Creative genius: Multi-functional wire basket

I love supporting local artists and I had to share this genius hand-made product I bought last week from a street vendor.

By just pulling the basket in different directions and shapes, you can create various forms for function.  This is amazing, check this out:

Flower vase

Egg basket

Fruit basket

Pot trivet

Cake stand

Wall art

Light fixture

Different shape light fixture

This street vendor, called Gerald, made this basket himself and I think it is pure genius.  It is so easy to play around with.  And I’m ashamed to say he only charged me R50.00 (just under $6).

Proud to be South African!

Clever decorating tricks: Creating areas of interest

Every home should inspire.  After all it is where we wake up in the morning, and recline to at night.

A house becomes a home once you start living in it.  Your house can either fill you with joy or make you depressed.  Bare walls and empty rooms can cast down your demeanor, whereas cheerful, decorated rooms can fill your spirit with peace and joy!

Walking through your house should make you feel happy!

Easy ways to create a happy room is to paint the walls and put up pictures.  Also put personal memorabilia on display and create little reading nooks.

Below are some inspirational pictures of interesting areas created by home-owners.

Now, creating these corners does not have to cost a fortune.  A little imagination and creativity goes a long way.

Here are examples of how I created interesting, inexpensive little corners in my home.

Kitchen wall

Read DIY post here.

Reception room and leading to dining area

Read about how to make the funky dining table.

Travel

Read DIY post for this cool lampshade:

Reading nook in lounge area

Read DIY post for this funky lampshade:

Wall of hearts

There you go.  Prove that it style does not have to cost you a lot!  Send me some of your inspirational areas in your home!

Photographer in training

Photographer ~ {lensman, artist, creative}

My eldest daughter 6 years old.  She is a typical girl her age who just wants to be like her mom. She is always talking about being an artist or Interior Decorator like me.  It’s amazing how close she watches me and what I do.

I was pleasantly surprised (and very proud) when I browsed through my iPad’s albums to find these pics:

She made these shapes using pipe-cleaners

In true fashion, she stood back and took a look at her handy work.

She lately has a fad for snails.

She made a house for the snails the day before not knowing they would escape and some of them got injured while trying to run.

Enjoying the afternoon sun over Jozi.

I love this picture.  It is very true in how I see lazy afternoons in the City of Gold.

DIY: Around the world on a whim

Travelling broadens one’s mind.  It has been said that “Travel is the only thing you buy, that makes you richer.”

A few years ago I went travelling around our beautiful country.  To remind me of my trip, I decided to make a lampshade using a map of South Africa.  Here is how I did it!

This is a quick and easy way to update any room…go ahead and try it!

Also featured in December/January edition of 4changemagazine.

Some nostalgia for my kitchen wall…

!!!!Hello 2013!  

This is my first post for the new year after an absence of a few months.  *Uhm…I feel really guilty for not regularly posting…but there was just no time with looming deadlines of projects.

I know I might have done some damage with readers losing interest because of a stagnant blog, but I’m ready to start building on regaining your interest right now!

@ in true LillyLoompa fashion, I’m kicking off the New Year with a project to evoke a little nostalgia…a wall arrangement with artworks that have a lot of sentimental value to me.

We had the privilege to go home for the holidays and spent some time with our precious family.  No trip home is complete without bringing some goodies from our storeroom.  Yes…we still have some stuff back in Paarl and every time I go home, I rummage for some forgotten treasure.

So I wanted to incorporate these treasures into my home and the kitchen wall was begging for some attention:

Bare kitchen wall

Arrange your artworks on the floor until you feel happy with the order.

Descriptions of artworks

Once your happy, go ahead and nail it to the wall!

Voila!

Completed wall

Whole kitchen and dining room

* Oops!  Forgot to do the dishes when I took the pic! #blushingface

Till next time!

DIY: Hairstation

Hello there! *Another hi from a scarce blogger. I have been in hiding for quite a while now. My absence from Cyberspace these past few months is a culmination of the year drawing to an end and life just being busy.

