Mix ‘n match is the name of the game!  Collecting vivid and colorful matchbooks are a favorite pastime and honestly, a guilty pleasure.  A take-away and token from a special spot will brighten up any day.  Scour eBay for vintage matchbooks or find at your neighborhood flea market.   Get excited to get domestic and get down with DIY.  Create striking art for your home that will light up any space!

Plug in and let your holiday DIY garland shine bright and beautifully.  P.S.- Pair garland with live green garland for an extra decadent look. 

CHECK OUT ERICA’S HOLIDAY HOW-TO VIDEO HERE!

Department store cosmetic countertops should be called the land of decadent organization.  Perfectly placed products look colorful and clean, which make us crave them even more.  It’s time to roll out the red carpet for the new beauty starlet that’s on everyone’s lips, Maybelline New York’s Baby Lips Lip Balm.  Never have we ever found a pout pleaser that has color, moisture, the cute-factor, and j’amazing packaging all in one.  Baby Lips Lip Balm has inspired our DIY Beauty box!  Due to it’s fun and fresh look, we want to display it, at eye level- everyday!  The purple (aka “Peach Kiss”) case inspired the base for the beauty box of the same hue.

To create, use a block of floral foam (avail in lots of fun colors), and stud it up! Use a marker to plan out your beauty box placement.  Use desired products to pierce the foam directly by applying a bit of pressure, and created a spot carved out specially for it.  Make sure your Lip balms, mascaras, and other products have just enough depth to stand up straight and stay put.  Push test tubes, all the way down, into foam so the top lip is flush with the foam’s surface. Insert makeup brushes.  For a finished look, place grommets on top of the tubes opening.  Turn a tube into a bud vase for that final touch!

You now have yourself the perfect lip pleaser and a countertop cosmetic solution.  P.S.- Long live the Maybelline New York Beauty Box!

P.S.- Don’t ya wanna be trés fancy? Ok, then make a tray that’s fancy!  For centuries, the serving tray’s functional purpose was the focus.  However, our main concern is making sure the only thing you’re serving up is style.  Keep the company of luxe home accessories and live beautifully! 

To create- lay chain or other jewelry face down onto copy machine in your desired pattern.  Be sure to keep the lid OPEN, this will create a black background when you hit “Color Copy”.  Depending on size of the frame, you may need 1-2 sheets of copied paper.  After the ink is totally dry, use double stick tape to connect paper together, which make it look like a seamless and continued pattern.  Place papers under glass, and secure into the frame.  Use Gorilla Glue (toughest stuff on the planet) to adhere handles, (which are actually drawer pulls that you pick up at the hardware store) to the sides of the frame.  Hold in place, and let dry for 24 hours before picking up.

Declare your Independence DIY Day!  From the backyard BBQ’s to beach blow-outs,  boasting your red, white, and blue for July 4th is the thing to do!  Hand over heart, it’s all about art- so get involved.  Create a cool, creative, and craftastic centerpiece for your July 4th fete.

Its On: Draw your desired “vase” shape onto foam core - available at most art stores, and office supply stores like STAPLES.  Be sure to do a few practice sketches before taking to the foam core.  Get creative with your shapes, sizes, and colors.  Mixing and matching will make an eclectic display.  Use a craft knife (be sure the blade is sharp!) and make slow, steady, and smooth slices on the “vase” outline.  Be sure you’re cutting on a board to protect the surface underneath.  If there are some shaggy and not so clean edges, clean them up after your shapes are cut out.  Tape a string (or ribbon) onto the back of your foam vase and secure it to the front of a container, by tying a secure knot or bow.  Re-purpose jars from the kitchen, drinking glasses; whatever’s clever!  Fill the containers with sweet smelling fresh flowers and display vases on a table for an unexpected and  delightful centerpiece.

If you bleed red, white, & blue- I think this DIY is for you. God Bless amERICA!

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the sunniest of them all?  You shine like a star and beam like the sun, so why shouldn’t your DIY projects do the same?  I have always been drawn to celestial elements, especially the Sun- the center of our solar system.  Get drawn into magnetic fields and glow your way into decedent glamour with a sunburst of your own.  A sun-drenched mirror is a sure way to reflect a happy home.  Get inspired by luxe designer mirrors and all things bright and gold  that gleam and glow… and get involved! I created this fab mirror that was feature in Rue Magazine, shot by the j’amazing MICHAEL FINE

To create your own sunburst mirror, start by gluing down wooden dowels (available at all major home improvement stores) to a cardboard circle base.  Continue to glue and rotate in a circular motion.  Hold in place till each dowel has set before moving onto the next.  After applying ample amounts of glue, add extra cardboard support wedges between dowels to hold in place.  Add another circular piece of cardboard to the top, which the mirror will be placed upon.  To create the mirror: glue ping pong balls along the outside edges with your glue gun.  Add a rope detail around the mirror for another rich detail.  Using gold spray paint (P.S.- Krylon is my favorite), spray both the dowels and mirror on a covered surface outdoors.  You will need a few coats!  Adhere the mirror to the sunburst base by using either a glue gun (depending on the weight of your mirror) or a stronger adhesive if necessary.  Use wall mounting accessories to hang your sunburst mirror.  P.S.- Have fun, Sunshine!