Banner bling - DIY

Today's DIY project follows my usual penchant for creating easy, no fuss and effective interior styling's. Wall banners are a brilliant way of adding bling to your wall using colour and personality. Creating your own banner means personalising to whatever style suits your kidlets.This is why we are creating one today and us a bonus there's no sewing required.

 Here's what you'll need:

• Dowel - I picked up a  metre length stick from Bunnings for around $3 which was enough for making 3 banners.
• Calico - a metres length. This the material of my choice however there are a few options that would be suitable.
• Buttons - these will be used for the feature design on my banner. Purchased from e-bay.
• Pom-pom string - my border of choice, purchased from Lincraft.
• String or ribbon - to use for hanging.
• Pencil or craft chalk - for marking out lines.
• Scissors
• Stanley Knife
• Craft glue

 
 
Here's what to do:

Step 1 - Mark and cut out cloth to the banner size of your choice allowing for a 3cm space at the top to wrap around the dowel. My banner size is 15cm x 20cm.

Step 2 - Use the cloth cut-out to measure the length of dowel you require. Allow for 2cm overhang on either end of the banner. Cut with stanley knife.

 

Step 3 - Create your banner design. I am using wooden patterned buttons in the shape of a heart as a feature. These are glued on using craft glue. Leave to dry before completing step four.

 

Step 4 - Glue the 3cm overhang of the banner to the dowel at the top.

 

Step 5 - Measure the length of the Pom-pom string you require, cut and glue using craft glue. Leave to dry.

 

Step 6 - Measure the length of string your require for hanging your banner by doubling the length of the dowel you are using. Wrap string around twice on either end and tie together in a knot at the back.

Step 7 - Hang your banner in a place where it can bring a touch of bling to a much needed wall space!

Here's how it turned out!!!

I love this hanging in my little girl's room.

Not to be left out (and rightly so) my four year old son asked where his banner was. Here's what we whipped up for him using a design of his choice.

 

Inspired by my post??? I would love to see your own banner creations tag me on instagram.

You can WIN one of these two banners for your self. See my instagram post for details for how to win via @shelladores.

I welcome any questions and comments. Thank you!

See you next time...

Off the grid

 

Patterns are a large part of interior design; spots, stripes, floral, chevron, damask, colour blocking, so many choices! Some last the distance and some are just a phase. The chevron has dominated interior design and fashion recently but it's times for the trendy chevy to move aside and make way for the grand grid.

The grid pattern is showing up everywhere inspiring clothing fashion, bedding, cushions, décor, prints, pots and more. As usual I have put together a few of my favourite finds from Instagram that I think are "off the grid".

 

@charlieandjae will have you hooked with these groovy grids. Don't underestimate the power of a hook to bring a pop of colour and a stylish feature to a wall.  

www.charlieandjae.bigcartel.com

 

 

 

@milski_designs shares the love for grids, this is just one of their gorgeous grid wall prints.

The splash of pink makes the grid even more appealing.

www.etsy.com/shop/milskidesigns

 

 

 

@designtwins pots populate my feed with their pot perfection

leaving me salivating for more. These grids pots are no exception.

www.designtwins.com

@downthatlittleshoplane never fail to have the latest lust worthy finds and are always on trend.

Even your butter won't be left out and can go off the grid with this cool butter dish.

http://downthatlittlelane.com.au/

 

 

@inkibabinki have the right idea with this grid pair. This apple and pear could bring a fruity feature to any bed, couch, chair, teepee, you name it.

www.etsy.com/shop/inkibabinki

 

@montytribe have the drop on what's hot with their gorgeous children's wares.

This grid drop beanbag would make one stylish and trendy kids space.

www.montytribe.com.au

 

@prettytidy_roshnee has stylish storage solutions for every room. These grid paper storage bags are currently my favourite. I have my eye on that pink one!

www.prettytidy.bigcartel.com 

 

 

 

So that's my grip on the grid and definitely enough to grovel over. Enjoy going off the grid!

