creating and inspiring in my little corner of the world
Happy Midsummer to you all!
I’m busy with all sorts of stuff, but I managed to paint some sticks that we’re decorating with. They’re just ordinary sticks I found in the woods that I’ve painted with acrylic paint. Such a fun thing to do and looks great as a decoration!
I hope you’re having a wonderful summertime!
Sometimes when I set the table I lack a good pot for my springtime flowers and branches. I solved that problem by making some giant Easter Eggs – the perfect vessel for a bunch of mini-daffodils!
First I created the eggs by blowing up a balloon, sticking it to a base (a heavy glass) with some tape and then gluing layer upon layer of paper strips to it. I used plain newspaper and plain wallpaper glue. When the eggs were thick enough I popped the balloons and trimmed the edges so they look like eggs that have cracked.
I painted the eggs pink or yellow and went to town with lots of colors and splatters. I finished them with a couple layers of furniture varnish.
Makes for an artistic and fun addition to any Easter table!
I love, love, love bunnies! I love watching them, feeding them, looking at them, petting them – everything! And I love my new DIY Easter Bunnies!
First I made some bunnies from self-drying clay.
They don’t look that special before being painted, but the core of the bunny is there! I tried to make each of them into an individual, with a little bit of different smiles, and eyes and noses.
Then I went to town painting, splattering and decorating them. It was so much fun! I’ve used real gold leaf and sealed it all with really strong furniture varnish. A colorful bunch of happy bunnies, ready to welcome spring and Easter!
I love crafting with what nature gives us – you get a glimpse and a memory of the woods and forests while you craft, and afterward when you incorporate the decorations into your home. It’s a win-win in so many ways.
This pretty pine cone decoration was really easy to make, and adds so much flair- I glued strings to pine cones, and then glued some jingle bells and decorations on them, plus a lace ribbon. It jingle jangles whenever you walk past it, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Sometimes single pine cones are pretty enough to hang by themselves, perhaps enhanced by a glossy ribbon.
I’ve also been making mini-Christmas trees out of pine cones. I glued a pine cone onto a piece of wood. Painted the edges of the cone with white paint and then glued beads onto them. Plus a glittery star on top.
Makes for a nice little Christmas present for friends and neighbors.
There are some things I miss now that I have problems with my eye sight, and beside knitting, sewing beads is at the top of my list. It is just so calming to sit and sew, to see your creating grow beneath your hands, and also to know that you can produce these small art works from other people’s cast away jewelry!
I had planned on introducing the necklaces one by one, but now I’m just going to toss them all out here in one big post. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do!
This butterfly necklace was once a bunch of bracelets and odd bits and pieces:
This brown one is my favorite, and the only one that I’ve worn more than once – I don’t get out much! I’m considering selling my pieces, but haven’t gotten far – I have no idea how to prize them.
But this brown one feels so personal, so it will not go for sale.
It’s, among other things, made out of old glass beads that I inherited from my great grandmother, and a bee broach that I particularly love.
This one was just a fun thing I tried out – what if I drew a heart shape with wings?
I love how pink and red and happy it is!
Ooh, I forgot my B-necklace!
This is also one I’ve worn on several occasions, inspired by Anne Boleyn’s B-necklace:
And then the snakes! I’ve made two snake necklaces, and they both took some engineering to get to fit around the neck. And a lot of fiddling to sew. I loved every second of it!
The green in this snake is just such a venomous green! I love it!
My pretty blue butterfly! You were supposed to have so many friends to fly away with, but so far you’ve only got the one green one. But you were so fun to create!
So there you go! That’s a small peak into the assorted jewelry I’ve created during the years.
Making your own jewelry out of other people’s cast offs is such a fun hobby! You can create whatever you like and are only limited by if you can sew or not. And if it doesn’t turn out great, well, no worries – you haven’t spent a whole lot of money, and you’ve probably learned a lot in the process! Plus I find it is so relaxing. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, to have made something out of nothing. To be part of creating.
What do you do when you have a whole stash of scraps of lace that can’t really be used for anything important? You turn them into a lovely lace garland!
I laid out my lace scraps and sewed them onto a ribbon. I was in the mood to make it as quickly as possible, so I simply sewed once over the ribbon and that was that.
Super-easy, didn’t take long to make and it adds a bit of whimsy and nostalgia to any Midsummer celebration!
I’m loving this!
We’re going to use this garlands for many Midsummers to come.
Here’s a quick and easy DIY to make a miniature Midsummer Pole for your Midsummer table.
I folded a green pipe cleaner in half and twisted it. I took about half of another pipe cleaner and did the same thing and added it making a cross. Then I made two green circles and glued on miniature flowers. These ones are made for gluing to nails, I think!
Then I glued a white and green-string to the edges of the cross, and finished the pole with a washi tape-flag on top.
I glued the pole to a round piece of wood, spreading out the pipe cleaner so the pole would stand more firmly.
A cute little addition to any Midsummer’s Eve-celebration!
I’ve been thinking for years about how to make an easy and comfortable wreath, and now I think I’ve found the solution!
I started by twisting 6 strands of cotton cloth – old T-shirts, sheets and cloth that has been cut into 1 cm wide strips. I made a long twist that fits around a head nicely, one for each of our guests. The wreath is easily adjustable and comfortable, and you can compost it afterward if you don’t reuse it!
To make the twists: Make two sections out of the ribbons. Twist both sections simultaneously counterclockwise. Twist them around each other clockwise. Or the opposite. It doesn’t matter which way you go, only make sure you twist the sections one way, and around each other the other way. Otherwise the whole thing will unravel.
Twisting is much faster and easier than braiding, but if you’re unsure how to do it – just do a simple 3-strand braid.
Make a knot at the end of the twist and make a circlet out of the braid.
Make small bouquets of flowers and fasten them around the braid using some cotton string. Wrap the string around the braid, wrapping in bouquets as you go along. You can make a full wreath, or just add flowers to the front of the wreath.
The wreath looks great with some strands hanging this way and that, adding a bit of whimsy to your Midsummer wreath.
You can use any flowers you like – flowers picked by the roadside, flowers from your garden, grasses. I used some Midsummer roses for this one, and chives, so we get to both look pretty and smell lovely!
This is one of my favorite Midsummer-DIY:s – a homemade table Midsummer pole!
We cut pieces of round bar and glued them onto each other like a cross (Niklas first carved out a piece in each of the poles so that they would fit). Then we fastened the pole to a square block and painted it green. We wrapped red, yellow and light green ribbon around the whole thing.
The wreaths are made out of pipe cleaner plus felt flowers. The pole is topped off with a string of flags.
Above an Åland Islands-version with Midsummer crowns instead of wreaths. Those too are made out of pipe cleaners, and ribbon.
I love recycling, and I love a touch of nostalgia in my interior decorating! I made a long table runner from pieces of lace, that looks great on any Midsummer table.
Just add a bunch of bouquets of flowers in small vases and you’re good to go!
On years when it’s raining I compensate for the bad weather by hanging up lace curtains in front of the windows. It adds that special touch of days gone by that any good Midsummer needs! 🙂
If we’re outside, I hang up bunting or flags like these ones made out of old embroidered sheets and table cloths. It’s the perfect project for upcycling cloths that are stained or have holes in them. And they get a new life, getting to look pretty and add to the festive feeling!