I have however had time for a very quick DIY project that will make my life a whole lot easier…a hair-station.

I had to cut my hair short recently so now it requires more styling. Thus I use my appliances a lot more lately, but the mess that goes along with all the wires irritated me.

Then I had an idea:

I could make a hair station using a plumbing y-junction. So I took a walk to the local plumbing supply shop and it costs around R 80.00

You would need:

Y-junction
Spray paint
Drill

Although it doesn’t look fancy, it is already adding a lot of value to my life. The appliances are easy to reach and easy to pack away.  Go ahead and try it!

DIY: Flower mirror made with plastic spoons.

* Spring has sprung!

What lovely weather we are having in Jozi!

Is there a better way to celebrate spring…than with flowers?

Our national flower

If you haven’t received any lately…why not make your own?

Protea mirror

Here’s how to:

I found it a bit difficult to paint after gluing the spoon ends down.  I would suggest painting them before-hand!  Enjoy!

Do it yourself Woman!

Info courtesy of: SOUTHAFRICA.COM

Each year on the 9th of August, South Africans of all backgrounds, races and cultural groups join together in celebrating National Women’s Day. This annual public holiday commemorates an eventful day in South Africa’s history – 9 August 1956.

What makes this day so special to South Africans? It was on the 9th of August in 1956 that a large group of women began a campaign to bring an end to the pass laws enforced by the government of the time. The pass laws meant that all black people were to carry a special “pass” or identification document which they had to produce to prove they were permitted to enter a certain area designated for white people. This was a major law of the apartheid regime and greatly restricted the freedom of movement of black people.

Read more here.

So tomorrow marks a public holiday.  So in the spirit of liberalism it is the perfect day to: “Do it yourself woman!”   We women can do anything we put our minds to!

Why not try this super-easy craft project:

Quick and easy!

Now before you make a cuppa coffee remember to wait a few minutes for the mug to cool when it’s out of the oven!

Enjoy!

Recycled fashion: T-shirt scarf

Please excuse my recent absence in cyberspace.  My weeks have been filled with work-projects, life and house-hunting! We have to move in 2 weeks time…again!!!

Apart from a few cold days…we have been experiencing an extremely mild winter this year in Gauteng.  This week’s project is perfect for these autumny-springy days!

T-shirt scarf as featured in the 4change Magazine.

What you need: 

An old ladies t-shirt

Scissors

1. Start by laying the t-shirt on a flat surface

Lay it flat

2. Cut off the top section (just below the armpits)

Started snipping away.  At this point I forgot to document the process further!  Sorry!

I tried another one…unfortunately forgot to take pics of process again!

Ashley & I

This is a really cool project to try.  It is cheap and a great way to recycle old t-shirts!  Enjoy!

DIY: Warning…this is one hot lampshade!

I got the idea to make this lampshade in Winter 2011.  Talk about procrastination…

Anyway, I have always being interested in the orange safety net used by Municipal workers alongside the road.  I love it so much…was thinking of making a bedspread out of it!

Just joking! On a serious note…the colour immediately warms me up and what better way to warm up a room than with an extra-cool (excuse the pun) hot lampshade:

The nice thing about my DIY art is that it almost always cost nothing or very little money.  That is why it is so easy to change after I get bored of it.  Check this one I made last year for the girls’ room when we still stayed in Naturena.

Well we moved twice since and I grew tired of it.  Time for change:

Material needed:

Old lampshade frame

Safety net (available from hardware store for about R12,00 per meter)

Hot-glue gun

Pliable wire

Pliers

Side-cutter

1. Remove old lining and expose wire frame

3. Cut a piece of safety net to cover the frame.

4. Glue it to the frame with a hot-glue gun.

For extra hotness, use a red light-bulb and flick the switch!

Enough hotness to warm up any winter!

Also featured in the June issue of the 4ChangeMag.  (not yet updated)