handmade – Francois et Moi

DIY Textural Art

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 11:42:19 +0000

Channel your inner ‘artiste’ with DIY textural art! Use a tile trowel and modeling paste to create minimal and chic large-scale art in an afternoon. I first became infatuated with textural art two years ago after discovering the work of artists like Krogh Andersen. It has such movement and visual interest, all the while feeling minimal and chic. Last year I picked up some modeling paste, pulled out a trowel, and began experimenting with troweling paste into 3D art. However, I didn’t document a minute of it, because frankly I wasn’t sure it’d turn out. But much to my chagrin, it did turn out, and I LOVE it! So I’m back at it partnering with Handy Products to create another piece–this time with a very detailed tutorial, so you can make one too with confidence! What Type of Paste Should I Use? Flexible Modeling Paste: I use Flexible Modeling Paste because it trowels nicely without looking clumpy like joint compound sometimes can. It comes pre-mixed and takes the guesswork out of finding the right consistency. The paste is true white in color, and it can be mixed with acrylic paint if you want to add an element of color. Mixing […]

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DIY Candles: The Ultimate Guide

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 17:22:03 +0000

Learn how to make candles for every season with these wildly popular candle project tutorials by Francois et Moi. Candles are something I like to keep around the house no matter the season for their scent, ambiance and air-purifying properties. My love for them runs so deep that I’ve even learned how to make them! And over the years, I’ve made ALOT of candles. I find the process satisfying and fun, so here are my 5 most popular candle DIY projects. Coincidentally, there’s a project for every season! 1. Essential Oil Holiday Candle with Printable Label There’s something about the clean, yet still festive scent of winter balsam trees that I’ve been craving as the weather turns cold. I kept meaning to pick up a winter balsam essential oil candle (which of course I spaced), so finally I decided just to make one. A no-brainer of course! The candle’s scent is mostly pine needle with orange added for sweetness and Wyndmere’s Forest Retreat Blend added to give depth and complexity. When picking out your essential oils, make sure to use pure essential oils and not essential oils in a carrier oil. They’re a bit more expensive, but […]

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Global Style, Feel Good Design with Meridian

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:00:08 +0000

As my tastes refine and style evolves, I find myself increasingly more intentional about the pieces I choose for my home. As you guys know, I’m a big advocate for mindful design, which emphasizes understanding the social impact of our purchases and celebrating the story behind them: where they’re made, what they’re made of, and who makes them. I get so excited when I find brands like Meridian who are making change for good around the world. Meridian collaborates with master artisans from Ghana to Peru bringing their story to the global stage, helping to preserve indigenous crafts, and empowering often disadvantaged communities. Every purchase through Meridian directly supports the artisan who made the piece. My exquisite Meridian bone inlay box comes from a family of master artisans in Rajasthan, India. The handmade box is adorned with intricately carved recycled and naturally occurring bone through methods that have been passed down through multiple generations. If you can imagine, it takes a entire team of individual artisans to make just one box. One artisan is responsible for hand carving each piece of bone into delicate leaf shapes. A second person affixes those pieces onto a wooden frame in the intricate botanical pattern. […]

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Mindful Design: Redefining Luxury with St. Frank Textiles

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 13:30:54 +0000

One of my most favorite design trends or movements at the moment is the concept of mindful design. Socially conscious by nature, mindful design is the push towards surrounding ourselves with unique, handmade pieces in our homes–ones that are made of high quality materials from ethical sources. It’s knowing the stories behind our belongings: Who made them? Where were they made? How were they made? And I think it’s a new way of defining interior luxury. I’m always on the lookout for brands, like St. Frank Textiles, who resonate with this approach, deviating from the mass market and bringing something more meaningful to the table. I was first captivated by luxury home decor brand, St. Frank, and their extensive framed textile offering on Instagram. The more I learned about their mission, the deeper in love I fell with their company as a whole. I think we can all agree that St. Frank’s one-of-a-kind pieces are the stuff interior dreams are made of. But beyond simply offering beautiful pieces for the home, they’re committed to curating product with a story. St. Frank works with artisan groups in 25 countries around the world with a goal of preserving traditional crafts within these […]

