#I can get lots of cardboard from work so I could make stencils if I want
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My brother got me fabric paint markers for my birthday this month... now I gotta get some plain shirts, and then I will finally wear my own art... I'm excited ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
#I want to make a world trigger shirt so badly!!!!#and other stuff!!#I can get lots of cardboard from work so I could make stencils if I want#this random person's ramblings#the only thing I worry about is the ink fading in the wash#I researched a little and it looks like I just need to set the ink into the fabric first with an iron? and then cold wash?#and make sure that I used a lot of ink? and that's all apparently? ╮(^▽^)╭#I'll find out!! I can't wait#Oh and also if I don't have an iron I could throw it in the dryer instead so that's good#Besides world trigger I also wanna make flower shirts#I love flowers so much but for some reason I don't own any flower related clothing
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Teenage Dirtbag II
Mapi Leon x Ingrid Engen x Teen!Reader
Summary: It goes well until it doesn't
It's an honour, Mapi thinks, to watch you work.
She knows that she's talented with a pencil but that doesn't hold a candle to the way that you can create such detail on a wall with just some spray paint. You wield the cans expertly as you finish off the shading of the Barca crest on Ingrid's shirt and take a step back to survey your work.
It's picture-perfect and Mapi is stumped at how it's taken your family this long to recognise your talents.
"Alright," Ingrid says," Come on, picture time."
You groan but allow your sister to shepherd you in front of the mural to take a picture. She snaps several, inspecting each of them before finally nodding, satisfied.
She's been doing it for every stage of the process, to document it. She took pictures when you had drawn up your stencils, when you did your base layer and when you did your details.
It's a little annoying but you know you'll be glad later on when you have the pictures to post on your Instagram.
Mapi helps you cover the mural with cardboard so only the very bottom is shown. You grab your blue and red can and stab them with the scissors you've brought with you.
"You might need to back up," You say to your sister and her girlfriend," This will explode in a sec."
The cans are letting out a high-pitched squeaking sound and you usher Ingrid and Mapi back a few steps. You've blocked off the rest of your mural so only the bottom will be splattered with blaugrana colours.
"How do they work?" Mapi wonders aloud.
"Well," You reply, not turning your eyes away from the squealing of your cans," Liquid paint is mixed with a pressurised gas that remains liquid at room temperature. The ones at home that I use have di-methyl ether but I think these have a mix of propane and butane." You shrug. "So I think that means the solvent in them is acetone."
You look over at the shocked look on Mapi's face just as the cans finally explode.
"What?"
"You're incredibly smart," Is what she says in answer and you kind of shrug as you go to collect the cans and take down the cardboard.
"Okay." Ingrid claps her hands together. "Another picture. Go on."
"Ingrid," You groan," Do I have to?"
"Yes," She laughs," Go on. I'm waiting."
You begrudgingly stand in front of it but can't keep the smile off your face.
Mapi notices a change in you the following days. You've relaxed considerably in the house now. You try harder at your schoolwork, pulling your grades up to heights that Mapi could never even dream of. You're more social than ever - though you never go anywhere without your sketchbook.
The team seem pretty entranced by you as well, demanding to meet the artist that Ingrid and Mapi found to do all the murals. You've been making bank from them, drawing portraits and making paintings.
You seem happier now, less hostile than before and Mapi can get the tiniest of glimpses into how you and Ingrid used to interact just by the way you hang out now.
Ingrid's arm easily rests upon your shoulders and Norwegian is a lot more common in the house now. You happily stick to her side and proudly show her your grades when they get released.
There's no indication that you're holding something in until Mapi comes home to frosty indifference between you and your sister.
You're stewing at the kitchen table, scrawling some kind of angry swirls in your sketchpad that you're still managing to make look artistic while Ingrid is muttering angrily under her breath as she talks on the phone.
You keep throwing glares over at her before scratching your pencil across your page again.
"Hey," Mapi says," What's going on?"
You scoff. "I don't know. Why don't you ask golden child, Ingrid? Perfect, perfect Ingrid." Your tone is vicious and mean and Ingrid looks over at you to glare. You sneer back at her before standing up and going to your room, slamming the door shut behind you.
"What's up with her?"
Ingrid sighs, saying goodbye to whoever's on the phone. "I don't know," She says," I just came in and we had an argument."
"About what? She's done her homework, right?"
"Mum and Dad," Ingrid replies," She thinks they're showing favouritism again."
Mapi holds her tongue. She knows that Ingrid thinks the world of your parents and it's clear you're fairly disillusioned with them. Mapi knows that there are definitely hints of favouritism from when she's seen all of you interact with each other but she's not too sure if it's her place to speak up about it.
"I mean," Ingrid scoffs," They're talking about bringing her home now that her grades are going open. I think my brother said that they're willing to let her keep art as a hobby. They'll pay for all the supplies she wants so long as she gets a good degree."
Mapi sighs and darts her eyes away. "Ingrid..." She says finally.
"What? Mapi? What is it?"
"Nothing..."
"No, tell me."
"I don't think she would be happy going home," Mapi says eventually," I know you love your parents but...You have to admit they have high expectations-"
"Because they love us."
"Yes, I know but..." Mapi's eyes linger on your closed door. "Have you ever thought that she might not want to leave?" She bites at her lip, wary if she should say what she's going to say next. "Maybe the distance from your parents is what she needs. You have to admit, Ingrid, your parents aren't the nicest about her passions. You saw her when she was doing that mural. You know that this is what she wants to do with her life."
Ingrid looks at your door too. "I know," She says," But Mum and Dad really want her to come home. They think maybe law school."
"And what do you think? Do you think she would enjoy being in law school? Do you?"
"No." Ingrid can't stop staring at the closed door. "But...What about her friends? Maybe if she goes back to Norway, she can see them again."
"No offense, but your sister is the biggest lone wolf I've ever met. She's happy here, with us. She's more supported than she's ever been before. You need to put your foot down. She stays with us."
Ingrid sighs, looking at her phone screen. Your parents are calling again and she angrily swipes to reject the call.
She knocks on your door.
"Hey, can I come in?" She asks," I think we need to have a little chat."
There's no answer.
"Come on," She says," It's not a bad talk. We can get sushi after."
There's still no answer.
"I'm coming in," Ingrid warns," So if you're shirtless or something, cover up."
She pushes the door open, expecting to find you at your desk with your chunky headphones on but she finds nothing of the sight. The room is completely empty and Ingrid shoves her head out of your open window to spy the drainpipe that you've clearly climbed down.
"You already talk? That was quick," Mapi says as Ingrid comes back into the living room," Are we getting sushi already? 'Cause I would kill for some sushi right about now."
"Get the keys," Ingrid says," She's left out the window."
"Down the drainpipe?" Mapi asks," Damn, I only taught her how to do that for emergencies."
Ingrid sighs deeply, massaging her head with her hand. She'd deal with the clear bad influence Mapi has on you later as she whips out her phone to track your location.
You've made good progress from the time that you stormed into your room to now, making it pretty far across the city to the more rundown side of town that Ingrid knows for a fact has boarded up buildings from when businesses had to close during covid.
Mapi drives them down to some kind of packing warehouse that looks like had been broken into long before you came to stay. It's completely filthy and Ingrid just hopes that there are no squatters to contend with.
She finds you pretty quickly on the second floor. You've curled yourself into the corner on the floor, with tears streaming down your face.
Opposite you, is another mural.
It's a heartbreaking sight.
Yet again, your work is picture-perfect and, somehow, that makes it even worse.
In the background is a little girl. She's got her hands pressed up against a window, peering in. The foreground is dominated by a family. Most of their faces are made up of angry black and red swirls. Only one other person has a face.
It's clear who it is and Ingrid sits down next to you.
You don't say anything to her. You just move to lean against her. You press your head into her neck and sob.
"You're not going anywhere," She says," You're staying right here with me and Mapi."
#woso x reader#ingrid engen x reader#ingrid engen#mapi leon x reader#mapi leon#woso community#woso fanfics#woso imagine#woso
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New traditions
A/N: this is a fic that came out of the fact that I've never been to a pumpkin patch (even though ive scoured the Internet and polled people on best pumpkin patches to visit) but I did recently bought some pumpkins at the grocery store. I was thinking about what if Y/N was use to go to a pumpkin patch and had to adjust to buying them at the grocery store where the size options are limited. How would her brothers handle that. And thus this was born!
"why can't we go to a pumpkin patch?" Whined Y/N.
Sighing, Jay replied, "because between me working, Will doing overtime shifts, and you in school, there is just no time. Now do you want the $2 tiny pumpkin pie pumpkin or do you want the $5.75 giant jack-o'-lantern pumpkin?"
You thought about it, even went so far as picking the tiny one up and then attempting to pick the giant one up before sighing, "the pumpkin patch would have had all types of sized pumpkins, not just 2 sizes"
Getting irritated but knowing it was your first October post your dad dying, Jay tried to not hold your hang up over a tradition against you.
"Tell you what, if you pick one I'll make sure instead of getting a half gallon of apple cider we'll splurge and get a whole gallon and we can force Will into watching Hocus Pocus with us."
You begrudgingly agreed and grabbed the tiny pumpkin from the cardboard box.
That night, Will got home from work and immediately went to change. When he left to shower, Jay looked at you and stated, "look I know it's not ideal that we couldn't go to a pumpkin patch and I'm so sorry for that. But my friends from work were kind enough to send over some sweet treats and pumpkin patch essentials so that while we carve pumpkins and watch Hocus Pocus we can create a new tradition."
You looked up excited to know what was brought!
Jay handed you the bags full of goodies and you began unloading them on the living room table.
