For more ideas, check out the official Elf on the Shelf Ideas page, or browse the #ElfontheShelf hashtag on Instagram.

Elf’s Christmas Movie Night Kit

Ready to take in some Christmas flicks with the kids? Put together a little Christmas Movie Night kit the night before and place it in the living room for them to find in the morning. The official Elf on the Shelf website has a tutorial for creating a cute little scene featuring a snack caddy or bento box, movie snacks, and an Elf Pets Reindeer.

Pool Party Elf

A little blue tissue paper and some Elf-sized pool floats and palm trees can create a tropical pool party in your sink. You can find all these Elf-sized accessories and more on the official Elf on the Shelf shop.

Special Delivery Elf

The kids will run around the house looking for the Elf, only to finally discover that they’ve got a special delivery waiting at the mail slot (or out in the mailbox). If you aren’t aware, Etsy is a great source of handmade Elf on the Shelf accessories, like these personalized felt envelope costumes by Damiline. You can even have them embroidered with your kids’ names to make them a little more special. In a rush to pull it off? Try painting or drawing your own version on some paper.

Paper Bag Toy Race Elf

Gather up some of your kids’ favorite toys, tuck them into paper bags, and viola! You’ve got an imaginative new way to present your Elf on the Shelf one day this December. This idea from Stacy Molter is quick and simple, but kids will really get a kick out of it.

Instagram Elf

Your Elf is ready for an Instagram moment with this simple idea from Elf on the Shelf. All you need to do to recreate it is print out the Instagram photo frame from the Elf on the Shelf website, pose your Elf, and tape the frame to their hands.

Campfire Elf

This handmade accessory kit by TheImaginativeHealer on Etsy will help you create a cozy campfire scene complete with a miniature fire, two roasted marshmallows on sticks, four s’mores, four marshmallows in a bag, a little tartan blanket, and a plate.

Nutcracker Elf

Save this idea for those nights when you’re tired and need the simplest possible scene to put together in less than a minute. If you already have some Nutcracker figurines on hand (or other similarly-sized festive figures), just pose the Elf to “blend in” with them.

Elf on the Shelf Santa Cam

Instagram user Ashley Chung showed off this cute idea made from simple objects found at the Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby. Her “Santa Cam” features a camera picture frame, kids’ magnifying glass, wired lights, silver stud ribbon, craft paper, and sticker letters, but you could create something similar with whatever you find.

Mermaid Elf

Did you know you can buy Elf on the Shelf products on Amazon, too? This cute little “Merry Mermaid” costume is among them, ready to be posed on your Elf. Try creating a winter pool scene with a piece of blue paper, some white paint, and faux snow.

Soccer Goal Elf

Another item available on the Elf on the Shelf Amazon store is the North Pole Goal and Gear accessory kit. Dress your Elf figure up in a tiny soccer uniform and place it next to this folded paper goal.

Ball Pit Elf

A bag of red and green M&Ms, a sieve, and a tiny sign establish that this mini ball pit is for Elves only. This idea came from Ashley Byron of Stage.Organize.Sell, and it takes just a few minutes to put together.

Elf’s Toilet Paper Snowflakes

Uh-oh – this Elf took a clue from their much larger friend, Buddy the Elf, and perhaps went a little too far in their attempt to spread some Christmas cheer. Not even the toilet paper is safe. All you need to recreate this idea from Chloe Boyle is a pair of scissors and some sacrificial TP.

Tangled Up Elf

Okay, so maybe Elves don’t quite know what to do with floss. That makes this little scene from Elf on the Shelf a real learning opportunity, featuring nothing more than some dental floss and a little sign.

Totally Tubular Elf

An inflatable tube plus a matching scarf and ear muffs are all you need to create an adventurous tubing scene for your Elf. Get creative with some faux snow or even just some draped white fabric to act as the snowy hill.

The post All the Creative Elf on the Shelf Ideas You Need for the Rest of 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

At the center of the collection is an incredible 6.5-foot-tall handwoven tapestry called “Zemlia,” which is made of wool. The tapestry evokes the black earth of Ukraine and the potential for life contained within it. Long woven strands stretch out from the base almost like umbilical cords, symbolically connecting Ukrainians now located in far-flung locations to their homeland. No matter where in the world they might be, nothing can sever this bond. The technique used to create the tapestry is an ancient Ukrainian craft called “lizhnykarstvo,” once passed down from mother to daughter in the Carpathian Mountains and now close to extinction.

Just as striking and primeval are the animal-shaped benches Yakusha calls “Volyky” and the stools she calls “Duzhyi.” The black and white benches take their name from the Ukrainian word for freedom, and are hand-sculpted and kneaded using a sustainable material called “ztista” that Yakusha developed herself. The designer’s physical participation in the creation of these pieces can literally be seen in the form of her own fingerprints pressed into the surface of each one. The technique is derived from a traditional wall finish in old Ukrainian homes.

