Faux Bois DIY

As a follow up to the Faux Bois tutorial, I thought this little project that I found on Pinterest from Censational Girl would be fun to try. There are endless paper and painting projects that you can do with the faux bios technique (cards, trays, etc) but I thought this would be fun because it resembles the newest craze in faux bois: birch.
This cost me just over $9...I purchased my glass vase at the $ store and everything else at Lowes.
I was pretty free with the silicone, it looked gloppy, but no worries. Then 24 hours later, I followed with etching spray, and then finally, about 20 min after that was dry I sprayed with the primer. I needed two coats of primer when it was all said and done.
Click this link for Complete directions for faux bois vase project!



This is what the silicone phase looks like.
 If you can find a silicone with a finer tip, you'll be happier!

Almost dry!

I LOVE how mine turned out.  Im thinking of trying to perfect this and get the bark lines finer and I may try to do glass Christmas ornaments next week!

Pining for Faux Bois

"Faux Bois" is a classic design pattern. It is French for "false wood". Various uses of the pattern and furniture technique (see below) trace back 200-300 years to craftsmen in France and Italy.  The pattern emulates wood grain, the knottier (not naughtier) the better. In the 70's there was a lot of burnt orange, avacado and rust faux bois to go around.  I credit Martha Stewart for the re-birth. Maybe she had a favorite faux bois pot holder from 1973 that served as inspiration, but she started incorporating it regularly into her crafts, decor and yes...desserts where any good French baker can say he creates faux bois when baking a Bouche de Noel or Yule Log.   Since about 2006 the pattern and the faux bois style in furniture has become a quiet presence in design. What was once quaint, rustic or woodsy is now appearing in more often a fresh,  Scandinavian influenced color pallet.  Martha's been a big faux bois pusher, year after year using the pattern in everything from note cards to rugs. Big designers took notice and it's been mainstreamed.  Etsy has been on the band wagon, too.  And with the new BIRCH FAUX BOIS look poping up everywhere (have you seen Anthropologie's Woodland themed Christmas Windows and store decorations? GORGEOUS!) this pattern is proving to have staying power.  It has been building steam and is ready for a huge resurgence again, waiting patiently for its friend CHEVRON  to move along. So whether you like it or not, I think this season you'll be seeing it quite a bit at both ends of the price point spectrum, from high end designers to TARGET! If you chose to love it, use it sparingly.....once in a room, as an accent. For example if a room has a faux bois lamp, then that's it. Don't go for the faux bois rug, planter and throw pillow.  And if you like but can't see this quirky pattern in your home, they have note cards for that. What do you think of faux bois? Love it or lose it?
Come back tomorrow for a faux bios DIY just in time for the holidays.
XXXOOO.

Funky Faux Bois pattern:

Faux Bois furniture style:


High Price Point:


Ross Sveback $126



custom fabric, $42 per yard





Low Price Point:

 



Target "Woodgrain" Platter $9.99



West Elm Faux Bois Burnout Curtains

FREEBIE FRIDAY: Amy Butler Design

www.amybutlerdesigns.com
 

What better way to kick off Commona-my house's first FREEBIE FRIDAY than with another Amy's designs! Amy Butler has been a favorite of mine since her first fabric collection came out several years ago. She pretty much owns (literally probably through copyright) the design term "MIDWEST MODERN". Her style is bright, fresh, fun. Many of her patterns remind me of funky 70s wrap around skirts my mom used to sport back in the day with her Pappagallo Espadrilles. But Butler adds a contemporary twist to her designs, using bold color choices. She sells everything from her core fabrics to a slew of products made with said fabric. Here comes the freebie, or I should say FREEBIEEEEES! She has quite a spectrum of FREE Patterns on her studio site...everything from quilt and duvet patterns to pillows to simple crafts and accessories. That I guess you wouldn't have to use her fabric to make, although after looking at a few of these quilts, I would LOVE to make one if I ever develop the patience to quilt. Check out her studio and tell me what your favorite pattern is!

Happy Free Friday to YOU!
XXXOOO!

FREE Amy Butler Studio Quilting, Sewing & Craft Patterns

Thursdays = Roundup

Each Thursday I will pull together some ideas that I've seen on-line and Pinterest that week.  You never know what your're going to get, but I'll keep it fabulous! I try to link to the original website when possible.  Over time, I'm sure that you'll start to see some of the blogs and sites that I love visiting. I'd love to hear about and check out some of your favorites, too!
XXXOOO!