"Candy corn!" You exclaimed!
Pulling another item out of the bag you squealed, "Jay! We got candy apples!"
Looking from his spot on the couch, Jay replied "I see that. I think that was from Hailey."
You set the candy apples aside and pulled out a carving set, looking at Jay you pondered, "who got this?"
Taking the set from you Jay thought to himself before stating, "if I tell you, you gotta keep it a secret, ok?"
"Ok!" You nodded.
"Sergeant Platt. She heard you were having a hard time with the fact you couldn't go to the pumpkin patch and she decided to throw in this carving set that is complete with stencils"
You gasped, "just like at the pumpkin patch!"
"Just like at the pumpkin patch" agreed Jay.
When Will got back from his shower, you guys popped popcorn, threw the candy corn into the bowl, heated up some cider in the microwave, turned on the movie and began carving your pumpkins.
"Jay, think fast!" Exclaimed Will and before Jay had anytime to react a chunk of pumpkin guts complete with seeds flew at his face.
"Dude, gross" exclaimed Jay while grabbing paper towel to wipe his face.
All you could do was just laugh. "Will, is that why Jay makes you pull the guts out of the pumpkins? Cause he thinks the insides are gross?"
Laughing, Will replied, "that and because Y/n/n, our brother is a certified germ-a-phobe."
Jay just grabbed some popcorn and instead of eating it threw it in Will's general direction.
That's how the rest of the night went, your brothers teasing each other, you enjoying carving pumpkins and watching spooky movies and just overall enjoying your time with your brothers.
That night when Jay put you to bed, he was about to shut your door when you popped your head up and said, "Jay Jay, I'm really sorry about how I acted at the store today."
Jay turned to look at you, "I'm glad you can see the way you were acting wasn't good. But I'm also sorry for hearing you but not listening to you"
You smiled and stated "that's okay, I had a lot of fun tonight anyway and think it was better than the pumpkin patch!"
"Good night Y/N"
#jay halstead#will halstead#jay halstead imagine#will halstead imagine#halstead!sister#halstead sister#the halstead brothers#halstead brothers imagine
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Hey if you want to get into diy, mainly sewing, or just want some tips you should totally read this awesome post 👽
sooo I see a lot of people on the internet who don’t really know where to start when it comes to stuff like this and im bored and want to yap so im making this post instead of doing my math homework!
DISCLAIMER: I am not saying that you absolutely have to follow these word for word, and I am not a master at diying/sewing/whatever else and there’s probably more efficient ways out there, so if there’s anything here that’s wrong or i should change, please lmk!
materials:
needle(s)+thread - for sewing (by hand!) usually these are dirt cheap at any craft store or the dollar store, or you can ask your friends/family for any they can give you. if you’re gonna buy some, any polyester thread will do. for needles, i recommend sharps because they’re great if your just starting out and for general use as well.
fabric - i started out on whatever fabric i had, google recommends cotton but if you don’t have that, it’s fine. to obtain said fabric, you can sacrifice some old clothes or ask around for unwanted clothes from people you know. thrift stores are also great, you can pick out a random shirt and cut it up
measuring tape - for measuring of course, great if you’re making clothes or tailoring them
seam ripper - change my life forever! way way easier than using scissors, saves a lot of time
fabric scissors - to cut fabric
fabric pencil - to mark your fabric for where you wanna cut/sew/anything else
box cutter - cutting boxes/cardboard, i also use these for paper to make stencils for patches. this is great for a lot of projects but scissors work just fine too!
YOU DONT ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THESE (except a needle and thread, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to sew) you can use whatever you have, these are just items that might make your life a little easier.
you don’t have to break bank on all the fancy stuff, whatever you can obtain works
how do i learn?:
the internet is your best friend, youtube tutorials help a bunch when you’re learning, as well as for learning how to do certain projects
maybe someone in your life likes to diy, you could ask them to teach you a couple things! my mom taught me how to sew, embroider, and crochet, learning from other people really helps!
and of course, practice! you don’t have to practice for hours everyday, just whenever you have time or whenever you feel motivated is fine! obviously you’re not going to be perfect immediately, I struggled a lot when I started but eventually you will get the hang of it. patience is key, don’t give up!
some basic stuff to learn: back stitch, running stitch, ladder stitch, blanket stitch
these are all some very common stitches that you will probably use at least once, they’re also pretty easy so i recommend starting with these
and that’s all I have as of right now! like I said, if there’s anything at all I should change/add/remove, let me know! i hope some people find this helpful, and have fun!
#diy tips#sewing#sewing tips#idk what to tag#hopefully people will see this and i wont look stupid#diy#sewing project#sewing things#tips for sewing#hand sewing#embriodery#yeah idk
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This is going to sound REALLY stupid, but…
Do you think that mold- a LOT of mold- can make a house more…. Haunted?
I am aware of toxic mold poisoning and it’s psychological effects- don’t worry, I don’t have it. I used a 3 micron particle respirator 8233, N100. I was completely covered, took a shower immediately after painting.
A little context: I was in my basement which flooded a while back. There is black mold, and I painted mold killing paint over it. (Yes, I know it won’t keep it down forever. I can’t replace the walls right now, they’re like cardboard anyway)
I have a medical grade UV light, two HEPA filters, and an industrial style fan blowing the mold OUT of the house down there.
Luckily, the n100 mask made it so I couldn’t smell anything at all, which was awesome. I had glasses, the works, basically. As safe as it could get.
I live in my childhood home alone now. The basement has not been painted since it was renovated in 2001, I was very little. When I started to paint, things were okay for a bit.
When I entered the bathroom, the air purifier turned off, there was a drawer that almost fell, and my paint roller wouldn’t work or kept falling apart when it was working just fine seconds before covering the really bad mold. The mold ghost was mad 😭 I’m kidding, but seriously.
It could be because there’s residual energy, and something doesn’t want it covered up. When my oldest sister was 12, she and her friend “decorated” that bathroom with lots of stencils.
The nostalgia of it isn’t worth the hazards of black mold. Everyone has been a little weirded out with that bathroom now that I think of it, and we never used it because I think the plumbing was messed up.
Every. Time. I went to paint the bad part of the mold, something happened to prevent me from doing it. I got so tired for some reason and practically collapsed when I came up the stairs. Maybe I didn’t have enough oxygen to support the energy it takes to paint walls, maybe it’s haunted, who the hell knows. Thoughts?
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Go to your local charity/thrift/op shop! Even if you live in bumfuck nowhere, I promise you'll be surprised at what you can find. I have two favourite jackets that I'm often complimented on, and I got both of them from a little store ten minutes down the road. $15AUD for a proper leather biker jacket! One on them has a Bauhaus backpatch that I made by cutting up a 13 year old shirt, the other has a Milhaus backpatch that I knocked up myself on Paint. A lot of sp00py bands have fairly straightforward logos, too. Look them up on google images, convert the picture to black and white, and bam! You've got your own stencils. Print 'em off and go to town with a scalpel/stanley knife/cutter. If you fuck it up the first time, so what? Have another go. Hell, buy a plain black t-shirt from the op-shop and use it as dedicated patch material. I promise you don't need some inherent artistic skills, just go slow and enjoy it. And don't feel bad for doing the Cross and Cross-Bones Christian Death logo, it's a good start for when you're learning! In Australia, we also have stores we call 'two dollar shops'. This isn't to be taken as literally as Poundland for example (in so much as the items don't actually all cost two dollars, but I digress). These shops almost always have one fancy dress/costume aisle that has fishnets in every colour you can imagine. Grab some in your favourite colour, hack them with scissors, and safety-pin it to your sleeves. I'm pretty sure Killstar sells a piece that is literally just a t-shirt with two slashes through it, held together with safety pins. You could pay $40+ for that shirt, or grab a second-hand one and a packet of safety pins for about $7. Get some white-out or acrylic paint and get creative with spider webs and bats. You can bulk buy hundreds of studs from sites like ebay, and if you're working with leather, you can pick up an awl from your local hardware store for a few bucks. You don't to cough up for a stud press. Also, one of the best aspects is that it's your clothes. If you love Parálisis Permanente as well as Pusheen, go for it. Stick that little kitty somewhere! When I wanted some summer-appropriate shoes, I bought a cheap pair of sandals from K-Mart and a packet of toy spiders (alongside the studs I had left over from buying in bulk). I brought them home, got out the glue gun, and now I have cool, spikey, spidery sandals. I could've bought something similar from Dangerfield for about $70, but what's the point? They would've been the same basic quality as the sandals, and I can reattach anything that might fall off without the horrendous guilt that comes from knowing you paid good money for a poor-quality product. Wanna look like a horned demon/ess? All you need is a generic headband, a couple of toilet rolls/cardboard tubes, duct tape, acrylic paint, and hot glue - significantly cheaper than a $35 premade headband. Grab some black roses from a craft shop, if you're feeling fancy. I also strongly believe in donation karma. Is that The Cure shirt getting a bit too snug around the shoulders? Donate it. I promise the next time you come back to the store, you'll find something gorgeous exactly in your size. OP also acknowledged disability in regards to DIY. If you have a mate that finds it difficult to work with their hands, make them some patches! In the same vein, I have a friend who cannot move her lower body but is incredibly crafty and nimble with her hands. She's done some commission cross-stich for me in the past. Consider your options and support your local scene!
