Homespun Things....Inspiration and Imitation...

 

You can have the good things in life for less, if you're even a wee bit creative.

 

I've certainly squeezed quite a bit of luxury out of a tiny budget of late.

 

Below is the inspiration for my Daughters Glampavan.

 

Pictured above is the components of our palette....inspired by, not identical. Who needs to follow things that slavishly!

 

Inspiration above, reality below...

 

 

 

 

Inspiration on Pinterest above...my own jug, just done this morning here below...

 

 

 

Embroidered Llama jacket here...goodness...all of those French knots!

 

 

Our cheaty version using a store bought applique` and tassel trim below.

Here's the cake Daughter wanted for her 18th birthday earlier this year...

 

And here's my version...inspired by, but not an identical imitation...

 



 

I've lusted after a chintz bedspread since I was twenty years old. I particularly wanted this beautiful Spring-like colourway...

 

A random visit to a favourite charity shop last week yielded this beautiful duvet cover. King size, with fab tailored pillow slips, still with tags....$6!

 

Chanel ring? $2,900 if you please.

My ring...thrifted of course...$3.

 

Close enough for me!

 

Loving Dita Von Teese in her summery outfit here above.

 

I echoed the look with a gingham top, beads and sunglasses. I'm no Dita, but I can still endeavour to look my best. 

 

Speaking of gingham, I fell in love with these cute jam pots found on Pinterest.

 

 

My friend Annabel from The Bluebirds are Nesting, gifted me these lovely labels, so I made my own jam pots.

 



 

Gifting often means home baked goodies around here. I saw this rather plain idea also on Pinterest.

 

And swapped the waxed paper for foil, and some labels from Annabel, and ended up with this...

 

Stamped vintage floral sheets as gift ribbon....another Annabel idea...thanks Annabel!

 

Her powder puffs here...

 

...inspired mine, here...

 

A pic of a Laduree takeaway cup on Instagram..

 

 

...inspired my panne velvet and gold piped coffee cup cozies...

 

These gorgeous chocolates in a boutique...

 

...gave me the idea for my own custom wrapped chocolates. You can find these as a download here.

 

 

I was forever eyeing off lush French bedding...

 

 

….so I made some with simple purchased trims and scraps of fabric...

 

 

Granddaughter loved this sweet petit four so much when we visited a café...

 

...that she inspired me to bake, ice and decorate some for her...

 

 

Another pretty Annabel creation...a pile of cards to gift...

 

...gave me this idea...

 

 

...and her gorgeous tea towels motivated me to get stitching...those are a work in progress.

 

 

She also inspired me with these stunning wrapped soaps...

 

 

...I now make my own regularly as impromptu gifts...

 

See more of Annabels ideas here.

 

This stylish box of confectionery...$70 if you don't mind...

Made me feel good about gifting this huge box of honeycomb.

 

$5 thanks.

 

Phew.

 

After all that inspiration and creation, I need a Chai Latte.

 

Homemade of course.

 

 

Would you expect anything less?

Homespun Things...Inspiration everywhere...

 

I saw a list of 'ugly' gifts on social media this morning. Being a person who avoids gifting 'ugly', but who loves gifting 'practical', I had a read.

 

The list included bunches of flowers from the garage, socks and hankies, umbrellas for some reason not stated, and romance novels. Apparently though, according to that writer, the flowers were okay if they were gifted in a beautiful vase, the socks and hankies were a no-no under any circumstances, umbrellas got the nod if they were beach umbrellas, and coffee table books were okay but not the novels.

 

Well, I guess we all write for a different audience. I've gifted garage flowers, socks, jocks, hankies, umbrellas and novels....although perhaps not romance novels, and for the right person, those choices have been absolute winners.

 

I'm kind of with her on the flowers from the garage are okay in a vase. Although I'd add, that I'd usually add a bit more greenery from my own garden to them, and refresh the packaging with a lavish bow. Garage flowers don't usually have the bells and whistles do they. But that alone is a worthy case for snapping up those vases at thrift stores. Something simple is best because you have to transport it remember. A couple of dollars on a thrift store vase, and a big ribbon and you're done.

