DIY : A BOHO CHIC WOOD VASE

Honestly speaking I am not in any need of a new vase. But then you take a casual stroll around your favorite craft store and you spot a raw wood vase in a classic shape. Would you be able to resist? Especially when it costs on $6 and you have 50% off coupon some where in your wallet? Neither could I. So I got the vase ( Insert a smiley here, would you please?)

But this DIY is much more interesting than my shopping story. When you read the rest of this post and find out what I did with my plain jane wood vase,- it would blow your mind with its simplicity. Really - Nothing more simple than this one.

These days I am trying to keep my decor and accessories to a minimum.A lot of it has to do with my new found tidying obsession . When you keep quantity of things to a minimum, what can add interest is the patterns and geometry on the surfaces. That is what I aimed for anyway. So I chose a design that has beautiful pattern on it.

The first thing that came up to my mind when I started imagining the ways to get creative with it was the jewelry holder project Jen recently did on I heart Organizing. The marbled gift wrap has stayed in my mind ever since. But it was from Minted but I could not justify the dollars. So I got on my ideas wagon and a rummage through my washi tape collection solved my problem. Doesn't this traditional pattern bring you this perfect boho chic vibe?

So here is the How to of my boho chic wood vase.

What You Need

A plain vase in interesting shape

Washi Tape of your choice

Scissors

Step 1: (Insert a smile here, please) . Measure and apply the washi tape and cut at edges. To ensure a smoother coverage, try to overlap the tape over the edges to the adjacent side. If your tape has a recurring design as in mine - you have to take extra care to get the continuity of the pattern.

Step 2: Continue until you cover the entire vase.

Tip : Mine is a wooden vase - for fresh flowers you will have to use a small glass tube to fill with water.

Do you love these simple decorating projects ? What crafts are you guys whipping out these days?

Share your ideas and comments below.

Easiest way to re-purpose your shoe boxes

Last week I told you I was inspired by the book Life Changing Magic of Tidying up. I meant it. There are a number of ideas that are worth pursuing in the book even if it isn't completely for you. Here is an idea I tried out.

Covering up boxes and fabric is not new to blog world by any means. Blog land has shown us that we can cover boxes with anything from fabric to vinyl to leather to gift wrap. But who takes the trouble unless it is for giving gifts or for valentines day celebration at school?

One idea suggested by Marie Kondo regarding storage solutions is that to have minimum of them. Instead of buying more and more baskets and bins and boxes to store things, re-purpose the random boxes which would end up in trash otherwise. That is where these shoe boxes come in to picture. Have you noticed that they are of moderate size, sturdy and well built and 99 % of times same size. That kind of uniformity is what I love most about them.

But to use them as such isn't really pretty idea - now is it? I wanted to make them look alike, presentable and yet durable. That is when I thought of contact paper. The glossy sealed surface make it durable , and used on a day to day basis.

What you need 

Shoe boxes, any sturdy boxes
Self adhesive paper - Mine is from here
Sissors

There are a ton of tutorials that explain how to do them. But here is the way I found most comfortable.

Step 1 : I have used a brown paper and a box lid to show the process. First step is to cut down the paper/fabric. Easiest way to asses the size needed is to lay the box on the sheet of paper, measure the height of the box and mark and cut the double of the height over all sides.

Step 2 : Now lay the box in the middle and draw lines as in the first picture. I have missed out the horizontal lines - my bad - this is why you should think multiple times before photographing.  Anyways, please do this.

Step 3 : Do you see on the vertical lines I have marked a dot in the midway and darkened the lines till that point? that is exactly the height of the box. You will realize why if you look at the next picture in the collage.

Step 4 : Once you finish drawing it is time to cut along the lines. Once done, the paper should look like how it is in the below picture.

Step 5 : Now it is time to fold over like I have shown in the collage. If you are using contact paper, it will have adhesive backing. But if you are using a regular paper or fabric use glue or tape as you see fit. I suggest spray adhesive which makes the finish cleaner and durable.

Additional  Tip : This same technique works with box of any shape. First measure the height of the box and keep the paper size double the height for all sides. Cut angular way for every alternating side. That way you will get every other sie to overlap covering the whole box.

That's it - your box is ready for the show.

This is a fun activity for a weekend or during a craft time with kids. It is great to have pretty storage on display at the fraction high end cost?

Hope you enjoyed and will try it.  If you find easier methods to cover - new tutorials - do share - I am on the look out for easier and easier solutions.

Would like to know must must have storage solutions fit for a frugal, minimal and tidy home? Do check back on friday and you will have the list with sources.

See you.