Actually I'll never forgive Punk Rave and Killstar and fast fashion brands for tricking people into thinking that being goth or punk or emo is expensive. Babygirl the only goth brand names you need to know are Rit, Good Will, Etsy, and Studs and Spikes, we used to shove safety pins through our ears and then they started selling earrings that look like safety pins for 15.99. We used to dye thrifted wedding dresses black and they started selling gothic gowns for 300 bucks. We used to put studs on boots we found in the back of the good will and they started making Demonias. DIY or die wasn't perfect it can be exclusionary to disabled people but whatever the fuck we've got going on right now is so much worse. It's not any more inclusive to the disabled and it is exclusionary to the people who made punk, to the people who made goth, to the people who made emo. If you've got the funds and you don't want to do diy pay someone else to do it for you but please let it be a small artist or a friend not some guy in a suit who's made it his business to gentrify punk. You can turn flats into platforms with flipflops, hotglue and gumption don't let anyone tell you different.
#diy#goth#gothgoth#do people still use that tag?#i've been here since the deathrockets days#punk#emo#fashion
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Experiment / Iteration
i made a mock-up in photoshop just to get a visual gauge on positioning, scale, colour
i knew i wanted to add an image i just wasn't sure what so i stuck to the lines of my previous work Untitled Bear to see how things could look if i were to add it
i then decided that if i just had balloons spray-painted on by stencil would go well. (with no additional imagery but the balloons.
trialling the stencil on cardboard to see the outcome of using this particular stencil
i knew the stencil might be an issue, particularly the bottom end of the paper.
the cuts were to skinny which led to the paper flying around whilst spraying
i also knew that over spray would be somewhat of an issue, particularly when i applied it as the stencil was not glued down to the canvas, it was just hovering leaving open gaps for paint to travel through
i wasn't to happy with the strings of the balloon being so skinny and also that they held no weight colour wise
i also knew that i had to outline the balloons, because if i left them untouched there wasn't enough separation between the balloons for them to be distinguishable, alongside this i realised that the balloons had to have some form of shape to them and not be this plastered on image hence the added detail lines
i do feel like i minimised overspray through the use of taping down the sides of the stencil as well as adding paper to cover the background from the overspray
i actually like this work and the process it took to create
there was a lot of trial and error with the stencils, especially to figure out if i should use negative or positive space, alignment
i chose to stick with just a bunch of balloons and no other imagery for the sole purpose of sticking to the theme of the text
i felt that the text provided or alluded to this space in which one is free and floating high above not bound or held down by anything
i don't know, to me it's sort of like this visual symbolism of escaping or being free, like this balloon is pulling you out of the 'normal'
i mean the text says " in space lookin for better " and " intrusive thoughts they paralyze" so i felt that the balloon would be the best or most appropriate symbol i guess, to push across this notion of being free or unbound by all the problems, issues etc.
i was going to add hands just around the strings of the balloons but i opted not to as i felt that the hands would be to clear or rather to simple if that makes sense
i like that the effect of having no hands alludes to this open interpretation, you know like theres no specific being holding on to them.
i don't know, its sort of freeing i guess, you can see the close compacted nature of the text that kind of gives of this claustrophobic feel however is juxtaposed by this balloon
reminds me of Charlie brown
also i am i guess furthering my knowledge in the applications of spray-paint
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I love to read anything with vulnerable billy! 🥺
Kitschy, Campy, and Kooky: Pillowcases from Beyond the Veil.
Day Four: Sunglasses
--
Part One: Rockwell
His mother got into patterning and draping only hours, it seemed, before she disappeared from his life. Her slim, pale fingers cutting and measuring fabric. Sewing strips together and leaving room for true craftsmanship, hands shaking even as the bruises on her arms were laid to rest.
Billy’s mother started out easy, with fleece blankets and cushion covers that complimented the wallpaper in their living room; mustard yellow and fern green and burnt orange. Colors that brought fall raining down from the heavens on even the hottest days of summer.
Autumn was their favorite. Autumn meant snuggling up to watch I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Bewitched, Billy’s eyes drooping closed as his mother read the Archie comics to him under blankets that had little pumpkins and candy corns on them.
Autumn was magical.
Autumn was firewood and hot chocolate and bat shaped fairy lights above the hole in the wall. Halloween. That was always Billy’s favorite.
His mother started sewing pillow cases after Neil caught him sucking his thumb the first time.
It was Autumn. Just before Halloween, or maybe right after. The sky was thick with rain and fog and they were happy.
Happy things never lived long, in their house, for it had to be cultivated. Watered and fertilized. No, their happiness was locked away in a dark room, only to be brought out and held when the house was empty.
They didn’t have enough money in the bank that year to buy a new pillow case, after Billy’s shield was torn to pieces, but they had fabric. Shelves and dressers full of the stuff, spilling out from between the tinges of pain in his cheek.
Neil slammed through the front door and Billy’s mother tried to fix what had been broken.
She got on her knees and straightened his Addams Family pajamas. Took his hands and tried to get him to look her in the eye. “Pick out whatever you want,” She said. His mother’s voice sounded like running water, like swelling rivers. “I have every color. What kind of print do you want, Billy?”
But Billy couldn’t move.
His feet had grown roots, travelling through the hardwood floor and down into the basement. Past his mother’s cutting table and beyond her sewing machine, into the depths of the Earth.
Billy felt himself sinking. Felt himself be buried alive, as his mother rubbed the backs of his hands and tried to bring their happiness back out into the light.
--
The pillowcase was purple. Just close enough to pink that Billy knew his father would tear it to shreds if he ever saw it himself, but the shade was also mysterious. Blue, like the raging seas during a hurricane. Dark and spooky and smooth like silk against his skin, but also happy, too.
Autumn themed.
Halloween themed, with little bats wearing sunglasses.
“So you can had a slice of your two favorite times of the year, all at once. Summer and Fall, too.” His mother said. She gave Billy the chance to enjoy his gift by hiding the case in plain sight, as the flip side to a slate gray monstrosity that reminded Billy of Neil. Of the eyes, that were always watching.
Billy loved his pillowcase.
Through November and into Yule. Past frozen rivers and into spring, when his mother’s sewing machine disappeared.
--
Part Two: Bates
The pillowcase was a puzzle Steve knew he was never going to solve.
The fabric was worn thin. Torn and fraying along the seams and sporting a rip down one side, the result of hundreds and thousands of nights in bed with a boy who slept with a pillow cradled against his chest.
Steve wondered if the hideous thing knew how much it was loved.
If it had counted the times Billy had lugged it around the house and on road trips, bearing witness to the battles Steve had lost in trying to suggest they have it replaced with something that didn’t have to be pieced together so it would seem whole.
He hated those bats, too, with their smug little faces. Watching from behind designer sunglasses as Steve tried to pry them loose so he could be closer to Billy. So he could take their place.
Steve would never take their place, it seemed.
He didn’t know why, didn’t understand why, until he came home one afternoon to find Billy on the floor.
Crying, on the floor, or. Dry heaving.
The tears had long since dried, gifting tacky, salt-slug lines down his cheeks as Steve’s husband gripped a long, bat covered piece of fabric in both hands.
“It ripped.” Billy's voice was hollow. Empty. “It tore in half. I didn’t think it would do that, I through maybe I could stitch it back together every time it fell apart, I thought I would be able to keep her with me for a little while longer, I--”
“--Bills--”
“I wasn’t ready for this.” Billy said wildly, clutching the fabric to his tear stained cheek. “I’m not ready for this.”
“It was an old pillowcase, sweetheart, you had to know it was going to happen sooner or later.”
“She’s gone.”
Steve frowned, crouching on the floor in front of him. “Who’s gone, baby?”
Billy’s mouth worked for a long time around words that ended up on the cutting room floor. He trembled, barely letting Steve get an arm around him, as the truth came tumbling out.
“My mama.” He said quietly. “My mama gave it to me.”
“She did.”
“Yeah, she made it for me. Before she left, she said.” Billy chuckled, thick and wet. “She told me it would keep me safe.”
Steve rubbed a hand down Billy’s arm, nodding against a flood of realization. “Yeah, well. She could’ve kept you safe, Bills. She could’ve done that, instead of leaving you with that fucking monster--”
“Can you just.” Billy tangled a piece of purple fabric around one hand. “Can you hold me?”
Steve sat on the ground next to him, and. Tried to understand it.
--
Coaxing Billy to sleep and failing, day after day, was what made him sign up for the class.
Steve had been hoping the rec center would provide sewing machines. That he wouldn’t have to call Joyce and ask five hundred questions about shit he couldn’t possibly understand. Like presser foots and cutting tables and rounded stencils, and--
“Why don’t you come by the house?” She said. “I could teach you for free.”
“You’d do that?”
“Sure.” Joyce sounded like she was smiling. “I’m free on Thursdays.”
Part Three: Curdle
Autumn was Billy’s favorite time of year for a lot of reasons.
The pumpkins, maybe. Most of all. Boozy apple cider with granny smith juice and far too much cinnamon that made their limbs loose and heavy. Cuddling up on the couch to watch Hocus Pocus and Thriller. Trying to learn the dance moves, and. Crying from laughter when they couldn’t learn the dance moves.
And Steve.
Steve Harrington in warm, mustard colored sweaters and beanies pulled far too low over his eyebrows to ward off the chill when he came home from work, trailing the smell of haze-covered trees and maple sugar donuts after him.
He was holding a box, that afternoon.
An orange and black cardboard thing with a bow on top. “Open it.” Steve said, with that glint in his eye.
That glint did a lot of things to Billy. “How come?”
“Because I made you something.”
Billy’s eyebrows shot toward the sky. “You made something? Like a craft?”
Steve shrugged, wind-chilled cheeks turning pink and bright. “Maybe so.” He said softly. And then, “Open in.” Because they weren’t getting any younger.
Billy tore the wrapping paper carefully.
