Tag: Wood Crafts

Beginner DIY Macrame Floating Shelf

May 3, 2018 3:00 AM May 3, 2018

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In our home it seems like there are never enough horizontal surfaces for new plants to call home. 🤗 So naturally the next step is floating shelves. Conveniently enough, this…

In our home it seems like there are never enough horizontal surfaces for new plants to call home. 🤗 So naturally the next step is floating shelves. Conveniently enough, this also helps with keeping our family kitty 🐱 out of the new growth! (#winning). This shelf took less than an hour and came out surprisingly great! Perfect for Adreena’s boho/mountain themed bedroom.

Things You Will Need

Rope/Cord/Plastic Clothesline (that I picked up at the Dollar Store 🙌)
Sharp Scissors
A Piece of Wood (Check out this one at Home Depot or these from Amazon)

Measuring

This is very scientific… just kidding. You will need six pieces total. Measure by using your arms length. Four of the pieces will be two arms length and two will be three arms length. No need to be super specific, I trimmed the ends to be even at the very end.

Macrame Knots

Before getting started I highly recommend watching this video Chelsea is awesome at explaining the basic knots of macrame! She is so cute and takes the time to show them nice and slow!

For this piece we’ll be using the following knots:

Gathering Knots
Left Square Knots
Left & Right Square Knots

Working the Rope

To begin find the middle of the ropes, loop these around. (Optional: Loop the ropes through a metal ring for easy hanging). Cut another piece of rope (about 3/4 of one arms length). Use this piece to tie your first gathering knot. Next you will pull out two of the long pieces (I chose the two that seemed to be on opposite sides). Using only these two pieces begin working the rope in repeating left square knots. Naturally the piece will begin to spiral as you apply more knots. I used about 20 knots to achieve my desired look, this quantity is really up to you. Once you find a stopping point we will move down the ropes. You’ll need to split your core into three groups of four (working ropes that are closest to each other). Move 4-5″ down from your spiral and place a left and right square knot on each of the three groups. Work to keep these three knots as even as possible. Once complete you will move down another 5-6″. For this level of knots you want to take two ropes from one group and two from the neighboring group. Again place a left and right square knot. From here you can decide if you want to do another level of square knots or if you are read to place your shelf. I was happy with the length at this point so chose to finish off. Carefully place your piece of wood inside the rope sections, collecting them underneath. Decide where you want your shelf to sit and mark the rope. Remove the piece of wood and cut another piece of rope (about 3/4 of one arms length). Use this piece at the level you marked to place a gathering knot. Once tied off you are ready to place your shelf. Spread the ropes out along the perimeter and level out the shelf while hanging.

Voila! There you have a DIY Floating Shelf featuring some beginner macrame! If you wanted you could also skip the macrame all together and use twisted or braided ropes. That would be even easier!

Now my husband can’t limit my plant purchases based on counter space. 😜 #loophole

If you have any questions let me know, happy DIYing!

xo,

Carolyn

This pattern came from the lovely @crafty_ginger! Check out her awesome ideas! 👏

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission.

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C R E A T I V I T Y

Looking for the Perfect DIY Wedding Gift?

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January 18, 2018 11:30 PM January 18, 2018

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3,568 Comments

As a gift giver I like to focus on handmade items that serve a purpose. I’ve tried many different gift options but this one in particular was pretty fun and…

As a gift giver I like to focus on handmade items that serve a purpose. I’ve tried many different gift options but this one in particular was pretty fun and came out beautifully.

Wood burning is a really fun technique that makes for the perfect DIY wedding gift.

When deciding on this particular gift not only did I want something functional for the bride and groom, but I also wanted something that would fit nicely in my duffel bag (cause who has time for baggage fees 💁🏻). With the materials I had on hand I decided on a custom key hanger.

Pick Your Wood

Now I had a few pieces of curly walnut in my craft pile, but if you don’t have a trust wood pile I recommend Wood Craft stores. They have a huge variety of wood types and colors! I tend to gravitate toward the scrap pieces that are much more affordable and user friendly for small project such as thing one. (Find a store near you by clicking here Also – join their mailing list for additional discounts!) From my selection I choose I nice rectangular piece that would make a statement. To prep the wood I sanded each side and edges with 80 grit sandpaper (be sure to sand in a well ventilated area with safety glasses and a respiratory mask😷). After the wood is even and smooth hit it again with 120 – 220 grit sand paper to get a nice smooth finish.

Create Your Design

Once my wood was prepped it was time to work on my overall design – for most of my designs I tend to use the text box feature in Microsoft Word. This is not the most scientific way to do it – but it works, and this project doesn’t need a whole lot of science. Pick your statement, font and size. **Not finding a font the fits your vision? I am a font junkie and absolutely love 1001freefonts.com. (Warning – it can be very addicting ) For more on how to download and install new FREE fonts check out this blog post. Once you have finalized a design, flip the image – THIS IS CRITICAL! Most of the time I find it easiest to use the Snip It tool to cut out the design, then I paste it to a Word document and flip the image using the Picture Tools.

Once your image is flipped and sized we need to prepare the wax paper. There are a lot of tutorials on how to print on wax paper. The method I prefer is to fold a piece of wax paper around a heavy weight paper and secure with tape. Once secured you feed the wax covered paper through your inkjet printer. After printing cut the wax paper away from the cardstock, flip the design (wet ink against the wood) and place on your wood. Rub the design on to the wood using your fingers – being careful not to adjust the placement. Remove the wax paper and the design will be left on the wood for you to trace.

Begin Wood Burning

Next is the fun part! Find yourself a comfy chair in a well lit room with a TV tray or work table. For wood burning I chose this wood burner on Amazon.com. I decided on this one for the range of heat settings and on/off switch. After having it for a while I have really enjoyed the variety of tips (although, in all honesty I use about three for most projects).

Once you’re all set up and your wood burner is hot begin tracing your design, shading in the areas with ink. This can be time consuming the more intricate your design – keep this in mind when choosing your phrase and font.

If you make a mistake – never fear! First, I like to think that handmade items should be perfectly imperfect. Next wood burning is pretty forgiving; your first option to cover your mistake is by making the line thicker to accommodate the mistake. If the mistake is not that easy to cover there is always the option to sand down and start over.

Seal & Finish

After your design is completely burned it is time to seal the wood. To seal my curly walnut I chose a satin finish as to keep the wood grain light (so the burning would be more prominent). The number of coats is all based on personal preference (and time). I tend to be a procrastinator, and sealing takes time – so one coat will do the trick. If your item will be exposed to weather or extreme conditions additional coats will be needed.

After your wood is cured it is time to measure out the hook placement. I picked up these hooks from Home Depot (the ones I purchased were brass – so I spray painted them for the desired look). I had the hubby measure out and pre-drill the holes so the hooks would go in straight and easy.

Last step is deciding how you want to mount the sign. I opted for two holes drilled with a router and key hole bit for a flush mount but using hardware from any picture hanging kit would work as well.

I was able to pack the key hanger in the bottom of my duffel with no consequence. Upon arrival I stopped by a supermarket to grab some gift wrap. Voilà – The Perfect DIY Wedding Gift!

If you have any questions please leave them below – and if you give it a try let me know, I’d love to see your handy work!

Carolyn

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