I love this Idea - So making something like this.....!

From the Etsy Blog

Valentine’s Day Candy Box Diorama-Rama

Story by HeatherLucille

Published on Jan 31, 2012 in Make

Photo by Heather Atkinson

Heather Atkinson is an artist, crafter and creator of narrative vignettes inspired by all things obsessive, haunting, and bizarre. She utilizes various media, including photography (digital and analog) and found objects, to populate the worlds she imagines and creates. For more information, visit her blog. (P.S. Heather abhors writing bios and bribed her BFF Tonya to write this for her.)

There is simply no argument – the handmade valentines of elementary school are simply the best valentines ever. Period. Recapture the edible paste and construction paper high of your youth with a project suited to your more mature (debatable) tastes and refined skill set. You can use big kid hot glue, fancy paper and even knives! Why not make a freaking rad DIORAMA for your valentine? Here’s how!

You’ll Need:

• Heart-shaped cardboard candy box, preferably with contents emptied into tummy. May I recommend Russell Stover as a fine choice?
• Assorted ephemera: Decorative paper, photos, postcards, drawings, clip art, wrapping paper, paper dolls, hair, etc. – the only limit is your imagination and your box size.
• X-acto knife with fresh blade and/or small scissors
• Box cutter with fresh blade
• Pencil
• Metal ruler
• Brush – soft bristle or sponge
• Decoupage medium – I used the fancy stuff but good old Mod Podge never fails!
• Glue stick
• Corrugated cardboard. A shipping box destined for recycling is ideal.
• Glue gun
• Optional: Small piece of plastic or mylar, masking tape, specialized miniature lighting

Heather Atkinson

1. Decide on a theme and plan out the scene you want to create in the diorama.

You will want at least three layers to create depth: background, middle ground and foreground. The lid of the box will be the topmost layer with a viewing hole cut out, and the interior bottom of the box will be the background. You can also decoupage the bottom of the box if you like.

Heather Atkinson

Heather Atkinson

2. Gather all of your ephemera and have it prepared.

Plan what items will go where and in what order. I recommend photographing your plan or sketching it as you will have to dismantle to build up from the background to the foreground. I chose a “sea-captain-death-at-sea-mermaid-true-love-rescue” theme and used an old postcard; clip art scanned, scaled to size, printed and cut out; pages from a poetry book; and vintage wrapping paper.

Heather Atkinson

3. Decoupage the box with your choice of background layer – you’ll build on top of this. This is a base layer to cover the obnoxious scene and brand name on the candy box. Follow manufacturer’s instructions labeled on your gel medium of choice.

Let dry completely. (Again – let dry completely!)

Trim excess paper from around both pieces using your X-Acto knife. Immediately after use, tightly close the lid on your gel medium and wash your brush in lukewarm soapy water. Helpful hint: Check the opaqueness of your paper before beginning. A translucent or light colored paper may require a double layer.

Heather Atkinson

4. Measure and use X-Acto knife and metal ruler to cut a viewing window from the box lid according to your design plan. This will create your viewing window.

Heather Atkinson

Heather Atkinson

5. Now it is time to start creating your scene! To make your interior scene, start with the hindmost layer and build forward creating layers of interest. Use pieces of corrugated cardboard to build up the backing of your scenery. Loosely trace the object and cut cardboard to fit within the lines. Apply hot glue from your glue gun to stick layers of together. (I added a black cardstock background to the bottom of my box covering the cardboard. To do, simply trace the heart shape, cut out, and glue in place. )

Heather Atkinson

Heather Atkinson

6. Carefully place your inner pieces in correct order and hot glue gun in place. It is helpful to make a light pencil mark delineating where each layer should be placed. Make sure you view the subject with the lid on and looking at it straightforward before setting the final display. Arrange and decoupage the layers of your lid design – remember build from back to front overlapping to create visual appeal. Let dry completely. If desired, glue lid in place so diorama is tightly secured.

Heather Atkinson

Heather Atkinson

7. Add special details such as a ribbon around the outside of the bow, an image on the back, lighting inside, attach a wall hanger, etc. You can add lights ordered from a specialty hobby or dollhouse supplier to put inside the box out of sight for a special glow – this will really show off depth! Simply use a dab of glue to apply. This is a sure fire way to impress.