He liked to save it, folded neatly in the holiday section of their basement. Liked to rifle through the discarded coverings when he wanted to find the perfect pattern for--
“It took months to find the fabric.” Steve muttered. “They discontinued it sometime in the late 70s, but Joyce knew someone in town who used to stockpile the shit, so.”
“Steve--”
“It cost an arm and a leg but I wanted to make it up to you.” Steve took Billy’s face in his hands, thumbs brushing soft over the tears that had appeared there. “I wanted to show that you’re safe now, Billy. With me. That even though you don’t need a piece of fabric to protect you, anymore, it’s still nice to have. Even though it’s not the one your mom made.”
The bats smiled up at him, and it was perfect.
Purple. Just close enough to the pink of Steve’s cheeks that Billy knew it was better than the one that had come before because of what it meant. Dark and twinkling like a sky full of stars. Soft and spooky and smooth like silk against his skin, but also happy, too.
So happy.
#harringrove#billy hargrove#steve harringrove#halloween#cw: neil hargrove#cherry lane challenge#day four: sunglasses
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the truth about snaktooth
Gramble finally tells his partners what befell him and everybody else on the island.
“Whatcha doin’, Gram?”
The screen door clatters as it shuts behind Boots. It’s a nice summer night, one of the rare ones they got with little humidity, so Gramble had left the main door open, the sound of katydids and crickets drifting through from the outdoors. He looks up from the hand towel in his paws, shoulders hunched guiltily.
There’s a large cardboard box sitting on the floor, full of bits of kitchen décor. Ceramic plates with fruit stenciled on them, prints of vintage ads for bread and desserts, towels with produce embroidered on them. All the kitschy things Boots knew he liked decorating his spaces with, and Gramble spent more time in the kitchen than either her or Piesha, with how much he enjoyed cooking.
“Oh, evenin’ Boots,” he greets her, expression softening into a smile. “You remember we talked about Lizbert and Egg visitin?”
“Yeah…?” She pads over, frowning a little at the bare spots on the walls and shelves. Boots was acquainted with the two from attending expedition reunions with Gramble, and while she made it no mystery that she disliked Lizbert’s invasive style of exploration, it was all in the past. Liz had retired from that life after the whole Snaktooth stunt to become a museum curator. “What’s the matter, they allergic to tackiness?”
Gramble laughs at her affectionate teasing. “No, well… Actually, funny you should say that. Egg’s fine, but Liz has got… I guess you could say she’s got kind of a hang-up over food imagery. And while she’s doin’ well these days, might just make her a lil’ more comfortable to not feel so surrounded, y’know?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get you.” Boots nods, reaching up to take the clock off the wall. It’s a piece of painted wood in the shape of a strawberry. Nollie had made it in an art class. “Place is a little dusty, anyway.”
Together he and Boots work to mostly strip the place of any food-related decoration, leaving only a couple little accents up so the place didn’t seem too bare. Gramble sighs at the empty walls, leaning into Boots’ touch as she places a paw on his shoulder.
She and Pie had always been so understanding when he told them he couldn’t talk about what had happened on the island, but he hated to keep his loved ones in the dark. Not simply for the fact that there might still be danger lurking out there, but that he knew he could trust them, and yet, just telling them what had happened was almost as terrifying as the thought of being back there. The idea that just speaking of it would somehow make it manifest, bring it back into his life when he’d worked so hard to escape it, haunted him, but so did keeping it bottled up inside.
“…I need to tell you both what really happened,” he says quietly. “It’s been long enough. Just, after Liz and Egg are gone. Then we’ll talk about it.”
Boots blinks down at him in surprise. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
--
The visit went well. This was the first time Lizbert and Eggabell had seen the new house and the refurbished barn, the first they’d met Cardi and Dember, and Nollie had only been a year old when they’d last come around. They’d caught up, shared stories, enjoyed Gramble’s cooking and chatted about where their lives were going and where they’d been.
After they’d waved goodbye, gotten in Eggabell’s car and driven off to see Wambus and Triffany, after the dishes had been cleared and cleaned and the kids were all in bed, Gramble sat Boots and Piesha down on the porch swing in the back while he took the rocking chair.
“I need to tell you,” he says, fidgeting with his paws where they rested on his chest. “about what happened on Snaktooth.”
“Alright.” Pie nods slowly, leaning into Boots’ cushy side. Boots gives him an encouraging smile, rocking the swing back and forth slightly with her heel.
Gramble swallows, licking his lips. “So… Not all of what I told you was a cover-up. We did run outta food and I did almost starve to death. But… Geez, I dunno where to even start.”
“Why’d you go in the first place?” Boots asks.
“Oh, that I didn’t lie about either. My mama really did up and leave while I was at college. I went cuz… Cuz I guess I felt like I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I saw Liz on TV say she was gatherin’ people up for her team and I just… I wanted somewhere to go that wasn’t home.”
She nods solemnly, gesturing for him to go on.
“Well, Snaktooth… Liz said she found somethin’ there. These creatures she was documenting. D’you… Have either of you ever heard of bugsnax?” Gramble nearly whispers the last word, even though it’s just the three of them out here, just the three of them and the crickets and fireflies, the kids sound asleep.
Piesha tilts her head, thoughtful. “Mm… Maybe a long time ago,” Pie says. “One of those things they got lots of fairy tales about. Critters made of food, right?”
“Right.” Gramble nods. “But they’re real. And please- I know how it sounds,” he stammers, even though neither of them looked skeptical. “But I swear. I saw them, I picked them up and held them, I had a whole barn full of them that Liz and Buddy caught for me. I had names for them, and… and everybody said they were the most delicious things they’d ever eaten. B-but there’s a reason for that. Sorry, lemme go back a bit and explain.
“When we got there, we thought we’d be able to farm. That was Wambus’s thing, but no matter what he tried, the crops would wither, or the bugsnax would get in and destroy them. The only thing he could grow was the sauce that grew on the island, and that wasn’t anywhere near enough to live on. Pretty soon we ran outta food, but that wasn’t a problem for most folks. They’d just eat the bugsnax.”
“And I’m guessin’ you didn’t?” Boots asks.
He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t want to. I already didn’t eat meat, and the snax were always so cute and friendly and I couldn’t bear the thought of hurtin’ them. So I just… didn’t. I tried to live off the sauce, and I ate dandelions and weeds, I ate damn near anything that was edible, but it was never enough.”
“That’s awful, Gram.” Boots says, her brows knitted. “Why didn’t you leave?”
“Well, I… I thought about it,” Gramble wraps his arms around himself. “Even though I didn’t have nowhere to return to, I figured it might be better than starving. But it wasn’t too long after that Lizbert up and disappeared. Her and Egg, there was an earthquake and after that they never came back to town. Some folks thought they died, others thought they ran off, but without her nobody was bringin’ in bugsnax to eat and they started to eat mine, so I ran off with the rest of ‘em and that made everybody mad and I really did start to think there was nobody who cared about me but the snax and Wiggle, and… and even she was eatin’ them too, but I let her cuz I didn’t have nobody else... I was so afraid she’d leave me too that I put up with it.”
He pauses, taking a deep breath. “So, um… I guess a couple weeks after that, Buddy finally showed up. We’d been on the island almost a year at that point. They wanted to interview Liz, figure out what happened, and they managed to get all of us back into town within a week or two. I was really doin’ poorly though.” His claws absently scratch at his belly over the scar that the rake had left, concealed beneath his fur but never fully faded. “Didn’t care much whether I lived or died. Nothin’ I tried worked, and one of the big snax I asked Buddy for nearly killed me. And then…”
Boots holds Pie’s paw between both of hers, stroking it, both of them patiently waiting for him to gather his racing thoughts. It had been so long since he’d even thought about all this, and much of the events were a haze of hunger and pain, he was amazed he could keep the basic timeline coherent.
“Then, one night… When we were all back in town, Filbo decided he wanted to throw a party. That was when everything… That’s when it all fell apart. There was an active volcano on the island, and it erupted. Eggabell suddenly showed up back in town and told us she knew where Liz was, and she and Buddy and Filbo ran off to get her while the rest of us tried to get to safety. B-but… You remember what I said before, about the bugsnax?” He lifts his gaze to the two of them.
Pie nods at him. “Yeah. They taste good, right?”
“They also…” Gramble holds his paws out, curling his fingers into fists. “They change you. Whenever you eat one, your body parts become it. I know it sounds silly, but everybody was walkin’ around with arms and legs made of strawberries and corn and cinnamon rolls and you kinda just… got used to it. I only ever ate one when I was sleepwalkin’, and I don’t even remember what it was like, but everybody else except Shelda ate ‘em all the time. You get used to it and then you start believin’ that they’re the only thing that can make you feel good anymore. Sorta like drugs, but sorta like… Wiggle used to say they inspired her, and Chandlo thought he could get stronger with them, it was whatever you wanted. I guess even I was fallin’ for it, thinkin’ they could replace my family, and I never even had to eat ‘em.
“But that’s the trick. You get dependent, but you don’t realize that… That they’re parasites. And I’m kinda fuzzy on the details, but according to Buddy, Liz was somehow stuck down in the main… meat of the hive,” Gramble brings his paws together, looking down at his intertwined fingers. “And that’s where she’d been all along, down in the darkness with all those food bugs crawlin’ all over her and into her mouth and… that’s why she’s got such a thing about food.”
“Ah…” He can’t blame Boots for looking a little numb, covering her mouth with her paw as Pie stares blankly at him. It was a lot to take in. “Yeah, I guess that’d do it.”
Gramble goes on. “They attacked us not long after Buddy and the others left, tryin’ to force themselves into our mouths, or kill us, either or. I guess they knew the jig was up, then and there. No comin’ back from that. But we all got away, in the end… And that’s what happened.”
