31 March 2011

Fit for a Tea Party


Here is today's blah:

Pretty plates, a candle stick, salt & pepper shakers.
I found these in my kitchen waiting,
waiting, waiting to be used.

Well I told them, "Today's your lucky day!"
I'm giving them a blah to TADA! transformation.
And super glue was all I needed.

TADA! A gorgeous cake stand if I should
say so myself.

Let's add another layer, using an empty shaker &
a medium-sized plate.
Apply super glue in between & let dry.

Ready for another layer?

Why not?
TADA! A multi-tier dessert stand that
will be your excuse for a tea party!

Whether it's home-baked goodies or
bakery-bought treats, this stand will welcome
each sugar-dusted confection with open arms!

30 March 2011

Sweet Endings


Don't you enjoy it when food is displayed
in a pretty way? I believe that we eat
with our eyes first and what we see
helps tremendously in the whole
dining experience.

That's why I love it when a cake
is served on a cake stand.
It's not done all the time, but
when it is, it makes me smile.

I'm making a few cake stands
this week and just because there's
"cake" in the name, doesn't mean
it can't be used for other things.

Blah: single piece China (made in England & Japan)
that I found on separate trips at the
Salvation Army thrift shop.

Just attach them together with super glue...

TADA! A mini cake stand!

Use this to serve chocolates or biscuits -- the ones
that go well with after dinner coffee or tea.
I promise you, your guests will have
smiles on their faces!


29 March 2011

Cookies for Company


Thank you for coming over today!

This week, I'm neck-deep into making my own

cake stands. I just find these adorable &

extra points if they're home made.

Here's an easy one using glass & ceramic:


You may have a bunch of unused plates, a glass jar

or a votive holder in your cupboards.

Individually, they may lack

personality -- a little bit blah.

But pair them together...


...they become TADA!

With the help of some super glue,

they are now elevated plates that

command attention.


Use them to display cookies & sweets

for your next gathering.

Bon appetit!

28 March 2011

Do It Yourself Cake Stands


Hey, hey, it's Monday!
I hope you're already starting the week
with a spring in your step.

I've seen a lot of these pretty D.I. Y. cake stands
in blogs and magazines:




I found them too irresistible, I had to
make some myself!

So I gathered up several pieces that
could potentially become a cute cake stand.
You'll see the many options all this week on my blog,
starting with this:

I got both the plate & the goblet at
a thrift store for $1.00 each.

Clean them well, then glue together
with some super glue.
Allow to dry for several hours.

TADA! A mini cake stand!

Instead of using it for food, use it for this:

A place to store your favorite accessories.

Here's another version:

The bowl is also from the thrift store and the
candle holder is from Ikea.

Glue together. Let dry.
And TADA! Another container for your baubles:

Super handy if you're a ring collector like me.

Put these on your dresser...they make your little
space look like a boutique. They act as a
fun alternative to this jewelry organizer too.

May you all have a productive week!

25 March 2011

Secret Stash


Happy Friday!
All this week, I found inspirations all over the web
on how to recycle old books.

Today, I'm back at the craft table to give
you my take on turning a forlorn book
from blah to TADA!

Blah: an old hardbound book

Blah: an old box

Step 1: Detach the pages from the hard cover
using a quick slice with a box cutter.

Step 2: Remove any existing tabs from the box with scissors.

Step 3: Save the inside front & back cover of the book --
they're usually blank. Also detach these from the
hard cover with scissors.

Step 4: Use the blank pages from the book to cover
the sides of the box so you hide any print or letters.
Use glue & allow to dry.

Step 5: At this point, attach some lace or ribbon to the box
using hot glue. This will serve as a closing mechanism.

Step 6: Center the box inside the hardbound cover
and attach (top & bottom) with hot glue.

TADA! What was a sad book & an empty box
is now a sensational storage solution!

Fill it with your treasures like jewels
or secret vices like chocolate.

If you stack it with your other books,
no one will ever know where you
hide your secret stash!

Have a fun weekend!

24 March 2011

Wall of Words


Whether you own a lot of books or like perusing
the shelves of used bookshops:

Here's a project that can turn
blah books into a TADA! environment.

Pages from books are turned into wall paper:








These rooms are so dreamy, don't you think?
Enjoy your day!


23 March 2011

Classic Tees


Giving old books a make-over...
that's the mission on my blog this week.

How many of your books are hanging out on a shelf {or worse,
sitting in a lonely box}, waiting for some attention?

Alright, I'm guilty, too.

I saw these awesome t-shirts.
They're sold at The Strand Bookstore:






The Classics as t-shirt designs.
What a great idea!

I'd like to turn my favorite books as a child into t-shirts like these. Or maybe make t-shirts for friends using their all-time favorite book! Maybe print them on iron-on transfer paper and apply them to a blank shirt with a hot iron. I haven't tried, though -- afraid of any intellectual property rights that I might step on.

Now, keeping your beloved tome close to you has a whole new meaning.

22 March 2011

Fashion by the Book


While I was exploring one of Brooklyn's pretty neighborhoods,
I found these on somebody's stoop:


I wasn't quite sure if the owner left these books free for the picking. I browsed but didn't take any because I didn't know if there existed a book-taking etiquette.

Wherever you are, there are books that need new owners, and sometimes, new life. I'll show you how to turn your blah books into TADA! with a few ideas I found on-line.

Check out Academy-award winner Natalie Portman's bag:

image courtesy of the LA Times

It looks like she's carrying a book to
her Black Swan movie premiere.

It's actually a clutch!

image courtesy of Green Charm Press

Here's another title.

image courtesy of The Fashion Police.net

And two more.
All created by French designer,
image courtesy of Kate Spade.com

American designer Kate Spade
has some lovely versions, too.

If you want to turn your old, blah book into
a TADA! clutch, check out See Kate Sew's tutorial.


21 March 2011

Old Books


Happy new week everyone!

I've been going through my bookshelf, putting aside the books that I'll forever keep and books that I'm ready to part with. I'm planning to donate these for others to enjoy. In this exercise, I've been thinking about books in general and how e-readers are slowly replacing books. Sigh. It makes me sad.

Books that are still in good shape need to be shared. Books that are missing some pages, well...that's a blah waiting to be a TADA!

This week, I'll be sharing some ideas on how to reuse books. They aren't my ideas but I assure you that by Friday, I'll do some crafty recycling, okay?

Today's idea came from the brilliant mind of {Oprah's} interior designer Nate Berkus:

image via The Nate Show

TADA! A coffee table made of books & a tray.

image via The Nate Show

TADA! A desk created from two stacks
of books and a piece of glass.

Talk about space saving & versatile.
Genius, right?