DIY- Semi Precious Gemstone & Driftwood Sail Boat Tutorial

Wood before it was bleached.

Inspiration can strike at any time. I was walking on a path near the west side highway in NYC and noticed what appeared to be driftwood. In actuality they were just sticks washed up from the Hudson River - lots of them, almost a mile long to choose from. My first thought was to make a mobile or window hanging with them by using random gemstones I have left over from other projects.

Wood after it was bleached.

As soon as I returned home, with the bundle of specifically picked sticks, I put them in the bath tub to soak them in bleach. This is not only to kill any bugs and germs that may be in the wood but to give them that driftwood look. 

Two pieces nailed together, with screw eyes in place.

Since I had settled on the idea for a mobile that involves using my nephew's matchbox cars, that were not in my home, I had to come up with another plan for my pseudo driftwood that I could get started on immediately. So... what happened next was the gemstone sail boat.

I hammered a long nail through the bottom piece of wood into the vertical piece and secured it with some glue. I suppose I could have been neater with the glue. I then bought small screw eyes from my local hardware store and screwed them in where I wanted the gemstone sails to be tied. The screws went into the wood fairly easily, just by pushing and twisting, no tools needed. 

Gemstones are knotted on string and tied to screw eyes.

Then I tied string to the top screw eyes and started knotting some glass and semi precious gemstones I had sitting around in a small dish, just waiting for a purpose. 

Haley's semi precious wooden gemstone sail boat.

This is how it turned out- meet the semi precious gemstone driftwood sail boat! Need to come up with a better name. I should have a Sheffield School student contest with photo entries of creative ways to use leftover jewelry materials. 

Are you interested in taking a great jewelry design course and learning more about how to make your own jewelry or get started professionally in this creative field? Sheffield School 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.

 

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DIY Wedding Project: Sparkling Glitter Heels

Okay. I'm a guy. And this is definitely not a "guy" kind of post, in any way, shape, or form! But I write all the time about weddings, and when I saw this 100 Layer Cake do-it-yourself project, I thought that all of our wedding and event planning students will want to help their cllients - or themselves - to this easy and fun idea. So not a guy kind of project, but guys will love the results.

With The Great Gatsby hitting theaters, the sparkle and glam of the Roaring 20s is defnitely in vogue, and you can dress up a ho-hum pair of pumps with easy-to-apply glitter. By the way, the product they recommend using is called Mod Podge (click on the link for more information. Watch this short DIY video for a step-by-step look at making your own sparkling glitter shoes.

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for their beautiful photographs, posts, and wedding inspiration. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.

If you're interested in learning more about wedding planning, 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.

Make More Than Jewelry With Your Materials.

Holli Brown Mosaics

Have you ever looked at something in a store and said I can make that. If you are crafty, you see DIY projects as something you are excited about. Sometimes it turns out that it was not as easy as we thought to make. Don't let that burst your bubble. Maybe you didn't find the right project for you. If you are still determined to persevere on with a DIY project with materials you have sitting around, then these projects should get you thinking about what to do next with those beads and chain hanging around in your jewelry supplies. 

Eiffel and Empire

Think about revamping a pair of shoes you never wear anymore by either blinging up the heel with crystals, or gluing on rhinestones, or replacing the center strap with a chain to dress it up. 

Halter tops are great projects to play around with. Changing out the neckline or tank top straps with some chain, or beads, will give it a new and refreshed look. These recycled tops found on ebay inspired me to recycle some of my tired old tanks. 

Best Phone Cases found on Etsy.com

Add some beads to a summer straw hat, like this one by Melissa Odabash. The turquoise stones are great for summer but you can get creative with whatever color beads you like. Best Phone Cases on Etsy has fun gluing all sorts of things to their phone cases. 

Mirror by Georgia Peachez

Every one has materials they have no idea what to do with. Start recycling them and get creative! Make sure you have fun while doing it. This mirror by Georgia Peachez looked like it was fun to make. 

Are you interested in taking a great jewelry design course and learning more about how to make your own jewelry or get started professionally in this creative field? Sheffield School 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.

Event Planning: You're Going to Love This Peachy Kids Birthday Party!

Love the simplicity of this peachy 4th birthday party from Michelle Sterling for her daughter, Avery. Click here to see Avery’s 2nd birthday party. And this is perfect timing as a number of you asked for more “realistic” DIY birthday party ideas, in addition to those planned by moms who are event designers. We couldn’t agree more! This one is adorable and do-able. The best kind.

The inspiration for the entire party started with that fuzzy orange cat, affectionately known as “cat ball” around the Sterling house. These guys have been a favorite of Avery’s since her first steps. One actually makes an appearance in her 2nd birthday photos!

How cute is this idea for a party activity? Cheerios and lifesavers on pretty ribbon, inspired by an idea in this book. Easy enough for small hands of all ages.

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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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