“Duzhyi” means “sturdy” in Ukrainian, and the name is fitting for the very solid-feeling sculpted forms of the stools. While the benches bear a more obvious resemblance to sheep, the stools are animalistic yet abstracted. Yakusha doesn’t necessarily start with sketches when sculpting — she likes to allow the forms to come to her unbidden, springing forth from her imagination as she works.

Yakusha established FAINA in response to the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, which took place over five days in 2014. Through her creations, the designer aims to give a new voice to millennia-old traditions and crafts that are in danger of disappearing. Yakusha hopes her deeply meaningful designs will inspire other artists and contribute to a global perception of Ukraine not just as its own country with a distinct character and heritage from its neighboring invader, but as a living, evolving culture with much to contribute to society at large.

“A tragedy like September 11th is happening every week in Ukraine,” Yakusha tells Design Miami. “Russians destroy physically, destroy culturally, try to appropriate history, and suppress identity. The whole creative industry is having a particularly hard time with this because our strength is our sensitivity, and right now this sensibility is overwhelming… But we, Ukrainians, have huge power inside, and all our creativity will result in a beautiful outpouring for a brighter future for sure. To resist, we must be fearless in how we act, speak, and create. Fear leads to darkness.”

The post Stepping on Ukrainian Soil: Furniture Collection Honors Traditions in Danger of Extinction first appeared on Dornob.

The Ainu village of about 120 people consists of many artists and artisans, who still practice ancient techniques like hand-carving traditional motifs into wooden plates. To translate the project to ceramic, the artisans carved wood blocks that press the patterns into the plates before they’re fired. The result is a beautiful twist on “Arita ware,” the name for porcelain produced in Arita, which has a history of ceramics dating back to the early 1600s, when porcelain stone was discovered in the area. This porcelain became a well-known luxury product within Japan and around the world, where it was often called “Imari.”

The project was initiated by Akan Ainu Consuln, an organization founded in a small Ainu settlement. The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan, who now mostly live on the northernmost island of Hokkaido. “We have an accent culture, born from a lifestyle of harmony with nature,” they explain. “Among traditional Ainu culture lives a rich tradition of crafts, including wood carving, textiles, embroidery, and more featuring unique patterns and designs. Akan Ainu Consuln works to disseminate Ainu culture and protect Ainu intellectual property related to Ainu performance arts, the Ainu language, Ainu cooking, and traditional Ainu designs.”

The group works directly with artists and creators in Ainu to facilitate collaborations with other creative traditions of Japan. In this case, it’s two potteries in Arita called Kyuemon and Yamaheigama. They hope to draw attention to the Akanko Ainu Kotan village and its unique culture, bringing in tourism revenue that can help keep its traditions alive.

“Since the pandemic hit, tourism to Akanko Ainu Kotan has dropped dramatically, especially among foreign tourists who aren’t allowed in the country right now,” says Akan Ainu Consuln. “This project serves as a chance to bring in some much-needed revenue to our artists, as well as deliver a piece of Ankanko Ainu Kotan to people who can’t visit in person right now.”

The plates include designs by five Ainu artisans: Fukiko Goukon, Erika Katsuya, Masaki Saito, Kiyosho Hikawa, and Hideharu Taira. “I came up with my designs while hoping that Ainu culture will become better known throughout the world,” says Goukon. “I made designs that incorporate traditional lucky Japanese patterns in order to reflect the collaboration with Arita ware, while still staying true to classic Ainu patterns.”

A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign raised over $25,000 to bring the project to life, offering backers the choice between each artist’s collections as rewards. Once the campaign is fulfilled, the creators hope to offer the plates to the wider public. If you missed it, keep an eye on the page for future updates.

The post Ainu Meets Arita: Beautiful Plates Made in Japan with Designs by Indigenous Artists first appeared on Dornob.

Front Porch Twinkle Lights

In addition to adding traditional pumpkins, gourds, or wheat stalks to your front porch, you could wind some string lights into the decor to give your friends and neighbors an even warmer welcome on those upcoming colder nights.

Fall-Filled Jars

Highlight your favorite elements of the season by filling some beautifully shaped vases or apothecary jars with tiny pumpkins or gourds. You could also collect acorns around your yard or local trails to give your jars a similar fall treatment. If you’re feeling more in a spooky mood, you can load them to the brim with candy corn or other aesthetically pleasing Halloween treats.

