An Adorable Four Year Old and Her Paper Dresses

Dubbed Mayhem by her mother Angie, this gorgeous little girl poses for Instagram (@2sisters_angie & #fashionbymayhem) in cleverly designed paper dresses. In the spirit of Oscars night, I've showcased a handful of her red carpet-inspired mockups. Will you be watching the Oscars tonight? I can't wait to see which celebrities little Mayhem mimics next! I've added Fashion by Mayhem to my feedly, perhaps you should too!

Juicy Steak & Fried Egg Pot Holders

Is there anything better than steak and eggs at brunch? Perhaps  steak and eggs with  bloody mary on the side. How funny are these pot holders? From Netherlands designer Loana Weber, you can purchase them (made to order!) here.

Gingerbread Brownstone

A few weeks ago. I volunteered with Free Arts to make Christmas art projects with under-served kids. Without fail, the gingerbread house station is always the most popular. I'm amazed by the designs that some of the kids envision. Give them a few years and I'll bet we'll see a gingerbread brownstone like this one from Kitchen Table Scraps. Check out the how-to guide here.

DIY: Lace Pumpkins

My husband and I have been tossing around various ideas for Halloween, with no real commitment, given the amount of traveling we've been doing lately. I love pumpkins and gourds,  but I'm not particularly committed to a carving party. Honestly WTF featured a pretty DIY to craft lace pumpkins.

Shopping list:
Pumpkin (s)
Thin Black Lace Applique or Fabric
Craft Paint
Mod Podge
2 Medium-sized brushes
1 Small brush

>Using one of your medium brushes, paint the pumpkin(s) white. Allow to dry, then apply a second coat and allow to dry.
> With the small brush, paint the stem black
>Place the lace or fabric in desired areas and coat with the Mod Podge. You may need to allow certain parts of the lace dry at a time, to fully fuse the material.

Fun and a bit sexy, no? Perfect decor for a cocktail party.

iPhone 4 Case Cross-Stich Kit

Oh, I love this! The DIY iPhone case allows your to customize your cover/express your creative side.  Check it out at Connect design.

kissing clothes pins

Such a cute craft idea! Did your Mums dry your clothes outside when you were kiddos? (Pinterest)

Champagne Cap Mini Chairs

These made me smile. I now know what to do with all the bottles we pop :) Thanks Cristina, via Pinterest.

baby jeans

My friend from back home has an extremely clever Mum. She crafted baby jeans for her son's two-week old baby...from an old pair of his jeans! Swoon.

vintage finds (via Cathy of California).

Before blogging: needlepoint, crafts! A friend from back home emailed me a image that popped up from this blog and I found a little trail of treasures...

1977: labeled under "crafty divas"

creative stitchers - erica wilson, 1965

1960's.

1960-61

the bull: ("mc call's needlework & crafts" fall-winter 1960-61)

a small gesture, perhaps a favor?

Do you know a seamstress? A quilter? I love these petite satchels. Perfect for throwing together a few essentials for your pocket book or crafts bag. I’m thinking holiday or birthday for my Mum, the quilter.

Find them at The Curiosity Shoppe

Do you lack pumpkin carving talent?

Why not keep it simple this year? Martha Stewart suggests converting your pumpkins into "mouse motels."

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After picking up a dozen or so plastic mice from you closest halloween store, carve peep holes for them in your pumpkins!

I've also seen cute ideas in Good Housekeeping: (Honestly, I didn't subscribe to this magazine...it just started coming one day...and hasn't stopped. I don't get billed, so I can't complain)- take black polka dot or other simple black and white ribbons and tie them around the pumpkins.

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Smaller pumpkins and gourds make great centerpieces for your dinner table. I filled a clear vase with colorful, non-uniform gourds for my table.

an idea from Martha, twig coasters!

The skinny:

>Gather 22 twigs for each coaster that you anticipate constructing.
Perhaps four is a good place to start?

> Trim your twigs to a length of 5 inches.

>Double a length of waxed twine, loop center an inch from the end of first twig, and tie once. Tie twine around remaining twigs, one by one. Tie knot at end; cut twine close to knot.

>Repeat on other side

What's to love about this project:

Depending on the decor choices you've made in your home, the twigs can transcend over different themes. You could also select different types of twigs to match your needs. Think rustic, or perhaps even use bamboo for a cleaner, more modern look.





Idea developed from: October 1998 issue of Martha Stewart Living.