PINS + UPDATES || CRAFT FANCIES

it's been a rough week around these parts. a week full of insecurities and failed goals and I won't even bother you with the details. this is a happy little place, after all. and when the going gets rough, the rough get crafting. I've been seriously jonesing some arts and crafts and pinterest always has just the ticket. it has this strange addictive quality that keeps me coming back for hours-long binge sessions even when I've got piles of laundry strewn about the place and dinner onto boil. so here are a few fun crafts to lift your spirits and keep you busy this autumn ::

001 :: knitted socks. and scarves and throws and hats and mittens and everything and anything else composed of yarn. learning the ins and outs of knitting is totally on next week's to do list.

002 :: diy copper hangars. it's those little finishing touches that make a house a home. I love these copper hangars and adding them to the "little things" list only costs a package of plain white hangars from ikea and some copper spray paint.

003 :: floral party hats. with a mixture of wax and real flowers, as well as some floral glue, you can upscale your regular party hats and make them something unique and special. I think this craft would be so darling for a little girl to do with her mom before a tea party. floral hats, blueberry scones, and cucumber sandwiches. I'm not sure it gets much better than that.

004 :: photo clipboards. if you're really into displaying art in a casual and chic way, then I feel like this would be the perfect craft for your saturday afternoon. and although it may involve a trip to home depot, I still don't feel intimidated or overwhelmed. 

005 :: painted pumpkins. it's no secret that fall is my absolute favorite time of the year! and with fall comes pumpkins. and with pumpkins comes that ooey gooey mess that has this really strange smell and stains your hands for days and can only be described as..."pumpkin." it's that smell, and that smell alone, that urges me to consider a painted pumpkin. and that little link above has ten really festive ideas.

006 :: wrapping it up. I am a huge fan of that matching christmas tree look ( a side effect of the obsessive compulsive disorder ). and every christmas, I pick a gift wrapping theme. this easy look might just be finding its way under my tree in the upcoming months ( and believe me, that is months and months down the road because I want to soak up as much autumnal gloriousness as possible ). also, that link leads you to a site called babble. I had never heard of it before, but it's this disney sponsored site with crafts for you and your youngins! I am pretty excited to reference back once a baby finds its way into our own little family.

and so, here's to a better and brighter week full of cooking shows and friends and beach days and the enigmatic morning work out session ( I am just not a morning person ). one day, I will actually get there before five o'clock at night :) wishing you all a happy hump day!

love, arielle

CRAFT || CRAFT FAIR PAPER FLOWERS

this week, it has been such a treat to embrace that crafting side of myself once again. it feels like ages since I have created anything outside of the kitchen or the blogosphere, so it has been quite refreshing. I've been banging my head against the wall this week trying to get this church event (that I previously mentioned on tuesday) squared away. I'm not sure whose idea it was to put me in charge of things, but I'm afraid they are going to be sorely disappointed come saturday night. yikes. on a lighter note, I'm having a blast with the decorations...take a peek.

remember those paper flowers you used to get from the craft fair growing up? you know the ones. the ones you used to beg your mom for? and she always told you they were super easy to make and that she would make you one when you got home? but nothing would due except that she buy you one right there and then? that's the one. well it's been years since I thought of them, but I'm once again obsessed. and that's what we're decorating with this saturday. except this time I'm taking mom's advice and making them myself--50 of them. 

picture :: me buying 400 sheets of tissue paper at the "craft store" here on island paradise. 

what you'll need ::

8 sheets of tissue paper per flower

ribbon or twine or wire

scissors

step 001 :: line up your 8 pieces of tissue paper. you can either make all of the pieces the same color or I read that if you're going to make them different colors, you should use the 3:3:2 ratio. 

step 002 :: start folding them long-ways in opposite directions so that they resemble an accordion. if the folds don't line up perfectly, it's not a big deal. the beautiful thing about this craft is that if you mess up slightly, not even a trained eye can really tell.

step 003 :: tie your ribbon or twine or wire directly in the center of your accordion. try to get it pretty tight without crinkling your paper. if you're wanting to hang them, I still kept my original ribbon short and then I'll tie more ribbon onto it later when I know just how long I want it.