If you want to be extra profesh you can add a pane to your window using plastic or mylar. Cut a piece of plastic slightly larger than window size. Glue and/or tape it to the backside of your window. Clean as needed with glass cleaner.

Heather Atkinson

A special thank you to Artifacts for the loan of the styling props – including the eye popping plastic lace and hot pink tablecloth seen in the photos above. No boring stuff allowed!

Unique Gift Wrap Idea - Pyramid Gift Box!

How-Tuesday: Make a Pyramid Gift Box

Story by  luckandtape

Published on Dec 06, 2011 in Watch

MP4 | YouTube | Vimeo | Blip.tv | Subscribe in iTunes

(Music by Tobias Gebb & Trio West, Eric Beug, and I’m From Barcelona)

We think that gift wrap should be just as interesting and heartfelt as the object within. (And rectangular gift boxes are pretty boring.) In this gift wrap how-to we’ll craft a pyramid gift box that’s sure to impress the most jaded recipient. Best of all, it doubles as an ornament!

Materials:

• Paper or cardboard for your pyramid
• Markers or colored pencils
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Decorative elements: stickers, washi tape, ribbons, bows, etc.

Directions:
1. Draw a triangle using this guide.
2. Cut out triangle and score folds.
3. Fold pyramid.
4. Use markers or colored pencils and color/decorate the sides.
5. Cut a piece of ribbon and knot it to make a loop for hanging.
6. Tape loop onto point of one of the sides. Then fold together with gift inside and tape shut.
7. Decorate pyramid with stickers, washi tape, ribbons, bows, or anything else you can think of!

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-make-a-pyramid-gift-box/

UpCycled Gift Wrap Ideas

How-Tuesday: Upcycled Gift Wrap

Story by  virginiakraljevic

Published on Dec 13, 2011 in Make

MP4 | YouTube | Vimeo | Blip.tv | Subscribe in iTunes

(Music by I’m From Barcelona)

Last week we showed you how to package your gifts in new and fun geometric shapes. For this week’s How-Tuesday, we’re returning to a traditional style of gift wrapping, but with a modern, upcycled twist. All of the materials you’ll need for this how-to are readily available around the house, so if you’re in a pinch and need to wrap a gift quickly, give this method a try!

Decorative Wrapping Paper

Materials:

• Paper shopping bag
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Wine bottle cork (rubber cork preferred)
• Utility knife (please note that using a utility knife in this project is not advised for children).
• Ink pad, household paint, or correction fluid

Directions:

• To make a homemade rubber stamp, take one end of your cork and make slight incisions with your utility knife around its edge. For a star/snowflake-like pattern, cut 3 to 4 triangle shapes on the edges of your stamp. Remove excess rubber/cork from your design so your pattern is raised a bit from the rest of the cork.
• Lay your paper shopping bag flat and cut as big a rectangle as you can out of one side. Remove shopping handle if there is one.
• Place the clean side of your paper up (the side without any logos) and decorate with your rubber stamp and ink pad. Let dry.
• After the paper is fully dry, place the newly decorated surface face-down.
• Place gift box upside down on top of your paper. Make sure there is enough paper to cover the box — this can be done by pulling two sides of the paper over the box to meet in the middle. You want a little excess paper in the center to assure that your box is entirely covered. Tape the center down with a piece of masking tape.*
• You’ve essentially created a paper tunnel around your gift box. The flaps of paper on either end of your box should not be too long. You can gauge what is an appropriate length by folding one side down to meet the bottom — it should almost reach the bottom, but never should be longer (this makes it very difficult to wrap). Cut excess paper until you have desired length.
• Take one side and fold the top part of your flap down, push the corners in to meet the box and crease the newly formed triangle-shaped flaps to a crisp fold. Fold these triangle flaps in and crease again, creating one triangle shape. Fold up and tape down flap. Repeat on the other side of your gift.

