DIY Wedding and Event Project: Menu Tags

 

Mimi of Mika 78 created this fun do-it-yourself project that you can use for practically any occasion from weddings and bridal showers to engagement dinners and backyard barbecues.

Materials ($20 total)

Fabric
Simple cotton canvas fabric
Fabric Spray Glue or Xyron Machine
Scissors
Ribbon
Hole Puncher
Optional: Eyelets & Eyelet Puncher
Iron-on Transfer Sheets for LIGHT fabric
Dinner Napkins
Iron
Home printer Let’s Get Started Prep: Create your menu design (there’s an Illustrator and Word template, as well as a JPG of the design I’m using, at the end of this post). Set up your printer to print as a “Mirror Image” (very important, otherwise, it will iron on backwards). Then print your design onto the iron-on transfer using your home printer. Step 1: Cut both pattern and canvas fabric to a little larger than your desired tag size making sure there’s enough room to trim. Step 2: Adhere the 2 pieces of fabric together with fabric spray glue. I like to use a Xyron machine (with Permanent Adhesive). Either way works! Step 3: Iron the fabric to get wrinkles and any extra moisture out. Step 4: While your fabric is cooling off, trim around the menu design that on the iron-on transfer. Step 5: Then place the trimmed design (graphic side down) on the desired side of your fabric. Be sure to leave enough room around the sides and top to trim the shape of your tag later on. Step 6: Iron the graphic for 45-55 seconds with strong pressure. Step 7: Carefully and slowly peel off the graphic starting from one corner. Make sure to do this while it’s still hot – if it cools down, you might end up with bubbles. Step 8: Using scissors, trim around the border. Be sure to leave extra height at the top of the Menu for the ribbon and tag shape. I like to do this by hand because I like the rustic feel, but if you want something more exact, you can make a template and trace the shape onto the fabric.

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Jewelry Inspiration: Wood You, Could You?

 

Klimt02 is a website that provides an international forum for contemporary jewelry in a creative space that offers knowledge, information, debates, and exchanges - all within the artistic realm of jewelry. Based in Barcelona, Spain, Kilmt02 inspires everyone interested in the selection, quality, art, technology, and creation of art jewelry. Sheffield School has kindly been given permission to share works of global designers here on our website. Today's post focuses on a jewelry designer from Greenville, SC, Kate Furman, whose jewelry designs use a prolific amount of wood + talent.

Kate Furman

Kate Furman
Necklace: Splinters 2012
Found wood, brass
32” x 16” x 1”

Kate Furman
Necklace: Splinters 2012
Found wood, brass
32” x 16” x 1”
Detail

Kate Furman
Necklace: Limbs 2012
Found wood, brass
12” x 2 1/2” x 1 1/2”

Kate Furman
Necklace: Hewn 2012
Found wood, brass, steel, sterling silver
15” x 3” x 1 1/2”

Kate Furman
Necklace: Hewn 2012
Found wood, brass, steel, sterling silver
15” x 3” x 1 1/2”
Detail

Kate Furman
Necklace: Reassembled 2012
Found wood, steel, suede, epoxy resin
4 1/2” x 3 “ x 1 1/2”

Statement

Nature is my greatest inspiration. While in the woods surrounded by the astonishing details of a tree trunk’s swollen scar or the intricate furrows of creatures burrowing beneath its bark, my senses are fully engaged. In my work, I translate this admiration and wonder into jewelry, a format as intimate to the body as the moments I pass in untouched, tranquil wilderness. After gathering detritus from the forest floor, I manipulate, alter, and respond to the beauty within branches, bark, and sticks. By tracing and replicating the curves of the human body, my pieces contour and move to it, thereby intertwining and activating each other.  I am interested in calling attention to the intersection between people and the environment through ways the two affect each other. As Sigmund Freud describes in Civilization and Its Discontents, humans repress the environment and their animal instinct in order to control nature and live a civilized life. My process responds to this need without taking full authority over the natural materials. Instead, I direct a harmonious dialogue between them, revealing the ways we affect and intersect each other. The resulting forms show a sense of my influence but retain an inherent rawness; a collaboration and language of mark-making develops between us. - Kate Furman   website: www.katefurman.com mail: furman.kate@gmail.com

If you're interested in learning more about jewelry design, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Being Creative Means You Can Create in Diverse Areas!

