DIY | Yakima Magazine

Put a cork in it!

by Jill St. George on Apr 18, 2012

Photos by Sara Gettys

We all seem to have a stash of corks piling up somewhere, but what to do with them? In case you missed our special wine edition of Yakima Magazine, we featured four DIY projects to help you put them to good use – well, when it comes to decorating anyway.

So grab your glue gun and give it a go.

Photo by Sara Gettys

Initials are everywhere – on fireplace mantels, as bookends, even etched on wine glasses. Why not make your own?

Directions: First, choose a letter. Then lay the corks out on a flat surface to form chosen letter. Using a hot glue gun, place a generous amount of glue on each cork. Glue together in a shape.

Photo by Sara Gettys

The cork magnet is the easiest project of all.

Directions: Simply hot glue a small magnet (available at craft stores) onto the back of the cork. Pop on the fridge to remind you that you need more wine.

Photo by Sara Gettys

Add some style to your dinner table with this super simple place card holder.

Directions: With a sharp knife, cut a slice into the top of the cork (champagne corks are easiest), so it will stand up. Slide in a piece of card stock, write a name and viola!

Photo by Sara Gettys

Yes, you could make a trivet with corks, or a picture frame or a bulletin board. But not many people make modern art with their leftover corks.

Directions: Buy a foam or wooden sphere at a craft store. The wooden sphere will be heavier, but the surface will be less apparent when finished. The size of the sphere is dependent on the number of corks you have. With a glue gun, glue each cork to the sphere, as closely as possible. Keep in mind where you want the “wine” side or the clean side to be on the outside (or both). Put it on a shelf and admire.

Still have leftover corks? When planting large pots, fill the bottom with corks to help with drainage and lighten the pot. Or you could shred the natural corks and add them to compost. And if you happen to have a wine barrel, you could put the corks in one layer on the end of it, and then add a glass top to make a decorative table.

Spring up your decor: A topiary three ways

by Robin Salts Beckett on Apr 4, 2012

I was at Garden Girl the other day with my son (note to mothers: 4-year-olds and shops with lots of breakables don’t mix), picking up some last-minute bits of decor before a party we were throwing that night. I ended up buying a few things, including a fairly simple topiary of Myrtle. The gal who was working there said that Myrtle is exceptionally easy to care for (BIG bonus), and it doesn’t even need to be put in a pot with drainage.

There’s something so pleasing about a topiary – the order of it, the precision of the shape. It’s also a super easy way to add some pop to a lonely side table. I like my topiary plain, but for the onset of spring and the approaching Easter holiday, I thought I’d play dress up with it too. Just for fun.

I just used some colorful ribbon...

...some sparkly eggs...

...and some darling little yellow chickies.

And this is what it turned into:

A bow-tied topiary - all the colors of the spring rainbow

A topiary as a nest for chickies

...and with a nest for the sparkly eggs. Happy Easter!

DIY Clothespin Magnets

by Jill St. George on Mar 26, 2012

I typically tend to take on big projects, with the bigger is better mentality. But lately, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the fine details that make a house a home. These darling little clothespin magnets do exactly that. And they couldn’t be easier.

Quite simply, paint the clothespin and then follow the directions below.

5. Glue the final quarter circle to the top of the flower.

You’re done!

Stick to refrigerator and display your favorite pictures.

DIY Vintage Book Wreath

by Jill St. George on Mar 22, 2012

By now you all know that I’m pretty much obsessed with burlap and vintage books. I just love the natural look and feel of the materials. So when I saw this paper wreath on Pinterest, I knew without-a-doubt I’d be making it.

I love, love, love how it turned out. It’s big and fluffy and adds great texture to my living room walls.

Materials: Wreath-shaped base. I used a straw wreath for its natural materials, but a styrofoam base would work just fine.

Book pages – I used vintage for the weathered pages.

Glue gun – with several glue sticks.

Loosely fold book pages like a fan and then glue at the base.

Slightly fold the base of the page and glue to the back of the wreath, making your way around it.

Apply the next layer to the sides of the wreath. Repeat and cover.

Fill in all empty spaces. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Shorter and longer pages add character.

Add a hook to the back of the wreath.

Hang and enjoy its loveliness!

If you like this project, you might also like our heart garland or decoupaged wine glasses.

Happy crafting!

Chevrons are all the rage, you know

by Robin Salts Beckett on Mar 20, 2012

If you follow design trends, you know that the chevron pattern is EVERYWHERE these days. It’s so in, it’s almost out. There’s something about its simplicity, it’s in-your-face “pattern-ness” that I just love though. I think my living room, which is ultra-traditional, could benefit from the contemporary shape.

Over the years I’ve dreamed up about a thousand DIY projects that either only exist in my mind or sit in varying degrees of completion (or incompletion) in my house. My husband hates it when I get a “new” idea. This one will be easy, I say…SUPER simple. But DIY projects and busy schedules seem to conflict. (And let’s face it, I’m just not that good at them.)

But a simple canvas with painted chevrons…that WOULD be super simple, right? All I need is a canvas, a stencil and some paint. And some time.

Right now I’m in the “dreaming of it” stage…I’ve tossed around all sorts of ideas for color combinations:

I’m kind of obsessed with rainbows right now, so maybe I could marry the two objectives … cool, but probably not for my monochromatic living room.

I like this…all one crazy color that you won’t find in my living room anywhere. But crazy color + crazy pattern might be too much. Kind of like a short skirt and high heels: choose one.

This is a pleasing combination of calm + energy. But something might be missing.

Maybe it’s an image? Like a bird? Hmm…maybe not.

Ah-HA! Love the slim font overlay. Now for the hard part…

DIY Burlap Banner

by Jill St. George on Mar 13, 2012

I’ve combined two of my current craft faves – flag banners and burlap – to create the cutest burlap banner I have ever seen.

I love my fireplace, but I’ve struggled with the space above the nook. Leaving it bare is too much empty space, but a picture just wouldn’t work. So this is what I’ve come up with. Of course, all of my inspiration came from around the web, but I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

Supplies:

Burlap

Jute Twine

Scissors

Hot Glue

Cardstock

Directions:

Using a straight edge, trace and cut a triangle out of cardstock. Use it as your pattern to make triangles out of the burlap. Cut out your desired number of triangles. Make two small slits at the top corners of each triangle. On the back of the burlap, secure edges with hot glue (burlap easily unravels, so hot glue holds everything in place). String twine through the slits and tie double knots after slipping through each slit. Hang and enjoy its loveliness.