What She Made: Washi Tape + Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere

I think it’s safe for us to say that Spring is finally here, and we are more than eggcited to be able to share with you one of our first Spring projects: Easter eggs! 

What Jamie Made:

It’s a fact: I am a washi tape hoarder (blink twice if you have the same issue)! For that reason, I decided to continue making the most out of my washi tape collection by simply applying it to my Easter eggs! This DIY is so easy, you could practically do it in your sleep (well, minus the part that requires you to actually use a stove for preparing your eggs).

You’ll Need:


6 to 12 eggs 
assorted washi tape (pastels + bright colors for spring)

scissors

Washi Tape Easter Eggs | Our Sweet Somewhere

Boil your eggs the perfect way and once they’ve cooled from the ice water, dry the outer shells. From here on, allow your creativity to flow and design your Easter eggs however you please with the washi tape.  As you can see below, I kept mine very simple but also used some scrap alphabet stickers I had lying around to add some quirk to the little batch I had prepared.

Washi Tape Easter Eggs | Our Sweet Somewhere

Washi Tape Easter Eggs | Our Sweet Somewhere

Washi Tape Easter Eggs | Our Sweet Somewhere

 

What Kate Made: 

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere-13.jpg

I must give credit for my Easter eggs to a teacher at my work. She told me how she used naturally dye eggs with her daughters by using onion skins. When she shared how easy it was, I knew I had to try to share the process with you!

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter using onion skins l Our Sweet Somewhere

She had only ever used purple skins and white eggs, so I decided to experiment a little with other combinations. The results were mixed. The yellow skins make beautiful dyed eggs, but only on the white eggs (obvious yes, but I had to try to be sure!) The purple worked well on both the white and brown eggs. 



You’ll Need:

1 dozen eggs (brown, white, or both!)

yellow and purple onion skins

cheese cloth cut into about 5 inch squares

thread

A hint on getting enough skins without buying pounds and pounds of onions – just asks the produce guy or gal for them! I usually have plenty of yellow onions on hand, but I rarely use purple. So I asked the produce clerk at my local grocery store if I could just have a bag of purple onion skins and he was more than happy to have me pick out as much as I wanted. He said he usually goes through them and throws out the loose skins from the bin, but if I have a purpose for them to take them for free! 

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere-3

Look at all that natural dye, and all for free!

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere-4
How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere-5

Wrap some onion skins around your egg and then the cheesecloth around the two. Secure with a string. Divide your yellow and purple onion skin eggs and submerge in two separate pots of cold water. The water should be about one inch above the eggs. Cover and bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for fifteen minutes (keeping covered!). Transfer onion skin eggs into an ice bath and finish cooling. Once cooled, you can carefully unwrap your eggs and see your masterpiece! 

How to naturally dye eggs l our sweet somewhere

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter using onion skins l Our Sweet Somewher

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere-

The brown eggs that I attempted to dye with yellow onion skins were not a total fail. They came out as a much deeper brown with more speckles and were very pretty. However, to give them a little something extra so they stood out even more I painted them with some gold leaf paint! I am in love with my Easter egg creation and can’t wait to have them sitting out on the table for Easter dinner!

Naturally dye eggs for Easter l Our Sweet Somewhere

How to naturally dye eggs for Easter l by Our Sweet Somewhere

Naturally dye eggs for Easter l by Our Sweet Somewhere

xoxo,

Jamie and Kate 
 

 

DIY Easy Washi Tape Photo Album Cover

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

Whenever Shutterfly sends me a promo to order 100 free prints, I always make sure to use it right away! Between the pictures taken on my iPhone camera and Canon, I feel like I could just continue to print for days. But, if you’re like me, the kind of person that loves to take a million photos yet, cannot ever find the time to create an adventurous scrapbook, then you’re in luck ’cause I’ve got a simple photo album project for you.

I recently used my 100 print promo on pictures that I had taken on our trip out west when we visited Kate and her hubby Anthony two years ago! So many wonderful memories were made that it was just  impossible to not make a photo album (and a simple one at that). Here’s what you’ll need to create yours:

– 0.99 plain photo album (Target or Walmart)

– printed memories

– alphabet + number stickers (Michaels, Target, or Walmart)

– washi tape

– colored or line paper

– scissors

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

I discarded the postcard-like paper cards that were in the front and back pockets of the album and just replaced it with lined paper so that you’re able to read the album cover easier. As you can see with mine, I kept it very simple but colorful. The colors I chose reminded me of the bright and beautiful day we enjoyed at Wyoming’s annual county fair. A few pictures down, you can see a couple snapshots from it!

Just allow your imagination to do the creating!