Handmade Ceramics

Autumn means breaking out the hot chocolate and cider, and that means you need some equally inviting drinking vessels. Cottagecore is still having a style moment, so acquiring an eclectic set of handmade mugs would definitely fit the bill. If you’re not handy with a pottery wheel or don’t have any local artisans in the family, a carefully curated collection of secondhand mugs can also feel cozy. These beauties from Wool + Clay are made by human hands at a ceramic shop in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Seasonal Flowers

The change in weather brings a change in what type of flowers are in bloom. Inserting some rich-colored blossoms on your table or working a new pot of golden mums onto your porch can immediately transform your home into a welcoming fall retreat.

Snuggly Bedding

Bringing in the fall ambiance can be as simple as switching out your bedding. Try warm, neutral colors with lots of texture when it comes to sheets and blankets, and layer a few festive pillows on top to finish the look.

Throw Pillow Covers

You can bring the same feel into your living spaces just by revamping some of the throw pillows you already have with seasonal prints. Of course, this works well if you have a backdrop of neutrals to work with, but there are still plenty of ways to make autumnal colors and motifs blend in with your existing decor.

Table Linens

You may not do any major entertaining until Thanksgiving, but there’s no reason your table can’t be cozy and attractive now. This versatile print placemat from Amazon comes in a set of 6 for just $12.99 and instantly warms up a place setting.

Mercury Glass Pumpkins

Mercury glass is always classy, and its reflective surface allows extra light and warmth to bounce around your space. These Pottery Barn pumpkin versions are both cordial and elegant.

Mantel Trimmings

What better place to deck out in fall coziness than your fireplace? Trim it out with some colorful foliage or a garland of shiny gourds. Natural wood and candles are another quick and easy way to make sitting around your hearth more alluring.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of cozy fall decor, incorporating some of these ideas is sure to make your house feel more like a home as we jump head first into the new season.

The post 9 Cozy Fall Decor Ideas to Warm Up Your Home first appeared on Dornob.

Nicholas Ferrara of Orlando is one of the TikTok users who first sparked the trend. In early 2020, the 22-year-old happened upon a YouTube tutorial for creating rugs with a tufting gun, a yarn stitching tool that looks sort of like a handheld drill. He ordered one and started experimenting, and before long he was churning out one brilliant creation after another, posting clips of his process to TikTok and Instagram. Suddenly besieged by followers requesting custom rugs, he set up shop under the name RugSoda, selling his designs for up to $250 a pop.

Ferrara’s rugs are definitely unique. Where else are you going to find a “Flat Tom” rug featuring the cat from classic cartoon Tom and Jerry? Other designs include “Squashed Squidward,” inspired by the character from SpongeBob Squarepants, the Grateful Dead dancing bear, Converse sneakers, and Ferrara’s own abstracted designs.

https://www.tiktok.com/@pennyiech/video/6871073214676733190?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

https://www.tiktok.com/@clairemolenda/video/6894438006174895366?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

https://www.tiktok.com/@miffyhornsby/video/6853225266588699910?lang=en

Other users who have skyrocketed to TikTok fame with DIY tufted rugs include Claire Molenda @clairemolenda, Anfernee Abad @pennyiech, and Miffy Hornsby @miffyhornsby. Abad has an endearingly cartoonish style, and Molenda has since expanded her vintage rug-making style to tufted jackets, with some of her videos getting upwards of a million views and her designs often selling out within minutes of posting. And of course, Hornsby’s “F#ck 2020” rug probably did the best job of capturing how we all feel about the year of the global pandemic.

If your style leans more toward midcentury modern than anime, you’ll want to check out Tim Eads @tufttheworld, a designer who founded an online community for tufters and started selling tufting guns and yarn back in 2018. TikTokers eager to participate in the new trend often flock to Eads’ website TuftingGun.com to order supplies, get help, and discuss the craft in greater detail than a social media comments section allows.

Trish Andersen is another artist credited with reigniting interest in the craft of tufting before it was cool. Hailing from Dalton, Georgia, where the tufting gun was invented, Anderson is an alum of the fiber program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. After her first rug went viral on social media, she launched a career making highly sought-after, large-scale painterly pieces. “Me and my fiancé were just fixing up our apartment and I just made that for the hell of it. I don’t even make rugs,” she tells Metropolis. Compared to other forms of fiber arts, “tufting, for me, is much more like painting and drawing. You’re able to jump around the canvas, play with your colors, and move around your piece as a whole rather than line by line.”

This is one TikTok trend all generations of crafters and the crafting-curious should get on ASAP. Check out all the DIY rugs TikTok has to offer and discover your new favorite makers through the hashtag #rugtiktok.

The post Gen Z’s DIY Tufted Rug Obsession Spurred by TikTok and COVID first appeared on Dornob.

Etsy has made it easy to show your support for the AAPI community today (and every day). By shopping their page specifically created to highlight AAPI-run stores, you can learn more about individual shop owners, hear their stories, and find wonderful items that reflect the creativity, culture, and heritage of their diverse community. This list is just a sneak preview of all you can find on this creatively curated new page.

