Color Stories

It certainly is the summer of dyed jeans! We've been doing our series of color fun jeans and been noticing some super DIY from our Rit friends as well. Just check out Jamie Bennett Brunson's version of minty parfait goodness on her clever The Pinterest Project blog. She dyed up these sweet capris in a combo of Apple Green and Aquamarine Blue for this yummy pastel shade. I somehow can't stop thinking about ice cream every time I see them.  

You can take a gander at the full tutorial on her site along with the fun play-by-play of her last minute color tweak. Stop by. You're sure to get inspired by these and all her other Pinteresting endeavors. As for me, I'm off to indulge in a sundae.

Hey..   it is summer after all. 

How often do we say we LOVE the creative masterminds at Martha Stewart? Well, here's another brilliant, yet simple, idea to create a fun, decor accent just perfect for casual summer entertaining. Along with the dip-dyed paper bowl tutorial that was recently featured, now you can make matching bamboo placemats at the same time. Pretty nifty, right?

If you want to get in on the action, hop on over to see the full tutorial and start planning your own festive event. Just imagine all the color theme possibilities!

Bring a little nostaglic romance to your life with this elegant lace and floral bracelet. Debra Quartermain made this beauty by dyeing almost all the elements with Rit Petal Pink and Taupe dyes. We think it's just fabulous. It's always exciting to see how different materials that take the dye a bit differently and yet create a subtle monochromatic look. Actually, this might make a swell Mother's Day gift. There's still time to run to the craft store! Stop by Debra's site for the full step-by-step tutorial. It's well worth it!

On a side note, we noticed that Debra had trouble dyeing the sweet, little pearl beads in her bracelet. Through experience, we've found that all manufacturers use a slightly different plastic formula and most work but some, unfortunately, do not. We had good results with Jewelry Essentials beads found at Michael's Craft Stores which were used in this beaded bracelet tutorial. 

What could be more happy than a rainbow? Well, maybe a whole, big bin of bright rainbow DIY wood blocks! That's what Kasia of Dream Home was thinking when she made this spectacular collection of building fun for her daughter. Reminscent of her childhood toys, she decided to create her own collection to customize the colors and shapes just the way she likes and save a pretty penny to boot. We think she did a great job and it's sure to be a more treasured toy just because she put so much love in the endeavor. 

You can read all about it on her blog and follow along with the step-by-step tutorial if you want to try it for yourself. One caveat that we talked with Kasia about is the sealing of the blocks afterward. She left hers unsealed and happy with the results but we found a few resources for non-toxic ways to seal wood toys that would be worth the extra step. Check them out here and here. 



OK, happy dyeing!