Happy 4th of July loom band bunting

Left it a bit late to make awesome decorations for your 4th of July party? Don't panic! This bunting looks amazing and requires almost no skill! Win! 

We used up a bundle of fabric scraps from old projects. If you don't have fabric scraps lying around you can pick up small amounts of cotton fabric cheaply at fabric stores. Check remnant bins for offcuts too. 

We've used loom bands because they seem to cover every surface around here at the moment. Of course you can use regular rubber/elastic bands or even tie the fabric scraps on.

Happy 4th!

Sassy sample pot canvas

On a recent visit to the Art Gallery of NSW I was struck by the beautiful vivid colours of an abstract painting from the 1940's. Its modern, energetic look really stayed with me. This weekend as we were using some sample pot paints for another project, the colours took me back to that canvas. 

Just add paint until you're happy with how it looks. Using house paint sample pots gives really thick dense coverage, but you could use acrylic paint too.

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Everlasting love simple screen print

Screen printing is one of my absolutely most favourite things to do and I learnt from the best in the business, Cath from Prints Charming Original Fabrics, here in Sydney. 

It can be costly to set up, so if you just want to try your hand at screen printing to see if you like the technique, then you can set up a very basic little screen for a few dollars. I bought everything here from dollar stores, and the frame from IKEA. 

The inspiration for this sweet print was from the Mardi Gras parade. My friend Erik pointed out a logo with the two joining hearts. I love the connection to the infinity logo...and I also love the pop of glamour the gold heart adds.

'I'm stuck on you' jar decal

Here at Craft It Up HQ we like to store things in glass jars. The bonus is that they're free and you're reusing and repurposing! 

This project is quick and satisfying. If you share a craft room, office or bedroom, maybe you could colour code your jars?

Daisy chain bracelet. Happy Birthday Unikko!

As a kid growing up in England, I spent a lot of time on the side of the rounders field making daisy chains. So meditative! Carefully splitting the stem of one daisy with a fingernail, and pushing the stem of another through until we had endless pretty chains of tiny white flowers. 

This sewing project shouldn't take you much longer to do. But if you're really in a hurry, I had a couple of teenagers who used a hot glue gun this morning and the results were just as lovely!

Did you know that Marimekko has just celebrated the 50th anniversary of their iconic design Unikko? So this little daisy is tiny nod to that too! Happy Birthday Unikko!