Fine Craft Guild .com » furniture

Fun Junk Antiques in Rome

Fine Craft Guild — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Last week, we stopped by this fun and funky antique store in Trastevere, a favorite downtown area in Rome. This antique shop is a rare breed. It reminds of American lifestyle fashion furniture stores which also sell (vintage) Oriental furniture. Such shop is a rare find in Rome.

What makes this shop more special is its pairing of stylish recycled furniture with refined Roman antiques, like these gorgeous lamps.

Etched glass lantern

Vintage Italian colored glass lantern in kitchen

When you look at the scrap wooden furniture pieces, I know you are all thinking: “I can so make this myself.” And this is true. The question is which one to make, it’s a toss. These driftwood chairs are winners: functional & foldable, frivolous and fun.

The favorite however is the recycled wood cabinet. These recycled wood furniture pieces were expensive, but I know you all can whip up your own recycled boat wood cabinet at a budget. Salvage some old painted wood. Leave it completely distressed and just hammer it onto an existing cabinet whose front is blah..

Recycled Wooden Cabinet.

Recycled Can Flowers.

Mixed-matched painted wooden panel makes for perfect backdrop.

Antique hobby horse, tucked away at the back

Hope you enjoyed this Italian home decorating eye-candy, aka starry-night iPhone photography (smile).

Contemporary Hexagon Pillows :: Free Sewing Pattern

Fine Craft Guild — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:55:00 +0000

: this hexagon designer pillow pattern reads like a nature mosaic. Something soulful about handmade pillows that have such attention to painstaking detail. It’s an exquisite sewing pattern and it’s free.

By centering 6 identical petals, the master seamstress team at Sew4Home has orchestrated yet another winning design.

They share the sewing tutorial and instructions.

Hexagon Pillow Tutorial

It’s pretty easy. But the secret, she says, is “to cut six identical pattern pieces for the front of the pillow. It’s crucial that they are exactly the same.”

Pillow Sewing Tips

Other tips she gives are:

Use an ½" seam allowances, and have them included in and marked on your base hexagon petal form.
Use a good sewing machine like the Janome DC4030
It’s optional, but consider using a zipper foot for the corners with the tassels as it gets a bit thick and tricky at each of the six corners. (My idea would be to simply add the tassels by hand, but I’m not a ‘real’ seamstress.)

Winter or Summer Pillow?

Prefer to bookmark this tutorial and make a summer version instead? Look at the result of this pattern using fresh and bright summer fabrics.

source images/instructions: sew4home.com

Pillows – Cushions – Sewing Patterns

25+ Free Pillow Patterns & Designs

Getting Kapok

Fine Craft Guild — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:55:00 +0000

How Much Kapok Do You Need ?

Depending on the exact measurements you’ll choose, for a zafu meditation pillow like this, you will need approximately 2.5 lbs. of kapok.

Where to buy quality Kapok?

At Carolina Morning.

I’m excited to announce our new affiliation with Carolina Morning. The folks there just love their work, and are most knowledgeable of their materials. I’d call them All-American wholesome with a compassionate Buddhist heart. What’s particularly commendable is that the company is an authentic environment-saving company and a true pioneer at the Green Business movement.

Being Green is a Mission.

Carolina Morning’s eco-friendly business practices are all-invasive: "We have eliminated all plastic from our packaging. We print only a one page brochure on 100% recycled paper with soy ink. We recycle all office paper and bottles. Our fabric scraps are donated to a local charity which makes them into blankets for the homeless. We employ LEAN manufacturing techniques which makes our operation super efficient and competitive, even in the Global Economy. We are constantly working on reducing our energy needs."

Made in America.

Carolina Morning is a small manufacturer who still believe in America. Not moving its production overseas to save a dime at the expense of its community is a heart-centered choice. North of Asheville in North Carolina, they employ people in a rural Appalachian region which prevents extra driving and helps the local and the overall American economy. Applause, but they need your and my help to stay in business and compete with China and other places where they don’t quite care so much about the environment just to save that buck…

I just LOVE to support these folks, and I am inviting you to do the same.

Carolina Morning

I talked to them and have a great incentive for you to go check out both their kapok and other yoga, meditation and wholesome healthy living support items, as our affiliation allows me to offer YOU a ** 5 % DISCOUNT on your first order, of kapok and/or any other product you’ll order from their catalog online!

