Do it yourself – Francois et Moi

5 DIY’s to Try – Holiday Projects

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 13:51:15 +0000

The Holiday season is now in full swing at our house! Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I’m shamelessly playing Mariah Carey Christmas whilst decking the halls, addressing Holiday cards and planning out our gift list. Here are 5 tradition-worthy projects I’m looking forward to to trying out this year! How cool is this Modern Geo Christmas Tree Topper from eHow?! Beautiful and delicious. These pears from Just Between Friends are a total win. Felt ball garland has a place in my home all year round–but especially at Christmas. My Sparkle shows us how it’s done. Design savvy etched wooden spoons from Design Mom make great stocking stuffers for the cook on your list! Santa Lucia (The Scandinavian light festival) is coming up on December 13th. Make yourself a Santa Lucia crown (which can double as a table centerpiece) from The House that Lars Built.

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5 DIY’s to Try: October

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 13:02:14 +0000

5 awesome projects from the creative blogging community that could easily be made this weekend! I’ve been outbid on many a vintage marble tray on Ebay, so I think it’s time to just make myself one! Almost Makes Perfect shows us how it’s done. Add a bit of autumnal glam to your home by gathering fallen branches in your backyard and painting them gold. (Via Maureen Stevens) I love the simple design of this genius utensil rack made from wire rebar found at the hardware store! (Via A Beautiful Mess) Need an area rug, but can’t afford the price tag? Make your own by stitching together smaller (and more affordable) ones. (Via Apartment Therapy) How cute are these woolen elbow patches from Honestly WTF? Needle felting is where it’s at!

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Hand Woodblock Printed Pillows

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:45:13 +0000

Beautiful textiles will always be one of those things that can make me swoon, and the giant bin of neatly folded fabrics I’m hoarding in our closet for just the right project to come along is a good affirmation of my mild obsession (or just ask Ken). Recently I’ve been reading up on woodblock fabric printing, and I find the centuries old, hand-carved and hand-printed process so intriguing. West Elm created a short video a few years ago (to launch their block printed blankets) which beautifully depicts the process. Click here to view. I purchased my wood blocks from TATA Indian Wood Stamps, who source their blocks from three incredibly talented Indian artisans at fair trade prices. The beautifully carved blocks make the finished result look alot more difficult than it actually was (Thank goodness for the block carvers!) Printing a small amount of fabric (like pillow covers) at home is actually quite simple. It’s really just a matter of marking where to stamp and then stamping! These were so much fun to make–probably my favorite project I’ve done in a while. I hope you enjoy […]

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[Make Your Own] Patterned Leggings

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:47:20 +0000

I love me a good pair of leggings. A mostly cotton blend with spandex for elasticity and retention, and of course ones that fit me just right. When I’m not at work, I live in my leggings. Yep, they’re crazy comfortable and perfect with over-sized flowy tops and sweaters and flats. What’s not to love? So when my favorite pair began wearing through as they inevitably do, I decided to use them as a “pattern” and create a few more pairs that fit just like them, but this time using graphic fabric that I’ve been holding onto waiting for precisely this project to come along. I feel like there’s a misconception out there about how difficult it is to sew on stretch fabrics. Truthfully, it’s not as hard as everyone makes it sound, and you, yes you, can sew stretch fabrics! If I can do it, you can do it. By simply adjusting your sewing machine settings (as noted below) you’ll set yourself up for success. A big thank you to my mom, Sandi Knutie, of Seams Sew Cool for coaching me from afar on the secrets of the craft. Materials List: an old pair of leggings that both fit you well and are ready for the donation or trash bin (you’ll be cutting […]

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{Handmade} Mermaid Tear Pendants

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:27:52 +0000

We brought home a handful of pretty mermaid tears (sea glass pieces) that we collected this spring on the beach in Positano, and since we’ve gotten home, I’ve been looking for the right project to put them to good use (other than looking pretty in a jar on our end table). So I decided to pick a few of my favorites and turn them into mini sea glass pendants. I didn’t want to have to drill into the pebbles since they’re so small, so I used wire and strong adhesive instead, and I love how they turned out! Materials List: sea glass pebble(s) 26 gauge brass wire gold toggle clasp & ring or gold lobster clasp gold jump rings 18″ gold chain clear drying glue 18 kt gold leafing pen wire cutter pliers Step 1. Cut a 10″ piece of wire and wrap around sea glass either creating an “x” with the wire, or wrapping the wire parallel. Step 2. Tightly twist wires around each other at the back of the sea glass. Step 3. Create a loop with the right side wire and tuck underneath the horizontal wire wrapping the gem. Tightly twist wire tail that created the loop with the other […]

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5 DIY’s to Try: Back to School Edition

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:45:37 +0000

Happy ‘Back to School’ to you! Can you believe the Fall 2014 school year is upon us already? Whether you’re indeed heading back to school or simply feeling creative, I’ve rounded up 5 school-inspired DIY’s to try to carry us into the school year… Keep your desk organized with this simple wood block pencil holder from The Sweetest Occasion! I’m loving this cuter than cute, and simpler than simple notebook tote from Say Yes. How sleek and simple is this DIY leather iPad case from Pretty Prudent?! Dress your books for class with Fellow Fellow’s DIY book jackets. Who doesn’t love sewing on paper?! Hello, pencil clutch. How clever are you? Via Hands Occupied.

