Wooden Pencil Holder

The stylish, easy-to-make desk accessory formerly known as "piece a junk".BY INA AMOR MEJIA

SORRY MARIE KONDO you're magical. But there are times my inability to declutter has served me well. Take for instance, this semi-large piece of thin wood that I just could not throw away. A piece of garbage really, except for its natural, smooth grain that worked well with paint or on its own. I made a clock with it, a little shelf for Caroline's toys, and the pencil holder you see above.

For the pencil holder, I simply had my carpenter friend cut three equal pieces to make all the sides, I glued them together using wood glue. Finally I filled in the corner gaps with wood filler, and then sanded the living daylights out of them. This pencil holder is a totally hard-working member of my desk right now and will remain so in the future. 

Get the step-by-step in the downloadable September issue of Hopefull Magazine, where this DIY appeared first. And here's the little shelf I made for Linny. 

Thanks guys!

A Handmade Home

Crafting and my perpetual inner struggle. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

SOME WEEKS AGO I was tasked to create this hammock chair for Craft, the DIY section of those lovely magazines Northern  and Southern Living by Hinge. Though the prospect was daunting at first (I'm making a hammock what), this project turned out to be one of easiest and most rewarding yet. It is at this point that crafting moves beyond just a hobby and into the realm of, "Wait a sec, I'm going to DIY my entire house."

Basic Himmeli

The traditional Finnish craft I love more than Angry Birds. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

WE'VE GOT A LOT TO THANK FINLAND FOR. Among them is the Finnish Sauna (there are reportedly three million saunas in the country), and Angry Birds. That ubiquitous game released in 2009 which, nearly a decade later, remains one of the most popular in the world, next only to Candy Crush and Fruit Ninja. Sorry, I've never played any of those. But to be fair, I'm not much for games, or apps for that matter. But crafts, yes! Just in case you haven't noticed. 

Himmeli is traditional in Finland, they've been making them for centuries. But only a few years ago has the art of stringing pieces of natural reed into geometric shapes been embraced everywhere, with modern versions taking Himmeli to the next level.

I shot the photo above late last year, as part of a feature on ornaments for my friends at Northern and Southern Living magazines, and was quickly enamored. Instead of reeds you can use plastic straws, copper or brass tubing, you can make them into planters, desk accessories, light pendants, or elaborate sculptures. So much Himmeli, so little time!

Here's a simple tutorial to get you started.

And thanks for reading!

How we like our eggs

An engaging Easter experiment with natural dyes. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

WE'VE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH CHICKENS LATELY. One day, Gabby and the crazies came home from a school fair with a baby chicken in their hands. The kids were in tears. The chicken was acting hysterical---sopping wet from an accident in the car. It seemed like everyone was yelling, me most of all. We're not allowed to have dogs in our apartment. Poultry is out of the question. I gave my husband the stink eye. You enabler how could you do this. You know what's going to happen next. 

The Inspiring Home Office

Six rules for creating a workspace that works. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

IF  YOU WORK FROM HOME like I do, you know this to be true: there is nothing more demotivating than the prospect of working in a disorganized, uncomfortable, and artless home office. We can forgive the mess from time to time (just for you Steve), but not a workspace that inspires nothing. Devoid of character, or any sense of style.

Take a hint from these lovely (and organized) home offices and get to work on yours, with a little effort, some imagination, and these six basic rules...

This Year's Calendar

Mark your days with a calendar that's so simple, it's sublime. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY to buy a calendar. Yes I know we're nearing the end of February, but cup half full, we've got ten months to go. At the beginning of the year, I always slave at my computer and try to make my own calendar. And every single year Gabby will tell me, "Why don't you just buy one?". And that's exactly what happened. 

This calendar ($4.42) by the Etsy shop Typographing is minimalist at its best, but with a nice hand-painted font for the months, for some warmth. All of you who need some warmth raise your hands.

It took little effort to print these out using our home printer and some white card stock, cutting them, and then finally resting them on a small cork board secured with a clip. And even if you are home printer and scissor challenged you'll find that it's worth it. You will be staring at this beauty for an entire year. (Ok, ten months).

