DIY Nordic Style Plant Wall

Happy new week! After a while it is time to share some DIY inspiration. I was going for a walk when I noticed something interesting in the middle of garbage. Broken shade made of wood or bamboo catch my eye. Instead of waste I thought it as great material. It is a way of thinking to see the material and it's potential. I am very picky and I don't take any crap from garbage. For example if the piece is made of something that is difficult to work with or too dirty to bring home I will leave. But quite often I see wonderful projects. For example last week there was this pretty wooden chair that would have made a pretty stool for flowerpot in the garden. I had no space so I had to leave it. But this shade was pretty simple to clean, pile and store for further use so I took it. I didn't have to store it long though because I had an idea or two how I could use it. When breaking the shade into pieces and cleaning it I thought about all the material in the world that goes to dump or burnt as energy waste. And I also thought all that new stuff produced every day. We have limited amount of resources, global warming and trash filling our (and flora and fauna's) living space at the same time when we feel we need new things.

I would somehow understand it if the stuff we put to garbage was actually trash, something we can't use in any form. But quite often we cast away things that are, in the current form (without manipulation out of our expertise or equipment) ready to be used again. Like this shade, after cutting off the strings and washing the pieces it could have gotten a price tag and put to a shelf in some hardware or craft supply store. Get what I try to say? For example plastic is something we can recycle and it is made new products in the factory. Same with newspapers, glass, cardboard, tin. Then again: An object with wooden pieces can be broken into particles, cleaned and used again at home. Same with for example broken dress that can't work in it's original use. It can be washed, cut into pieces and pieces used as fabric. Or broken coffee mugs can be turned into mosaic material using basic home equipment. I do buy new fabric and wood too. But I try not to waste good materials. Also if you don't make mosaic, sew or do makeovers you can give clean materials to your friend who does or ask in social media groups if someone is interested. My friends and relatives have given me broken mugs, plates, empty tins, fabric etc. for my projects and all those materials have been spared from ending to garbage. In my experience upcycling saves money and gives so much inspiration. When I saw this shade in the garbage my brain started humming, how could I use this, what fun project this could turn out? I would say 40% of my ideas come from an interesting material I have found from garbage or thrift store. And it is always a win to see polished trash as a part of interior decor.

This is in what shape how I found the shade. I took it to my balcony to be broken to pieces and cleaned. It had only some dust on the surface otherwise it was clean.

Beautiful material ready to be used. You see the difference how a trash becomes something with a price tag at store? This pile of great material would be more difficult to cast to garbage than the broken shade, don't you think?

I decided to make a web to a wall where I could twine climbers that are in pots on the table. I measured the middle of two pieces to get an even start. Then I just began to weave working every side evenly.

Sitting on the ground weaving. The material is so beautiful and my head was bursting with more ideas how to use it. One could decorate doors with woven webs or glue pieces side by side to cover boxes. If it would be sawed to small particles it would make good material for mobiles or wind chimes. 

When you weave the web tight enough it will keep it's from without a need to secure the pieces with screws or staples. I attached the ready web to a wall above a table so I could easily put flowers under the web.

I had one Tradescantia albiflora and I bough new Epipremnum pinnatum. Now the plats are still watching the web made for them to climb but I am already dreaming how those will cover the whole wall :)

Wishing you all the most inspiring and creative new week! Please share this post on social media if you liked <3 I am an indie blogger and it means a lot to me that you people visit my blog, get inspired, comment and share :) 

Sannu

1.12. Woven Himmeli Decor

I am so excited about December that I woke up 6 a.m. this morning to make sure all goes fine with this first calendar post. For me the first of December means it is acceptable to share pictures of Christmas decor and Christmassy thoughts en masse :D Christmas is near and it is the best time to relax and make small crafts, bake sweet treats and wander in the wintry landscapes.

This year 1.12. means the first The Creative Night Shift Advent Calendar -post. 24 steps to bohemian Finnish Christmas is about DIY projects, small crafts, baking ideas and lifestyle. All projects will be relatively easy to make and low cost. If you like my advent calendar posts please share on social media and tell your friends so they know to visit here too <3 For me blogging and social media is about making new friends, so if you are new here please leave a comment and/or follow on social media so we can connect!

Today's project is Woven Himmeli Decor that is made of simple materials. Even though himmeli is a traditional decor it looks always so modern. In Finnish this himmeli type is called pirtahimmeli because it is made with pirtalauta. I did googling to find out what pirtalauta is called in English and found some pictures of this this tool with name cricket weaving loom.

You will need:

a Cricket weaving loom

Cotton yarn in two colors

Straws

Garden twine

Scissors

Wooden barbecue skewer

How to:

Step 1. Keep the straws soaked in warm water for two hours. Then cut the flexible straws to 8,5 cm pieces. 

Step 2. You will need 11 four meter long yarns, 5 in color A (black) and 6 in color B (white). Starting from the middle of the cricket weaving loom put one A yarn through the gap. Then put color A yarns to two gaps on both sides of the middle gap. Starting from the middle put color B yarns to the holes. Knot yarn ends together on both sides of the cricket weaving loom.

Step 3. Attach yarn bunches for example from table leg to door knob to get the loom tight. Now you have long yarns pulled tight and cricket weaving wood hanging through yarns. Beginning from one end start weaving garden twine to the loom, this will keep the work tight. By lifting and putting down the cricket weaving loom you get the yarns working. After 5 cm start weaving straws to the loom. When you have the wanted length weave in one 8,5 cm piece of barbecue skewer. Cut the yarns from the loom and knot to the skewer.  Finish the yarn ends. Hang the decor and twist the straw lines a little bit to make the himmeli 3D.

Weaving Squares

For a person who loves crafting it is always so inspiring to learn new techniques and find different materials to use.  I found a book (100 Pin Loom Squares, by Florencia Campos Correa ) about Pin Loom weaving. The book is focused on how to make small squares. Inspired by the technique I have made experiments to weave with paper yarn.  I think that after woolen wall hangings paper yarn textiles and decorations may have a new coming in the current huge weaving trend. Paper yarn is just one part of the nineties inspired decor this year. Somehow bright colors and neat light materials feel so new again. 

This new technique I have been learning is so much fun and every time I look at the material and different ways to weave a square I get so carried away with endless possibilities and ideas what to try next. I had planned to try other trend craft, mosaic, last autumn but I run out of time. Maybe this spring or summer I get all those broken plates and mugs to pieces and create something with that technique too. Usually learning a new skill has an inspiring effect to all creative work and it is easier to find new ways of doing customary things.

I am sure that you will hear about my weaving enthusiasm more this spring. I have thought about my coming blog posts and my blogging style in general and I have come to decision that I want to show even more pictures about making processes and creative work. I hope that my pictures would inspire people to create and understand techniques as well as raise consciousness of how much time and skill handicrafts take. Sometimes in this modern instant culture where everything is ready to use we lose the knowledge about the process behind the item. It can actually be great fun to notice that things can be made by oneself :)

I would be happy to hear about you! Have you tried weaving or some other new technique lately? Do you enjoy learning about making processes?  

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Sannu