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Handmade Hickory Chop Board

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 12:25:59 +0000

Happy Thursday! The DIY project I’m sharing today is so freaking easy, it’s silly, and it’s one you can start and finish in the same day. I’ve been looking awhile now for a simple hardwood cutting board to use for everyday kitchen chopping and also to use as a cheese board or platter when we have guests over. I couldn’t anywhere find exactly what I had in mind, so I decided to simply make it this past Saturday. We picked up an 8″ x 18″ hickory board at our local hardware store, sanded it, added a little paint, and voila! we had a cutting board in a matter of hours. We chose to use Plasti Dip rather than regular paint because since we planned to use the board around food, we wanted something that was a little safer, not to mention Plasti Dip is wipeable when completely dry. Here are the details on how to make one for yourself! Materials List: 8″w x 18″l x 1″d hardwood board, such as Hickory or Walnut. We picked our board up at Menard’s, and had them cut the board down to the 18″ length for us. Sand Paper White Plasti Dip Spray Paint Painter’s Tape Measuring Tape Pencil Plastic […]

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Leather + Teak Clock

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:52:41 +0000

Hello there! Hope you had a fab weekend. This morning I’m excited to share this simple clock Ken and I made using materials we found thrifting: a Thai teak wood plate and a leather belt. Once we came up with our design, it came together pretty easily, and since we were able to find most of the materials at thrift shops, the total cost was under $7! Here’s the how-to: Materials Needed: Thrifted 12″ Wood plate, tray or wood disc Thrifted Men’s large leather belt Clock kit Gorilla glue Electric drill Measuring tape Pencil AA Battery Step 1. On the front of the plate or wood disc, measure and mark the center with a pencil. Step 2. Using electric drill, drill through wood plate using your pencil mark as a guide. Step 3. Add the clock kit: Place the wood plate on top of the battery piece, so that the white protruding part of the mechanism fits into the drilled hole, and is poking up on the face of the clock. Place metal washer onto the protruding white mechanism.Then screw on the nut. Peel back the film on the clock hands. Place clock hands over top of the nut and […]

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DIY’s to Try

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:41:52 +0000

A few genius DIY projects to try out this weekend… I love do it yourselfer projects that you’d never know were homemade, and this coffee table is exactly that. Almost Makes Perfect really rocked this time. Check out her tutorial! How fun is this Typography Sign from You Are My Fave? Yearning to bring a little greenery into your life? Check out The Fresh Exchange’s Wall-mounted Staghorn Fern Tutorial. Feel like screen printing something? It’s easier than you might think with this quick explanation from Avie Designs. Enjoy the weekend!

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A Few Key Sources: Part 1

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 13:45:38 +0000

I thought I’d share some of our sources from the shower in case you’re throwing a shower of your own! Part One is all about the DIY Wood Blocks. Here’s what you need to know: The DIY Wood Blocks project is a great replacement for shower games and is a fun, extra little gift for the mom-to-be and baby. All you need are paint pens or permanent markers, unfinished wood blocks, alphabet stencils, scissors, and masking tape. Paint Pens | Unfinished Wood Blocks | Alphabet Stencils Prep: Prior to the shower, cut the alphabet stencil in between the letters and numbers, so that each letter/number is it’s own little stencil. At the Shower: Designate a “station” for block decorating. Use masking tape to hold the stencil in place while coloring it in. To prevent the paint from bleeding underneath the stencil, it seemed best to work quickly when coloring in the stencil. Then remove the stencil right away afterwards.

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Handmade Gift Round-up

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 13:41:40 +0000

You may have noticed that I made an extra effort to make a lot of gifts, rather than buy them, this year. ‘Why,’ might you ask? Simply put; I just really enjoy the process. Everything from the ideation to the construction, I love the design challenges and the satisfaction of having something tangible to show for my time. It makes it all the more rewarding too, knowing that the recipient can actually use or enjoy the end result–and I made it! Knowing that I wanted to make gifts this year, I came up with a strategy, a schedule of sorts, mid-way through October as to when and how I could make them, so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed and overloaded with my hands thrown up in the air at the eleventh hour. I did my best to stick to the schedule, and it helped me keep my eye on the prize throughout the fall. In case you missed a post, or are just finding Francois et Moi, below is a collection of the gifts I made this year… From left to right, top to bottom: a. Indigo Tea Towels, b. Lavender Sachets, c. Salted Bourbon Caramels, d. Vanilla Extract, e. Paperwhite […]

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Nordic Winter Centerpiece

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:29:04 +0000

I don’t know if it’s the rustic simplicity, the effortlessly cozy factor or my Nordic pride shining through, but I’m always inspired by the Scandinavian aesthetic, especially so this time of year. I made this Holiday centerpiece for our dining table using a flat wood piece we salvaged from an old textile loom that a local salvage and antique shop, Art & Architecture was selling off for parts. With just a couple drill holes, a few candles, and a snippet of velvet ribbon, I pulled together a simple and restrained centerpiece that we’ll use to deck the halls with Nordic flair this year. Materials List: Weathered Wood Board–the more weathered, the better! Hand Saw 5-3/4″ Menorah Candles from Target Electric Drill 3/8″ Spade Bit 3/4″ Spade Bit (optional) 12″ of Velvet Ribbon (optional) Pencil Ruler or Measuring Tape Step 1: Cut your board down to the length you prefer using a hand saw. I cut my board down to 24″L x 2-3/4″ W x 1-1/4″ H, but if you have a large dining table it could be fun to make a long, dramatic centerpiece to run the length of the table. Step 2: Using a pencil and ruler, mark where you’d like the […]

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