DIY Fun & Functional Weekend Projects

 I wanted to share two of the best ideas I've found on Pinterest... that's right, I finally did it and opened up a Pinterest account and have found that I LOVE IT.  The link is up there ^^ in the title bar near my blog header, I hope you'll give it a look.  I have a few boards, one of which is Wire & Bead Inspiration where I've collected images from some of the most amazing wire artists.  Another fave is my board called Origami Paper Arts which contains not only gorgeous origami art works, but also many free patterns for creating your own origami flowers, birds, butterflies and ... gift boxes!  That's right, every wire artist who intends to sell their pieces is faced with 'how to package' them, without it costing a fortune.  Creating your own gift box from recycled household items and simple papers is a fantastic idea and there are links to many DIY tutorials on that board.  Another great board to visit is called Jewelry Patterns & Tutorials, where I've collected links and images to many outstanding free wire tutorials.  I hope you have time to check them out.

From Pinterest, I tried these two wonderful DIY projects this weekend and had a great time of it.  The wire jewelry tree is quite easy to do and not only looks great, but also makes for a fun place to hang your pretties.  I used Wrap IT craft wire which is very inexpensive and the whole thing took about 40 minutes to complete.

I also made these beautiful pillow gift boxes from a project I found on Pinterest, using toilet paper rolls, origami paper and a bit of glue.  They look wonderful and are quite sturdy!  People are so clever!  Who would have guessed you could create such wonderful things from recycling simple household items!  Tie a bit of raffia around these, add your business card and they're ready to go!

Click the images to enlarge them.
Enjoy the inspiration and have a beautifully creative day!