Mixtape Necklace © 2013 Ian Vandenberg Design

Our regular readers may have noticed that my posts lately have been a lot about creativity, and that's very exciting to me. Our courses at Sheffield School are all geared to creative professionals, and by that we mean anyone who would like to pursue a hobby or personal interest more seriously or possibly earn extra money through creative pursuits or open up a new business in a creative endeavor.
 

Arbor table © 2013 Ian Vandenberg Design

I recently ran into a young Toronto, Canada designer whose creations run into both jewelry design and furniture design. How exciting is that! Designer Ian Vandenberg wants to create more jewelry and more furniture in the coming year, and it's great that he doesn't feel the need to pigeon-hold his output into just one area. Here's how Ian sees his creative future shaping up.

Over the next few years I would like to continue to develop lasting relationships with retailers who appreciate good design and local manufacturing. 

Ian would like to have his own online store selling directly to consumers. Follow Ian and encourage a fellow creative professional! Right now, look for his work for sale at

•  Etsy and Ideacious

If you're interested in learning more about how to take your creative interests to the next level, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Sculptural Furniture

Diamond Cabinet from Boca do Lobo

Ever yearn for furniture that’s shaped more creatively like your jewelry? Tired of those boxy plain furniture pieces?  If you’re nodding yes, then we have the furniture for you!  As interior designers, we’re always on the lookout for the unique, and this sculptural furniture definitely break out of their box and catches your eye!

Above is Boca do Lobo’s Baroque interpretation of that coveted gemstone, the diamond. Finished in a glossy amethyst varnish, the Diamond cabinet flaunts faceted doors and sides, ending in gold-leafed lion’s head feet.  Below is the Manuel cabinet, gilded in copper leaf and styled in an ombre finish. The Manuel’s cubist surface reflects a city skyline and sits on top of turned mahogany legs. 

Manuel cabinet from Boca do Lobo

Robert Kuo designs very sculptural and organic furniture pieces.  Below, we have his Root dining table and stools, reminiscent of large tree roots and trunks. The base for the pieces is hand hammered and the stools are lacquered in a gold finish. 

 Root Dining table, courtesy of Robert Kuo

Root stools and Tree Trunk Dining Table by Robert KuoAlso by Robert Kuo, these O Table and Bench remind me of gold link necklaces. Beautiful!

O tables, courtesy of Robert Kuo 

Interested in learning more about furniture? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Feng Shui Homework: Do It!

Here in New Jersey where I live, spring has finally arrived. After a very long winter, it’s trying to push itself onto the scene just like the first daffodil of the season trying to blossom straight through all the dead foliage from last year.

In spring, I always think about the I Ching trigram, Thunder. This trigram refers to the East and represents the power of Thunder and the possibilities of New Beginnings. It also relates to our Elders and Ancestors. Therefore, if you’re smart, listen to the advice that any elders in your life are telling you these days. Their wisdom may be very beneficial to you.

This season brings great uprising energy, so this is the time to be active. If you were thinking about it, it's a wonderful time to start renovating your space. Join the gym you were contemplating to join, or just try that new restaurant you've been thinking about trying. The point is, go ahead and do it!

Feng Shui Homework

Here are some Must Do's for this month.

• Sweep-through your whole space. Yes, literally sweep the floors, clean the windows, and open them even for a little while. (Hopefully, it has warmed up also where you live!)
• If there is any personal unfinished paperwork, finish it. Is there a phone call you have to make? Do you have to update an online account? Should I ask if you filed your taxes? And so on.
• Since the Thunder trigram relates to the element of wood, check to see if there are enough plants in your space. If there aren’t, get one or two, or at least keep some fresh flowers around for this month.
• Stripes are a characteristic pattern of the wood element, so think about wearing stripes this time of year.  

All this can help you prepare for any new beginnings that are to come your way and help move any stagnant energy that might be in the space.

In short, for your homework this month, respect your elders ... and make things happen!

Until next month,

Be well, 

Franca

Franca Giuliani is a Feng Shui Student Advisor and Instructor at Sheffield School; visit her website for more information. If you're interested in learning more about feng shui and interior design, then we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
• Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.