1. Pyarful

These greeting cards and gifts embrace and reflect South Asian traditions to the fullest! Visit this shop for cute cards designed to reflect South Asian experiences through lovely design elements and catchy, playful sayings. Creator Krisa Tailor-Aurora was inspired by her own heritage and wanted to create products that celebrated her South Asian American identity. As she told Etsy, “I hope through my work I can teach my daughter to embrace her roots, her identity, and the little things that make her who she is.”

Our Faves:

Paneer or Far You’re Always in My Heart Greeting Card

Rakhi hand-woven bracelets

Masala Chai Candle

2. Aerangis

Who loves candles? (Answer: we all do). What sets these candles apart is their beautiful, handcrafted jars made by local artisans. Alicia Tsai, a first-generation Taiwanese immigrant, strives to honor her country’s culture and history through distinctive scents and uniquely crafted candle jars. She says, “As for the candles themselves, each scent is inspired by a memory and tells its own story…[including] scents that incorporate Taiwanese culture and tell the stories of my hometown.”

Our Faves:

No. 51 Secret Garden

Discovery Journey Gift Set

No. 01 The Beginning

Naoshi

Looking for something fun, creative, and unique? How about checking out Naoshi, a wonderful shop where the artwork is mostly made with “sunae,” or shiny colored sand. Looking to make the world a brighter place with her art, Naoko Kikuchi says she was inspired by manga and Japanese comedy shows and that, through sunae, she is “inspired to live life brightly each day.” Now who can argue with that?

Our Faves:

We Love 8×8 Art Print

Rainbow Planet Necklace

DIY Sunae Art Kit Sunrise Boy

Other Stores to Check Out

AllAboutAmi – Crochet patterns for those creatives among us

InsCeramics — Handmade tea sets made just for you

TomoandEdie — Vintage Japanese hair accessories

These are just some of the examples of the quirky, cute, and thoughtfully crafted items to be inspired by on Etsy’s page of AAPI-owned stores. With so much to choose from, you can support the AAPI community now and always by learning about these amazing artists and designers and their unique items that celebrate the beauty, culture, and heritage of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Community.

The post Celebrate Asian American Heritage by Supporting These AAPI-Owned Etsy Stores first appeared on Dornob.

Buckets of Annuals

Image via Organized Clutter

First and foremost, spring means flowers. The best and simplest spring decor for your porch is just some affordable annuals tucked into your favorite pots or some galvanized buckets, which add a touch of rustic charm. You can find galvanized buckets and basins at your local hardware store, but check vintage markets, thrift stores, and flea markets, too. Some nice choices for annuals include phlox, sweet alyssum, coleus, polka dot plant, red nemesia, and edible nasturtiums.

Colorful Thrift Store Chairs

Image via Milan Vintage on Etsy

Speaking of thrift stores, make sure you browse their chair selections when you’re there. Whether you find a matching set or an eclectic mix, you can simply spray paint them all the same color (or a palette of spring shades) to bring them together. This is a fun way to add an accent hue to your decor scheme.

Early Bloom Wreaths

Image via Annabelle Eve Designs on Etsy

Prune a few branches of your early blooming forsythia, cherry tree, or whatever else looks pretty in your yard and shape them into a wreath with some floral wire for a quick and easy update to your front door. If you’re feeling less than crafty, you can always just buy one, too. Etsy seller Annabelle Eve Designs creates these lovely seasonal wreaths with silk flowers, burlap, and a moss-covered monogram, and you can use it year after year.

Mini Solar Barrel Fountain

Image via Flower Patch Farmhouse

Creating a DIY solar fountain is easier than it sounds, and it brings so much to outdoor spaces of all sizes: sparkly reflections, the sound of flowing water, and curious creatures seeking a drink or a bath. All you need is a floating solar fountain, which you can find on Amazon for under $12, and a watertight container like a galvanized bucket, an old wine barrel, or a planter pot without a drain hole.

Freshened Up Throw Pillows

Image via West Elm

Switch out the throw pillows on your outdoor furniture with something sweet for spring. If you find just the right fabric, sewing a throw pillow is a fairly easy project for a beginner to complete – check out The Spruce Crafts for a tutorial. Alternately, stores like Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie, and West Elm, where we found this pretty “embellished blooms” throw, are good places to look.

DIY Dried Bloom Bouquet

Image via Crate and Barrel

Dried floral bouquets are a leading decor trend in 2021, and you never have to worry about them wilting. It used to be that you had to hunt down the best elements to create one in the wild, in your yard, or in flower markets, but now you can find gorgeous preserved blooms and greenery on the internet and in local shops. Crate and Barrel has a particularly great selection, including these pink paper palms, which make for the perfect dramatic backdrop to pair with lush shades of green.