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Dress to Throw Pillow: Repurposing Fashion into Home Decor

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:12:12 +0000

This beautiful silk Ikat dress from Jcrew has been hanging, unworn at the back of my closet since about 2011. I haven’t worn it in years because it’s a bit too small nowadays, and it’s a strapless dress that doesn’t have support in the bodice, a.k.a. it tends to fall down when worn. All this, and I still really and truly adore this dress, so I haven’t been able to bring myself to get rid of it. Call it nesting or call it “you need to pair down and make room your baby arriving in February,” either way, I recently came to the mental clarity that I needed to either do something with this dress, try to sell, or donate it. Enough is enough. When I really started to psycho-analyze why I loved this dress so much, it wasn’t the dress style for aforementioned reasons. It was the fabric. Blue and white silk classic Ikat. Yes in every language. Thus the idea of turning it into a simple envelope pillow was born. If like me, you also have a skirt or dress that you no longer wear, but love the fabric so much, can’t bear to get rid of, then […]

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Announcing Francois et Moi Pillows at Ciel Loft & Home!

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 17:44:49 +0000

Hi Guys! If we’re friends on Instagram, then you may already have the inside scoop that my handmade pillow collection is being sold locally through Ciel Loft & Home, a home import & furniture boutique, in St. Louis Park, MN! The collection features the classic Francois et Moi Block prints, as well as indigo mud cloth and batik fabrics sourced fair trade from around the world. All handmade in Minneapolis, of course! Stop in to see the cool kids at Ciel Loft & Home and check out the pillows before they disappear! Follow

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Concrete & Brass Trays

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 17:46:27 +0000

I love making things, period. But every so often, a project like these Concrete & Brass Trays come along and gets me extra, uber excited. These projects usually involve trying a new technique + the project actually turning out! And as a maker, can you really ask for more than that?! Concrete & Brass Trays : How to Make Them! I’ll be the first to admit not every project turns out, which totally sucks, but I think those failed projects lead to new discoveries and sometimes a better end result in the long run. I’m hoping to share some of those #fails soon, so stay tuned–should be amusing! These concrete & brass trays are one of those projects that actually turned out a little better than I’d even planned for. I’d never worked with concrete before, so I was a little gun-shy to get started. I looked at tons of projects from bloggers who had already taken the plunge, like this one from Homey Oh My! & this one from Fall for DIY (Two of my fave bloggers BTW!) In the end, I discovered concrete is actually not so scary to work with! It’s quite fascinating how a mixture so […]

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Swedish Candle Wreath DIY

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:23:41 +0000

I’m 50% Swedish + a mixture of Norwegian, Finnish and English in that order for the other 50%. So I always have my eye out for new Scandinavian decor and traditions we can include in our Holiday celebrations. This year I made a candle wreath to hang in the window, inspired by the Santa Lucia Crown, which gives off a warm glow a midst our short Minnesotan winter days. The brass hoop adds modern styling, and the eucalyptus smells ridiculously good! Find the brass ring here, candle clips here, and the mini candles here!To make the wreath, you’ll simply wire eucalyptus sprigs to the brass hoop with floral wire, clip on the candle, and add a leather hanger. Skip over to Homedit for the entire tutorial!Note: While the candle holder is quite stable once it’s clipped over the eucalyptus and hoop, the candle is much more of a decorative component to the wreath’s overall Nordic design. If you do light the candle, watch it carefully. If left unattended it could be a dangerous fire hazard. Follow