 

I'm good with gifting socks and hankies too. Pictured above and further down below, are the flannelette hankies I gifted my family, along with beautifully packaged chocolates, seen below also, for Easter. I made the hankies myself, and customised them elegantly. The chocolates were the super thin luxury type, cardboard sleeves removed and replaced with wrapping I'd created on PicMonkey. You can find them in downloadable form, here.

 

The thing is to be looking out for inspiration for gifts no matter where you are, or what time of year it is. Don't go leaving it till the last minute. You can make gifts in small windows of 15 minutes at a time if need be. You should see what Patsy at A Working Pantry rustles up in 15 minute slots of sewing!

 

And these hankies inspired by Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting aren't even sewn...

 

 

Certainly tearing a sheet into 38cm (15inch) strips, then snipping it into squares and pinking the edges with pinking shears like this, can yield an astounding number of ready to use or ready to gift hankies/dusting cloths in 15 minutes, once you get into a rhythm with it.

 

These custom wrapped chocolates take less time than that. Two minutes each is a stretch. It's more like a minute each, and these sorts of artistically wrapped chocolate bars will set you back over $10 each at posh delicatessens and foodie boutiques.



 

Here are the ones I used for inspiration. I've never heard of this chocolatier, but I adore their packaging...

 

 

...and here are mine...

 

..pastel blues...

 

 

...different trims...

 

...pinks, creams and gorgeous textures...

 

 

...lavenders, yellows, geisha ladies, and grosgrain polka dots...

 

All those, gleaned from a single picture seen on Instagram.

 

Here's another Instagram image that caught my eye. How could you go past these beautiful colours, if nothing else. I'm now crafting a series of coffee cup cozies, based upon these Laduree colours...

 

 

...mine are pistachio coloured Panne velvet which is naturally stretchy, trimmed with gold and white cord. I think I'll add some metallic gold embroidery...probably French Knots and leaves. That will be similar enough for me.

 

 

 Of course once I'd seen that delicate palette, I couldn't un-see it, and when choosing the prints for my flannelette hankies, a Queen Sized sheet set on sale for $15 in this gorgeous mint colour, and some toning baby pink and pastel accented lengths of fabric, seemed the ideal combination. Sheets are perfect for this as they have miles of fabric in just one sheet. Certainly far more than you'd get in yardage.

 

 

Here are the Unicorn printed ones I made the granddaughters. At the bottom of this post, is a link to a downloadable version of this tag for you to add to your own lush pile of soft hankies if you wish...

 



 

...these ones were for the men in the family...

 

....and the Boho inspired feathers went to the girls...

 

 

Of course, my fellow bloggers are a constant source of inspiration too, and ever since I first saw Annabels Powder Puffs, I knew I'd be making my own version.

 

 

I'd been looking at crystals of late. I'm refurbishing two chandeliers, and the pretty Aurora Borealis...

 

...and blue crystals...



 

...had left their indelible mark on my imagination as well.

 

So when I found this remnant of powder blue polar fleece, I immediately re-imagined it with baby blue chiffon bows as chocolate scented powder puffs for Easter.

 

Along with other bits of fancy like Unicorn inspired slippers, these were welcomed by the 4 and 6 year old grandies with enthusiasm.

 

 

Look at all this pastel loveliness...

 

 

...piles of hankies, pyjamas, and powder puffs...

 

...so much prettiness...

 

 

...hankies topped with a custom wrapped chocolate bar, and embellished with my own customised ribbon, look like something from a high end gift store...

 

And even a simple bar of choccie, wrapped beautifully, is special.

 

Who needs store bought Easter Eggs...really.

 

 

Here's my latest piece of inspiration. It's a vintage flour sifter, filled with faux foliage from IKEA. Seen on Instagram, this immediately captured my imagination. I have miles of French Lavender growing, which is so easy to propagate, and I'm thinking recycled tins, spray painted white, filled with baby Lavender, and finished with these decals.

 

 

Or these ones.

 

Here's my French Lavender...I told you...miles of it. I adore it, and everyone that visits admires it longingly. Why wouldn't I turn it into gifts?

 

 

See? Inspiration everywhere. You just have to keep an open mind.   Here's that label...   Hankies from Heaven Label   What can you add to your gift stash this week?   Go on. You can do it.   ...Mimi...