YOUR Discount Code : 0012310

Wow.

NOTE: To get your discount, you MUST use our coupon code of 0012310 and mention FineCraftGuild.com in the ‘how did you hear about us’ section.

CLICK HERE: LEARN MORE + ORDER YOUR KAPOK NOW

Want Ongoing Discounts ?

** IF ** you are going to use the kapok (, buckwheat hulls, or anything else from their catalog) in items that you will sell on craft markets, etc, and/or wish to sell their products alongside with your crafts, I can get you a better discount on all your orders. In this case, SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM of the page, and place your enquiry there. Again, you must mention FineCraftGuild.com + coupon code 0012310 in the comment section on this page to get your best discount. Or, email me directly.

Excited? I am. Let’s support our health, let’s support our environment and let’s support one of the last good old American manufacturers left!

Oh, btw. did I tell you that you can buy ready-made meditation pillows at Caroline Morning? Yep, your 5% discount applies. Just use the coupon code.

Why Kapok in Zafu Meditation Pillows

Fine Craft Guild — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:55:00 +0000

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Last New Year, I posted a tutorial on how to make your own Zafu Meditation Pillow, as meditating is a wonderful New Year resolution.

To sit comfortably while you meditate you really must have a zafu.

If you haven’t made one of these pillows yet, now is the perfect time to start and I’ll help you.

As a follow-up to this original pillow tutorial, I’m responding to a reader question about kapok filling, Let me share just how wonderful kapok is, and the best place to get it.

Why Kapok Pillow Fill?

vs. cotton, foam beans or foam stuffing ..

To make you fully aware of how great kapok is for both you and for the environment, the zafu experts explain:

In sum: “Kapok is great!”

In detail:

IT’S GOOD FOR YOU.

“Kapok is soft, smooth, hygienic, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. It is breathable, allows air circulation and has healthful benefits. It can be reused for generations, without developing mold or decaying. It’s so light, it even floats!” explain the experts.

IT’S GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

“Kapok is one of the few sustainable rainforest crops. The actual material that we put into zafu pillows comes from the seed pod of the majestic kapok tree.

Kapok is really an ancient treasure. For centuries it has represented a prized possession, historically used by gurus, saints and spiritual masters, who marveled at its unique characteristics such as its ability to shape to the body with rebounding instantly to its original fluffy shape.

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously separated in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety C. pentandra var. guineensis) to tropical west Africa. The word is also used for the fibre obtained from its seed pods. The tree is also known as the Java cotton, Java kapok, or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology.

The tree grows to 60-70 m (200-230 ft) tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm (8 in) and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm (6 in) seed pods. The pods contain seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber that is a mix of lignin and cellulose.

((In contrast:

Of all insecticides used globally each year, the estimated amount used on traditional cotton is a hefty 25%!

Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are KNOWN cancer-causing chemicals.

All nine are classified by the U.S. EPA as Category I and II— the most dangerous chemicals.)) “

Well, I sure did not know this about cotton!!

Zafu Meditation Pillow – Filling Materials Needed

So, kapok filling it is. Now, the reader question was “For a meditation pillow such as the one in the zafu pattern at FineCraftGuild, how much kapok will you need?

The answer is ….

DIY Bedroom Bench

Fine Craft Guild — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:16:00 +0000

A winning tutorial: easy, fast and gorgeous.

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Some bloggers are amazing, and this is one of them: Carry from ‘Two Friends, Two Cities’. She created this lovely bench from start –to – finish in just 2 hours for the tiny budget of $65. I actually just bought this exact same bold marine blue/white stripped fabric from IKEA, as well as some matching, sturdy, thin-striped red/white fabric. I was wondering what to do with it…..

Ballards Designer Bench

Sometimes all we need is an idea (or an obsession rather) and then someone who triggers us into action.

It never occurred to me that making such a bench would be so simple as there’s no backing. Just a plank with batting, a cover and four legs. Easy!

The Ballards Obsession Bench:

This essentially is a knock-off of a $599 designer bench from Ballards.

(image on the left) This was it. Amazing legs, btw, but for that price, they better be nice!

