spring – Francois et Moi

Garden Refresh: Potting Bench & Garden Tool Makeovers

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 14 May 2020 11:45:13 +0000

Get your potting bench and garden tools ready for planting with these easy garden refresh projects. Click for loads of inspiration and step-by-step tutorials! Winter is officially BEHIND us. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to say those words?! I’ve been scheming on this backyard potting bench project since the beginning of February, if that’s any indication. I crossed paths with this garage work table while thrifting back in February. It’s a pretty simplistic table made entirely of 2×4’s and 2×6’s—nothing fancy with a ‘nothing fancy’ price tag too. But it’s a great height for standing + planting, the shelf below has lots of space for pots, tools, bulbs, etc. and the front apron (the horizontal board supporting the table top) is perfect–and I mean perfect for adding hooks for garden tool storage. We live in the city, so our yard isn’t sprawling, but we do have a great patio off the back with a trellis and open real estate below it just begging for a potting bench. With the raised garden beds just around the corner of the house, and the dining table/grill on the patio as well, the potting bench will come in handy not only […]

The post Garden Refresh: Potting Bench & Garden Tool Makeovers appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Easy Canvas Tote Upgrade for Farmers Market Season

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:52:55 +0000

I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet with winter weather, as I saw a snowflake on our 5 day forecast, but since yesterday was “technically” the first day of Spring and the farmers markets in Minneapolis open their proverbial doors in less than a month, I’m starting the week with Spring on the brain. And this canvas tote upgrade is a great project to kick things off with. I try (and usually forget) to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, but for some reason I always make sure we have a tote when hittin’ the farmers market, so I don’t have to take plastic bags for each type of produce. If you too like slinging a cute tote à la farmers market, make sure to check out the gilded canvas tote tutorial I created for SheKnows using a craft store canvas bag and some gold paint. Have a great week! Get ready for Farmers Market Season with this easy canvas tote upgrade. Follow

The post Easy Canvas Tote Upgrade for Farmers Market Season appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Primp Your Place with DIY Button Tufted Pillows

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:25:42 +0000

One of the ways I shrug off those I’m-over-winter blues this time of year is by switching out small accessories in my home, like pillows, to help it feel a bit less wintery. So today I want to share these easy little tufted pillows I created for Sugar and Cloth which are perfect for infusing spring vibes into the home. Usually when I hear the word ‘tufting’ I run the other way because the word tufting just sounds complex, right? Well never fear, though these pillows are technically tufted, they each just have one giant tuft in the middle so they’re actually ridiculously easy. Yay! And there’s also no zipper, so Double Yay! Head over and say hi to Ashley for the tutorial. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing tips for choosing the right inserts for throw pillows, so make sure to check back! DIY Button Tufted Pillows Looking for more DIY pillow inspiration? Check out this Table Runner Lumbar & these Hand Wood Block Printed Pillows! Follow

The post Primp Your Place with DIY Button Tufted Pillows appeared first on Francois et Moi.

DIY du Jour: Spring Decor Refresh

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 15:08:19 +0000

Is your place in need of a little refresh for Spring? It’s around this time of year, I start to catch a case of cabin fever. Old Man Winter, you need to wrap this up! So I’ll instinctively start packing up the heavy blankets, moving things around and tackling new home projects to help refresh my surroundings. I think my rearranging our furniture drives Ken a little crazy, but it’s just something I’ve got to do this time of year! It may only be February, but us Northerners spend so much time indoors from October to March, I think the Spring conversion process starts a bit earlier up here out of survival. It’s how we keep our sanity! If you’re in need of a home refresher too, why not move in some plants, hang garland or organize your magazines? Check out the fantastic round-up below! Copper Himmeli Table | Wood Bead Garland | X-Shaped Magazine Rack | Easy Planter Upgrades | Wall Mounted Air Plants Give Your Home a Spring Decor Refresh with These DIY Projects Find more in the DIY du Jour series here! Follow