He falls silent. The porch swing creaks slightly as Boots lets it come to a stop, letting the singing of the insects fill the air between them for a long moment.
“S’this place still out there…?” Piesha speaks up softly, glancing out into the darkness as if the snax might be watching from the trees.
“Far as I know,” Gramble says, slipping off the chair to walk over and take one of their paws in each of his. “But you gotta promise me you will never, ever go there.” His expression is grim as he peers up at them. “And you’ll never breathe a word to any of the kids about it, or to anybody else. Nobody should ever step foot on that awful place again.”
“Gram,” Boots squeezes his paw in return, then leans over to scoop him up and pull him into her lap, the swing groaning in complaint as yet another grumpus is piled upon it. “…there’s gotta be somethin’ we can do-”
“No.” Gramble shakes his head, desperation creeping into his voice. “I- I don’t know. Maybe there is somethin’ that someone out there can do, but it can’t be any of us. I don’t want nothin’ to do with it ever again and if word gets out, it’s just gonna be more people goin’ there and that’s exactly what it wants. Please,” he tilts his head up at her, the porch light glimmering in his eyes. “Just leave it alone. It can’t get us here and I want it to stay that way. Promise me.”
When she hesitates, he repeats himself, teeth glinting as his lips peel back. “Promise me, please-”
“I promise.” Boots leans down to kiss him on the nose, wrapping her arm around him as the other draws Pie in closer. “I won’t tell nobody if that’s what you want.”
“That’s all that I want,” he murmurs into her fluffy chest, suddenly very tired despite the mental weight that had lifted. He’d spoken Snaktooth’s name aloud, finally uncorked what he’d kept bottled up for nearly two decades now. He should feel better-prepared, now that they were all on the same page, so why did he still feel like he was only summoning the beast? Perhaps he just needed to sleep, let this new information digest, and they’d face whatever came tomorrow together.
Hundreds of miles away, the island remembers them too.
#bugsnax#gramble gigglefunny#boots timberheart#piesha honeyclaw#fics#i wrote this a while ago and completely forgot to post it
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Not quite a Tuesday...
But now that we can safely move birds again, I am WELL over cap and have several available to new homes!
Ellie 1/10/21 January Update Lahore/Modena x VSC/Frillback/OGO Dirty Ash Red bar hen Sired by Sissy out of Valentine 9/3/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 7/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Loft bird $40
Ellie will receive her Paratyphoid Booster tomorrow.
Though she may bond with a new person in a new home, she is currently more interested in other birds than people out in the loft.
She can be a butt to other hens, though that seems to have mellowed.
And she has a history of keeping a favorite mate who is allowed to connect the cloacal kiss during treading, and maintaining one to three sugar daddies on the side, who she will flirt with to get them to feed her, but flatten her tail on the ground when they treat her so that the cloacal kiss can’t connect.
Gus 1/11/21 January Update Lahore-Modena x Giant Homer Dirty Bronze Blue t-pattern check Sired by Dudley out of Agnes 9/5/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 7/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella (to be updated tomorrow) Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired $30
Gus is a nearly two pound chicken of a pigeon that flies like a bowling ball.
He may allow himself to be preened on very rare occasion, only if he’s explicitly asked “Gus, can I preen you?” with one finger extended, but not touching him. If he reaches out to preen the finger tip, his handler may preen his cheek. Turning his head away means no.
He happily takes safflower seeds and likes to vibe on a knee, thigh, or shoulder.
He is not to be bred under any circumstances, due to a genetic tendency for painful flight feather cysts that I would rather not pass on to a new generation.
I would prefer him to be a house pet, as he likes people and will be happier indoors with a person he can chill with than out in a loft.
Cody 1/12/21 January Update COF-Racing Homer x Frillback-Giant Homer Pied Almond Brown T-pattern cock het for Grizzle, toy stencil and frill stencil Sired by Betty out of Hagrid 11/3/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 7/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella (to be updated tomorrow) Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Loft Bird $40
Cody used to be very human friendly, but after having to be treated for worms in December, he is no longer comfortable with hands.
He is an excellent father with five clutches to his name.
Tight setter, devoted pumper, not usually distressed by egg or peep checks.
He would be an excellent addition to a breeding project.
Dodger 1/18/21 January Update Feral Dirty Sooty Smoky Blue Check hen Aprox DOB: 4/3/20 Found with Alex 4/28/20 Surrendered 4/29/20 Paratyphoid booster administered 1/19/21 PMV booster administered 6/5/20 Retired $30
Dodger is an extremely skittish bird, retired due to neurological complications from calcium deficiency.
When stressed, her legs stop working and she colapses.
She recovers in minutes, if removed from the stressful situation.
Though she may well make a full recovery eventually, it would be best for her health not to allow her to breed.
Alex 1/19/21 January Update Feral Dirty Blue Bar cock Aprox DOB: 4/11/20 Found with Dodger 4/28/20 Surrendered 4/29/20 Paratyphoid booster administered 1/19/20 PMV booster administered 5/16/20 Retired $30
Alex is a lot more bold than Dodger, but, being feral, is not quite brave enough to sit on a knee or shoulder for more than a few seconds.
He started showing the same neurological complications as Dodger this week, so it will also be in his best interest not to be bred.
Indica 1/24/21 January Updates Lucerne-STRH x Lahore-Modena-VSC-FB-OGO Sooty Ash Red Bar cock Sired by Vynni out of Ellie 4/19/20 Bred by The Ramsey Loft PMV booster administered 6/21/20 Paratyphoid booster administered 1/19/21 Companion $50
Indica extremely human social, often wanting to get into what ever I am doing, when not flirting with his husband or harassing his flockmates.
I’d prefer he be adopted with his husband, if possible, but if not, he would be happy as a house pet.
Indica is Bi, and may pair up with a hen in a new loft, but he would need flock mates bigger than him who could stand up to his aggressive bullying and not be walked all over.
He has attempted to drive a few hens, but hasn't tried to tread any yet, so whether or not he is likely to pair with a hen is uncertain.
Pookie 12/24/20 6 Months Old Feral x ODC-STRH Ash Red Bar Cock Sired by Pippin out of Cookie 6/24/20 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Paratyphoid boosters administered 1/19/21 PMV boosters administered 9/9/20 Loft Bird $40
Pookie has no interest in people, just Indica and general mayhem.
I would prefer he and Indica be adopted together, but if they can’t be, Pookie is also Bi.
Other than Indica, Pookie has flirt with and tread several hens, so he is very likely to pair up with some one in a new loft.
Frito 1/13/21 4 Months Old COF-RH-FB-GH x COF-RH Almond pied Ash Red check cock Sired by Cody out of Rigby 9/13/20 Bred by The Ramsey Loft PMV and Paratyphoid boosters administered 11/15/20 Loft Bird $40
Frito is the most independent bird presently in the Loft.
He washed from Therapy training around six weeks of age due to vehement dislike of harness work.
He is uninterested in me entirely, and doesn’t interact with other pigeons very often either.
He has recently claimed a nest box which he is able to defend, but has made no attempt to practice wooing a mate yet.
He will be happiest as a loft bird.
For more information about the birds, our breeding project, or to make an appointment to visit the loft, you can email [email protected] or call/text 706-993-7452.
Though we prefer local pick up, shipping is available with in the continental US.
Shipping boxes are $10
I will need your zip code to calculate postage.
Shipping boxes are designed around the physiology of the birds. They are sturdy corrugated cardboard, which is surprisingly well insulated! There are air holes all down the sides, but only across the top in front: taking advantage of the fact that hot air rises. As hot air leaves the top holes, cool air is drawn in the lower ones. Air holes are covered by a filter, which provides a few benefits: Keeping the bird and its mess contained, moderate protection from outside contaminants, and most importantly, darkness.
Pigeons are diurnal. Deprived of light, they basically shut off and fall asleep. If they could see and were active, more than 24 hours with out water would leave them dangerously dehydrated. But while they sleep, their digestion is drastically slowed, allowing them to conserve water and calories for days longer than they could while active.
I line the boxes with two layers of paper towels and send seeds with them, but there is no safe or legal way to send water, which is why keeping them in the dark for the trip is so important.
Live birds travel by ground, to protect them in case of hazardous materials ending up in the same scheduled shipment. If that happens, the live animal is simply delayed until the next scheduled truck or sent along a different rout.
Some times this results in delays. It is not uncommon for a bird to arrive a day or so later than projected, but pigeons travel very well and I have never had one arrive in poor condition.
When the bird gets home, show them where water and food are, and only let them explore once they've had a drink.
They will be more interested in drinking than eating for the first few days, and you will see it in their very wet poo. Once they re-balance, you will see their poo firming back up again. It usually takes them about a week to balance back out.
Yes, I am aware of the delays to postal service and the losses of reptiles and hatchery chicks.
Livestock does not go through the sorting machines. They are moved by hand.
Reptiles are not usually shipped in boxes that look different from regular mail, so they can be easily lost by overwhelmed staff.
Hatchery chicks are shipped out before they have a first meal because it’s cheaper to replace them if they die than feed them for a week.
The crates made for pigeons and other legal poultry are designed around bird physiology and air thermodynamics, keeping the birds cool and asleep most of the trip. They are not shaped like the average box used for shipping inanimate objects, and they stand out like a sore thumb, making them harder to misplace or lose track of. Healthy Pigeons over 6 weeks old who start the journey well hydrated are comfortably travel safe up to 7 days.
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Fabric Flowers
This drabble is dedicated to @chatonne-rousse to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY month! I hope you have had a wonderful November full of the greatest things!
