The creative folk at VISI Magazine used copper couplings to glamourise these bottle corks. | Source: VISI
Dani Barbe shared a lovely, not to mention easy, DIY project using rough quartz crystals to create these chic bottle stoppers. | Source: Dani Barbe
Last month Rose spotted a quirky little article on VISI website illustrating how one canrepurpose interesting bottle shapes and reinvent the corks. VISI used copper pipe couplings and end-caps to create trendy bottle stoppers. We loved the idea of embellishing wine corks and bottle stoppers so much that we just had to turn it into a decorative quick tip!
#59 A thoughtfully curated and polished bar cart or drinks cabinet can add a considerable amount of character and style to your space. A quick and easy way to dress up your bar cart is to jazz up the wine and spirit bottle corks. While decorative bottle stoppers can be purchased, making your own will add a unique and personalised element. Attached geodes, crystals or glass cabinet knobs to the tops of the corks for a sense of glamour. Copper or steel pipe couplings can make for trendy and contemporary bottle stoppers.
Decorative Bottle Stoppers DIY Tutorials:
If you want to make your own decorative bottle stoppers this weekend, check out this helpful post by Crafts by Courtney which features step-by-step instructions and pictures to make your job a tad easier: HERE
In the mood for a bit of a challenge? Try this stunning and trendy-looking wooden bottle stopper DIY idea by A Beautiful Mess: HERE.
Cupcakes & Cashmere shared this awesome DIY bottle stopper tutorial using glitzy geodes: HERE. How chic would that look on a bar cart?!
Bridal Guide shared this do-it-yourself apothecary jar project using crystal drawer knobs: HERE. The little bottles can serve as a thoughtful guest favour or bridesmaid gift.
Karianne of Thistlewood Farms repurposed these vintage metal doorknobs into striking bottle stoppers – all in under 30 minutes! Find the step-by-step instructions:HERE.
While we are on the subject on the subject of easy crafts to keep your hands and minds occupied during the lockdown period, check out this recent video by SuzelleDIY. The local DIY queen shared clever ways to decorate the “big old grey elephant in the… kitchen” – i.e. the fridge! In the brilliant video tutorial she demonstrates how one can create a lovely array of easy and inexpensive fridge magnets.
For the past few week Suzelle has been sharing quirky DIY ideas for each letter of the alphabet… or “Suzellphabet” as she calls it! Be sure to check out the DIY crafts for letters A to E on her Instagram or Facebook channels.
Her crafts ideas are super easy and accessible – using and upcycling things that one already has lying about in an odds-and-ends drawer somewhere. The only thing I might need to scratch for or purchase for this tutorial would be the actual magnets (maybe salvage off old fridge magnets or fridge calenders). In this video Suzelle shares the following fridge magnet ideas:
How to make tiny faux succulent fridge magnets.
How to create your own glass pebble magnets.
How to make mini spice jar magnets for your fridge.
How to craft lovely photobox magnets out of jar lids.
And lastly, how to create a framed whiteboard shopping list for the fridge door.
So 2020 has been an unexpected, out-of-control, wild horse of a year thus far. Who would have ever predicted and prepared for a worldwide health crisis that would leave billions of people lockdown in their own homes for safety. Yet here we are. Hello Covid-19. While some countries are entering their 5th week of Coronavirus quarantine, others are only calling for lockdown restrictions now.
Either way, I can imagine that most of you are climbing the walls out of frustration and boredom. All the books have been read and the Nexflix queue is empty. I am just thankful that I can wear my pyjamas (yay elasticated waist!) most of the day because the cycle of binge-watching and snacking has resulted in a bit of jelly-belly.
I see that people cope with the quarantine boredom in various ways – cooking, spring cleaning, running laps in the backyard, and of course… DIY.
If you want to attempt a few quarantine crafts to keep you busy during lockdown, we have put together six of our easiest Decorating Quick Tips from past posts for you to try at home.
Here are our 6 DIY Projects to Banish the Covid Lockdown Boredom:
1. Turn Vintage Tins Into Functional Decorative Accessories:
If your home is anything like mine, you probably have a collection of pretty vintage tins gathering dust on some forgotten shelf. Over the years my mom and gran accumulated a fair assortment of interesting tea, biscuit, and flour tins. It was quite fashionable a few decades ago to put these empty tins on display… on top of kitchen cabinets mostly. Did your home feature a similar vintage tin stockpile or is this a purely Afrikaans phenomenon?
The good news is, vintage tins are once again a desirable commodity. However, instead of just using them for display give them a practical function…
Repurpose pretty and vintage tea and flour tins by using them as gorgeous herb or flower planters. Smaller biscuit or sweet tins can also be converted into beautiful candle holders. One can also give pretty spice, vintage cigarette, or mint tins a second life by turning them into refrigerator magnets. Just slip a strong magnet inside the tin and voilà – stunning fridge storage.
2. Brighten Up Your Garden or Patio With Paint-dipped Pots:
Playing with a “paint-dipped” effect is a brilliant way of adding colour and interest to an item without going overboard. The idea is to replicate the look of something that has been partially dunked in paint. Whether you do this by actually dipping part of your chosen item in paint or using tape and a brush to create the effect the result is playful and trendy.
Stick a lovely succulent, fragrant herb, or happy flower in one of these paint-dipped pots, and they would make for excellent Mother’s Day gifts or a sweet way to say thank you to your child’s favourite teacher.
A fun and easy way to add some colour and quirk to your indoor or outdoor potted plants is to paint-dip the pots! All you need is some sturdy (yet cheap) unglazed terracotta or ceramic pots and the paint colour[s] of your choice. For added interest, you can even opt for an angled dipped-effect. These trendy dipped pots would make for a stunning kitchen sill herb garden or add some quirk to your garden patio.