The post DIY du Jour: Spring Decor Refresh appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Spring Style in the Loop

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 18 May 2015 13:19:45 +0000

Typically you’ll find me behind the lens, rather than in front of it, but every once in awhile it’s fun to mix up the handmade posts with a lifestyle one here and there. I LOVE making things, but now that the weather is warming up, I just want to get outside and explore Minneapolis. We moved to the North Loop in October last year, just as Winter was also moving in, so I’m excited to explore the Neighborhood in all its warm-weather glory. On Saturday we moseyed over to the Farmer’s Market, so I’m sharing my spring style weekend wear with you guys. I hope you had a fantastic weekend–they always go too fast, don’t they? First and foremost, I’m really digging espadrilles for spring and summer. Often I don’t like ankle ties because they can cut into your ankles, but the ties on these babies (find them here!) are a twill cotton and they’re actually quite comfortable, so they’re great for strolling around the farmer’s market. If your mission is to stock up on fresh, local produce for the week, then a big bag to corral it all is essential. Otherwise, the vendors give you plastic bags for each […]

The post Spring Style in the Loop appeared first on Francois et Moi.

5 DIYs to Try // No. 14

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 04 May 2015 13:21:02 +0000

Hey Guys and Happy Monday! The apple and cherry blossoms were all abloom this weekend in the North Loop and the scent was incredible, not to mention stunning! So this week’s 5 DIYs to try are very much Spring inspired–plus 2 ideas for Mother’s Day at the bottom. Hope it’s a great week! How fun are Studio DIY’s Fruit Slice Umbrellas? Perfect for those inclement Spring showers. I’m loving everything palms right now and so naturally Monster’s Circus Palm Leaf Art caught my eye. So ingeniously simple. Move your greenery off the table and onto the wall with Smitten Studio’s Eucalyptus Wall Hanging. Wrap up Mom’s gifts in Almost Makes Perfect’s blushing Printable Gift Wrap for a pretty finish. Edible gifts are the best gifts: Mother’s Day Cookie Cards from Tell Love and Chocolate.

The post 5 DIYs to Try // No. 14 appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Pretty Face Seedling Starters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 12:43:13 +0000

As a professional fashion artist and amateur portrait painter, my Grandma Annie loved to study human faces. She was fascinated by each one’s unique details, their asymmetry, and the way in which the features join together to form a whole. We lost her to a merciless bout of cancer earlier this year, but I still think about her everyday. She was a strong influence for me in igniting my love for arts and crafts, not only through her words of encouragement, but also through her own creative pursuits. Inspired by Mrs. Annabelle and her love of facial features, I created these Pretty Face Seedling Cups as a way to start my herbs inside until it’s warm enough to move them onto our balcony. The egg cups are the perfect vessel for A.) a little face and B.) growing seedlings. Just make sure you use small rocks at the bottom of each cup for drainage. Materials: egg cups, black oil-based paint pen, translucent satin acrylic paint in color Pink Hyacinth, 3/4″ paint dauber 1. Use a fine-tipped, oil-based paint pen to freehand two 1/2″ wide eyelid shapes, followed by the eyelashes. If desired, ornament the egg cup further with a “beaded […]

The post Pretty Face Seedling Starters appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Handmade 3D Gift Wrap

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 14:14:50 +0000

Hello Friday! On the coattails of Wednesday’s giftbow tutorials, I’ve also been meaning to share this 3-D gift wrap project that I had so much fun creating for SheKnows in partner with Energizer, as a creative way to add wow factor to practical or accompanying gifts like art supplies, batteries, lip balm, etc. These little toppers are super happy and oh-so perfect for Spring! Head over to Sheknows.com for the full tutorial. And most importantly: Have a GREAT weekend!!!

