Personal projects just for fun!
After working on the screen all week, I love to get creative in the physical space. Bonus points if its a perfect gift or solves a need in my flat.
Wood crafts for the flat
We needed a very specific sized coffee table to fit our space, we had a list of functional requirements, and I was not willing to sacrifice the aesthetics I had in mind. After weeks of looking around, I decided to make it myself.
First I selected two quality oak boards at my local hardware store, had them cut down to the right size, and hand sanded all sides and edges. For the design, I used a pencil to split the board into boxes and illustrated each box. Then using small paintbrushes I painted over my pencilled illustrations with a mix of layering stain and black paint. Finally, I applied a few coats of stain overall across the illustrated surface, as well as a dark coat on all plain sides.
I repurposed cork product display cubes from a local store and metal table legs I found at a yardsale.
Using the remainder of the oak, I cut, sanded, and stained four floating shelves and two small baseboards for coat hooks with the same mahogany stain to match the table. I found arms for the floating shelves at my local hardware store and I collected assorted old hooks from yard sales and ebay.
Rugh —> pillow
One goal I have for my flat is for all my couch cushions to be eclectic and colorful, as opposed to the standard matching set, and that they come from my travels. While in North Macedonia we found a little shop on the side of the street full of handwoven rugs. I purchased a smaller rug, bought some black fabric at home, and hand-stitched a couch pillow.
Homemade Cookbook
I created this little book for a friend who is fairly comfortable in the kitchen but intimidated by the planning, prep, and grocery shopping. Plus a little unsure of how to come up with easy, healthy, weeknight-friendly recipes.
