Ceramic Isn't Just For Dishes Anymore - Textured Ceramic Buttons

Sometimes when companies give you product they want to promote, the product is really not to your liking. This wasn't the case for me when I stopped by the Blumenthal Lansing booth at the CHA show last January. I admired their line of ceramic buttons and lo, and behold they sent me some! I thought I'd share them with you.

I think they look particularly sophisticated. They have different patterns embossed on the surface and are glazed in different colors. I was especially enchanted by these three. I love the 70's mod quality they have. They're very Jonathan Adler, aren't they? The herringbone pattern is especially chic. I'm going to use them on a coat I think. The size and scale of them are perfect for that. To see the other styles, or if you'd like to use them in a project they can be found at Fabric.com. What would you use them for?

Trim and Tubing - A Match Made in Heaven

A few months ago I featured a craft project from Conso Trimming's 1001 Decorating Ideas Magazine. While leafing through another issue I came across this project which is reminiscent of both that project and the Mexican style terry cloth mirror from a few weeks ago. This project has so many possible applications and is such fun to make!

These columns are perfect for framing a window or doorway, but they can also be used as posts for a headboard, table legs or on a smaller scale as accents in a centerpiece or even candle holders! They're made with heavy weight paper tubing - the kind carpets are rolled on. You can usually get the carpet cores from carpet and rug stores, stop by and ask.

Once you've gotten your tubes, test them out for height. If you want them to be a specific length you may have to cut them down to fit. This can be done with a saw. This project is great if you have lots of trims left over from other projects. It doesn't take a lot of trim to encircle the tube. Keep in mind that if you want two tubes that match you need to have twice as much trim. The trimming used in the above picture is all about bright colors, but imagine how beautiful it would be done in monochromatic white or even all black!

Wrap your tubing with the trims and glue them in place with Aileen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue, then stand them up in place and you have an instant statement! As shown in the picture, when put at a window they can dramatically increase the height and add some drama to your architecture. I like the table leg idea also though. If you have a table with 4 ordinary legs just sheath the legs in the trimmed tubing for a festive touch for a Mexican dinner, or for good!

The sale continues on eBay. New listings go up tonight (7/21/10) at 9 eastern! Be sure and have a look!

Forget the Carpet, Does the Dress Match the Drapes?

Last week I featured a craft project from 1001 Decorating Ideas - the magazine from the 60's featuring Conso trimmings. As I was leafing through them looking for projects I came across some of the fashions they created. They're a little... Well, judge for yourself:

Swathed in mushroom ribbon, this chic model is just the thing for a casual lunch. Is that Maude Adams behind those enormous sunglasses?

Hit the courts in this snappy tennis outfit lovingly trimmed with tassel fringe in blue and green - note the matching racket cover and sock pompons...

What better way to greet your guests for alfresco dining than in this yellow brunch coat? What hostess doesn't want to match her pillows?

...Or her drapes? This middle eastern inspired hostess caftan is made of the same fabric and trimmings as her draperies. Just the thing for the woman who never knows what to wear.

For those nights when you have to play Juliet, what could be better than this stunning white Empire gown?

And where for art though Romeo? Right here! Note the matching trim on the shades. I have to say, I love the creativity involved here. Can you imagine the joy these stylists must have felt going into a room completely stocked with every kind of trim imaginable and being told to use as much of it as humanly possible in every project? Sometimes restraint is a good thing...

Vintage Craft - Fringy Fabulous Screen

One of my favorite vintage home decorating magazines is 1001 Decorating Ideas. Particularly the issues from the mid to late 60's. It was at that time that the magazine was published by Conso, the trimming company. Consequently the design schemes and projects were outrageously adorned with the publisher's product. There are issues and issues full of window treatments made of nothing but trimming, clothing with oversized upholstery trim piled on, walls, curtains and furniture all trimmed in braid - in the same room, and projects like this one.

It's a screen that's been covered in striped fabric and completely trimmed with ball fringe, pompon trim and knotted fringe. The result is an incredible statement piece that can add a dramatic accent to a corner. It goes together in three simple steps with these materials:


4 11" wide, 1" thick pine shelves
Striped fabric (if stripes run vertically or horizontally, cut on bias) cut to wrap around shelves
6 hinges
Stapler
Gimp braid for back
Various fringes - ball, knot, boullion
Aleen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue

Wrap the shelves in the fabric and staple it to the back of the shelves.

Trim the fabric close to the staples, and then glue the gimp over the edge to mask it. Put the hinges on the backs of the boards, but don't attach the boards together yet.

Trim the boards with the trimmings, pinning them on to match the stripes on the fabric. Aleen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue dries quickly, so no need to wait for them to dry. When you've glued down the trimmings, it's time to attach the panels together. Screw in the other half of the hinges while the shelves are laying face down, even on the bottom edges.


We love Conso here at Brini Maxwell HQ. They provided us with some of their great product for my show on the style network. We made another project from 1001 Decorating Ideas on the show - it was trim covered styrofoam fruit.

Click here to learn how to make them. Expect to see more of the over the top projects from 1001 Decorating Ideas here on the blog. They're just too outrageous to let slip quietly into history!