 

Copper Crush

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, Copper is a requirement for every leaving organism. Makes sense to me as I currently feed my copper crush. And I am not the only one crushing, it seems that copper goodies have taken over interior pages everywhere.



Even the big department stores are not fools enough to avoid this craze with their tempting copper products available such as this selection below.


Adairs





Kmart



Kmart

In the spirit of supporting local and small business I have put together a collection of copper goodies that I am currently crushing on from some clever Instagram stores.

 

 

www.forageandfind.com.au

 

These temptresses are just a mere sample from the good folk @forageandfindco. I found it impossible to select just one image from their copper collection. Be sure to check out their Cooepr lamp and Delilah wall clock Ah-mazing!

 

 

 

 www.cottonandthread.bigcartel.com

 

It was love at first sight with this cuddly copper creation. Such a stylish adornment for any couch, chair or bed by @cotton_and_thread Image by @click_went_the_camera.

 

 

 

www.misspots.com.au

 

I am a sucker for these gorgeous pouches and as we now know no living organism should not be without copper and these succulents are no exception by @misspotspouches

 

 

 

www.etsy.com/au/shop/meyouevie

 

Let your walls not be left out of the copper craze with gorgeous copper prints such as this touch of coppery kisses and hugs by @meyouevie_prints

 

 

  

www.thedustypoppy.bigcartel.com

 

Take a pick of any of these shiny copper vessels. These bowls, pots and mugs will give your kitchen a touch of clever copper coolness from @thedustypoppy. Not just for the kitchen of course.

 

 

 I hope the copper craze continues to be an essential part of the interior scene as it is a perfect companion to the marble madness that is also around. Throw in some blush or onyx for another complimentary colour combination.

 

A touch of copper and marble bringing style to my bathroom.
Candle votive from @my_little_empire.  Marble tray from Country Road.

 

.

 

 

Marbleous

Marble is taking interior styling by storm at the moment and I am a fan! The luxe feel it gives to a space is its greatest appeal and the subtlety of grey and white as a colour palette makes it adaptable to many colour schemes. My preferred combination currently is marble and blush and marble and copper.

Famous marble sculpture David

Taj Mahal is clad entirely in marble

Marble's versatility is surprising for a "non-foliated metamorhpic rock composed of recrystallised carbonate minerals." 

It has been traditionally used for sculpture and building materials, particularly favoured during the Roman times. 

These days we will see marble as bench tops, wall tiles, splash back features, baths and more. Just feast your eyes on this heavenly bath, oh the opulence!

Image sourced from @interiors_of_melbourne

My favourite inspirational place (Instagram) has an abundance of marble goodies appearing at the moment with beautiful decor pieces available as well as inspiring a range of marble look products. 

Here is a selection of some of the luxury goodies I favour and where you can find them:

KScents Soy Candles - www.facebook.com/pages/KScents-Soy-Candles

@kscentssoycandles knows a good thing when they see it and what a way to package their beautiful scented soy candles. The copper lid is the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful marble base. 

Marble Basics - www.marblebasics.com.au

Melbourne based @marblebasics has an abundance of marble to drool over. As their name indicates they basically do all things marble and do it beautifully. There isn't a product they stock that I wouldn't lust after.

Zousijewellery - www.zousijewellery.bigcartel.com

@zousijewellery openly shares my love for marble. These divine marble coasters can be bought from her beautiful selection. While you are there you must check out her marble jewellery... amazing! 

The Minimalist - www.theminimalist.com.au

@minimaliststyle are right on trend stocking gorgeous marble decor and marble look items. As this image shows they have your walls covered too. So much marble envy!!!

Now you've had some marble to marvel at, this is just the tip of the marble iceberg that luxuriously graces my Instagram feed. Having just got my first marble addition for the house (a marble tray courtesy of Mothers Day) join me in going forth and making your home "marbleous"!

Shelladores shelfie sharing

While the word "shelfie" is new to me it is not new to the instragram community with "shelfie" sharing rife. Yes, "shelfie" sounds like something Sean Connery would say when trying to take a self image, however, it is even cooler than that.

So what is a shelfie? A shelfie is the ingenious word for a photo of a bookshelf.