Overall, I think these two benches look remarkably similar, and I feel inspired to make my own.

Find the tutorial here: DIY Ballard designs bench

tags: bench, chair, seat, sofa

Back-to-School College, Teenage & Kid Bedroom Decorating

Fine Craft Guild — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:09:00 +0000

This article on ‘College, Teenage & Kid Bedroom Decorating Projects & Ideas’ finishes the ‘Back-to-school Ideas’- week, however, during September we’ll add a few more individual back-to-school ideas, as they pop up in our minds.

College Room, Teenage & Kid Bedroom Ideas

	Child Bedroom Furniture Stencil Plan This article contains free templates and a project plan. Be creative: learn how it’s done and make your own designs. Choose just one of the animals and stencil them on the wall, and another animal for another commode. As you fancy.
	Beautiful Child Bedroom Designs (TIP: also review the our articles on how to make your own upholstered headboard)
	Crochet flower bed pillow One of many fun crochet projects to do. This delightful pillow will look wonderful in any girl’s bedroom
	Bean Bag (video tutorial) If you like this idea, also see: * Make a Meditation zafu pillow * Take it a step further: Embroidered Zafu-Pillows
	Kid Wall Designs
	a Kids Rooms ‘must-have’: Paper Flowers Learn how to make and use them here; detailed step-by-step instructions
	Idea: Make some Funky Coat Hangers

For more ideas, just browse this blog…

There are over 500 projects here….

Creative Back-to-school Project plans, Patterns & Ideas Overview

monday : fun fashion friendship gifts that are easy to make

tuesday : backpacks, school bags & lunch bags

wednesday : pencil cases, make-up bags & ‘thingy’ bags

thursday : schedulers, organizers, notice boards, locker ideas & desk accessories

friday : college, teenage & kid bed room decorating

I hope you enjoyed all ideas & tutorials and are having a beautiful, fun & productive start of the new school year.

Sophisticated Zafu Pillows in Paris

Fine Craft Guild — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Those of you interested in ‘new age’ type DIY/Crafty projects, sure have seen my Zafu meditation pillow pattern. The prior version was in a simple, calm misty forest green; the pillow well-designed; the pattern illustrated and detailed.

Yesterday, just off the Champs d’Elysee, Paris, I spotted a ‘happy’ version of this zafu pillow.

All this color will bring a new dimension to sitting in lotus position for a while. And when not in use, the pillows will make a cheerful statement in any room design.

Embroidered Pillows

All hand embroidery.

Something for you?

French Design Inspiration from Paris

Fine Craft Guild — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Sharing my secret: I’m in Paris!!!!

Instead of craft & DIY tutorials, you’ll find world-class creative inspirational photos to help you develop your own DIY and craft ideas… for the next 2 weeks!

Some of the articles will be a single brilliant idea (I’ll be calling these articles ‘Creative Ideas from France’, while others are a complete collection of fashion, styles, designs and details (organized in ‘themes’). I’ll update this overview during the next 2-3 weeks as I’ll come across wonderful designs and creative ideas. I’ll make each idea/theme page into clickable links so all you have to do is bookmark this page and come back every day for the next few weeks.

FRENCH DESIGN, DIY AND HOME DECORATION IDEAS FROM PARIS

Theme 1: World-famous Patisserie houses in Paris:
Laduree

Theme 2: French, Fun & Fashion Bags:
Fruity Lunch & Picnic Bags

Theme3: Fashion in Paris 2011 – Galerie Lafayette, Le Marait & Versailles:
Parisian Shoe Fashion 2011

Theme 4: Antiques: Bedroom sets, Desks, Chandeliers & More: Porte de Cliquot:
Italian Antique Bedroom Set (Venice)
French Chandeliers from Baccarat

Theme 5: French Café & Bistro: Montmartre & beyond :
French Cafes in Paris

Theme 6: Table Settings in Paris:
Simple place setting with Ivy

Theme 7: The most Exquisite Parisian taste:

Caviar anyone? (introducing Odiot)

Theme 8: French Garden Designs & Flowers:
Shell-bejeweled Pots

Theme 9: Colors in Paris (French Style Ideas):
Colorful Zafu Medititation Poofs
Unique & Unimaginable Lamps

Theme 10: Some of my Favorite Things in Paris:
Funky Bejeweled Coat Hangers
French Country Farm Lamps

(Links will become active when articles will be published; not in order of theme number)

While I’m working out my longer, more involved themed Paris articles, tomorrow I’ll start with a simple place setting that you can pull of within 2 minutes for a table of 4! Easy and stylish.