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Lattice House Shelves

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:41:30 +0000

Fall is quickly approaching (tear!), so I decided to take a little hiatus from blogging and social media last week to enjoy what’s left of the season–our Minnesota summers are just too short and our winters are too brutally long not to! But I did still work on a few projects, so I guess I didn’t totally shut off. Check out these fun ‘house’ shelves perfect for displaying small plants and curiosities on the wall! Materials: 12″x24″ Sheet of Union Jack radiator cover Scissors Industrial Strength Adhesive Ruler Marker Spray paint Draw a house shape 3 ‘squares’ up from the bottom of the screen, 3 ‘squares’ in from the left and 3 ‘squares’ in from the right. Use a dotted line for the bottom of the edge of the house. Extend the dotted line horizontally to the sides of the screen. Draw a parallel line 1/2 of a square down from the dotted line. Repeat on the other side. Then extend the vertical lines of the house down to the bottom edge of the screen. Draw two notches flanking the apex of the roof. Then extend the vertical sides of the ‘house’ up by 3 squares, and at the top […]

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DIY du Jour: Grid Pattern Projects

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:04:58 +0000

Initially when I saw the grid motif showing its pretty face in fashion and home goods this year, I had an immediate and uncontrollable flash back to the 80’s grid pattern that was so prevalent 30 years ago. It wasn’t EXACTLY my favorite back then, but this time around in 2015, I can’t seem to get enough of it. So what changed? I think it’s the high contrast black and white duo which is bright, modern, and an excellent structured compliment to watercolor-y color palettes we’re seeing everywhere right now. Bring on the grid! Here are a few easy DIY projects to help bring a little grid-action into your life! a.Wire Mesh Inspiration Board via Emmas Design Blog b. Grid Pouch via Homey Oh My! c. Grid Planter via Homey Oh My! d. Crisscross Coasters via Fall for DIY Follow

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Célfie Clutch DIY

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 23:58:32 +0000

Though I’m not much of a selfie-taker, I am quite enamored with Sincerely Jules’ play on Céline’s logo, reinterpreting it into the viral graphic Célfie T-shirt. Have you seen it around the interwebs? Pure genius, amirite?! So here I am interpreting Sincerely Jules’ interpretation of the logo and creating a ridiculously easy–and I mean E.A.S.Y. Célfie Clutch to tote your essentials around town with you. If you can peel, trim, stick and repeat, you’re golden.Materials: White faux leather clutch – I love the details on this clutch. The faux leather is super soft, it’s well made, and the gold accents are just cherries on the sundae. 2″ Black Self-Adhesive Vinyl Letters Scissors How-To: Peel off the vinyl letters one at a time. Start with “C” and center it top to bottom on the clutch. Trim back the horizontal portions by a 1/4″ on the “E” “L” “F” letters to mimic the Celine Logo Font before applying. Evenly space the letters across the width of the clutch. The letters are somewhat repositionable, so make any adjustments before firmly pressing down the letters. Use the dash for the accent over the “E”. Follow

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Makers Spotlight No. 3

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:42:41 +0000

Every time I gather research for the Makers Spotlight column, I’m always amazed by the handmade talent I discover. With so many passionate people out there hustling every day, and creating perfectly imperfect, soulful pieces, it’s often hard to narrow it down to 4 feature makers. But alas, here they are! Watercolor mural artists, lighting designer, neon sign maker, and porcelain artist: I hope, like me, you’ll find loads of inspiration to sail into the weekend with! Happy Weekend!Anewall: (a-new-wall) The Vancouver-based BFF duo, Richele and Sydney, are taking wall coverings to the next level with their ethereal watercolor wall murals and papers. #cactuslove Marcus Conrad Poston: Glowing wall art for the modern interior. Marcus Conrad Poston hand bends his completely customizable neon signs out of his New York studio. Choose a sign from his shop or commission a custom sign! Jones County Road: LA lighting designer, Ryan Roger, subscribes to a simple, restrained design aesthetic, creating minimal hardwired brass lighting with equal parts graceful utilitarian and refined mid-century. Red Raven Studio: Amy Hamley’s STUN. ING. handmade English porcelain is the perfect addition to any table with its modern vintage styling and 24K gold touches. The faceted vessel can wear many hats as a vase, […]

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