The post 6 DIY Spring Porch Decor Ideas for Any Budget first appeared on Dornob.

Sandra Apperloo straddles that line with some of the most fun and creative ceramics you’ve ever seen. Based in the Netherlands, she crafts a range of objects brimming with personality that you could use in both a practical sense and hang on a wall as art, including dishes, ornaments, pots, vases, and decorative “plant friends” that poke out from among your philodendrons and monsteras.

With “Weirdo Bud Vases,” Apperloo turns spindly bud vases into adorable characters that interact with each other to express a variety of emotions. Some twist around each other anxiously. Some gaze into each other’s eyes. Some glance with curiosity, or stare in seriousness. Each little anthropomorphized vessel seems to have a life of its own.

Apperloo’s adept use of color and pattern give the pieces a style that’s all her own, whether they’re painted in pastel blue, mint, pink, spring green, yellow, or black and white. Polka dots, leaves, branches, flowers, and other markings add visual interest. Among these “weirdos” are also a few in a color scheme clearly modeled on “Delft Blue,” the world famous pottery historically produced in the Dutch city of Delft.

“I love colors and patterns,” the artist writes on her website, adding that she “h[as] a weak spot for pastel shades, I like to sculpt tiny eyes, paint weird freckles, and I challenge myself to try out fun new things all the time. From the biggest vase to the tiniest dish, I put love, thought, and effort into every single piece I create. Unloading my ceramics from the kiln gives me the best feeling ever. I love to see how the different characters turn out after the firings! I hope my work makes people laugh and daydream. I hope they distract from daily businesses, leave warm feelings, and tickle imaginations.”

“I hardly create plans or designs before I start working on a piece. I usually decide on the shape when I am building it, finding what feels good at that moment. This is the case for every part of the process: shaping, sculpting, choosing the colors, and painting the patterns. It helps me to stay open-minded and try out new things, which I feel is really important in my work.”

Apperloo sells these vases, along with her other works, on her website, “The Pottery Parade.” Prices usually range from €48 — €144, but her work is so popular, her whole shop is often sold out. You can keep up with her latest creations on Instagram @thepotteryparade to jump right on a new release when it’s available. Apperloo also curates a fun blog called Artistic Moods, which highlights artists with aesthetics similar to her own.

The post Weirdo Bud Vases: Functional Ceramic Characters by Sandra Apperloo first appeared on Dornob.

Jewelry by LinguaNigra

Designer Alicia Goodwin creates gorgeous organic-inspired sculptural gold and silver jewelry, selling her unusual pieces at her Chicago-based shop LinguaNigra. “Some of my stuff is really smooth, but for most of my line I use reticulation and acid etching techniques — I want that older kind of feeling, and I like for the work to show,” she says in her Etsy Featured Shop interview.

Ceramic and Textiles by MadeByRheal

Oakland, California-based shop owner Rheal has cultivated a dreamy vibe with her artsy woven blankets, hand-cast concrete plant pots, decorative resin jewelry vessels, and modern marbled glass coasters. Every unique item is handmade to order.

Vegan Cork Goods by MindTheCork

Cork production is unique because cork bark can be harvested from live trees, which continue to grow and produce more bark afterward, making it extra sustainable. Mind the Cork, based in London, crafts this material into all sorts of stylish vegan objects, from gilded planters to versatile zip pouches. “Imprinted with the traits of the tree that produced it, cork leather is not only durable, versatile, and simple to maintain, but incredibly beautiful and ecologically sound,” says designer Jenny Espirito Santo.

Embroidery by CreateTheCulture

Erykah Badu, Beyonce, Prince, and other pop culture icons get the embroidery treatment with modern thread-based works of art by CreateTheCulture. Brooklyn-based artist Krystle Collins embroiders her line drawings onto shirts, pillow cases, tote bags, hats, and embroidery hoops for display.

Leather Goods by KingsleyLeather

Kingsley Thompson of Cheltingham, England crafts leather goods like wallets, bow ties, cuff links, wallets, and belts. His shop, Kingsley Leather, is a great source for refined gifts for the people in your life with more masculine sensibilities. “I design my pieces to be simple, clean, and timeless,” Kingsley says. “Everything is built to last.”

Gardening Kits by HortikiPlants

If you’re a novice gardener or just like the convenience of kits, HortikiPlants has you covered with items like the Organic “Leafy Greens” container gardening kit, which contains organic seed sachets, biodegradable pots and water catchment trays, bamboo plant markers, organic potting soil, and a glass mister bottle. Owner Victoria LeBeaux is based in Washington, D.C. and gets rave reviews for both her products and her expertise.

