Dagny that likes to sleep in the window of my studio while I sew.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Pretty simple- It's my first and middle name. I always liked the way they sounded together. The name confuses some people, though... they always ask if it's my maiden name, or if I'm "Rachel" or "Elise"... I'm both! :) Every once in a blue moon, I run into another Rachel Elise, and we get really excited haha.

What would your dream job be?

I have my dream job! Yay!

What are three tools in your workspace that you could not live without?

My Bernina sewing machine, for one. My mom got it for me when I turned 13... I'm 22 now, and it's still a trooper! Second would be my super-fantastic spring-loaded fabric scissors. I cut a lot of canvas and vinyl, and they are a life saver! The third is a custom table that my friends Shelley and Vaughan built for me. It's great for cutting out bags, designing bags, and has built-in storage for bags that are in the shop, waiting to be sold!

Any other handmade shops you’d like to recommend?

HomeAgain2 - They don't a have a lot in their Etsy right now, but these are the folks that made the awesome worktable for my studio. They make amazing furniture and are great people on top of that!

IndieThrift - Melissa is super nice and makes adorable accessories!

ZenAndCoffee - Wren makes beautiful and unique gloves. She made a pair for me to wear at my wedding, and I got so many compliments!

Crafts for Men to Make

I'm very aware that most of the crafts posted on the internet and my blog are aimed at women to make and to use, so I've compiled a list of 'manly' crafts and tutorials so men aren't feeling left out - although quite frankly the projects are right up my street too so of course women should also visit for fun project ideas :-)

There are how-tos for tables, bags, wallets, lamps, ties, chairs and a whole host of other cool items.

Click here to have a look.

Driftwood Boats

Click here to see how to make charming boats from found and scrap materials.

How to Make a Softie / Plushie

I've compiled another list - this time on softie making, with loads of tutorials for everyone (even complete beginners) to have a go at. The sky's the limit with this craft so let your imagination run wild!

Click here for the how-to list.

Piggy Pillow

To make a cute pig pillow from towels, follow this how-to.

Leather Lace Bracelet

Learn how to braid leather laces together to make pretty bracelets by following these instructions.