Six DIY tutorials for scalloped accessories

Scalloped designs are fun and feminine. I prefer mine on the large and simple side so they look more modern and less fussy. For inspiration, here are some tutorials for scalloped accessories you can make yourself:

Scalloped Dresden bag pattern at During Quiet Time
Faux leather scalloped necklace from Nest
Scalloped tote bag at Frolic
Scallop of the Sea knitting pattern ($4) at Holla Knits
No-sew diaper clutch by Melissa Esplin
Leather zippered pouch from Monsterscircus (English instructions included)

Printable chalkboard gift tags

Have you seen the printable chalkboard gift tags you can download free from Ellinée? Chalkboard graphics are all the rage, and these are particularly nice specimens. The tags come in a variety of messages; tie one to any gift and you'll impress friends with your artfulness.

Marimekko desktop wallpapers

Marimekko, the beloved Finnish fabric company, posts monthly desktop wallpaper calendars on their blog. You can download the wallpapers in various sizes, with or without the calendar added. I love bold prints SO MUCH, but I have to admit it can be hard to find my files on top of them. So I grabbed a couple of the more subtle patterns for use on my desktop.

I'm signing off until Monday now; I'm headed out of town for a few days. See you next week!

Easy-to-make St. Patrick's Day decorations

If you've got paper and tape, you can make some easy St. Patrick's Day decorations. Remember the wall of 3D paper hearts? You can use the same template to whip up some quick shamrocks.


To make these:
1. Download this heart template and print it on green paper. Or orange paper, if you want extra points. Nothing wrong with an orange shamrock, is there?

2. Follow the instructions in the original post for forming the hearts.

3. Cut some stem pieces and fold a crease most of the way up the center. These can be long rectangles, slightly curved if you like.


Each shamrock requires three hearts and a stem.


4. Tape three hearts together so their points meet in the center. Tape a stem on top.


5. Apply wall putty or a rolled piece of tape to the center of the shamrock, and stick it to your wall. A surface covered with these would be awesome, and then you could call it an "installation" and get extra respect.

Jonathan Adler and Pantone at JCPenney

JCPenney is getting cool. They've got Jonathan Adler! I came across this announcement and got excited, then found this bedding on the website by Googling. Google sent me to the Happy Chic Katie duvet set and I starting clicking on related items. Ironically, typing "Jonathan Adler" into the search box on JCP's home page didn't yield any product results.


I'm guessing more items from Jonathan Adler's budget-friendly Happy Chic collection will appear online soon.

JCP also has Pantone products (thanks for the tip, Courtney). As well as collections from Michael Graves and Bodum, the Danish design firm. As part of a desperately-needed effort to reinvent themselves, JCP plans to open a collection of affordable designer shops and home goods boutiques inside their stores. Has anybody spotted these collections in their local JCPenney?

I haven't been to one since Christmas, where I saw those dog collars with ribbons I designed and picked up a really cute $15 blouse.

Tutorials for storing your stuff

These little DIY projects might be fun for the weekend:
A tree-shaped holder for earrings at Projectville
A simple way to store your washi tape by Silly Old Suitcase
Leather card holders from Caila Made (bonus: these pouches are fab)
No-sew fabric boxes by Rashida Coleman Hale

Origami arrow magnets and tacks

It only takes a minute to make simple origami arrows. They can be used as magnets to hold up your stuff.


I added self-adhesive magnet tape to these, available from craft stores. You could also chop up some of those free magnets that come in the mail with advertisements on them and glue those on.


The arrows can also be turned into thumbtacks for your pin board.


Lift up the arrow head flap, poke a tack through the paper, and stick the head back down on top of the tack using glue or double stick tape.

I learned how to make the arrows from Joost Langeveld's site. Refer to the instructions there, or read on to see my steps.

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Free, vintage Facebook cover images

If you're tired of your Facebook timeline banner, you're welcome to download one of these free cover images. I made them using bits and pieces of public domain art from vintageprintable.com. Their licensing states that the site's images can be copied, shared, distributed, and adapted— even commercially— so here you go.

Click any image to bring up the larger size. Then save it to your computer and upload it to Facebook.