___
“How do people use this stuff?” Adrien hissed as hot glue adhered to his skin and he dropped the hair barrette he’d been attempting to cover with fabric flowers. “Maybe I should transform so I don’t keep burning myself.”
“Your claws might prick the fabric.” Marinette tried not to smile as she moved the hot glue gun to the side and took his hand in hers. “Are you okay?”
He stuck out his bottom lip. “I think I might be really hurt. We might have to remove the finger and everything. It’s that severe.”
“Awww.” She carefully pulled away the warm glue and pressed a soft kiss to the pad of his reddened index finger and winked at him. “Feeling better?”
“I might need more than that to be really better.”
“Somehow I think you’re going to make it.” She kissed his finger once more and then sat back and picked up the flower she was sewing before his accident. “You just have to be a little more careful. Use that silicone thimble thing.”
“It doesn’t fit right,” he sighed dramatically. “This might just be too hard for me.”
“I will say that you do make it look a lot harder than it should be,” Marinette teased. “That takes a certain kind of talent. I can finish these up on my own anyway. I appreciate you trying to help though.”
“I guess I’ll just have to sit here and watch my beautiful girlfriend work. What a pity.” Adrien beamed at her before scooting his chair even closer so he could hook his chin over her shoulder. “How’d you learn how to make these?”
“Me and my mom used to make them all the time when I was younger. I just use better fabric now for the ones I sell online.” She finished the flower and set it aside. “Do you want to learn?”
“I don’t know. You saw how good I was with the glue gun.”
Marinette laughed. “I have faith in you, Kitty.” She patted his knee to signal that she needed to move her chair and they both scooted away from the desk. “This is really easy, I promise.” She grabbed a couple of fabric squares and a worn cardboard flower cutout. “Okay, you do the cutting and I’ll do the sewing.”
“Teamwork,” he nodded with a wide grin. “We’re good at that, my Lady.”
“That we are, Chaton. Just use the stencil to cut out as many flowers as you can in the fabric.”
Adrien sang softly as they worked and Marinette carefully sewed each layer of fabric as he handed them to her. She glanced to the side to see him concentrating hard on cutting along the cardboard, even his melodious words trailing away into just a hum. She smiled to herself and went to work on forming a flower from the fabric she pieced together. She checked to find the glue gun still hot and she used it to add black rhinestones to the red petals while sprinkling in green ones on the black.
“I think this is the last one I can get out of the square,” Adrien finally announced, looking up from his work. He caught Marinette attaching thin metal wiring to the finished flower. “Hey, those are our colors.”
“I know.” She turned in her chair so she could face him. She reached up to brush his hair back but Adrien pressed his cheek into her palm with a happy hum. She giggled and continued her mission, tucking the blonde strands behind his ear as best she could. She then bent the metal wire and hooked it behind his ear so the black and red flower looked as if it was sprouting from his hairline.
“Do I look pretty?” Adrien beamed at her.
“Always,” she smiled.
Buy me a cherry coke?
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Hellbent, Mushi’s Katana sword build. Build Log Five.
This log entry starts out with the failure of the snowflake stamps. I tried two of them, the largest and the smallest. The largest one is shown here. My paint stock of white was limited to a very small amount of Rustoleum Gloss White in a spray can, so I sprayed some onto a disposable plastic plate and tried the stamp. It went horribly wrong. Not only were the edges sloppy, but when I lifted the stamp off of the blade the paint got stringy and the strings of white paint fell all over the blade.
I should have known better, in fact I do know better than to try something new directly on the project . . . instead of trying it on something disposable first. SMH over my own arrogance here, I thought it would work with the first attempt. Trying to clean off the white just made matters worse, so I ended up sanding down the entire blade so I could start over. My problem was that I was impatient and wanted to see more progress immediately, instead of waiting for my order of airbrushing paints to arrive. The up side is that the airbrush paint colors will look so much better than the spray can colors and this was after all . . . a learning experience.
After this fiasco I spent some time researching stencils. It was possible to order some custom made, single use stencils that would do what I want. . . but I have more time than money right now so I decided to attempt making stencils using the 3D printer stuff I have on hand. The main problem is the stencil would be multi-part, so how to hold all of the parts accurately in place? The answer was arches. What I did was to put arches in place connecting the smaller independent parts to the main body of the stencil . . . and it worked.
When the 3D printer makes a part, there is a lot of trimming and cleaning up to do before the part is usable. This stencil for the smallest snowflake was a square .060 inches thick. I had to make the snowflake slightly larger than my original in order to get the center shape to print properly. The openings are tiny and every one of them needed to be trimmed of plastic flash with an Exacto blade. Once that was done, I cut out an opening in a sheet of thin cardboard and used blue painters tape to seal the edges. Time for the trials.
The first picture of the black snowflakes shows attempt (1) on the right side and attempt (2) on the left side. The 2nd attempt came out better and showed there was some issues with the center. So I want back to the 3D drawing and made modifications to the stencil. The modified stencil worked much better, that is the one closest to the penny. The lines are sharper and the paint saturation is much better. I’m going to go ahead now and make 3D printed stencils for the larger snowflakes.
The last picture is of the colors along the edge of the hand guard, hand painted in by brush. I am going to repaint this with the airbrush, but I wanted to see what I could do with color mixing while trying to match the colors in the sword illustrations.
I am still waiting for the tassels and Ito wrap for the handle to arrive from China. The airbrush paint colors blue and violet that I ordered for the blade are “pearlized”, I thought that would look pretty cool and I can’t wait for those to arrive because it will start a whole new chapter in my efforts at painting.
#Vivi#Mystery Skulls Animated#MSA#MSA Vivi#Mushi#Mystery Skulls#Hellbent#3D Printed#Katana#Sword#3D Printed Sword#Ice and Snow
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DIY: Spray Dye!
We've posted bunches of DIYs on dyeing your socks before, it's one of the most fun and easy ways to customize your sock drawer. But, we recently encountered a different way to dye, one that reminds us more of bleach stamping, thanks to it's stencil-ability: spray dye! It's way easier than vat or pot dyeing and super fun, so let's learn how to spray that dye!
Because we wanted to show the full range of possibility, I tried several different techniques: spraying on dry, spraying on damp, spraying on wet, and using smoothly textured stockings. What I learned is that there's a world of ways to mix and match techniques, so if you're interested in using spray dye, get ready to experiment! It's very fun but you'll want to test things out before working on that dream project. Luckily, I've tested some things for you, so you can go into your spray dye session with confidence!
First, here's what you'll need:
A work surface covered with newspaper (and I recommend laying down a plastic trash bag or something, THEN newspaper, for minimum mess). Be sure to really cover everything, you don't want any stray spray spattering things unwanted!
Simple designs to use as stencils. I used some printed-out clip art shapes—here's the sheet I used.
If your designs are on regular printer paper, you'll also want a sturdier piece of card, because it's gonna get soggy quick.
A craft blade to cut out your shapes and something safe to cut on.
Your spray dye, I'm using SEI Tumble Dye, picked up at a local craft store. Other dyes can be diluted and put into spray bottles as well, you'll want to read instructions on the dyes you use for best water-to-dye ratios.
Socks to dye! For science, I'm using a wide range: Extraordinary Thigh Highs, O Basics, Midcalf Woolies and the Opaque Nylon Stockings
Not shown: a place to lay out the socks to dry
Optional: a spray bottle of water
Optional: cardboard to put in the socks for less bleed-through
These spray dyes are pretty neat. I picked up a range of options, they were all under $5 each: two plain colours (Mint and Turquoise), two glitters (Silver and Gold) and a glow in the dark. The instructions are very clear on the packaging, you basically shake before using, spray and dye. They do also say "no gloves needed" but my fingertips ended up getting a bit dyed, so unless you're incredibly neat and way better at spritzing than I am, you may want gloves.
Spray dye on dry socks
I'll start with some Extraordinary Thigh Highs. To prevent excess bleed-through, I cut up an old shipping box into one long strip and slid the sock I was working on over it. It's a little tricky, but if you gather the sock up like you're putting it on a leg, you'll be good.
I cut out my stencil shapes, saving the cut out part to use as a reverse stencil. Simple shapes are good, both in making them easier to cut out and so the edges of the shape aren't lost from the texture of the sock or the dye bleeding.
Time to spray! The bottles were pretty easy to use, but some of the various types had a more stubborn spritzer. I found using both hands to squash the top down (and shaking the bottle regularly) helped a lot.
On a dry sock, the spray beads up a bit and is very "splashy" and airbrush-y, it's neat. I think it'd be really cool mixed with other surface design, like painting or stamping. Or . . . GLOW IN THE DARK DYE.
There's a faint colour to the glow in the dark dye (I'm pointing at it in the second half of the image above), but it's pretty subtle. It sort of blended into the Mint dye, so it's not very noticeable, which is rad. Surprise glow is the best glow. In later testing it seems like going super heavy on your spray by spraying close and several times makes for a better glowing shape.
Once I got one side looking how I wanted, it was time for the next! Having the cardboard inside made it very easy to flip and to hold by the edge so I could line up the splashes of colour. No matter what, you're going to have some "seams" on the sides of what you're spraying, but this helps break it up.
The end result isn't my favourite of the batch, but I am a fan of airbrushing and glow in the dark, so I still like 'em.
Wait, I take back what I said about which is my favourite. Because as soon as the lights are off, these socks ROCK. Please take this blurry, but vividly glowing image as proof of why. It's like proof of Bigfoot's existence, only way more exciting:
DANG! I'm sold.