Do you decorate for Thanksgiving or jump right to Christmas?



www.jessicaburns.com

 

Are you a Traditionalist? Do you decorate for Thanksgiving or jump straight to Christmas? Poor Thanksgiving....it can't compete in between the commercialism of  Halloween and Christmas. 
To me, November means Thanksgiving. I don't break out the Christmas bells from Tupperware storage until I'm making leftover turkey sandwiches from Thanksgiving dinner. I totally get the whole, "I love Christmas and I want to get the most out of all the work and thrill there is involved in Christmas lights, trees, garland and glitter".  But there is I guess then something nostalgic, dare I sat retro, in being a Thanksgiving decor embracer. And I guess, now as a mom of four, I'd like to cram as much thankfulness and gratitude down my kids throats before they start asking for things come Black Friday. Call me old fashioned!





www.designsponge.com

When I was into kids crafts, feathers and pilgrims and the Mayflower showed up on my table. I'm not so much in that stage anymore....my typical Thanksgiving decor consists of natural items (things I find outside) and left over pumpkins from Halloween. I don't go over the top...it's a humble holiday, after all.

That's what I think? How about you? What do you do for Thanksgiving decorations or traditions?

Here is a little web round up to show how you can keep it simple.

-Thanksgiving used to be all about putting down your "NICE" table cloth, but not necessarily anymore.  Put brown craft paper down on your table. Or find a couple of yards of fabric you love, (burlap is having a moment), don't bother sewing- cut and fold edges to form a table runner.   No matter what your style, it's easy.

-"GIVE THANKS"- To make the pear display at the top of this post, you'll need 10 pears. (Make it 12 in case you have an "OOPS"). Take a sharpie marker and make each letter on the pear. Then place cloves in each pear for every cooresponding letter.

 

www.midwestliving.com



www.countryliving.com

-If you're not into going over the top, go to the grocery store for your decor!  Pick up a bag of cranberries, pears, pomagranates, apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, anything will do.  Then use what you have around your house: many of these ideas can be spun with a clear glass vase (keeping things streamlined and simple, glass jars, vases, or yes, maybe even Grandma's special compote.  You can have a lovely display, with minimal effort and come out looking chic .

-If you're minimalist, don't be turned off by the vintage vibe in the pic below...I think I'm going to steal this mantle idea this year.

I love this very New England look put together with found objects, pumpkins and quick embelishments.

www.bhg.com

The look below has a lot going on. And it works.  But there are several great elements within this busy table scape.  Personally, I would choose a few of these at a time.  I love the fresh color pallette of green and aqua with pops of yellow and orange. Some other items to take away from this:

1. The table runner either in an unexpected pattern or burlap, which is having a moment (fold under a piece of fabric, no need to sew...I've been folding for years. No one ever looks and you can use the fabric again without committing to just a table runner). 

2.The flowers are in simple jars which are wrapped in twine for further texture and to tie (no pun intended) in the burlap natural sub-theme she has going on.

3. If you look closely, you will notice that each green pillar candle is sitting on top of a cut slice of log. I love this and think that you could run with this idea for Thanksgiving and Christmas use.

4.Natural elements again in center branch arrangement. I believe that she also has a few peacock feathers in there. For a more traditional look, pheasant feathers would be pretty and if you're not going with the quirky turquoise color theme, I'd scratch the peacock feathers and save 'um for another day.

5.  I kind of love her cork board, which is obvs not a Thanksgiving decoration, but she has family pics and can you see the "gather" squares tacked to the board.  Simple burlap (did I say that if you haven't noticed it's EVERYWHERE and has been IT for a while now).
6. She's using her "Good" china.  If you have some, use it. If you aren't going to use it on Thanksgiving, when are you? She's displaying her platters and other serving pieces on the table before they are covered with dinner and I like that.
7. The napkin ring/holders are cute. This is a great place to get the kids involved in what is not typically a fun holiday unless you throw in a few kid friendly things.   





www.thehandmadehome.com

What do you think?

Is there something(s) that you love to do to give Thanksgiving it's own flair?

I'd love to know!

XXXOOO.



Displaying old family pictures

I think everyone has them, either in an old box or album...those old family pictures. I've saved some of ours, scanned them in and have them digitally. But I still have some original prints.  I don't leave them out all of the time but haul them out especially during the holidays. It's fun to bring them out as a reminder of special family members. You could, of course, have them out anywhere in your home at any time of year.  And all of these would be fun projects to do with your kids over Thanksgiving Break, just saying.