step 004 :: cut half-circles along the ends of both sides of the accordion. this gives it that petal-ly look. I've seen other cuts, as well--cut to a point, cut diagonally--but I think this one looks the most like a flower.

step 005 :: right before you're ready to hang them, carefully start peeling apart the layers so that you don't get any tears (admittedly, I got carried away and tore mine once or twice). you have the option of making them as fluffy or as demure as you'd like. for the really fluffy ones, simply pull more and more tissue from the base of the flower where you've tied it.

step 006 :: tie the appropriate length of ribbon to the center of your flower (where you have already tied the previous ribbon). we will be hanging ours from little hooks behind a stage, but I think they look lovely hanging from a tree outside during a backyard bbq! wouldn't red, white, and blue be darling for july 4th?

and that's pretty much it. pretty simple, though it has to be if I'm making 50 of them! only 47 more to go, right? if y'all have any crafts that you've just loved making, send me a link! I'm really on a crafty kick right now. 

for more paper flower crafts, check out these and these. so creative!

wishing you a wonderful day! and as always, thanks for following along with me. y'all are the greatest!

love, arielle

CRAFT || A CROWN OF BLOOMS

this week, I'm moving my life out of doors. I only have one week to become the darkest girl to ever escape the caribbean and re-return to canada. you see, last year during our family vacation in montana, mitch's grandfather and I made a bet. I don't really remember what the prize was, but I do remember the actual wager. I bet him that I would be darker than him by summer's end. I lost miserably. his grandfather is the sort that can mow his lawn in the morning and be golden brown by lunch. by all accounts, it's totally unfair. however, I'm resilient. and I didn't live in the caribbean then. so as far as I'm concerned, the bet is back on. plus, coming back from the caribbean white as a ghost is borderline inexcusable.

so with this in mind, I have moved even the most mundane activities outside trying to wrack up as many sunbeams as humanly possible. even creating this flower crown. I have had the materials for weeks, but have only now just gotten around to assembling it. picture me by the pool, floral tape and scissors in hand receiving many curious (maybe even judgmental) glances from pool-going onlookers. I think every blogger has had a moment (or ten) like this, yeah?

 what you'll need ::
a mess of flowers (two varieties)
a string of ivy
floral wire
floral tape
ribbon of choice
wire cutters (or I just mercilessly abused my scissors)
clear scotch tape (if needed)
hair spray
** you can use real or silk blooms. because I live in the caribbean where flowers wilt within the hour, I went with the more durable variety.

step 001 :: fit three floral wires to your head. three just makes the base less flimsy. for my head, I needed about one-and-one-half of the 18 in. precut wires. to connect them, I wrapped floral tape around and around until I had one long wire. you can twist and shape it into anything you want, but keep it straight once you are ready to pile on your blooms. I refer to this as my base layer.

step 002 ::  I bought my flowers in lines, so it made this next part a little easier than if you are just adding individual blooms. but line up both your base wire and your bloom wrapping floral tape around both to combine them. the tighter you wrap floral tape, the easier it sticks. continue doing this for every layer--your second set of flowers, ivy leaves, or any other foliage you're wanting to contribute. when adding your layers, think biggest to smallest.

step 003 :: tie ribbon to one end with enough hanging down that you can tie a bow to fasten the crown when you're finished. continue to wrap the ribbon in between the flowers and leaves and whatnot until it comes around to the other end. it should resemble a circle now. tie another little knot on this end and finish by tying these ribbons into a bow.

step 004 :: if you have some areas where the floral tape looks loose or is coming undone, wrap a little clear scotch tape around it so as to up the quality of your handmade floral crown. also, spray with a little hair spray (the sticky kind) to keep your arrangement styled just the way you like.

I looked into several other bloggers' tutorials for a diy flower crown, and if we're being honest, theirs turned out so much better (you can check out my two favorites here and here). I chalk it up to availability. number 45 why I miss the states--the numerous craft stores.

I hope all of you are set to have a wonderful week! I have my hands full planning a church event for this upcoming saturday. plans that I am making outside, of course. be sure to follow along with my weekly this-and-that via instagram!

as always, thanks for reading! 

love, arielle