So go give our friends at Etsy some love. Calendar heaven awaits.

*Photo by Ina Amor Mejia. More calendars: Constellation Calendar, a colorful floral calendar,  and an artful (and free) watercolor calendar .

For the Weekend

Three kitchen to-dos, one new craft, and a lot of reflection. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

I'VE GOT SOME EDIBLE PROMISES to keep this weekend, starting with the yogurt Caroline has been bugging me to make. Yes it's true, it's really easy and tastes incredible. I also promised Gabby some hummus, made with dried garbanzos this time, so we'll see how that goes. And a twist on the Spanish Fabada.

  

Also happy to share with you the latest DIY I've done, the faux leather catch-all tray you see above, which is now up on this great new site Preen. You've probably seen similar trays somewhere on the web, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. This tray was made without any special leather crafting tools whatsoever. Check out the DIY here. 

Finally, I'll be thinking about some recent events in the news. Especially about that little Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, who drowned with his brother and mother and other migrants desperate to escape the horrors of war. I'll be thinking of his father, who survived, and all the stories like his that unfold tragically as we speak. In my heart I believe, as I know many of you do, that we must all try and help those who suffer, anywhere in the world. We simply cannot ignore it.

Here are 5 practical ways you can help refugees find safety in Europe. 

I wish you a thoughtful, peaceful and restful weekend. And here are more links from around the web. 

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Thanks for reading!

Moody Craft Shoot

Soy candles with herbs, aloe vera gel, and a fun technique for marbling. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

THESE LAST TWO MONTHS I did another round of DIYs for the Craft section of Northern and Southern Living Magazines. The editors wanted moody images, which I love. And I also tried out some new DIYs for the first time. If you can grab a copy of the May and June issues, you'll find DIYs on Sea Salt Spray for beachy hair (not pictured), Aloe Vera Gel, Soy Candles with Herbs, and Marbled Paper.  I learned quite a bit making these wonderful crafts...

Candle-making

Candle-making is something I've always wanted to try, and it's so much easier than I thought. You basically just need to be careful that you don't burn yourself melting and handling the wax. You don't really need a thermometer. And if you can't find those wax pellets, which are sometimes only sold in bulk, just grab old candles and grate them for melting (wick and all).

Marbling
Marbling is so trendy right now. Using different marbling techniques, crafters have found so many great ways to use marbling in art, interior design and decor. I used shaving cream to create the marbling effect on the envelope liners and bookmark above. I thought it was the easiest technique by far. Not to mention fun!

Aloe Vera Gel

I normally don't use aloe vera gel, let alone make it at home. But the Aloe Vera gel was quite the lesson. If you ever cut open an aloe vera leaf and notice some yellowish liquid with a funky smell---that's the resin, not the gel. Let the resin drain first and you'll have that clean, clear (and not smelly) gel waiting to be scooped out. 

Again, hope you find copies of the magazines for the full instructions on all these crafts. 

Thanks, and keep making! 

Painting a Door Black

Tried and tested tips on color choice, prepping, and that unnerving scratch test. 
BY INA AMOR MEJIA

WE'VE BEEN REDECORATING these past few weeks. Just a few things here and there, and mostly DIY. The biggest To Do was to repaint the entire interior of our three-floor apartment. That's done, but there's still so much to do. And boy do I have a post for you.

Gilded Geometric Votives

Give plain glass votives the gold treatment. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

DIY PROJECTS THAT ARE EASY, pretty and useful are my favorite. This is one of them. And after an afternoon of making, I now have something handmade to give to a couple of good friends (and myself). These votives look amazing unlit, with their simple but stunning gilded triangles. They might lend some modern whimsy to a tired old coffee or dining table. Drop some scented votives in them and light them up, whether you're with company or not. They are super simple, you'll see.

Creepy photo

SO I WAS SUPPOSED TO get some work done today, but guess what happened. It must be all of this Halloween buzz going around. It's got me. It always does. Last year we made some bat silhouettes out of black card and taped them unto our windows. The kids had store-bought costumes and trick or treat. And Gabby and I watched reruns of Insidious. Darn it, James Wan! I still cover my eyes!