Beach Cottage :: Craft, Diy, Home Decor :: Linky Party

Fine Craft Guild — Wed, 04 May 2011 10:19:00 +0000

Time to get ready for the beach, and to slowly start transforming our home into a lovely beach cottage…. I’ve starting early this year in getting my beach gear out. The weather simply has been so beautiful that I simply have to do so.

Look where I was last week, on the Italian coast in Puglia at Gargano Park. Beautiful, right?! Note that sunny weather!!! In April Wow.

“Yes, we DID go to the beach to sunbake, albeit that the sea water was still ‘freezing’ by Italian standard. However, by Northern American (think Seattle) standards, it was just fine for summer (ohhh, please do not pinch me if your’re from Seattle ha ha..)"

BEACH linky party

So:

1. Below is the linky party for tutorial links related to BEACH-themed Diy, Home Decor or Craft related tutorials, share them here on this page. Please join us and show us what you’ve been working on.

2. If you’ve been working on OTHER creative projects instead, please share them with us in the other linky parties. All party links are the end of this article.

My Contribution to THE BEACH DIY, HOME DECOR & Craft Party

I guess, I could be called a bit of a beach nut, looking at how many projects I’ve posted over the years that are themed ‘the beach’ ~ in its various forms: home decoration; beach gear; beach adventure souvenirs; and more.

How to Live in a Coastal Cottage (residing many miles inland)	Vintage Shell & Fish Prints for Cottage Decoration
Howto: DIY Beach Chair	Howto Sew: a Reversible Beach Blanket
Howto: Make a Shell-Adorned Picture Frame	Howto: Shells Frames, not just for summer
Summer Craft: Beach in a Pot	How to Sew: Waterproof Beach (or Picnic) Blanket
Howto: Make Your Own Bed sheets with Shell Prints	Howto: DIY Adirondack Chair

More Beach-Themed Creative Projects & Ideas

I’ve actually posted more beach-themed projects than these!

You can find the remainder of them here: beach diy craft & home decor

Your Contribution to ‘THE BEACH’ diy craft home decor – tutorial linky party:

Your turn. We love to hear from you! Best ideas/tutorials will be featured on the blog next week or soon after.

Your Contribution to our Themed Linky Parties:

THE BEACH diy, home decor & craft – tutorial linky party: link up tutorials FOR MOM

MOTHERS DAY diy, home decor & craft – tutorial linky party: link up tutorials FOR MOM

SPRING diy, home decor & craft - tutorial linky party: link up tutorials for Spring (incl. Easter)

STAIRS diy, home decor & craft – tutorial linky party: link up your adventures redo-ing stairs

GENERAL diy, home decor & craft – tutorial linky party: link up all your OTHER creative projects

DIY Luxury Stairs

Fine Craft Guild — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:56:00 +0000

Some people just do things very well. Miriam & Daniel, i.e. the couple who are the proud owners of this stairs make-over, did things* very well, and the results is a luxury stair case, that’s a jewel in their home.

(*Even their tutorial is done very well, and concludes with a list of tips befitting all home renovators, including tips to transform your stairs into an oak staircase. )

BEFORE

Definitely Undesirable Stairs

* Old worn OSB treads to be ripped out.

* Old OSB risers to be covered.

AFTER

An amazing transformation to designer stairs!

This staircase belongs to a luxury home.

Features of the Staircase Transformation

* Choose MFD pre-fabricated stair treads with rounded edge

* Treads received 3 coats of a very dark chocolate brown paint

* Each tread was measured and cut length of each tread to size with a table saw

* Glued each thread in position, with ‘Hard as nails’-glue, and screws were added & masked

* Next came the bead board, glued and nailed onto the old risers.

* Recommended to now add the trim on either side at this stage.

* Extra paint & chaulking finished this project off to a PRO result.

Tutorial Source & DIY Stairs Tips: Prudent Projects