*For a more decorative tape effect, cut your masking tape strips 2 to 3 inches  in length. With your scissors, you can slightly fold each end in half and snip the end off at an angle toward you (it will look like you are cutting off a triangle). Open up ends carefully and repeat to the other side of your piece of tape.

Foil Topper

Materials:

• Foil
• Scissors
• Stapler

Directions:

• Rip off 6″ of foil from the roll and cut into 2″ strips lengthwise.
• Fold each piece in half lengthwise and smooth flat with your fingers to create 1″ strips.
• Cut each strip into thirds and place over one another into a star-like pattern. Staple the center to hold in place.
• To fringe the ends of each piece with your scissors, cut each flap into little slivers. Fluff up for a fun bow effect or leave flat for snowflake/star shape. Add a little loop of tape to the bottom of your topper and adhere to your gift box. Voila!

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-upcycled-gift-wrap/

I Love This Idea of Unconsumption!

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/noted-what-it-means-to-unconsume/?ref=fp_blog_title

Noted: What It Means to Unconsume

Story by  chaps676

Published on Oct 27, 2011 in Read

Photo by The Uncollection

As a kid, shopping with my father always ended in defeat. Such a consumer failure was no fault of mine — my dad’s frustration stemmed from his inability to find unbranded clothing. He’d pick up a shirt, shake his head and ask, “Do they have to put this Polo logo on the front?” Little did he know it would only get worse; once just a small detail, company logos are now over-sized decorative elements. I can only hope my father hasn’t seen Ralph Lauren’s new Big Pony Collection, in which the famous Polo logo has grown exponentially. Yet a look into almost any of our closets reveals something quite astonishing — we are overly branded. Sweatshirts emblazoned with “Gap,” Victoria Secret pajama pants with “pink” scrawled across the derrière and baseball caps bearing the famous Nike swoosh crowd our shelves. Sometimes, our eyes need a little visual rest; that’s when it’s time to unconsume.

Out of the dearth of unbranded goods comes Rob Walker, author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are and creator of Unconsumption, a Tumblr where creative reuse is encouraged and celebrated. Walker coined the term “unconsumption” back in 2006 when he wrote a column in which he wondered if getting rid of stuff will ever feel as good as getting it. In exploring how to build excitement around repurposing our old belongings, Walker realized that, for now, branding is the way we add value to our objects. In other words, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. “Branding has been one of my main subjects as a journalist, and for a few years I’ve pondered if there’s a way to borrow some of the tools of brand-making to advance an idea, but without actually creating products,” Walker said in an interview with Craft. With that in mind, Walker went to Clifton Burt, who designed the Unconsumption logo; the over-turned shopping cart, almost anthropomorphized through it’s wheel-eyes, is the logo of The Uncollection, or as Walkers puts it, “the first-ever line of goods consisting entirely of stuff people already owned.”

Garth Johnson

China repurposed and branded with the Unconsumption logo.

Created under Creative Commons license, the Unconsumption logo is available for download and Walker invites everyone to contribute to The Uncollection via their Facebook page. It is a brand without products, one that represents a desire to make the world a better place, each repurposed object at a time. Through branding our upcycled goods, we can reintroduce an object to the world as something newer and better.

My First Festival / Market is this Weekend in Humble, TX

Well, Peeps....Wish us Luck.....Mom & I are gonna give the festival thing a try this weekend at Trade Days in Humble, TX.  I'll have my handmade jewelry and upcycled purses/journals/dayplanners for sale, and Mom will have her gorgeous handmade cards there at a super low price, because she wants some major sales!

Let's hope things go better than the time we tried to sell designer clothing at the flea market in Security, TX....I don't think anyone in that neck of the woods (literally woods) had every heard of Chico's, Coldwater Creek, J Jill, or Talbots.  I sold 1 necklace that day, and we sold no clothing. 

I'm excited to see what Trade Days is like.  It's at the Convention Center on Will Clayton Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  If the weather cooperates, there's supposed to be a pretty good crowd.  I'm interested to see what other vendors show up too.  It should be fun!

UPDATE:  We had a ton of fun at Trade Days, and we're really looking forward to going there again the 3rd weekend in October.  We'll be in booth 17D, so come by and say Hi! 