Spray dye on damp socks
This spray dye says it's particularly good for tie dye, so I knotted and folded up a pair of O Basics and misted them heavily with water. I followed that up with some heavy sprays of Turquoise and hit them again with water, hoping to encourage some colour spread.
The results seem far more subtle than regular tie-dying, as the socks were damp, not wet, so the dye only spread minimally, though misting the water made the edges soften.
The end result is like drifts of clouds, but I personally would stick with a vat or pot for tie dyeing myself, because I prefer long dye times that are easier to achieve when the thing you're dyeing is sitting in the dye, rather than your dye sitting on the thing you're dyeing.
I did try something else rad on this pair, but you gotta wait to the end of the post to really see it.
Spray dye on wet socks
Well, socks, what if we go full-wet? I got a pair of Midcalf Woolies fully soaked and wrung them out thoroughly. I then learned two things.
First, if you're going to work with very wet socks, putting plastic under them will make things a little neater while you're working. I grabbed an old shopping bag, which ended up being perfect because I flipped it after I sprayed one side, so the socks weren't sitting in little puddles of dye.
Second, wet wool sure has a smell I forget about.
I loosely folded the socks sort of accordion-style, to get organic stripes and then liberally spritzed them all over with the Mint dye. Then, using the Turquoise dye I started at the toes, aiming towards the cuffs of the socks, for a sort of gradient.
With this pair I used a "reverse stencil" by laying down a cut out star shape and spraying around it. I super love how this looks and it's partially why this pair is my favourite of the lot.
Also: stripes are the best. And the natural-off white colour of the wool yarn adds a depth to the dye colours I really am digging. Plus, this pair has a little surprise you can probably catch in the images above.
Spray dye on dry nylon stockings
Socks are rad, but when it comes to fine detail their texture keeps things rough. Like RIT, SEI Tumble Dye works across different fibers—from the cotton Extraordinaries and O Basics to the wool Midcalf Woolies. So I knew it'd work great on nylon. Most dyes love nylon. And the super fine and smooth texture of the Opaque Nylon Stockings just begs to be drawn and dyed on!
I went a bit wild with the stencils on this one, but also experimented with drips, not quite by choice (the stencils were getting pretty soggy, but I went with it). The more detailed flower stencil worked like a champ on these stockings!
The finished result is like something a mermaid hippie would be into and that makes me love them.
Tips, treats and wrapping up
Since this has been a more free-form DIY, the various things I noticed trying out this technique get to go here. More than any other surface design technique, spray dye is something you want to keep fiddling with. I'm already eyeballing one pair to hit with the spray again once I've typed this all up.
Lay flat to dry, for real
The instructions on the dye mention that hanging what you've dyed will encourage the dye to bleed downward. If that's not your jam, then lay everything flat to dry on a fresh surface of newspaper. Once everything is nice and dry, put them in the dryer for 20 minutes to heat set the colour.
Sturdier stencils, seriously
I thought I was being all wise, using mid-weight card stock for my stencils. Well, dampness laughs at such hubris. I recommend not using anything less sturdy than a file folder and maybe having a couple of each stenciled shape, so you can swap when they get over-damp. This is a stencil only one pair of socks in, already buckling under the wet.
I also recommend having rags or paper towels on hand to blot your stencils and wipe your hands. Dye will pool and build up on your stencils, making things a little risky when you remove them from your socks.
Watch those wrinkles!
If you're going for a smooth or more patterned look, really use a piece of cardboard inside the sock and make sure everything is nice and flat before you start spraying. The overall look of spray dye is sort of free form; but getting slashes of the sock's colour in the middle of a dyed area, because you forgot to smooth things out, might not be something you want. I still think the stockings this happened to me on look awesome, luckily.
GLITTER!!!
Astute readers may have noticed I mentioned glitter spray dye in my list up at the top and then never mentioned it again. That's because it was 100% the best thing about the spray dyes and I wanted to show off the sparkles. Even as it was making an epic mess on my workspace (they spray much more enthusiastically than the regular dyes), it was beautiful and shimmery.
It's not a heavy sparkle, but what it does do is add a fairy dusting to whatever you're spraying. It took everything in me not to coat all the socks with glitter dye. I did happily get the stockings and the wool socks with it (silver and gold, respectively) and I'm thrilled.
Heads up: we did notice the be-glittered socks shed a little bit of their shimmer onto our hands, but we're not sure what the long term lifespan of the glitter is for these.
Go forth and spray dye!
Like a lot of more free-form dye techniques, spray dye offers a lot of possibility and rewards experimentation. If you've been wanting to play with dye but don't want to mess with the vats and buckets and dipping and dunking, spray dye is a fun and accessible way to spice things up with a little colour. Test and try and keep playing and you'll end up with a pair of socks you love that you made look that awesome!
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Week 3
Print Process
Left: Example of how a Stencil can be used
Right: Henry Chalfant ‘BLADE’ spraypaints at Orchard Beach, 1986.
I decided to take a look at the process behind graffitiing and the different elements/steps that go into it. Firstly ‘Stencil’ are usually made beforehand, they can be made out of paper or cardboard and are brought to where the designer wants to graffiti and is attached to the wall via tape. not every Designer does this, as some like to work freehand but it is one of the first steps in the process. Then obviously spray paint cans would be used in layering motions to create lines and fill in shapes to create incredible typography on the wall or illustrate different items.
GRaffiti styles that are a part of the process (definitions from https://www.rileystreet.com/blogs/art/how-to-graffiti)
Tags: This is the original form of graffiti that consists of simple lettering unique to the individual urban artists.
Throw-ups: Throw-ups are slightly more complicated than tags. The letters take on a more artistic form with more color and often contain bubble letters.
Blockbuster: These are similar to throw-ups but are much larger. Instead of the bubble style, use a block style for lettering, hence the name.
Wildstyle: If you’ve ever had difficulty reading graffiti letters, it may be because of its wildstyle. These elaborate works of art take much more time and creativity than the original throw-up.
Stencil: This type of graffiti involves making a stencil out of a durable piece of material and then spray painting inside the cutouts. This is a faster way to create graffiti but impressive nonetheless.
Piece (masterpiece): As you can probably guess, a piece is a complete work of art with more than simple lettering. This type of graffiti includes images of varying subjects and even backgrounds done freehand.
3D: This form of graffiti can also be considered an optical illusion. The artist creates an image that seems to take on a three-dimensional visual, almost jumping off the pavement.
-https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-artist-chronicled-bronx-graffiti-boom-1980s
-https://www.instructables.com/Creating-Complex-Spraypaint-Stencils-by-Hand/
-https://www.theartstory.org/movement/street-art/history-and-concepts/
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Notes from ‘Graphic Means’ by Briar Levit
Gutenberg started making bible mechanically but wanted them to look handmade so he could sell them expensive - he managed to print 200 bibles that were all alike. movable type let him change the size of type, etc
1886 - Linotype, - machine lets set lines of type. types in a line automatically spaced - mass education became possible bc they could mass produce books.
Half tones or dots were used to create images - they were expensive and required a lot of time, so pictures were rarely used.
from metal to light
phototype, 50s
Photographic typesetter, the wonderful world of insects
typeface is connected with technology - to make a font you need to know the production side
camera and negatives. - cut into a peace of rubylith, fonts had to be in negative form
Coldtype, women entered workforce but were payed half of men
- you used to type blind, there was no screen no paper
was all coding, you had to get it right
paragraphs were cut out n stuck on
you had to specify how much grey, how many dots when making images - photostat machine
they did overlays to instruct printer how to print
lectroset - students could use, it was more accessible so more people could make stuff, experiments began
printers would always try to ‘perfect’ it, so it was harder for designers to experiment without the printer try and fix it
computers, ibm pcs, macintosh
the digital era
everyone can use, computer people were the first to get into making digital design
it was liberating, it was more accessible, easier to experiment, it was smart tool
it was a west coast tool - east coast didnt like the Macintosh and thought the older technique was better, every time something new comes out everyone likes the old better but starts using it
tactile art to a magic trick
pixel type
was used for type setting early
hybrid era, analog production, toying with digital
software, adobe! gap between laser type and professional type setting had been closed so revolution was happening
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I made the binding for my Zen Garden quilt from bias strips of the bubbly print fabric I used in the patchwork, and got that sewn on yesterday to finish the project. It took about eight weeks of working on it every night to get it done.
I could write a book on what I learned from this project. Hand stitching in circles on a bed-size quilt draped over a dining room table was definitely the biggest challenge. The constant turning got to be annoying, and put a lot of strain on my wrists, so I started switching the needle between my hands and quilting backward.
Hiding the knots of the perle cotton sometimes required strategic use of an awl. Inevitably stitching in circles caused some puckering and protrusions, but I managed to keep that to a minimum by watching the tension I put on the thread. It was a huge lesson in patience, too. There were several nights when I considered chucking it in the scrap bin after sewing, unpicking and resewing skewed stitches.
I used Very Velvet velour thread, a new fiber for me, to feather stitch the long seams of the smallest green block units. I am in love with this thread, too. Despite the weight of the quilt it never once thinned or snapped or stretched. If I didn’t know better I’d say they make it from spun iron.
I had no quilting pattern or stencil. I stitched around a little thimble-size circle I cut out of cardboard and pinned to the quilt, and then used that first ring as my guide for the rest. It’s all eyeballed. Every circle also has exactly fourteen expanding rings. I altered the size of the quilted circles by varying the stitch length and the space between the rings. I did a bit of straight stitching on some of the smaller blocks to pay a little homage to the original pattern (and to give my wrists a break.)
Although I consider it an art piece, it still can function as a bed quilt, which is the best of both worlds.