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

Washi Tape Photo Album Cover | Our Sweet Somewhere

xoxo,

Jamie

 

Quick Craft: Easy 10 minute DIY Earrings

Here’s a quick craft you can do in less than ten minutes! You don’t need many supplies, and you can wear your creation right away!

I inherited two tins full of buttons from my grandma. Some of them still have the original price on them, the lowest I found was 45 cents! I couldn’t even imagine buying buttons for that cheap now! The ones I am using today were still only $1.10! I wonder what year she bought them? 


DIY 10 minute button earrings l Our Sweet Somewhere

Easy DIY custom 10 minute earrings l Our Sweet Somewhere

The players:

Hot glue gun

Two matching buttons

Earring backs – I got mine from JoAnn’s. It came in a pack of 4 and were less than four dollars. That means less than a dollar for a pair of earrings since I had the buttons already!



Plug your glue gun in and add a pea size amount of glue to the earring back and attach immediately to the back of your button. Be careful that the glue doesn’t seep through the holes onto the front!

DIY custom 10 minute earrings l Our Sweet Somewhere

Custom DIY 10 minute earrings l Our Sweet Somewhere

Voilà! Complete! As soon as the glue is dry you can wear them. How easy, right? I really love how this pair matches, but the one button has a little dark spot. 
Excuse the selfies, I had to try them on right away because they were so cute!

Super easy DIY button earrings by Our Sweet Somewhere.jpg

I love how quick this craft went. Since I have so many buttons and more backs that I am thinking of making more. Here are some of my favorite buttons from my collection. What is your favorite? 

Custom 10 minute button earrings l Our Sweet Somewhere

xoxo,

Kate 

 

What Jamie Made: Recycled Magazine Envelopes

Last week, Scott and I received a surprise gift in the mail of reusable K-Cups from my ever so dearest blog buddy Kate and her sweet husband Anthony! It was a major highlight for the crazy week I had been dealing with. To send some loving back, I decided to make some fun recycled magazine envelopes that I’ll be using with my reply!

This fun project is so easy, and requires very little time and supplies. Start off by going through some of your old magazines and tear off the pages that catch your eye. I personally like to look for more pictures and fewer words on my pages, but anything goes!

Recycled Magazine Envelopes | Our Sweet Somewhere

Supplies Needed

+ Collected magazine pages
+ Envelope
+ Light-colored marker or pen
+ Scissors
+ Glue stick
+ Assorted washi tapes

Recycled Magazine Envelopes | Our Sweet Somewhere

12 Steps Only | Recycled Magazine Envelopes

1. Choose your envelope.
2. Carefully tear apart the envelope.
3. Choose a light-colored marker for tracing.
4. Trace the outline of the envelope on the inside of magazine paper.
5. Cut the outline out with a pair of scissors.
6. Fold the smaller sides of the envelope inward.
7. Choose your wash tape.
8. Cut out two, same-length pieces of washi tape to fit the smaller sides of your envelope.
9. Be sure to wrap the washi tape around the front and back side.
10. Fold the last two parts of the envelope (top and bottom) inward.
11. Apply glue to only the side edges of the bottom fold.
12. Fold to enclose envelope slot, and voila! You’re done.

Photo 1

Photo 2

I kind of went envelope-making-crazy after creating the first envelope pictured in the step-by-step instructions. Can you guess from the picture below which one I plan on using for my snail mail reply to Kate?!

Recycled Magazine Envelopes | Our Sweet Somewhere

 

xoxo,

Jamie

What Kate Made: DIY Repurposed Kitchen Decor

Every time I walk into my favorite Volunteers of America here in Columbus, it is like Christmas. I’m pretty sure only once I have walked out empty-handed and I always find a sweet pair of shoes (like the ones I wore here and here!) . 

When I came across this sad duck wall hanging for only fifty cents I knew he needed to have a home.
My home. 

Repurposed kitchen decor from the thrift store l Our Sweet Somewhere

While he is so adorable in his little scarf, he does not match my kitchen whatsoever. So I broke out the Mod Podge, white paint, and a beautiful photo/edit done by my blogging partner in crime, Jamie (find more of her work here!) and set to work.

Repurposed kitchen decor DIY l Our Sweet Somewhere

I carefully pried the ceramic duck away from his wooden frame using an eyeglasses screw driver. Then I gave the frame new life with white spray paint. I Mod Podged Jamie’s “Sweet as a Peach” print onto Mr. Duck and let both sit overnight. 
The next day I glued my fresh new print onto my fresh new frame and ta-da! An adorable and quick DIY for only fifty cents! 

Sweet As a Peach - repurposed kitchen decor l Our Sweet Somewhere

Kates Eclectic Kitchen Decor l Our Sweet Somewhere

It fits in well with my eclectic decor, wouldn’t you say?

xoxo,

Kate