Easter Window Display

Last week was the window display changeover at the charity shop where I volunteer. The manager and I had decided in advance to have an Easter theme, as Easter is on its way!

After giving it some thought, and looking at the stock we had for the display, the theme ended up being along the lines of an Easter Egg Hunt!

Sun, Sea and Sand: A Summer Window Display

I've previously written about the Christmas and autumn window displays I created for a charity shop, and promised to update about this months ago. The weather has been sunny lately (I think spring is finally here!) so today I want to share photos of the summer window I created last June!

This was my first more challenging display, in that I decided to turn the display table into an ice cream cart.

Autumn Window Display

Not long ago, I shared photos of the Christmas windowdisplay that I put together for a charity shop.

As I wrote previously, I'd intended to post about some other displays that I never got around to writing about.

Today's post is about the autumn-themed window, created in September.

Once again, some of the photos here have unfortunate reflections of the buildings opposite, so the most 'complete' image also depicts the other side of the high street!

Sometimes, window displays are changed on the spur of the moment, other times they are planned out in advance, enabling me to look around for inspiration.

I decided to hang a long twig in front of an old net curtain after finding a photograph of autumn tree branches in the fog.

Christmas Window Display

As I've mentioned here previously, I volunteer at a charity shop. One of the great perks of volunteering is that I get to flex my creative fingers in putting together window displays!
Being a charity, we don't have a huge budget to play with (or any budget, really) so it's a case of being super-inventive with reams of donated stuff and scrap card/paper/etc.

Get your skates on and grab that charity bargain before someone else does!

This year in particular, I've tried to make some displays that are more visually interesting! I've intended to post about some of them for a while, so will eventually share pictues of the summer and autumn-themed windows I created.
For now, here is our Victorian Christmas-themed display!

Ivy & Pine Cone Wreath

With Christmas in just a couple of weeks, Channel 4 have gifted us with more Kirstie's Handmade Christmas. One of the features on this week's episode was an ivy wreath. It was made to be hung up horizontally, and was adorned with candles and little paper stars in true Scandinavian style.

I was inspired to make one myself, but opted for one to hang vertically on the door. I ended up with the wreath in the picture above, which I decorated with some ribbon, baubles, and good old pine cones.

Hopefully this will hold together during Christmas--the ivy is remarkably easy to manipulate and holds itself in shape, but last night we had really strong winds (luckily I'd seen the forecast and brought the wreath indoors!) For a first attempt, I'm pleased with how this turned out!

Upcycled Festive Heart Decorations

Yesterday I made these Scandinavian-inspired heart decorations for our Christmas tree. They're very simple to make, and almost completely upcycled!

The method is so easy it's guessable, so I didn't make a proper tutorial, but here's a quick run down.

I used:
Template (from junk mail)
Fabric (old pillowcase)
Filling (from knackered old pillow)
Embroidery thread (from charity shop)

Using the template, I cut out hearts and sewed them right sides together, leaving a gap for turning.

Then I turned them so the right side of the fabric was facing outwards, and stuffed them with filling.

After sewing up the gap, I threaded a darning needle with 5-6 inch lengths of embroidery thread and pushed it through the top of the hearts, tying the ends in a knot to make a loop.

Here they are on our tree! Also seen here are several homemade items I've posted about in the past:
Recycled Magazine Garland
Tin Can Tea Light Holders
Felt Doves and Peace, Hope & Joy Stars Decorations

Easiest Christmas Pine Cone Ornaments

Alright, so I haven't updated here for ages, and it's been even longer since I shared a DIY!
So here I am, with a shiny new tutorial for pine cone baubles!

This how to is ridiculously easy and obvious, and there's a no-sew version, yay!

You'll need:
Pine cones
Ribbon
Drawing pins
Needle and thread to match ribbon (skip this if going for the no-sew option)
Fray stopper/clear nailpolish/glue to stop ribbon fraying
Scissors or pinking shears

Paper Sticks of Rock, or Beach-Themed Party Favours

Recently I made a beach-themed window display for a charity shop. No British seaside resort is complete without sticks of rock, so I made these fake ones out of paper!

These would also make cute party favours if filled with little sweets, or an addition to beach-themed décor.

Read on for how to put them together (it really is as simple as you think)

DIY Spoon Decorations

As long-time readers will know, I volunteer in a charity shop and utterly love putting together window displays! The manager had decided for the Christmas window to be done this week, so I made these unique spoon decorations from some donated spoons, to go on our Christmas tree!

Thought I’d take pictures along the way, so I can share this DIY.

This is a DIY that will require the use of power tools. Such things are scary and I am clumsy lately, so I enlisted the help of my Dad :)

Pinning Inspiration #19

I have a bit of a fondness for pompoms. So that is the theme for this week's Pinning Inspiration. Pompoms!

Pinning Inspiration #18

I'm feeling a little dozy as I write this, so for this week's Pinning Inspiration, let's look at bedrooms.

Pinning Inspiration #15

This week's Pinning Inspiration is all about things you can do with all those little 'bits and pieces' that accumulate in junk drawers (and often seem to reproduce in the dust and darkness). Those bits of children's toys, those popped-off buttons and broken charms, wayward escutcheons and tiny keys from suitcases long gone.


  The huge and obvious answer is to stick it all to something and make it look awesome. The not-so-easy part is 'stick it to what?'

So here are some inspirational uses of 'stuff' compiled for your inspiration!

Pinning Inspiration #14

Last week was all about British coolness and included a few items of homeware. This week's Pinning Inspiration focuses on a very specific item of homeware: customised lighting.

There is some very cool stuff around, both for inspiration and for purchase (though some of the purchasable stuff can always be inspiration for a DIY!)

