Make DIY plate cupcake stands from vintage plates and vases from thrift stores or the dollar store. It’s quick and easy to make several of these cheap cupcake plate stands for birthdays, baby showers, and graduation parties. It’s fun to thrift unique china plates, vases and candlesticks to turn into cupcake stands and cake stands. …
Occasion
Back in the summer, Liesel Eastman saw our wedding featured in the Knot Magazine and contacted me to see if I could help with the creative details for her October wedding to Barrett. In addition to creating her online RSVP system and designing the sewn zigzagged programs, table numbers, ring bearer pillow, place cards and …
My friend Heather Crosby and I have creative chemistry. Whenever we get together we build on each other’s ideas until it becomes something totally original. Heather came over for dinner last week toting stacks of Polaroid pictures that she’d snapped that weekend – bright yellow mums, pumpkin patches, rows of individual pies, Indian corn, orange …
Today I popped by my friend Anne’s to drop off gifts for five-year-old son, Gavin, and her newborn son, Graham. I recycled and altered my chalkboard gift tags idea to wrap Gavin’s birthday treat. Supplies: Red and yellow tissue paper Chalkboard cloth fabric (I used scraps from making chalkboard pillows) Tape Scissors Chalk Wrap your …
Anyone who works in the Fulton Market area on a windy day can attest that Chicago’s long standing candy and chocolate history is still thriving. For his sister’s recent Chicago weekend visit Joseph Dombroski planned a sweet creative activity: a self-guided tasting tour of top downtown Chicago chocolate emporiums. Supplies: Free chocolate scorecard template (rate …
UPDATE: Dinosaur and Birdie Chalkboard Pillows are now for sale at UncommonGoods! Great gift for kids. So when I first invented chalkboard pillows I handmade the chalkboards out of plastic, a knife, drill and chalkboard spray paint. Yeah, it took a long time. But now I’ve discovered the joys of chalkboard cloth fabric which has …
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be at Chicago’s Renegade Craft Fair on September 13-14, 2008. “Craft and pass it on” is the new MerrimentDesign.com motto that came to me while I was trying to describe the purpose of the site to my friend Renee. Merriment is all about creating things for special occasions and …
Nothing says my birthday like a warm, sunny August day and the Air and Water Show. Shane created a cute message on my beloved sun-faded antique sign that I bought this spring in Brooklyn. And I took this photo with my new camera. Fun! Today I thought I’d quickly post a couple creative birthday gift …
Download this free printable save the date wedding announcement inspired by The Giving Tree. How sweetly romantic is this save the date wedding announcement for Cristin Witcher and her fiance Adam Siegel’s fall Chicago nuptials? Adam designed the whimsically simple letterpressed save-the-date announcement and matching tree branch mailing labels using The Giving Tree as his …
The first time I saw a sewn appliqué tie onesie bodysuit was about a year ago in an Uncommon Goods catalog. I thought it was really cute and looked super simple to make. Well, my friends Anne and Darren just had a baby boy so I decided to put my money where my mouth is. …
So I had a semi-bad day at work today. What better time than now to try out my super classy silicone ice cube shot glass mold for the first time. Supplies: Ice Cube Shot Glass Mold Water Vodka Club soda Blueberry juice or other fruit juice (Mango is good too) Lemon rimming sugar (optional) Pour …
Growing up in upstate New York, Shane loved his grandmother Myrtle’s rhubarb and berry pies in the summertime. So this year for his birthday I decided to make a pie instead of a cake. I made personalized pot pies for St. Patrick’s Day so I had the idea to break out my mini alphabet and …
More decor for our upcoming Fourth of July – slash – Shane’s birthday BBQ. I took Martha’s Fourth of July parasols and turned them into a neat matching Fourth of July waterproof coasters. Supplies: Fourth of July waterproof coaster template (PDF) lovingly adapted from Martha Stewart’s drink parasol pattern White paper Clear contact paper (get …
Who says there’s no good fresh seafood in Chicago? Stepping inside L Isaacson & Stein Fish Market to buy ingredients for Shane’s Fourth of July birthday BBQ was a revelation. I’ve heard about this place for years. I love seafood. My first Chicago job many moons ago was at Fulton and Jefferson. So I’m a …
Shane’s birthday is the Fourth of July so today I started to make some fun decorations for him. Martha Stewart has a super cute Fourth of July paper napkin ring template on her website. I printed her template, cut out the rings and …well, I had a few issues with her template. So I decided …