DIY Desk Decor

Hello everyone!

It has been months since my last post and that's probably because I hardly had time for myself since school started in January. The semester had been really hectic and emotionally draining and I am just glad that it is finally over.

Since I moved in to my place in 2000, I didn't have a proper study area and I usually do my school work in the dining area. My aunt and my cousin who had stayed with me for the past few years, moved out recently and now my sister and I have our own designated place to study. The study room was a mess until the end of my semester and I am so glad I finally had the time to start organizing and decorating my space.

I did some DIY projects to personalize my space. I'll be sharing with you some of these projects in this post. If you are looking for some organizing tips, you can refer to my blog post here.

1. Noticeboard

For this project, you would need:

• Corkboard (I bought mine for $2 from Daiso. It's about 22cm by 30cm and 6mm in thickness) 
• Fabric of your choice (I got mine from an old pants) 
• Scissors 
• Glue/Tape

1. Cut out the piece of fabric according to the size of your cork board. I gave an allowance of about 2 inches for each side. 
2. Then secure the excess to the back using glue or tape. 
3. Stick it to your wall using a strong wall tape. I used 3M wall tape because it holds up really well and doesn't affect the paint on my wall.

2. Clipbard Dashboard

For this project, you would need:

• Clipboard 
• A4 sized paper of your choice (I chose a metallic black cardstock paper)
• Ribbon tape (or decorative tapes of your choice)
• Scissors

I did not document the process of this project because it is so simple and self-explanatory from the picture above. 

1. Place the A4 sized card stock paper in the middle of the clipboard.
2. Cut out the ribbon tape and use it as a border to secure the paper to the clipboard.

I got my ribbon tapes from Daiso at 4 for $2. I use this clipboard as a dashboard for my post-its. The reason why I did not use any glue for this project is firstly, it would be messy and by using tape I can change the design easily.

3. Mini Whiteboard Display

For this project you would need:

• Photo-frame (I found mine at home but you can get these at IKEA for less an $2)
• Whiteboard (I got mine from Daiso at $2)
• Scissors/Penknife
• Cardstock papers or photographs of your choice 

• Stickers or decals for decoration (optional)

1. Remove the plastic cover from the frame and use that as a guideline to how big your whiteboard should be.
2. Using either a scissors or penknife, cut out the required size from your whiteboard. I used a penknife to be more precise. 
3. Decorate your frame using stickers or any embellishments of your choice. I went simple with a polka dot decal that I purchase from Daiso. 
4. On the other side of the frame, you can choose to display some photographs or insert a cardstock paper like I did.
5. Now, you can write reminders one side and display photographs on the other side. 

4. Wall Display

For this project, you would need

• Printed Pictures (I printed some quotes on a 200gsm A4 sized paper)
• Black Tape

 Then I trimmed the sides and then pasted it on my wall. To make a simple border, just paste black tape along the sides of your printed cut-out. 

5. 

For this project you would need:

• Twine
• Tape (I used fabric tape)
• Pictures
• Paper Clips
• Scissors

1. Cut the twine according to your preferred length.
2. Paste the ends of the twine on your wall with your wash tape.
3. Now, just clip your favorite photographs or motivational quotes on the twine.

All these projects were very simple to make and you can probably find these materials at your home. Get creative and start decorating your workspace to make it more interesting!

∞

2015 Wall Calendar/Organizer

Hello everyone!

Firstly, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year! The year started really great and I went to Bali for a week before school reopened (which explains the delayed post). This holiday I had been busy with a few projects and I finally decided to start something small. When I made my personal planner last year, I received a lot of good feedback. Since I did not make a new one for myself this year, I decided to make a wall calendar for my family to write our family plans. 

And I present to you 2015 Paint Splattered Themed Wall Calendar!

Last year when I did my own planner, people asked if I was selling them. But unfortunately, I wasn't confident enough to sell them. When I started on this project, I was super happy with the turn out and I have decided to put the printable up on sale. It is a handmade item and I designed them on Photoshop.

I printed them in 200gsm paper using my laser printer. Although the photo is edited due to the bad lighting, it looks pretty much the same after printing them out. However, colors may vary depending on your printer so you may want to get it printed at a local printing store.

I am putting this up for just $5 SGD. If you have any questions regarding printing mode, leave a comment below!

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/217801231/2015-wall-calendarorganizer? 

For Singaporean readers, if you guys are interested, you could email me via a contact form available on my sidebar or via instagram! You can make payment via bank transfer as well!

If you want me to print them out, additional charges would apply. Prices would vary depending on the type of paper, double-sided and postage. It also comes with a personalized cover page!

So for example, if you would like to get your calendar printed using 200gsm paper and have it double-sided it would cost $9.90 ($5 + $3.50 + $1.40 = $4.90).

As this is my first time doing this, I hope you could show me your support! If you do like this post, share it with your friends who would be interested. 

Thank you and have a great year ahead!

∞

DIY Watercolor Cards

Hello everyone!

It's the season of giving and almost everyone I know are getting gifts for their loved ones whether they celebrate Christmas or not. During gift giving it's always nice to slip in a note to thank the person or just give him/her your well-wishes. What better way to thank them than to make your very own thank you or greeting card? 

This project is super fun and easy to make and it doesn't take too much of your time. You can probably find all the materials at your home.

You would need some:

1. Thick White paper  (I used a 200gm paper and cut them into 74mm by 104mm) 
2. Paint of your choice
3. Paintbrushes
4. White crayon or candles

Let's get started!

Firstly, using your crayon or candle, write or design your personal greeting on the card. You can get even make it season by drawing some Christmas trees or reindeers. 

Next, just get creative! Mix your paint with water and start painting. I cannot exactly remember the water to paint ratio as different colors required different amounts of water so you might want to test it out on a used paper before trying it out on your actual card. You need to mix it with water so that when you paint over the design, it can be seen and doesn't get covered by your paint. 

I got my sister to join in the fun as it was super simple to make. We decided to make a few cards as I just went on a craft haul and I wanted to test the colors of my paint. 

This project can be done with your family members, friends and even children. Please use a newspaper as you do not want to get paint all over your floor (I learnt it the hard way). Above are several ideas in case you're looking for inspiration! To achieve different strokes, you can try them with different brushes or even sponges.

These are great not only for holiday season but any time of the year. Also, you can save some money on greeting cards. It is always nice to receive a card and it makes it extra special when it is handmade.

Merry Christmas!

∞