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New Post has been published on AMEPAC Furniture
New Post has been published on https://amepac.org/bathroom/decorating-the-bathroom-on-budget-cool-diy-ideas-you-should-try/
Decorating The Bathroom On Budget – Cool DIY Ideas You Should Try
We don’t typically think of bathrooms as being stylish but that doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t be beautiful and charming. This is one of those times when the little things matter and that’s exactly what we’re going to focus on today. Get ready to be bombarded with a ton of cool bathroom decorating ideas on a budget, each meant to improve the space without breaking the bank. These ideas will show you how to keep the bathroom remodel cost low by crafting all the accessories yourself. In order words, let’s plan a DIY bathroom remodel!
In every bathroom there are those everyday must-have items like the toothbrushes or the liquid soap dispenser. Since you basically have to have these things anyway, why not make them look nice and turn them into decorations? This brings us to our first DIY project which comes from yourdiyfamily. Its mail goal is to teach you how to make a stylish wall-mounted toothbrush holder so be sure to check out the tutorial if you like the design.
But what about the makeup brushes? They can get pretty annoying because they leave stains everywhere and they also roll right off a shelf or counter if you’re not careful. Well worry about that no more because we found a way to store them in a way that’s practical and that also looks nice at the same time. The solution comes from fun365.orientaltrading and involves the repurposing of mason jars plus lots of beads and cute tags tied with leather cord.
Having all sorts of beautiful and useful accessories and toiletries in the bathroom is definitely nice and all but they need to be stored or displayed somehow too and for that we suggest this easy-to-build and wall cubby. You can find the tutorial along with everything else you need to know about the project on fun365.orientaltrading.
Next up, a really cool idea for a toilet paper cover planter. The gist of the project is that you can make a faux planter with a hollow interior so you can hide an roll of toilet paper inside it. Keep it on top of the toilet or on a shelf and never be caught off guard. Also, that extra tp roll won’t look unaesthetic and your guests will have something cool to talk about when they discover this stash. Find out the details on ohohblog.
Baths can be really relaxing but sometimes you feel the need to do something while you’re soaking in the tub and that’s actually what trays/ bath tables are for. In case you don’t have one yet, be sure to check out lovecreatecelebrate to find out how to craft a bath table with built-in glass holders from scratch.
Some of the things we mention in this article are fun to have around while others are items that everyone has in their bathroom in one form or another, such as the bathroom rug. Most rugs or mats are plain and boring so if you want one that’s also funky you either have to be lucky finding one in a store or you have to craft yourself. We’re big fans of the latter so here’s one of our favorite DIY bathroom rugs. It’s made of pom-poms and was featured on mallooknits.
Open shelves are great in the bathroom because they don’t take much space, they can be installed anywhere and they’re easy to put together which makes them great DIY projects. We have a funky examples for you to take a look at. It’s a project from heylilahey and it shows you how you can use copper pipes an fittings plus some wooden boards to build a shelving unit for your bathroom.
Speaking of common things that everyone has in their bathroom, a soap dish is an interesting case now that liquid soap dispensers are around. In any case, if you do use one, be sure to check out lovecreatecelebrate to find out how you can make it out of concrete. It’s one of the simplest projects ever and there are plenty of cool ways in which you can make the design your own.
Let’s not forget about the always useful towel rack. Sure, those radiators that double as towel racks are pretty practical but a bathroom still needs a separate hook or two because these are not just for towels but also for bath robes, clothes and other things. Want to see how you can make a lovely farmhouse-style rack? You can find all the details on angelamariemade.
Aren’t these shelves charming? The horseshoe accessories are both practical and decorative at the same time and the actual shelves are easy and inexpensive to make which means that decorating the bathroom on a budget is actually quite simple. We suggest using reclaimed wood for this because it has more character plus it’s cheaper and chances are you already have some leftover pieces from other projects. To learn more about the requirements, head over to mountainmodernlife.
The shower curtain is another important element in a bathroom’s interior design and decor. A lot of times it’s a must-have, not just a decorative element. That being said, it’s totally understandable to want to customize this element. A particularly interesting idea in this sense can be to make a macrame shower curtain by gluing lace onto a plain and regular curtain. The inspiration for this comes from abeautifulmess.
Another idea can be to paint a plain shower curtain. You could create an ombre effect and you could even use a stencil to paint something on top, like this “I woke up like this” text featured on abeautifulmess. The project is not as messy as you’d think and it really encourages one’s creativity.
A box would come in handy for all those small items that usually clutter up the counter space or the cabinet. Of course, a simple cardboard box isn’t very aesthetically pleasing so you should find a way to customize it somehow. One option is to wrap rope around the outside of the box and to cover the interior with some fabric as shown on ourkidthings. You can use the box to organize toiletries and other things.
Let’s talk about shelves a bit more. We found these really cool DIY marble shelves on abeautifulmess and we really like the direction the project is headed. We’re pretty excited about the idea of having a way to put those leftover tiles you might have from previous home renovations to good use by attaching them to wood boards to make these lovely bathroom accessories.
These rustic-industrial bathroom shelves featured on cherishedbliss are quite charming too and so is that sign. Isn’t it amazing how much something as small and as simple as a sign can change the decor and the ambiance of a room? The shelves themselves don’t lack character either, especially with that worn look and the industrial details.
Not totally committed to the idea of attaching shelves directly onto the bathroom walls? That’s understandable in some cases. But what about the ceiling? Maybe you could use that surface somehow. The swing shelf featured on deeplysouthernhome shows you how such a strategy can work out. This is basically a swing used as a shelf. It’s fun, unusual and pretty all at the same time.
Looking for a way to organize and group up the items on your bathroom counter? Use mason jars. They’re great for that and you can paint them to make them look pretty or so they can match the accent color you’ve chosen for your bathroom. If you like this vintage look showcased here then check out the tutorial on masonjarcraftslove to learn how to obtain it.
You know those bath mats that are rigid and don’t actually soak the water but let it drip onto the floor? They’re quite nice even though they’re not soft and fluffy. They’re also quite easy to craft in case you’re interested in the idea. We found a nice tutorial on themerrythought which could help.
Everyone has at least one or two mason jars around the house and if you don’t you can just buy something that comes in a jar and use the content. You can then repurpose the jar and turn it into a soap dispenser. You’ll obviously need to make a few modifications to the jar itself. You’ll require a soap pump, some spray paint, a paring knife, glue and sandpaper. With these things you’ll be able to make a unique mason jar soap dispenser that you can proudly display on your bathroom counter.
Decorating a bathroom on a budget is easier than you think as proven by all the cool DIY projects we’ve gathered here but the list is not over. We have plenty of things to share with you today, like this nautical towel holder that would be absolutely perfect for a beach house bath or any nautical-themed home. As you can imagine, it’s super easy to put together but check out h2obungalow just to be sure everything is done right.
Most bathrooms have cabinets which are great for storing a bunch of things and for keeping them out of sight. You might think there’s not much you can do to improve or to personalize a cabinet’s design or look but that’s not actually true. One of the options is to give the cabinet a cool barn-style door like the one featured on shanty-2-chic.
Let’s not forget about the lighting fixtures. Their role in very important in any bathroom. Did you know you can make your own bathroom light fixtures if you want to? We suggest an industrial fixture because it’s easier to put together and because the design can be simple and even a bit rough around the edges. This one, for instance, has three Edison-style bulbs and can be installed above the bathroom mirror.
Yes, I know we’ve already discussed shelves and we showed some great design ideas but let’s check out one more project. These DIY floating shelves stand out through the fact that they’re unusually thick. That gives them a sturdy and also minimalist look which would suit most modern and contemporary bathrooms.
Not enough room in your tiny bathroom for wall-mounted shelves? Well don’t be disappointed about that too much because there’s probably one space which you didn’t take into consideration: the portion of wall above the door. That’s actually a perfect place for a storage shelf. You could use it to keep extra towels or toilet paper rolls up there or to display things like small planters or cute little flower vases.
We almost forget about the mirror which is perhaps the most important bathroom accessory. You can change the look of your bathroom by simply replacing the old mirror with a new one. It could be nice to try a different shape and even a different size this time. You can install the mirror yourself if you follow some easy steps. Check out the instructions on how to professionally install a bathroom mirror first.
There are also a few things you can do to make your existing bathroom furniture look nicer and to give it a fresh and new look. For instance, you could give the vanity a quick makeover. You can change its look from boring and generic into original and chic. This can be done by slightly altering the design of the drawer fronts and by installing new hardware. You can find more tips and ideas in the project describing how to turn a builder-grade vanity into a custom piece.
Perhaps your countertop could use a makeover too. Replacing the counter with a new one can often be an expensive project plus that would mean you’d have to make other changes around it as well and at the end of the day it’s just not worth it. On the other hand, simply change the look of the existing counter sounds like a more appealing option. Perhaps you’d like to try this faux marble countertop look. Spoiler alert: it’s actually concrete.
If by chance there’s any space next to your toilet, you could fit this brass toilet paper holder in there. Well, the actual top holder is actually just a small part of this wooden organizer but you get the idea. There’s a compartment in there for the brush too so you don’t have to keep it on the floor anymore.
Speaking of DIY brass toilet paper holders, we have one more project to show you on this subject. This one is in fact just that: a separate wall-mounted toilet paper holder and its design is simple and quite elegant actually, with a bit of industrial flair. Check out the full article to find out what you need in order to make something similar.
Right now you should have a general idea of how you can decorate and personalize your bathroom on a budget and we hope you’ll try some of the projects we showed you here today. Remember that the finishing touches are important and that the little things matter.
The post Decorating The Bathroom On Budget – Cool DIY Ideas You Should Try appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.
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