Illustrations by PairABirds

Artist Tabitha Brown creates vibrant, beautiful portraits by pairing digital hand drawing with vintage images for a collaged effect. In addition to the prints available in her shop, PairABirds, she also offers custom portraits. “My inspiration comes from nature, midcentury modern style, and 60s and 70s photos,” she says. “I also spend a ton of time at the library checking out art books and magazines.”

Furniture by ArcherHomeDesigns

Ntebo Archer of ArcherHomeDesigns in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, builds beautiful wooden furniture and home accessories. “The wood we use features one-of-a-kind character unique grain patterns and highlights nature’s distictive fingerprint,” she says. “This produces a finished product that is uniquely yours.”

The post Our 8 Favorite Black-Owned Etsy Shops for Style and Home Decor first appeared on Dornob.

Secret Scratch-Off Message Card

Secret messages give this DIY project an extra dose of fun. The front of this Father’s Day card features a hand-folded bow tie, while the inside features three scratch-off circles. To create it, you start by writing your message on either a piece of clear contact paper or some packing tape. Then, mix acrylic craft paint with a drop of dish soap and paint it over the message. Get the tutorial from Delia Creates.

Building Memories With Dad

If you already have some plastic or wooden building blocks that your kids aren’t using and a spare jar, this craft will cost you zero dollars, and it’s super thoughtful, to boot. Every weekend, they can choose a few blocks to put together and complete the activities.

The Seasoned Mom writes, “The kids and I recently sat down together and brainstormed a long list of their favorite activities to do with Dad. It wasn’t hard since he keeps us constantly on the go! Plus, each child had their favorites, so our jar quickly filled up when we began writing these different adventures onto individual building blocks.”

Scribble Mug

This personalized project requires nothing but a white ceramic mug and some paint pens, and even your littlest ones can contribute. First, stick on some stickers with fun shapes, which will remain white in the final design. Then let the kids go to town with the pens. Bake the mug for 30 minutes at 350 degrees for a long-lasting result.

Printable Father’s Day Card

Need something quick and last minute? All you have to do is download a printable card and have your child answer questions like “My dad is good at…” and “My dad is special because…” Voila! You’ve got a touching gift that also demonstrates your child’s handwriting progress. Get the tutorial at The Handcrafted Story.

Personalized Spatula

A personalized spatula is a sweet way to remind a BBQ-loving dad that his kids care. You can also adapt this idea to all sorts of other tools, from hammers to gardening implements. Paint markers are an easy way to decorate the handle, but you could also use acrylic paints, permanent markers, or Mod Podge on some collaged paper elements. Get the tutorial at Skip to My Lou.

Tool Box Paper Cut-Out Card

Older kids and teens can mimic the look of this fun 3D tool box-themed card by Cat Scrapbooking by drawing and cutting out the shapes of various tools and gluing them onto a folded base. There’s no tutorial, but as you can see from the photo, the folding is pretty simple and easy to replicate.

Waxed Canvas Tool Apron

Here’s a more advanced craft that’s an appropriate gift from adults as well as kids. Whether your dad’s an artist, a cook, a woodworker, or just handy around the house, he could probably use a durable tool apron. This one from The Merrythought requires a little bit of sewing skill (and a sewing machine) and calls for DIY waxed canvas, but you could also use denim or reuse whatever you have around, as long as it’s durable enough.

The post Celebrate Dad With These 7 Easy DIY Father’s Day Gifts first appeared on Dornob.

Artists are sometimes inspired by visions, dreams, and other ethereal encounters. For others, the muse that arouses creativity is much more mundane. Anna Yastrezhembovskaya’s motivation was the latter: a simple plaything she ran across in a toy store.

The Power of Plush

While perusing toys for her young children, Yastrezhembovskaya came upon a collection of plush toys made from wool and felt. She was instantly taken aback by the incredibly soft tactile nature of the creations. Unlike typical stuffed toys, these were so soft and cuddly — they seemed to melt into her hands when she caressed them. And what could be more comforting than a soft sculpture that appeared to have a positive response to human touch?

Anna knew right away that she had to try making these toys herself, so she stocked up on wool, felt, and tiny glass spheres to use as eyes. However, creating creatures that looked real (her ultimate goal) was more difficult than she anticipated. She admitted, “My first toy wasn’t nearly as pretty, it was rather funny. But I enjoyed the process so much that I kept trying. I was felting during my free time, even at night, and I got better with each toy I made.”

Pushing Forward

Before long, Yastrezhembovskaya mastered her art, and her portfolio started growing. She gained her inspiration from the wildlife that thrived in the local forests, including birds, hedgehogs, and bats, as well as more common pets like rabbits and cats. Spiders and baby chicks also became part of her repertoire. When she began marketing her creations online, interest grew, but it was one particular creation that catapulted her into the public eye.