We really planned to rock homemade costumes this year, but this crazy schedule is making that sort of impossible (more on that later). So I thought we'd just jump right into all the creepiness and share with you our very own haunted image. To create this photo I took several shots of my son reading a book in the living room. And to our sheer horror, that creepy Samara-like girl just showed up in one of the images.

I'm kidding. 

That's his nanny Che-Che. Who is actually very lovable and kind, and thankfully, nothing like Samara (except for her long, thick black hair!). And my son who's always so game to pose and is such a great little actor in the making. I propped the camera on a tripod to keep it steady. Took some shots of Jamon, and another one without Jamon but with Che-Che doing that thing. And then on Photoshop, I layered the two images on top of each other, and just brought down the opacity of Che-Che's photo to get that vanishing effect. I duplicated her layer so I could 'vanish' her hair, but not her hands. 

Boo!

What are you doing for Halloween? And thanks for reading.

* While we're at it, more creepy photos from the web! This, this, this,  and especially this.       

Finders Keepers

Picking up the pieces and what to do with tree stumps. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

A TYPHOON HIT US about two weeks ago. And we all thought it was stronger than expected. I was up at 2 in the morning when I heard that whistling sound. By 5 am, the winds were really packing it, and the whistling had turned into a full-blown howling with various levels of creepiness. A bit like a contralto in an opera about vampires. Then, the next day, we saw the trees.

DIY Shabby White Votives

A simple technique brings a soft, golden glow to any room. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

ANY CRAFTER WILL KNOW THE FEELING of being curiously lost in a DIY project, and the satisfaction they get when it's finally done. Major projects equals major doses of those feelings. I get nostalgic about wedding crafts for instance, or the cardboard Christmas village I made when I was ten. But there is also something to be said about the little projects for everyday. Especially when they're lovely yet functional, and hard to get wrong. These DIY candle holders are exactly that.

The Art of Wall

Ten simple rules to make your home gallery come to life. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

Imagine if this wall were empty. Photo from the book Decorate Workshop: Design and Style your Space in 8 Creative Steps by Holly Becker (via The Curated House). 

A THOUGHTFULLY CURATED WALL of treasured photos and works of art can give a house its character and make it look "finished". But gone are the days of matching frames and formal photographs. The new art wall has taken on a sublime eclecticism. A perfect way of expressing the leanings of a home and the people that live there, just as it is a remembering of moments lived, or the dreams we dream. The new art wall has become a work of art in itself.

Ok, it's just a wall full of pictures and art, big deal. I'll choose what I like, frame them, and hang them on a wall in my house. You could do that, or you could turn this task into something transforming (for you and the wall both), and let this creative effort yield that decorating masterpiece. 

AND! It can also be easy and goofproof thanks to things like 3M.

I once had an empty wall in my living room that looked especially lonely. I decided that I wanted to hang a collection of family photos but not simply all in a row. I thought about the sizes and made a mock-up in Photoshop to see what arrangement looked best. I had the photos framed in black and white and then I put them up.

My living room vignette needs updating, some color, and a plant.

I was happy with this project and it always breaks the ice when friends come to visit. There's a photo of Caroline as an infant looking tiny in our wing tip chair (she's so tall now and she dangles her legs over the side). A photo of Paco, my godson, at my wedding. A photo of Gabby and I looking inebriated at same wedding. A photo of my dad looking like a gangster. A photo of my mom being young and bohemian sipping coconut juice at a beach in one of my favorite university towns. A photo of me and my sister before we became mothers. A spectacular photo of my brother John running along the shores of Lingayen beach, that everybody in my family claims they took (it was I). 

But lately I've been hoping for a change. Also because my husband just woke up one day and decided he wanted to collect art. We're very different he and I. He wasn't much into the arts when we first met so this really is some sort of a coup. So far we've found a large abstract and an oil by two amazing local artists. But what this really means is that the rest of our walls will need to get their game on.

