Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

diy: curtains in an instant

Tired of having the same curtains?  These clip rings are just the thing you need for easy, flexible window treatments. All you need to do is hem a fabric, clip on the rings, and hang them on the rod. No need to sew tabs or insert grommets!These are available in any curtain supply store even in Divisoria.

For those who do not know how to sew, here’s a no-sew idea from home stylist Lynda Quintero Davids of Focal Point:

TABLE CLOTHS/BED SHEETS + CLIP RINGS = INSTANT DRAPES!

See also her new-black-door project which she made together with these drapes HERE. {Thanks Lynda!}

conscious living: the power of the hand

Making things by hand is probably one of the greenest yet most under-estimated efforts that we can do to help our environment. One, we save on energy. Two, we get a sense of fulfillment and self-worth after completing a project. Three, because handmade stuff are invested with a kind of sentimental value, we are encouraged to use them over and over again (unlike those disposable, mass-produced items that add to the growing amount of solid waste).

Start relearning those home economics skills in sewing, paper crafts, and carpentry one project at a time. Check our diy category for possible projects and ideas. For the guys, you can also browse through Dude Craft for some “manly” projects. For the girls, Martha Stewart and Design Sponge are two other great sources for tutorials on handmade gifts and home essentials.

*paul overton posters via design bees

diy project: illustrated ziplocks

Over the weekend, I started working on the items that I’ll be sending for the Art Swap Project: 1) a greeting card with a watercolor illustration and 2) a coffee painted throwpillow. I initially learned about Art Swap via a blog post by Babalisme, an illustrator & graphic designer from Indonesia. While I’m finishing my artworks, let me share with you these cute and practical illustrated ziplocks that Babalisme made for the swap.

When I finish my art projects, I’ll start decorating & labeling my travel ziplocks for my electronic items, toiletries, undies, and swimwear during my free time. They’ll be a better alternative to those expensive store-bought organizing bags.

You can even use these illustrated ziplocks as instant, reusable gift bags. -ardel

diy tips: create your own mood board

I stumbled upon a great website: www.olioboard.com. It lets you create mood boards* — now you can visually represent what you want your ideal space to look like without the need for scissors and glue. Boards can be really helpful when making decisions on the look of your space. I made one (above) for my ideal bedroom. As you can see, I like things that are simple and natural but have interesting texture and patterns. Try it — it’s fun and it’s free! You can also look at mood boards created by other users and draw inspiration from them. I found some really bright and colorful ones (below) for a patio and a kitchen. Make your own set and share them with us. We’d love to see your boards!

diy project: recycle those bottle caps

One way of  reducing our trash is to turn them into useful items. Our post on inhabitat’s Spring Greening yesterday featured sophisticated design projects that made use of common household trash like plastic bottles and soda tabs.

If that post inspired you to dig into your trash bin for possible craft materials, you can start with something small like bottle caps. Graphic designer Jessica Jones turned these humble caps into stylish mid-century clock magnets using the downloadable clock graphics she made. Click HERE for the full tutorial.

You can use these as party giveaways or loot bag fillers!

For the moms out there, another great idea is to make a ref magnet for each member in your household to hold their respective reminders and to-do lists. Instead of using Jessica’s clock graphics, you can print individual face photos of your family and stick them onto the painted caps. This way, nobody will miss any reminder!

diy crafts: flower power

Every May, Filipinos hold a Catholic tradition called Flores de Mayo (“Flowers of May”) in honor of the Virgin Mary. During the month-long celebration, young girls would offer flowers in their respective parishes.

So before we end this month of summer blooms, here’s a parade of flower crafts and projects which you might find interesting:

Flower wreaths (top and above) made of assorted paper by Dana Barbieri.

Hand carved woodland block print set and amapola print via Geninne’s Etsy Shop here and here. (Maybe I’ll ask my dad to teach me how to make the block prints. He’s a better sculptor than me! I just hope his carving tools are still in good condition. Haven’t seen them since elementary.)

Simple flower arrangements using empty glass jars and bottles via penwren.

Have a blooming weekend!

diy tips: decorating your walls

A df reader emailed us a question last week asking for tips on how to deal with her bare walls:

I am looking for inspiration on how to adorn our bare walls. Do I leave it as is or go ahead with putting up some photos?  I’m afraid it would look like your run of the mill photo showcase. We’re still recovering from the expenses of the construction and I’m hoping to work within a reasonable budget but attain a tasteful look.