Pinning Inspiration #13

For all I might complain about my country sometimes, I'm still pretty proud to be British. We have tea, a damn cool flag and a queen who jumps out of helicopters! (Okay, not quite, but it was still an entertaining performance).

So the theme for this week's Pinning Inspiration is Cool Britannia! All things union jack, cream tea and Her Majesty.




Union Jack room, for those who really love it :)




It might not be a royal throne, but this chair is fit for a queen!




If you feel more like a Cinderella, this Union Jack-printed cooker is perfect (for boiling water for tea in an old-fashioned kettle, of course!)




Union Jacks getting a bit too much for you? Try a bit of Royal Pop Art!




British and Proud? Say it out LOUD with a t-shirt!




Or do it Vivienne Westwood's way, with a Union Jack dress. Equally subtle. ;)




And of course we have the Pearly Kings and Queens, their clothes decorated with buttons.




But let's not forget the morris dancers!




No 'British' post would be complete without this slogan (even if it is hugely overused now). To think that it was never used is amazing--the authorities certainly missed something with this one!




One key part of Britishness, and inspiration for your plate, is a 'Full English Breakfast'. Of course, this includes the tea!




Then there's the cream tea: clotted cream and jam on scones. Whether you go Devonshire (jam on top) or Cornish (cream on top) it always involves...tea!




He's not food, but he's British and popped up when I was searching for a good picture of tea. It made me laugh, so you get some Benedict Cumberbatch being a dork instead. Hurrah!


If the lack of tea in this post has made you feel somewhat cheated, here's the video for Earl Grey by Rizzle Kicks:  

 

Pinning Inspiration #11

To continue from this week's Marvellous Monday theme, this week's Pinning Inspiration looks at inventive floral displays!

Source: stylemepretty.com via Kei on Pinterest

This one is utterly beautiful, like something from a fantasy tale or faerie glen.

Pinning Inspiration #9

This week's Pinning Inspiration takes us right back to where the heart is: the home!
Today's theme is postage style (which is rather coincidental, since the writing of this post was interrupted by the postman!)

The above picture was taken in an (unfortunately short-lived) dumpling bar in Brighton. I totally dig the postage-themed cushion, particularly as it is stamped 'Japan' and the shop sold Japanese-inspired food.
Imagine how cool it would be to recreate this, with an old mail sack as the seat cushion (and yes, the base of the seat is an old suitcase...and yes, the floor is fake grass...that shop was cool, you guys).

Rambling aside, all kinds of postal paraphernalia can be used to create, and used to inspire, all manner of things for the home and for yourself!

Pinning Inspiration #7

You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you.

~ Travis, Driftwood

Contrary to Travis' poetic lyrics, we all know that driftwood has lots of uses, and creative ones at that!
So here is this week's Pinning Inspiration, on the very subject.

Source: anthropologie.com via Kei on Pinterest

Driftwood projects don't have to be very involved--they can be as simple as gluing or tying a few smaller pieces around a glass candle holder. (Isn't this one from Anthropologie gorgeous?)

Pinning Inspiration #6

Last week’s post was about explorer and adventurer Alexandra David-Neel. Did it leave you feeling inspired to travel?

If like me, you’d love to travel but don’t have the funds to do so, perhaps this week’s Pinning Inspiration will inspire you with ways to bring the exotic into your home!

Sometimes, a few framed posters or photographs will be enough. A cerulean sea, brightly-clothed African women, a Tibetan temple--images from whatever part of the world appeals to you the most. 

Even if pictures aren’t enough, they are a good start!

Heart Sun Catcher DIY

Now that Christmas is over, I can share this new tutorial! I made the sun catcher in the picture as a present for my mum, so I couldn’t post until now in case she saw!

This is slightly fiddly to put together – one of those projects that could do with an extra hand or two – but the method is relatively simple! 

You’ll need:

Beading wire (I used .012 diameter)

Jewellery wire (I used approx 2mm wire)

Lots of small beads and/or crystal chip beads

Large clear bead/charm for the centre

Ribbon

1 split ring

Jump rings

Crimps

Tools:

Tape measure

Wire cutters

Flat-nosed pliers

Round-nosed pliers

Advent Calendar and Christmas Window!

Whilst browsing Pinterest, I found a great idea to use toilet paper tubes as an advent calendar.

Mind still on the Christmas window planned for the charity shop (more on that later in this post!) I decided to make one!

I painted up a bunch of toilet paper tubes, bent them to shape, and used scraps of ribbon to decorate. The numbers were written on the back of cracker playing cards, cut in half.

In order to hang these up, I used loops of clear elastic (the same stuff as I used for the recycled magazine garland)

 We’re lucky to have this gorgeous lace curtain as a background for the window, so I pinned the advent calendar to it, in a heart shape.

Using a paper decoration kit, I made some woven hearts and stars, along with some interconnected heart and star decorations, some of which I pinned on the curtain around the advent calendar….

Isn’t the straw star cute? A fellow volunteer brought it in for the display. 

Yet again my attempts at photographing from the outside were scuppered by the reflection on the window!

Here’s part of the display. Recognise the printable over the back there? ;)

I utterly love that old lamp. I hope it finds a good home.

Using off-cuts from the woven hearts and stars, I made these paper heart chains as well.  I also sewed the two hanging hearts (they aren’t for sale though!)

Of course, the angel specimen art I created is there, too…

One of these has already sold! Hurrah!

 And here are the woven stars, which turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the display. They are simply strung onto cotton and pinned into the ceiling tiles:

This year, there was a ‘Best Dressed Window’ competition in the town where the charity shop is.  

We won third place!