Studio and Strategy

A beginner-friendly look at bleaching and stamping on fabric—what surprised me, what mattered most, and what didn’t work at all.

I found an old video from 2020 where I made three different wood slice ornaments, back when my son was nine and wandering through every project I filmed. I’ve refreshed the instructions, updated the links, and pulled all three ornament ideas together — pinecones, JOY letters, and mandala dots — for a quick, meaningful holiday craft you can finish in one cozy afternoon.

IOD moulds can look intimidating, but they’re more forgiving than you think. This beginner-friendly guide shows how to use moulds with air-dry clay, resin, and food-safe projects without overthinking the process.

Ever wonder how big IOD moulds really are? I measured them all—from ten-inch mermaids to five-inch sunflowers—so you can plan your next project before you pour. Plus, I’ve linked tutorials from the IOD Sisters and Debi Beard to show how size affects design.

There’s a quiet kind of joy that comes from finishing something you started—especially when it involves torn paper, sticky fingers, and a $7.99 lamp from Goodwill. Two neglected lamps, a little decoupage paper, and one glowing reminder that making something—anything—feeds your creative soul.

There’s a small lamp in my office that never turns off. It’s been glowing through moves, late nights, and seasons of creative chaos — a quiet way of saying you’re home. When its shade was destroyed in the move, I realized the fix might be less about repair and more about joy: choosing a decoupage paper not to match the room, but simply because it makes me smile.

Make these DIY wooden block Halloween decorations from inexpensive landscape timbers! Learn how I used DIY Paint colors like Black Velvet, Summer Crush, and Fancy Farm Girl to create ghosts, pumpkins, and Frankensteins that sold out fast.