rolling pin wrapping paper DIY

Posted by kait / December 19, 2012

step1

I can’t get enough of fun DIY wrapping ideas! From glitzy and glitter to the super simple – I love it all. I think that the fact you put work into creating a beautiful package to enclose your lovely gift in means almost more than the gift itself. I have working on a DIY Wrappings series for Swerve Magazine all month long and have been loving every minute of it. Not to mention, while I am doing the DIY, I am also multi-tasking by wrapping my Christmas gifts! Perfect.

Today I am excited to share a unique approach to printing your wrapping paper using a rolling pin and foam shapes. I drew and cut out the shapes I wanted for my cute and wintery paper design. Glued them onto the wooden rolling pin and away I went. See the whole DIY here.

step2

finished_presents

I also had the opportunity to meet with some of amazing gift wrapping experts at at The CORE and they shared everything I need to know to create the most perfect bow for your Christmas gifts this year. Hint: you’ll need two rolls of wired ribbon to achieve this incredible bow. Thanks Papyrus for the top secret tip!

Party in a Box Bookends DIY

Posted by kait / December 4, 2012

Excited to share this brand-new DIY project with you that I have over at Swerve! It is called Party in a Box Bookends and they are literally boxes with mini-parties inside. I went with a monochromatic party scheme but feel free to take yours to the next level! I picture pinatas, bunting banners and confetti. Find out how to make these fun bookends over here. They are perfect anywhere you keep books but I think they would be especially cute in a children’s bedroom! Your first library should be celebrated!

Neighborhood Clothing Swap DIY Printable

Posted by kait / December 4, 2012

Just as the saying goes, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure! Don’t discard your closet rejects so hastily – help them find a glamorous new home by organizing a neighborhood clothing swap. I have a brand-new DIY & Printable over at The Neighborhood all about putting together a neighborhood clothing swap. I am a big fan of the act of swapping so take a note from me and plan your own party. I’ve got everything you need to pull it together including invitation templates, bunting banners and labels for organizing the clothing – all you have to do is send the invites! We all have those neighbors whose wardrobes you covet – so get out there and stick an invite in their mailbox.

You can also take your swap to the next level by providing some light refreshments like lemonade or hot chocolate. It doesn’t take much to pull together a potlucked table of delicious baked goods. Could there be anything better than delicious sweets and “shopping” for new clothes? I think not!

let’s neighbor: calling cards!

Posted by kait / November 21, 2012

Hello Neighbor! Getting to know your new (or sometimes old) neighbors is one of the first steps to bringing together the spirit of community on your block. I am part of a brand-new online Neighborhood that you have to check out! It is called Let’s Neighbor and it is an amazing resource of how to be the best neighbor you can be and to neighbor!

One of the simplest ways to inspire some neighborly conversation is to leave a sweet note on their front door. Whether it be a follow-up from your last Community Association meeting, accompanying a tin of homemade cookies or just a welcome note to a family who just moved in – a quick note is the perfect way to reach out and let them know you are there.

I have created a set of some super fun and eye-catching neighbor cards for you to print out and share with your neighbors!

Oh, won’t you be my neighbor?

a very minted holiday

Posted by kait / November 16, 2012

Have you met Minted? Based out of San Francisco, they are one of the best resources on the web to purchase custom greeting cards along with beautiful artist prints (addicted to these) and their newly launched party decor line! With Christmas nearly just one month away, it is about time that we all dig out our favourite pen and get writing our Christmas cards.

Today I want to share my favourites out of their new holiday collection of cards. As if like a magnet, I gravitate towards the hand-drawn type cards almost immediately. I love the simplicity and the child-like nature to them. I would definitely want to receive one of these in my mailbox!

I love the colour palette of these last two cards. Cream, green and red – just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I am just wondering though – we don’t have any cute kids or pets like these beautifully photogenic families – hope people will like a card with our goofy mugs on it! Tough luck….

This post was sponsored by minted.com but includes my own opinions and reviews of the product.

put a bird on it: last minute costume idea

Posted by kait / October 30, 2012

Looking for a last minute costume idea for tomorrow night? My super simple Put a Bird On It DIY over at Swerve Magazine is perfect for the last-minute ‘weener! All you need is a pair of shades, felt and glue!

Wrapped Books DIY

Posted by kait / October 25, 2012

I love the look of wrapped books. Do you remember wrapping your textbooks during grade school? I just loved the scent of the brown craft paper and creasing the folds just so. Here is a super fun way to dress up some of those books on your shelf that have seen better days. Just grab some pretty wrapping paper and you’ve got yourself a stack worth showing off. Check out the full tutorial over at Swerve Magazine.

Also, don’t you just loved those Andy Warhol soup cans from Target? My lovely friend Micaela in Texas managed to pick them up for me! What a girl….

Some DIYs to Keep You Busy

Posted by kait / October 23, 2012

So excited to share these new DIY projects I have been working on over at Swerve Magazine. I think just about everyone is doing painted pumpkins this season – they are popping up on my instagram and Pinterest. And the felted wreath was SO fun to make – though I did burn my fingers a couple of times on the hot glue!

Here are the links! Enjoy!

DIY Felted Foilage

Glam-o’-lanterns DIY

DIY: Oh My Sign

Posted by kait / October 19, 2012

I am so excited to share with you one of my most favourite DIY projects I have ever done. I love the look of rusted metal lights that look like they fell off an old marquee sign or have aged beautifully in an abandoned carnival so I decided to create my own, complete with the vintage-look round bulbs! This project was done for Swerve Magazine and you can check out all of the steps to making your own here. It was so much fun, was super inexpensive and looks amazing on my office wall. Definitely what this room was missing!

Oh and did I mention that it is made of foam core?! Yes, it is a faux rust treatment I applied to the painted letters and I couldn’t be happier with the effect. I hope you enjoy this DIY and I would love to see some others take this idea and make it even bigger. I could picture it in a cute boutique or filling a whole wall!

Have fun crafting! x

listen here, andy shauf

Posted by kait / October 17, 2012

I have friends with incredible taste in music. I used to be able to say I had my hand on the pulse of the music scene here in Calgary back when I was running New Canadian Modern but to completely honest, the music I’ve been purchasing lately has been spur of the moment, can’t go wrong with your favourite bands kind of music. Which is no crime, I love to support my favourite Canadian artists time and time again by picking up their vinyl or iTunes. However, sometimes I do feel like I am missing out on some very talented artists. Thankfully, the aforementioned friends with incredible music tastes keep me up to speed on what is happening and who is coming to town.

I was so lucky to receive an advance copy of Andy Shauf’s new album, The Bearer of Bad News. The instrumentation and musicianship, alone, on this album speak volumes to Shauf’s vision and creativity as a songwriter. The smooth vocals meld with clarinet and piano, perfectly building up to the soundtrack of your autumn roadtrips. I already know this album will be on repeat for the next couple of weeks, for sure.

I can’t wait for his November 7th show at The Lantern (1401 10th Ave SE) in Calgary along with other hometown hero’s Reuben & The Dark. It is going to be a magical show and a wonderful excuse to get out on a Wednesday evening. This new album will be available as well.

And to leave you with a bit of beauty + sound, here is the tour video teaser filmed and produced by local filmmaker, featuring a snippet of the melodic dreams that Andy Shauf has to offer.

from on .