The post Handmade 3D Gift Wrap appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Spring Fever Faux Leather Keychains

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 13:24:04 +0000

It’s always so exciting when “Spring Ahead” Daylight Savings rolls around. Not only is Spring so imminently close you can feel it, but our days become noticeably longer. That means more daylight for blogging and less of a race against the clock to get everything done before the sun sets. (Can I get an amen?!) Along with this bout of spring fever comes an urge to hit the reset button: spring cleaning, switching over to summer clothes, and updating a few everyday use things that get beat up over the winter. So I started small this weekend and gave my keyring a fresh facelift with these spring-y faux leather keychains. So long Winter, good to see you Spring! Materials: Gold keychain clasp ($2 each at Menards!) Faux leather Gold metallic thread Sewing needle Cutting mat Rotary cutter T-square or ruler Scissors Clear spray sealer (totally optional) 1. Cut a 5/8″ wide x 7-1/2″ long strip of faux leather or leather. 2. Fold one end of the strip lengthwise. 3. Cut the strip at 45 degree angle upward towards the middle of the strip to create the notch. 4. Repeat with the other end of the strip. 5. Thread the strip through the closed […]

The post Spring Fever Faux Leather Keychains appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Pull-down Style Botanical Wall Hanging

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 14:11:08 +0000

There are two things I’m loving at the moment: 1.) Vintage botanical wall charts and 2.) Anything Rifle Paper Company. Seriously. Anna Bond is a paintbrush whisperer. I almost bought an art print for our home from her online shop, when I saw her gorgeous Emerald Peonies gift wrap. The scale and spacing of the painterly flowersreminded me of a vintage botanical chart, so I sprung for the gift wrap instead (which was much more affordable than her prints), and created this pretty Spring-inspired botanical wall-hanging using just wood dowels and leather string. Now if only spring would get here… Materials: One 48″ wood dowel cut into two 23″ pieces Ruler Hack saw Hand-held router fitted with 1/8″ bit and the edge guard Duct tape Sandpaper Pencil Rifle Paper Co Wrapping Paper: 1 sheet 19.5″ x 27″ Gorilla Glue, or any heavy duty glue that expands as it dries Cotton swab Leather String or twine 1. Use a straight edge to draw a line roughly 20″ long down the length of each wood dowel, leaving 1.5″ space on each end. 2. Duct tape the ends of the first wood dowel onto your worksurface with your pencil lines from step one […]

The post Pull-down Style Botanical Wall Hanging appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Picnic Season

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 13:17:09 +0000

Though spring is really taking its sweet time getting here, it hasn’t stopped me from ogling all the fantastic picnic gear that’s out there right now. Packing a lunch, hopping on our bikes and having a picnic by one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes on a Saturday afternoon is one of my favorite things to do when the weather warms up. Here are a few picnic accessories I hope to incorporate into our Saturday afternoon repertoire this season! 1. Portable Radio | 2. Picnic Tote | 3. A French Picnic Menu | 4. Glass Beverage Bottle | 5. Wooden Picnic Flatware | 6. Lawn Checkers | 7. Ticking Stripe Merino Wool Blanket | 8. A Perfect Day for a Picnic

The post Picnic Season appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Color Me Happy

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 12:55:12 +0000

Typically, I’m a neutrals girl when it comes to wardrobe and home, but there’s something about this time of year, that makes me crave color– the dirt-covered city snowbanks are diminishing, my sanding-salt-cured leather boots are feeling all too familiar, and I’m overcome with the desire to see the flower buds bloom and the green grass peek through the earth. When I think color, Christopher Farr Cloth is quick to spring to mind. Their interior and exterior printed and woven textiles for the home celebrate pure, saturated, happy colors and playful patterns that breathe energy into any space–a welcomed influence more so than ever this time of year. 1. Peonies | 2.Intaglio | 3.Linoto | 4. Meander | 5. Inside Out Christopher Farr Cloth is to the trade and can be sourced locally through Blended Blue in Minneapolis.

The post Color Me Happy appeared first on Francois et Moi.