In the past I would've thought the trusty old shelf's purpose in life was to house books and perhaps a spattering of family photos and dust collecting ornaments.

For those a little more adventurous at selecting and matching a shelf could've been used in a decorative fashion.

@tiddliwinktoys adorable sail boat makes a great feature on
this shelf collection

How mistaken I was the humble shelf can be so much more! It can be a point of artistic self expression, a place to demonstrate ones styling and showcase fine pieces of eclectic collections. 

Here are examples of some shelfies that could give serious shelfie envy. 

@shannontuit shows how a humble plank of wood can be used to represent the personality and loves of her daughter in this delightful collection of sweet goodies.

@misskyreeloves shows that shelves are not just for children's goodies by using a collection of feature pieces and prints as a form of shelf expression. (Like what I did there?) I particularly like the touch of green and life that the plant brings to the shelves.

@lisa_kuhne shows us how to think outside the square. Who would've thought hexagons could look so good. Such a great collection of styling here.

@iamtarryndonaldson pairs these triangular shelves seamlessly with the geometric wall paper to create shelfie perfection. Simple, subtle, and stylish. 

@mitahli_designs knows shelves are more than just a plank of wood! This delicious design is one of the many she has created and they add such a gorgeous pop of colour and life to any wall for housing all those pretty pieces.

@bekhallidayart showcases her beautiful art work on her shelfie matching sweet pastels to her colour scheme. Every shelfie should be adorned with a piece of Bek Halliday art!

Oh the shelfie envy! 

So what is shelfie envy? It is something I am regularly experiencing at the moment as our temporary digs contains one lonely shelf. That shelf has such great responsibility in representing the place proudly. It is almost suffocating under the pressure. 

How shelfish of me I truly am proud of that one shelf and all it holds!

I hope you were able to get some shelf inspiration. There's plenty of that on instagram should you need more. Currently 168,352 posts have the tag #shelfie. 

Go forth and don't be afraid to share your shelf and take a shelfie!

Coming soon... think shelfies are a good way of displaying those feature pieces and prints? Wait til you meet the Jimmy Stand, if you're not already lusting after it! (Teaser alert)

Gold leaf and feather garland - DIY

 

Following on from my previous post here is my first DIY craft post. I am starting off with an easy DIY activity, a whimsical feather and gold leaf garland. Really all my DIY craft activities will be easy because ease is what I am partial too. I'll walk through step by step how to make this sweet piece inspired by the beautiful garlands featured in my previous post.

Materials: Gold spray paint, skeleton leaves, feathers of your colour choice, decorative string, and craft glue.

Preparation: Before we make the feather garland we need to transform the skeleton leaves into gold leaves using the gold spray paint. The skeleton leaves can be found in the craft section of Kmart and most craft shops. These leaves are soft and breezy, perfect for an autumn decoration and the gold complements the soft pink and blue tones of the feathers I am using.

 

Tip: When spraying the leaves you will need to secure them as the leaves are so light the force of the spray blows them away. I held them by the tip while spraying but you may find a better solution.

 

 



Before



After



Now that the leaves are prepared we will set-up the rest of the materials ready to go. Cut the string to your desired length, I am using two metres worth. Work out what pattern you are going to use for your garland. I am selecting, pink feather, gold leaf, blue feather, gold leaf, repeat.

 

 

Make a loop, poke the feather stem through and pull tight. Allow three fingers lengths and make your next loop, poke the stem of the leaf through and pull tight. Repeat. It's as simple as that.

 

Note: You can use any spacing that you desire as long as it's consistent.

Keep going until you have made the garland to the length that you would like. Use a touch of craft glue at each knot to secure the feathers and leaves in their place.

Place your garland proudly on display in a space of your choice where it can add colour, softness and sweetness to a room. Here are two garland examples from my daughter's room.

If you have fallen in love with this prettiness but don't have the time or inclination to make your own, head over to my instagram account, @shelladores to find out how you can win one for yourself!

 

Keep following Shell Adores for more easy DIY craft activity in future posts.