I plan to transfer the family photos to our dining room where they might stand out more against taupe walls. Or maybe hang the photos separately around the house, each part of a larger group. This time, I'll take cues from the art walls shown in this post and be guided by these useful tips.

Find the wall. Start with the wall above the couch in the living room. Or the wall above your bed. Hanging art work above furniture takes advantage of a room's focal point. Is there a niche in the wall? Or how about the wall by the landing on the stairs? A small divider wall. The hallway. Or the wall above your desk. I just feel that it should be a wall that is illuminated by a fair amount of indirect daylight. Even if you'd like to create a moody vignette, you'd want to be able to see it.  

In the home of filmmaker Noemie Saglio. Photo by Nicolas Aristidou for The Socialite Family. 

See what works with your house and your stuff. Abstract artists often keep this in mind when creating pieces that a designer or homeowner might want. Pick paintings, prints or photographs that work with your look and your furniture. It doesn't necessarily have to be all matchy (and it shouldn't be), but you will need to consider color schemes, styles, and the sizes of the wall, furniture and room. 

The sizes of the art here work with the scale of this room. Their jewel tones stand out against the pale pink wall, pair well with the celadon couch, and give a richness to this chic and feminine space. Photo from the book Decorate Workshop by Holly Becker (via The Curated House).

Use art and photographs that you love. You will be staring at this wall more than you know, so make sure it is filled with photographs that are meaningful, and with art that truly speaks to you. The most interesting arrangements are a combination of different mediums and styles. Like this one...

Photo via Modern Findings.

Use what you have or make your own art. You don't always have to take new pictures or buy art. Look for old family photos that have character, or maybe use some of your artful Instagram photos. Just make sure you don't use the actual old photo but instead, scan it and have it printed in the size you want (on good matte archival paper, not glossy photo paper). Mix those with art you made yourself, or by a friend. An alternative would be to buy affordable prints online. They go for so much less than originals but still look like a million. Check here, here, and here. I mean check out The Old Guitarist by one of my favorite Spanish guys. 

Photo on the left from The Every Girl, photo on the right from Bianca Green.

Consider mounting and framing. Think about how you want to frame your art and photos, if they aren't already. About whether you want simple, modern frames, more ornate ones, or simple block mounts. Keep in mind the style of the room, and what sort of framing and matting, if any, might show off the art best. If you need to buy frames but don't want to spend much, consider buying framed department store art (usually in the home section). What you really want is the frame, so be sure you can easily remove the existing art. Try to mix and match different types of frames to keep things interesting.

Photo on the left via 1Kindesign. Photo on the right from The Design Files. 

Consider the grouping. Is it going to be a Paris hang or a mosaic hang? Read about how to create both groupings from this informative SFGate article. 

Mix the media. You don't have to stop at photographs or framed art. You can use objects. I think this would be the perfect place for those objets d'art that everyone in your house is objecting to because they're "useless". But you just can't let go. I know. 

No one objects to that furry thing because it works. Photo from Schoolhouse Electric via Life + Times

Hang them high or low. There's a bit of controversy here. You should be able to see the art and therefore must hang them relatively at eye level. But how do you explain this beauty?

Photo from Elle Decor. 

Have a dry run. Before you finally decide on your art and the framing, and what the final sizes are, it would be great to create a mock-up of the actual grouping. You can cut the shapes out of paper, and taking into consideration the size of the wall (maybe doing it right in front of the wall), you could arrange the pieces on the floor to see what works. Here's a great tutorial from Emma of A Beautiful Mess.

Finally, relax. I said in the beginning of this post that creating your own art wall is really one of the most goofproof projects you can do yourself. Picture hanging solutions like these mean that you won't have to put holes in the wall, and can easily make painless changes if needed. In his article Art Matters, Jay Johnson quotes interior designer Irwin Weiner who said, "Art is not like a toilet or a bathtub...if it were a toilet, you'd be stuck with it on your wall and it would be hell to change. But it's not, so take a deep breath and start to have some fun with it."

Which is exactly what I intend to do when I get around to working on my new art wall. I'll keep you posted, and thanks for reading.