We met so many awesome vendors and made some sales too, which was exciting. Everyone just loved Mommy's cards and thought they should have been much more expensive.  I agree, totally!

This is a very well run trade fair in my opinion. They allow the vendors to set up Thursday evening, and there is 24 hour security on the site, so you can leave your booth set up all weekend, which is a big help!
We loved it and can't wait to go back! 

I have to admit we did some shopping while we were there, so that kind of cut into our profits, but we couldn't help ourselves. There are so many awesome antique dealers there, as well as jewelry, supplies, 1200 thread count Eqyptian cotton sheets for $20.00 (couldn't resist!), and a really cool booth with everything Scottish. Mom & Dad bought a beautiful bonsai tree, and we got some great ideas for our booth set-up.

Hope to see you there!  :)

How to Make Cool Zig-Zag Rocker Shorts

Zigzag Shorts

Story by julieincharge, yomissnicole

Published on June 14, 2011 in Make

Photo by yomissnicole

When a heat wave rolls in, I find myself reaching for sandals, sun tea, and scissors for snipping old outfits into something more summery. For this week's How-Tuesday, Etsy Admin Nicole Licht (a.k.a. yomissnicole) and her daughter Lucia (a.k.a. Luciaa) penned a post on transforming a pair of bland second-hand jeans into some rock star quality duds with a few household materials and some geometric ingenuity.

I love combing through my closet and drawers at the beginning of each new season. More often than not, potential springs forth in something once overlooked. For summer, my sweet teen, Lucia, and I worked together using thrifted jeans, masking tape, bleach and an old studded belt, to create some killer summer shorts. Super fun and super easy — rock on!

Supplies you’ll need:

• Natural bristle paintbrush
• Old jeans
• Metal studs reclaimed from a studded leather belt
• 2 cardboard rectangles cut the length and width of the legs of the shorts you’ll be cutting
• 1” masking tape
• 7 : 8  bleach to water solution

Directions:

1. Dig through your closest and find that pair of jeans that you’ve been thinking of cutting into shorts.

2. Cut them down to a bit longer than you might want them to be.

3. Using masking tape, create a zigzag pattern. Try and leave about 1” between each tape zigzag.

4. Insert cardboard into the shorts. This will keep the bleach from seeping though to the other side.

5. After laying the shorts flat in your bathtub, paint the bleach solution on the exposed jean zigzags. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

6. Remove cardboard inserts and rinse. After a few minutes, remove masking tape and finish rinsing out all bleach residues. Hang to dry.

7. Remove studs from an old belt, if you have one, making sure to bend prongs outward. (You can also use new metal studs.)

8. Lie out studs on jeans and poke the prongs through the fabric. Use pliers to bend back prongs and secure.

9. Try on your shorts and perfect the length. Trim away any additional inches.

Voila!

Eco-Friendly Earth Ships - I want one!

Hitching a Ride on an Earthship

Story by mtraub

Published on Apr 28, 2011 in Read

Photo by theregeneration on Flickr

Before most people were even turning off the faucet while they brushed their teeth, one man had a vision for an independent and sustainable alternative to our on-the-grid residential system. Earthships sound like they might just beam us beyond our current laws of reality, and they delightfully look like it too. Architect Mike Reynolds has been developing his Earthships for decades, traveling from their base in Taos, New Mexico to Haiti, China, and even the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

An Earthship derives its electricity from the sun and wind, its water from rain and snow, and its temperature regulation from the earth. An internal sewage treatment system means each drop of water is used four times, feeding lush wetlands of flowers and vegetables. The walls are literally made of trash: tires filled with dirt, glorious stained glass windows of old beer bottles. It doesn't get much more radically self-sustainable than this, folks.

Photo by Milkman Amok on Flickr

Jonah Reynolds, Mike's son, who's been building Earthships since the age of 12, came to speak at the Etsy Labs last week, and I was fortunate enough to sit down with him beforehand and ask a few questions. Jonah kicked things off by lamenting the fact that humans are the only species who can't build their own homes. Earthships have a variety of clients, from disaster relief to luxury leisure, and consequently the personal involvement naturally varies. But sitting through Jonah's presentation, I took note of photo after photo  showing homeowners elbow-deep in sediment on Earthship construction sites. The Earthship approach is a climatic endeavor, yes, but ultimately a societal one as well. Jonah was excited to talk about the school they've been developing to pass these skills along to tradesmen everywhere, not to mention the number of postcards they receive from people who have read their books and built their own Earthships independently. Jonah points out that it's going to take a lot more than one architectural firm to change global construction and residential lifestyles.