 

This idea works with every style...whether you are traditional, vintage, modern/contemporary, industrial,  etc. 

Think outside the box. It's a good way to break up the monotonous frame, after frame, after frame displays we've all dusted around before at some time in our lives. 

 

Glass

Wide mouth jars, like these mason jars, make for a non-permanent option.  Use what you have if you don't have special mason jars. Why not recycle a jelly jar?

www.apartmenttherapy.com

The vintage bottles used below are pretty much a permanent decision. But gorgeous. And you're recycling.  I like to call it "upcycling" :)



www.apartmenttherapy.com

 

The streamlined "I'm not into vintage", contemporary version can work anywhere.



www.countryliving.com

and then some...

Hanging

This lovely wreath can be made from cardboard if you don't want to spring for a wreath base. Photo copy the originals before cutting and tacking in place with scrap dots.



www.countryliving.com

Family Tree.  Again, copy originals, use desired size circle punch(s), whole punch, thread, and voila! Tie to branches or tree.

www.countryliving.com

 

I love these ideas because it forces you to think of things you may already have around your house in new ways.

Have fun. Create.

XXXOOO.

My inspiration

My Grammy was one of a kind. I know every girl can probably say that about their Grandmother but I have stories to prove it. I don't think there ever was another gal like my Gram.
Growing up, in my 9 year old eyes, she was my small town's own Shirley McLain.  I was convinced that if she had ever met Frank Sinatra she would have been a member of the Rat Pack and a frenemy of Elizabeth Taylor.
She trailed a cloud of Elizabeth Arden "RED DOOR"perfume along with her on her adventures and misadventures alike. Pink Chanel Lipstick on her long brown Moore cigarettes, and her Louis Vuitton bag are flashbacks to my childhood with her. She had an opinion and MOST of the time it made me laugh...it made her laugh, too and she had one of those contagious laugh-so-hard-it-makes- you-cry laughs.  So many things that she said are un-fit to print or even say out loud.  But I remember.

She gave great advice, even if she didn't always take it herself.

"Honey, if you have to ask how much something is, you can't afford it"....said to me while on my first excursion to Saks Fifth Avenue. And we had no business shopping there and went home empty handed except for a few tiny perfume samples.

"Sweety, the sooner you learn that it hurts to be beautiful, the better off you'll end up".  She used this line whenever I complained about plucking eyebrows, big hair containment issues, finding the perfect shoes in a too small for me size, etc. (I get my big feet from her, too, btw).  This beauty advice taken from a lady who throughout her life, until her last years, used Preparation H to rid under-eye bags. (Please don't consider this an endorsement).

 "Hey kid, don't drop that vase". I remember her shouting, whilst I was washing a $2000 Rose
Medallion Vase at the Auction Gallery she and my father owned.  At that time, I didn't know what
Rose Medallion was (if you don't, just wait, I'll teach you) but over the course of two decades, she
would teach me quite a bit about antiques, style, design, decor, and why a woman should always
stand up straight; you know...the important things. Audrey Hepburn sort of things, like knowing
which type of little black dress looks best on a pear shape and yes, why UNICEF is important, too. These things I learned at a young age.
 She had a lead foot and I was scared when I was a kid to sit in the way way back of her wood

panelled station wagon that would CAREEN down the hills and tree lined curves of our tiny CT town. After the first few minutes I realized it was fun to get tossed around.

She loved her 4 grand kids, called us her "sweet baboos", her "dears", her "honeys" and sometimes, often actually, called us "stupid"...as in "hey stupid". 
She loved us in her "trying to make a better life for us" way and made Christmas a big deal. I sort of don't know how in the world she did it.  My Gram had it tough though, and that's what made her so determined. She was scrappy. 
She had a real sense of fashion and style and somehow managed to pull it off...she had what she called, "champagne taste on a beer pocketbook".   She wasn't afraid to jump right in, with both feet, sometimes without looking. 

She and my father and my collective, eclectic life experiences have taught me, as I've said, quite a
bit about antiques, style, design, decor, travel, home and why a woman should always stand up
straight and hold your head high; you know...the basics.

So with my Gram as part of my inspiration, here I go.  Jump in the back of my station wagon, I'd like to think that we're in for a fun ride. My goal is to be your tutor to find your own inspiration to enrich your home and the lives of those who occupy it...a home is more than just a place to live. We've moved 13 times in 15 years of marriage, due to my husbands profession.  And I have made each house a HOME. I have found joy in the creative process and I wish the same for you!
Commona-my house and stay for a while.

 XXXOOO.