Up to Bat

At the request of her daughter, Yastrezhembovskaya attempted to make a brooch that resembled a bat. When her efforts failed, she opted to create a wool and felt bat instead. Not only was her daughter impressed by her art, but the oft-maligned creature also proved an instant hit with her online fans. Before she knew it, the bat was in so much demand that she felt overwhelmed — mostly because it takes Yastrezhembovskaya 10 12-to-14 hour days to make just one of them.

She says of this experience, “I am flattered that my bats won the hearts of so many people, but the amount of orders I got was terrifying. Of course, I will keep felting as many bats as I can, but I want people to understand that these toys are fully handmade, so it’s a fairly lengthy process.”

A Passion for Perfection

Anna’s business started growing after she sold a few pieces on Etsy. From there, she started sharing her crafts around the world on a variety of platforms. Fans can feel the love and pride she feels for every piece she makes and how important flawlessness is to her.

“Wool is a very gentle and cozy material for me,” she says. “When I sort the fibers between my fingers, when I shape them with a needle — I put my soul into each toy.”

The post Artist Anna Yastrezhembovskaya Spins Simple Wool Into Cuddly Creatures first appeared on Dornob.

1. Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi has backpacks for school and work, as well as hiking and other less bookish pursuits. We love the compact Boma daypack (above), with its sturdy canvas fabric and inside mesh bag to stow all those pens, earbuds, Altoids and other items that are prone to scattering about. A small laptop or tablet will fit in there, too.
Giving is a main priority for Cotopaxi. The company has made a commitment to fight poverty around the world by creating positive social impact. Health, education and initiatives to improve people’s livelihoods are front and center, and Cotopaxi gives targeted grants to projects working on these issues.

2. State

State’s Kane Coney Island bag celebrates the quirky streets of Brooklyn but looks cool enough for non-New Yorkers, too. It has handy organizers to keep supplies in place, a key clip, an iPad pocket, a zippered front pocket and water bottle pockets on the side.
For each Kane bag the company sells, State hand-delivers one of its backpacks stuffed with all the necessary school supplies to an American child in need.

3. Stone and Cloth

The Roll-Top Backpack midsize bag is large enough to fit a 15-inch laptop, which you can even charge safely in your bag thanks to a special vent. And to further pamper your computer, introduce it to the padded laptop sleeve.
This Stone and Cloth backpack is made from wax-coated canvas, and the roll top lets you pack it as high or as low as you want. Need an extra sweater? No worries! This bag can accommodate it.
For each Stone and Cloth bag you buy, the company provides 25 hours of education to children in Tanzania through scholarships.

4. Ethnotek

The Vietnam 2 Raja Pack will protect your laptop with its 840-denier ballistic nylon. Each backpack is one-of-a-kind, with colorful patchwork made from embroidered Hmong textiles. Even better: the embroidered panel is created from recycled scraps of tribal clothing. Once the clothing is made, the extra pieces of scrap fabric are collected and sewn into the material for this collection.
Ethnotek uses ethically sourced handmade textiles for its bags, and the company says purchases help fund employment for hand-printers, weavers and embroiderers in their partnering artisan villages in Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

5. Hiptipico

The Viva is a handmade unprocessed-leather backpack stitched and finely detailed in Guatemala. The company says its Hand-Crafted Collection showcases the local artisanal leather hand-stitching method and preserves indigenous culture.
Ten percent of online sales go to Hiptipico’s ‘Backpacks that Give Back’ scholarship program, which helps the children of its artisan partners attend an international preparatory school in Guatemala.

The post 5 Great Backpacks That Give Back first appeared on Dornob.

This unique lodging only has one room, so you’ll have to plan well ahead if you hope to stay the night, but if creative architectural design is your thing, you’ll certainly find it here. Yes, Dog Bark Park is a little hard to describe in words, but just imagine the biggest beagle you’ve ever seen and it will slowly start come into focus.

The property actually hosts two much-larger-than-life beagles. “Toby” stands 12 feet tall, and even he doesn’t reach the shoulders of his buddy “Sweet Willy,” who himself boasts a modern four-person accommodation on the inside.

The apartment-style lodging houses a queen bed embellished with 26 carved dogs on the headboard. The head of the dog houses a cozy loft, while the body encapsulates the space’s common areas. Stairs climb up Sweet Willy’s back to provide access to a small outdoor deck, as well as a second-story entrance to the rooms within. A second deck can be accessed off the side of the beagle, towering high off the ground for some very scenic views of the surrounding landscape. Oh, and did we mention that the entire space is decorated in dog decor? From throw pillows to gaming options, dogs truly abound in this bed and breakfast. Even the sweet nightly cookies are shaped like dogs.

Dennis Sullivan and Frances Conklin, the artists who designed and built Dog Bark Park Inn, still own and operate it as a mom-and-pop establishment. They started out with a passion for chainsaw art and got a big break when their designs were sold on QVC. They used the proceeds from those sales to build the bed and breakfast as a sort of nod to historic roadside attractions.