A little help please…

As I mentioned in my reply, it’s ok to have some form of wall treatment on one or two surfaces. The trick is to balance your wall decor with the dimensions of the wall, the size of the room as well as the amount of furnishings and accessories in the space.

Here are five basic tips on how to decorate your walls:

1) IDENTIFY YOUR FOCAL POINT

You don’t need to treat every single wall. In a room with four or more wall, identifying your focal point helps you pinpoint the wall that has to be treated or decorated. The focal point is like your showcase corner or the best spot in the room. The idea is to draw the eye towards that corner upon entering the space and treating the wall of that area helps.

2) THINK BIG

The simplest way to decorate a wall is to fill the space with one large piece: a bold accent color, a different wall material or finish, a large framed mirror, a large wall clock, or a large painting.

3) CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

Ok, a large painting or mirror is quite costly. For a budget friendly, fuss-free wall treatment, hang a set of framed photos, prints, swatches of vintage wallpaper and even fabric showing off a similar theme or color scheme. If you want a bold statement, hang two, three, or four large frames, depending on the size of the wall. If you want to introduce pattern and interest to your space, put up a set of six or nine smaller frames.

4) ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH

Instead of putting up paintings and framed prints, why not display your own photos? Look through your picture files for interesting or sentimental photos. You can also set a time with your family for a diy photo shoot. To make the pictures appear more dramatic and artsy, have them in black & white or sepia. Another inexpensive trick is to print them in a 5 x 7 size and mount them in large frames with matte board (available in all your leading department stores like SM Homeworld, Market! Market!, and Landmark). (Photo above via Baker)

5) THINK OUT OF THE BOX

Do not limit yourself to paintings, wall frames, and mirrors. You can also use unconventional items to decorate your walls such as carved antique wood panels, tapestry, decorative plates, stretched fabric (see Practical Princess’s tutorial HERE), and wall-mounted flower vases. (Photo above by William Ong via MyHome 2007  issue)

I hope these are helpful.

diy crafts: clay idol

Yesterday I posted an invite on a Clayfest happening this weekend. But, honestly, i don’t know anything about polymer clay (a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride). What got me really interested are the works of Arzu Musa, a polymer clay artists from Turkey. Her designs feature interesting patterns and yummy colors.

I would love to learn how to make these

and turn them into these

I would also like to make large custom buttons like these

and beautiful candle votives like these

Ok, one step at a time, haha! I wonder if i can self-study this craft… Will share a basic tutorial once i learn how this thing works.

To see more of Arzu Musa’s beautiful creations, CLICK HERE.

*all photos via Arzu Musa’s Flickr photostream

diy crafts: clayfest 2010

For all crafting dudes and dudettes, you might want to visit the Clayfest 2010 happening this weekend, May 15-16, at the Cubao X, Quezon City. This is primarily organized by Angeli Sobrepena of The Beadlady Craft Cafe, her craft store at Cubao X which we have featured here last year. Here’s the schedule of the event:

Day 1 – May 15 (Saturday)

• 10am – 12nn  Workshop 1 (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio, 2F Shop 54)
• 1pm – 3pm     Workshop 2 (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio, 2F Shop 54)
• 4pm – 6pm     Sculpting Competition Level 1 (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio)

Day 2 – May 16 (Sunday)

• 10am onwards   Handmade Exhibit (Venue: The tents, Cubao Expo)
• 10am – 12nn      Workshop 3 (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio)
• 1pm – 3pm         Sculpting Competition Level 2 (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio)
• 4pm – 6pm         Craft Along (Venue: The Beadlady Craft Studio, 2F Shop 54)
• 7pm onwards     Fellowship night  (Venue: The tents, Cubao Expo)

Too bad, I just stumbled upon this today when all the workshops are already fully booked! Oh well, maybe i’ll just “window shop” for ideas and get myself a couple of clay bars.

diy projects: happy mother’s day!

The best gifts are those that were made with lots of love and attention–a heartfelt note, a bouquet of handpicked flowers, or a handmade card. For tomorrow’s Mother’s Day, give your mom/wife something that you personally made. Three years ago, my papa carved a huge watermelon flower (above) for my mother. I don’t know what we’ll be giving her tomorrow when she comes home from a vacation. Maybe I’ll make a Maltesers cheesecake for dessert!

You can also try making one of these for your gift:

a flower corsage from design*sponge

tissue paper flower card from martha stewart

various gift tutorials from sew mama sew

fun pudding cups (that involves balloons!) from bakerella

gift ideas from a mother’s wish list at shelterrific