BEHIND THE BOX: Polymer Clay
We picked up a few herbs this week to start getting the kitchen ready for farmers market season. We’re counting down the days to ripe tomatoes, kale salads and fresh fruit. We’ve been adding a bit of mint to our drinks and rosemary to our roasted veggies. We made these delicate plant markers with the polymer clay from the May box. Here’s how to make your own:
1. Roll the clay out to 1/4” thickness.
2. If you’d like a texture simply place lace or another heavily textured fabric over the clay and use your rolling pin* to add the textured imprint.
3. Using a knife cut out long, thin rectangles.
4. Label your plants with a pencil or paint pen (we used a metallic copper).
5. Make yourself a cocktail. We love this Blood Orange Sparkler from Heidi Swanson.
Cheers! Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!
*Make sure to use tools that are not used for food or cover your clay with wax paper so that it doesn’t touch any surfaces that come in contact for food.
So polymer clay is kind of cool. We said it. We’re ok with it. It’s even cool to use polymer clay to make jewelry and even cooler to use paint pens to jazz it up. And now wait….oh yeah that’s hell freezing over. Really though. People are making fun colorful things with it these days. Check it and use our guide when you’re trying to figure out which one is the best for your project (or use the clay included in your May box).
Faceted post earrings are an easy way to wear something geometric.
Necklaces in super fun bright colors are always in heavy rotation.
Want to turn it up a notch in the fancy pants department? Just add a bit of shine with a metallic paint pen.
Behind the Box: Tea Towel
Tea towels started out very Downton Abbey style- 18th Century women would reserve the softest linen towel as a drying cloth for her most expensive china. Often the servants would embroider them with ornate designs and they’d be handed down from generation to generation.
Ours isn’t quite so precious and we love the idea of using your prettiest things everyday. Besides being great at drying china (or Tupperware- no judgement) here are a few other uses for your tea towel:
-wrap a last minute gift
-use as mismatched table place settings
-use as oversized napkins for especially messy outdoor dinners
-keep your dinner rolls warm on the table
-once they have been loved sew two together (mismatched towels are even better) and stuff with batting to make a comfy/colorful throw pillow
-wrap a wine bottle for a good housewarming gift
-sew the sides, add a handle, and turn it into a reusable and washable tote for carrying home your farmer’s market goodies
Every month Evie outdoes herself with the For the Makers look book. Here is a peak at her illustrations for May- possibly our favorite yet. If you haven’t been to Evie’s blog she just wrote about a dreamy trip she took to an Oklahoma farm sweetly named Early Bird Acres. The photos she took are having us reevaluate our city lifestyles in favor of a more agrarian one. You can get Thai delivered there right?
FOR THE MAKERS 411: THREAD
Whether you are hand stitching, embroidering, quilting or using a sewing machine there is a thread suited just for your project. Don’t feel like you have to follow the rules exactly here but it’s good to know what they are. We are partial to embroidery thread for just about everything since Janet’s mom has a stash of DMC that rivals any craft store. It’s seriously impressive.
Save this handy list when you are starting your next project and you’ll be all set.
xo, For the Makers
May projects are up on the site! Check out how to make four new (bright) projects this month and find out the inspiration behind this month here.
Show us your #MayBox when it arrives! Can’t wait to see what you make.
May! This month we were inspired by the dramatic clean lines and bold color we’ve been seeing on the runway. Nothing brings the drama like a heavy dose of ruby red. In the May box you’ll find reds mixed with melon and blush for full-on summer color. All this color is layered with loads of textures like thick cotton, clay, soft leather and heavy brass. Projects will be up on the site later today. If you want to get a head start here are a few things you might want to gather: scissors, super glue, wax paper or clear tape. Happy making!
xo, Katie and Janet
