berry cheep project

Happy Spring! Or as we say in New England, "Did you check the forecast?" Popsicles outside one day, hot cocoa indoors the next. Never mind the weather, I'm ready to make some sunny treasures.



Never one to discount the possibilities held in a container, I saved a few plastic berry bins from last year.



I gathered a bunch of supplies like decals, ribbon, and flowers and started tinkering . . .





Vents throughout the bins lend themselves to weaving ribbon in and out.



Guess where this sweet oilcloth-type material in polka dots and gingham comes from? (Betty knows!)



A reusable shopping bag from TJ Maxx! The water-resistant fabric is especially useful if you plan to line your berry bins and use them to present foodie gifts.



Sweet mini holders for all kinds of spring treats and occasions.



Best of all, this project is very cheep!

xo
elyse

faux sew sewing jar

As a non-sewer borrowing Sew Sunny Homestyle from my library, I knew immediately upon swooning over Tone Finnanger's sewing jar project that I needed to put the idea through the tinker-translator which means glue over needles and guesstimating over precision.



First I painted the metal rings of two-piece lidded canning jars and placed them over fabric until I found a combination that I liked best to use for my project.



Because tinkering is also about gathering, I was determined to find something from around the house to use as pin cushion filler and found my solution in pulled-apart cotton balls.



I placed the tuft of cotton over the round inner lid, covered it with fabric, inserted it into the ring and pushed it through; then pulled at the sides until the top was as smooth as I wanted it to be.



I trimmed the excess fabric and secured it with tape.





To conceal the tape, I traced the lid's inner disc and cut a piece of sturdy cardstock to fit. I used swirls of school/craft glue to affix the cardstock, pushing it down into place and holding it for a few minutes to set.



Once the project was topped-off, I filled the jar with spools of thread.



So, why does a non-sewer need another pin cushion? Hmm. Because learning to sew is still somewhere on my to-do list.

xo
elyse

make it!

I am very excited to have another tutorial in Romantic Homes magazine.



A few weeks ago I was asked to write a how-to for April's The French Issue, and decided to feature a jar decorated with a printed and glittered French label (source: The Graphics Fairy; jar: Smucker's).



It's always fun to stage mini photo shoots and then write the corresponding text. I often use puns and am not sure if anyone "gets" my little jokes but me (words like: relishing -- as in a jar of relish; the title: French Dressing -- as in a bottle of salad dressing. Silly, I know).

Our blogs are like our own magazines, don't you think? A very heartfelt thank you to Romantic Homes for providing another opportunity for me to share in print.

xo
elyse

spring morn

It's no wonder that the things I tinker blend so well with my home decor: I use leftover interior paint as the base for most projects.



Recently while trolling through the basement, I discovered a bit of Spring Morn that was used to paint the dining room/kitchen.



I gathered some random items just ready to be painted, including this small $1. birdhouse, and gave each treasure-to-be a quick coat or two.



Snipped at some paper while supervising homework . . .



did a little decoupage . . .



even sprinkled some glitter.

The moral of this tale: A little leftover paint can go a long way!

xo
elyse

ps
Tinkered Treasures now has a Facebook page where I share peeks at projects, pretty images and other things you might Like!

cupcake day

I adore the stop-and-smell-the-roses nature of blogging.



Today I made my first visit to The Bakery Boutique, an adorable Rhode Island bakery I had somehow previously overlooked. I was happy to have my camera along while I stopped to admire the cupcakes; the cashier was so accommodating and even pulled this tray from the display case so that I could take photographs.



I purchased a sampling of cupcakes: Wedding Cake, chocolate, and Pink Champagne.



I believe these are the most delicious cupcakes ever! EVER! The prettiest, too.



Cupcakes just might be the perfect way to turn a plain old afternoon into a little celebration.

xo
elyse

"prairie" in spring time

Beautiful books are a treat and Fifi O'Neill's first book, Romantic Prairie Style is such a treat that it has already topped an Amazon.com best seller list! What's extra special about this achievement is that the book isn't out until April. Imagine a book topping charts before it's even available? Leave it to the gracious Fifi and her devoted legion of friends and admirers to make magic happen.



With luscious peeks of the pages that Fifi has shared of Mark Lohman's distinctive photography combined with her eloquent writing, it's no wonder why so many (including myself) have pre-ordered a copy.



April may bring showers but it will also bring "Style"



If you're interested in treating yourself to Romantic Prairie Style, you can pre-order a copy here.

xo
elyse

sweet idea

All of a sudden I was craving yellow and needed to make something using the color of daffodils.

I recalled feeling like this before, checked my blog archives and sure enough it was the same time last year that I wrote a post called craving yellow. I find it very cool how our blogs become diaries of our creativity.



Never one to discard a container, especially bottles as sweet as these from honey, it was time to take these little bears out of hibernation to play. First, I removed their stubborn labels which required soaking in warm soapy water followed by some Goo Gone. [I would actually prefer to use something less toxic. Any suggestions?]



I decided to stick to a palette of pale pinks and yellows when dressing up the little bears with ribbons, buttons, forget-me-nots and tags.



I filled them with a strand of pearls, yellow beads, lemon candies and ribbon in sunny shades.



Sweet for display, fun as a party favor, or inspired gift packaging for your honey bunch.

xo
elyse

fresh air

Dare I even type that it feels like spring today? That tall piles of snow are melting? That windows are open? Weeks ago many of us were cooing over combos of evergreen and berry, but not today ... not me! Let's have aqua and baby blue, strawberry, and a twist of lime.



This cute-as-a-button lavender-filled heart was a gift from the sweet and ever-so-busy Sonia. She's in the midst of wrapping up the spring issue of Creating Vintage Charm ...



I've had a peek at the contents since I'm helping with some editing and let me tell you, the new issue looks to be wonderful!



These happy bluebird cards are a giveaway win from Vintage Paper Parade (browse at etsy or visit at blog); adorable custom prints, tags and more. The ribbon is from the new Whimsy Cottage collection from Michaels.



{Covered paper clips from Michaels' clearance, spill gracefully from one of my tinkered canning jars.}

I recently heard some weather-folklore that if you have thunder during a snow storm it will be the last snow of the season. We had thunder-snow during the last storm; I'm fascinated to see if the tale will hold true. (My boys think I'm a little cuckoo for considering this theory with no evidence. We shall see!)

For now, I'm enjoying some fresh air!

xo
elyse