How to Clean and Remove Clumps from a Shearling Fleece Blanket
Last winter in Seattle was colder and wetter than most, and with my social media feeds filling with the comfort-loving aesthetic of Hygge, I decided I needed more cozy throws in my life. Unsatisfied with cheap throws and fleece blankets, I wanted a very substantial blankie- and I found it in an unlikely place. Bainbridge…
How to Create a DIY Portable Light Box for Art and Hand Lettering Anywhere
Before downsizing, I purchased a light box for my art studio. It was handy and worked great for finessing my art, but it was also expensive, bulky and difficult to use due to the electrical cord. I sold my light box in an estate sale when I moved to Seattle, but as I do more…
Cement Art: How to Create Gold Veins in Poured Concrete Objects
Whether you are creating fine art or a first-time concrete user making DIY planters for your houseplants, metallic gold can be a dramatic way to add visual interest to your project. Layers of metallic gold within a cement art object can create an effect that reminds me of geology, shaping the illusion that the pigment…
How To Create the Texture and Movement of Water with Resin Sculptures
In 2015 I was commissioned to create 5 sculptures riffing off of the themes in Henri Matisse’s painting “La Danse.” I knew I wanted to represent moving water in my interpretation, and the months that ensued between being commissioned and delivering the sculptures were filled with a maddening course of experimentation with materials, resin casting,…
How to DIY a Hair Removal Lip Waxing Kit for Travel
Recently while browsing (of all places!) Anthropologie’s website I came across a product I thought was pretty genius but dramatically overpriced: A small and adorably labeled tin that contained pre-waxed waxing strips that, when warmed slightly, can be used for waxing your upper lip when you are away from home or salon. It’s…
DIY: How to Make Your Own Sea Glass at Home
I’ve always been enamored by sea glass. When I was eleven, growing up in Kansas, I vividly remember opening an envelope from a pen pal on the coast that contained the beautiful soft frosted glass pearls she said were known as “mermaid tears” in her family. As I’ve become, in my professional life, a person…
Ideas for Creating Unique Equestrian Decor and Home Design – Part 1
It’s no secret to anyone who visits my home or business that I love equestrian decor. Even so, I used to be surprised when my birthday rolled around each year and casual friends seemed to always think the perfect gift for me was a picture or painting of a horse. It made logical sense, I…
How to Style a Dramatic Bedroom using Tree Branches
I love branches and natural elements in decor, so when I was setting up my feminine master bedroom in the first house I owned, in 2010, I decided to playfully try integrating a small tree into my bedroom to add whimsy and woodland spirit to my monochromatic Grey bedroom. 1st Attempt: I wish I’d been…
How to Build your Own Horizontal Tripod Attachment for Flat Lay Photography
Flat lay photography is surging in popularity but can be difficult to master- especially without the right tools. In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a horizontal mount for a tripod so you can stabilize your camera at the perfect angle, leaving you free to stage your flat lay layout with an…
Paper-Doll Style Gingerbread Man Christmas Tree Garland – Instructions & Pattern
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use scrap packing paper to produce this charming Christmas tree garland inspired by paper dolls but styled after classic gingerbread men. This project takes only a few minutes and uses materials you can probably find for free! This gingerbread man pattern is actually my own design, sketched and…
How to Make a DIY Retractable Phone Charger for Furniture
One thing I envy about high-end modern furniture is that often pieces are designed to accommodate modern technology. Being a fan of vintage furniture, I assumed these worlds: tech-friendly furniture and vintage styles, would never meet- until I began experimenting with this DIY solution to add a hidden retractable phone charger to the back of the 1920’s…
How to Convert a Vintage Cosmetic Suitcase into an Organized Art Supply Storage
I’m almost as excited to share this project with my readers as I was to complete this project for myself! Creating this vintage train case turned marker holder has been my goal for a while, but it’s taken some patience to find the perfect train case and marker holder that fit without wasting a lot…
An Equestrian Christmas – Ideas for Stylish Equestrian Christmas Decor
From 2010-2015 Hawk Hill’s stable was inhabited always by a horse or two and I ran a tack store out of a warehouse building on the property that was designed to look like a barn, so it seemed appropriate for both my use of the property and the design of the buildings themselves to integrate…
How I Created Luxurious Ruffled Curtains for my Master Bedroom for $30
One fun thing about Hawk Hill now operating as a B & B is that I get to hear feedback about the house often. Of the questions I am asked, one of the most common is where I purchased the tiered, ruffled curtains in the grey bedroom, pictured here. The layers and layers of tiered…
Art & DIY
With my home and business as my canvas and a shoestring budget my medium, I demonstrate how to create high impact projects, solutions, and mini-remodels in your home or business as well as unique and playful artistic creations. The bravery required to create art and the gutsy determination to try DIY are birds of a…