Even guests who are just passing through can visit the inn’s quirky gift shop, which is chalk full of chainsaw art created by Dennis and Frances. In fact, anyone can place an order requesting a chainsaw-carved replica of their favorite dog breed. Dennis and Frances have made the folk art carvings in over 60 breeds already. Each piece is hand-carved and painted, too, so you can easily personalize one and have it shipped to a dear friend or family member.

While the lodging is one of a kind, the breakfast is both familiar and filling. Some homey baked goods are included in each guest’s daily feast, including the Prairie’s Best Fruited Granola (a family specialty). Breakfast also includes a variety of teas, coffees, juices, fresh fruits, boxed cereals, milk, yogurts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, and bagels.

The Dog Bark Park Inn has been talked and written about in innumerable publications because of its unique design and character — which makes sense, because where else is sleeping in the dog house a good thing?

The post Give Your Barking Dogs a Rest at the Roadside Dog Bark Park Inn first appeared on Dornob.

That’s certainly the case in the work of John Ed De Vera, a multidisciplinary designer who uses paper cutting techniques to create three-dimensional lettering, portraits, and scenes. His technique involves layering cut paper shapes over each other to produce shadows that add depth to their overall compositions. While some paper cutting artists might spend hundreds of hours slicing the tiniest details into massive sheets of paper for gallery installations, De Vera’s work shines precisely because his simple shapes come together in such surprising and pleasing ways, breathing life into each subject in a way that almost feels like magic.

Based in the Philippines, De Vera has created portraits of figures like Stan Lee, Daenerys Targaryen, Wonder Woman, Willy Wonka, Beyoncé, Prince, Donald Glover, The Black Panther, Stephen King’s It, and a ton of other beloved characters and pop culture notables. Though each illustration may only consist of a few layers of stacked paper, the subjects’ identities are instantly recognizable — a true testament to the artist’s talent.

De Vera says his love for experimenting with different media first encouraged him to start working with paper. All it takes is a stack of quality sheets in an array of colors, an X-ACTO knife, plenty of backup blades, adhesive, and his own eye for precise proportions to produce these impressive results.

“My philosophy of creativity has so far led to finding new ways to push and innovate my craft, unafraid of learning new things and twisting them in my own creative way,” he adds.

“Each element of these illustrations was drawn on a bond paper, transferred on special paper, and individually cut by hand. The cutouts were then mounted on top of each other, depending on their layout and arrangement, similar to the process of making paper toles [a 3D paper decoupage technique]. The more protruded the elements were, the more shadows they would create, adding dimensionality to the whole image.”

De Vera also produces works on commission for companies, magazines, and other entities that need a little graphic punch for an upcoming editorial or ad campaign. The paper cutting artist has already collaborated with Esquire, The Washington Post, Delta Sky Magazine, Code 3 Athletics, Moleskine and more on fun and unique illustrations that really bring a little something extra to their content output.

Check out John Ed De Vera’s gorgeous portfolio of paper art at his website JohnEd.Co, and keep up with all his latest projects on Instagram.

The post A Cut Above: Layered Paper Art by John Ed De Vera first appeared on Dornob.

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Vincent specializes in all things stringed: mandolin, guitar, yukulele, banjo, lap harps, you name it. He’s mostly self-taught as a craftsman and says he feels a connection with every custom project. Because every musician is unique, he works with customers to build their perfect instruments, deciding on whether it should be acoustic or electric, fretted or unfretted, and determining string and size preferences.
“Each one of these instruments is like a painting with nature exploding out of it,” he says. “The woods I have chosen and the flow of things will determine the final look and sound of the instrument.”
Aromatic cedar, walnut, rosewood, mahogany, cherry, maple and oak are just some of the woods he enjoys working with.

One customer raved about his custom Root 5 (see photo below):
“You play it with the pick and you get into some ancestral, medieval state, in between Irish echoes, dusty Mid-Eastern locations and Indian courts. Once you start playing with the bow, you fluctuate between India and Europe.”

Using reclaimed leftover wood, Vincent ensures that his process is eco-friendly, and also that each piece in genuinely one-of-a-kind.
“I want the buyer to instantly feel this connection to the instrument through the creativity I have put there, so when they play, they feel alive with all the tones of the instrument,” he explains.

Every Ray’s Roots instrument is more than a pretty face, as you’ll learn when you listen to them. But of course there’s no denying their beauty. Luckily, Vincent also makes handsome wall hangers so that you can proudly display your mandolin or banjo and bask in copious compliments.
So, whether you want to delight your ears, your eyes or both, Ray Vincent is definitely your man.

The post Works of Musical Art to Play and Admire first appeared on Dornob.