Better Homes & Gardens shared a lovely step-by-step video on how to mimic the paint-dipped look on terracotta pots using a rubber band and acrylic paint. See the video: here.
This beautiful step-by-step teacup DIY project shared by IKEA in their magazine uses lovely contemporary teacups and mugs to create a grouped pendant light feature. | Source: IKEA via this Korean blog via Instagram
Isn’t this gorgeous Royal Albert teacup desk lamp with its brass lamp stand just to die for! So whimsical and pretty. | Source: Cake Stand Heaven via Instagram
Last year we concluded 2019’s Decor Quick Tips mini-series on a high note. We shared several clever tips which illustrated how unwanted picture frames could be upcycled into anything from a quirky terrarium to a lovely jewellery organizer. For those who can recall, the last tip in this series was the fun idea of transforming old picture frames into lovely chalkboards. We love sharing these fun and creative DIY ideas – they are so charmingly off-beat.
And, with that, we think it is high time for another decorating quick tip miniseries! We have sniffed around online and found a stack of crafty ideas about awesome things to do with old teacups. There is enough inspiration to keep us submerged in interesting tips for a good few months! So, without further delay, here is the latest DIY quirky tip in our new “cool stuff to do with old teacups” Decor Quick Tipminiseries…
Using your collections and curated items in a way other than straight-forward display is a great way to add unexpected interest to your space. Are you a lover or collector of beautiful vintage teacups and old china? Well, here is a bright idea on how to take your teacups off the shelf and turn them into a practical conversation-starting show-piece.
#58 Have any old or odd teacups gathering dust on the shelf? Why not transform those old teacups and saucers into whimsical pendant lights and table lamps. With the right tools this upcycling project is easier than you think! Select the teacup(s) you would like to use or, if you do not have any at hand, search second-hand shops to find a variety of vintage teacups and saucers. Choose a sleek and modern cup for a more contemporary look or opt for frilly floral teacups for the Alice-in-Wonderland Shabby Chic effect. The light can be fashioned with or without the saucer. Use a funky brightly-coloured flex and LED bulb for the contemporary pendant or brass fittings and Edison bulbs for the vintage option. Multiple teacup pendants can be grouped together to create an eye-catching feature. You can even turn it into a quirky desk lamp!
Teacup Light DIY Tutorials:
If you want to attempt making your own teacup pendant light this weekend, check out this helpful post by Flamingo Toes which features step-by-step instructions and pictures to make your job a tad easier: HERE
For anyone keen to try their hand at making their own teacup desk lamp, ThreadBanger shared this awesome DIY tutorial video as part of their Man vs Pin series that will help you through the process: HERE.
With a fresh lick of paint, this ornate vintage picture frame becomes the perfect Shabby Chic decor accessory. | Source: HallstromHome via Etsy
The gorgeous classroom-green of the chalkboard paint compliments this vintage gold frame beautifully. | Source: Miss Mustard Seed via Instagram
Let’s get on with the next instalment of our “cool stuff to do with old picture frames” Decor Quick Tip miniseries. As previously mentioned, we dug up a ton of clever and curious picture frame DIY ideas. These inspirational tips are super quirky and playful – perfect weekend projects! In case you missed the first two posts in this miniseries, be sure to check out the previous picture frame tips, “Old Picture Frame Turned Jewellery Organizer” and “Old Picture Frames Turned Terrarium“. Today’s tip actually reminds me of a previous Quick Tip we shared some years ago where a chalkboard was created from an old door.
#57 Have some old or unwanted picture frames gathering dust somewhere? Think twice before you throw it out! Rather repurpose that vintage frame into a fun and functional chalkboard for your home. It takes minimal effort and supplies and would be a quick and easy weekend DIY project. All you need are a couple of unused picture frames, a backing-board, and your choice of chalkboard paint. Your frame can be an ornate vintage thrift store find or something cheap and contemporary from the local bargain shop – paint it, distress it, or leave it natural – whatever suits your decorative style best. Now all you have to do is replace the glass pane from the picture frame with a similar-sized board painted with chalkboard paint. Et voila – a lovely upcycled chalkboard for your daily to-do list,recipes, grocery store needs, or just for some pretty decorative scribbles.
Some dollar store picture frames transformed into a bright and happy terrarium. | See the DIY steps here: The Nest
A selection of old wooden picture frames turned into a lovely Shabby-Chic mini greenhouse. | See the DIY steps here: Country Living
Today we continue our “cool stuff to do with old picture frames” Decor Quick Tip miniseries. As I mentioned in our last Quick Tip post, we found a stack of clever and unusual picture frame DIY ideas. These tips are so quirky and playful – perfect weekend projects! In case you missed the first part in this miniseries, be sure to check out the previous picture frame tip, “Old Picture Frame Turned Jewellery Organizer”.
#56 Looking for a quick and budget-friendly weekend craft project? Why not recycle some spare picture frames into a lovely new home for your indoor plants. To make this faux terrarium you will need a selection of picture frames – it can even be cheapies from the local “China” shop. Spray-paint the frames in your desired colour and let dry. Use a glue gun or a drill and screws to fix your painted frames together to form the “walls” and pitched roof of your mini greenhouse. Pop the finished terrarium over your choice of potted plants and position close to a sunlit window. Your new picture frame terrarium will also double as a stunning decorative feature.
Follow the DIY instruction linked in the individual image captions or watch the video below…
Repurpose pretty and vintage tea and flour tins by using them as gorgeous herb or flower planters. Smaller biscuit or sweet tins can also be converted into beautiful candle holders. One can also give pretty spice, vintage cigarette, or mint tins a second life by turning them into refrigerator magnets. Just slip a strong magnet inside the tin and voilà – stunning fridge storage.
The Design Tabloid 