Photo by Mrs Hilksom on Flickr

While I love the idea of knocking down my Brooklyn apartment building and erecting a bulbous adobe indoor jungle, Earthships can at times seem an unrealistic aspiration, particularly for those living in dense, urban environments, and Jonah recognizes this. I was thus happy to hear that they also do a fair amount of retrofitting, gutting traditional buildings and instituting new systems. I try to imagine my local zoning board approving a utility-bill-free entity, but Jonah says they have never been denied a permit. Despite my initial assumptions involving veganism and Birkenstocks, Jonah insists, "We're not environmentalists, it's just the right thing to do, it's logic." I can see how this sort of argument (and the statistics to support it) would appeal to pragmatic electricians and contractors of many ilk.

In a world where there exists more tires than trees, it might be time for the general public to jump on this bandwagon. Jonah is not telling you to sacrifice your comfort or your amenities. He is merely offering a responsible way to justify them. When there are children all over the world dying of dehydration, why are we still flushing our excrement away in potable water? When I ask how living in an Earthship is different than a traditional home, Jonah tells me that it "puts you in the rhythms of the planet," and I gaze up at the roaring air conditioner vent above us with weary eyes.

Photo by martnpro on Flickr

Are you convinced by Jonah's logic?

How To: Make your own Tees

How-Tuesday: Raw-Edged Appliqué

Story by julieincharge, raeburnink

Published on Mar 29, 2011 in How-To

Photo by Raeburn Ink

The arrival of spring provides a much needed breath of fresh air, as well as sunny bike rides, crocuses showing their colorful faces, a lighter wardrobe, and a cleaner closest (well, maybe). Kick off your spring cleaning by clearing out your stash of fabric scraps. Refashion an old garment into a perpetual work-in-progress with this week's How-Tuesday project, shared with us by Jennifer Cooke of Raeburn Ink and Design Your Own Tees. 

  

Score your own copy of Design Your Own Tees right here on Etsy!

Appliqué is a lovely technique for embellishment; usually you finish the edges of your stitched-on designs to keep them neat and protected from damage during washing and wearing. For this project, however, leave the edges raw and create a stylish T-shirt dress that is defined enough to wear out on the town.
This is a great project for leftover scraps that are too small to use for anything else. Fabrics will fray at different rates, and some might eventually disappear in the wash, leaving the stitching exposed. Embrace the unpredictable results of this project, and you will have a truly one-of-a-kind tee.

Supplies you’ll need:

• A T-shirt dress (or other garment)
• Scraps of fabric in a variety of colors
• Contrasting thread
• Scissors or a rotary cutter + cutting mat
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Washing machine
• Hexagon template

Directions:

1. Make a pattern piece out of the hexagon template (download here), or create your own pattern piece in the shape of your choice using paper or lightweight cardboard. Adjust the scale of the hexagon template, if you'd like.

2. Cut out lots of hexagons from the fabric scraps. You can use scissos or a rotary cutter and a cutting mat. Note: Remember to always roll the rotary cutter away from yourself — it is very sharp and can give you a nasty cut. (I'm speaking from personal experience here!)

3. Arrange the hexagons on your T-shirt in a pattern that pleases you.

4. Pin them in place.

5. Stitch around the edges of the hexagons with a straight stitch. (I chose to stitch my whole project in one contrasting thread color to add some punch.) Remember to leave enough fabric around the edges to allow for some nice fraying.

6. Backstitch to secure each piece.

7. Now it's all up to chance. Wear your tee and delight in how much it changes each time you wash it.

Thank you to Jennifer Cooke and the good folks at St. Martin's Press for sharing this project. For more ways to revamp your wardrobe, check out Design Your Own Tees.