Etsy's Handmade Blog
How-Tuesday: Three Projects From the Blogosphere
Story by decors, jstephens13, mtraub, SusanFaye
Published on October 6, 2009 in How-To 		Photo by

jstephens13

In true DIY fashion, Etsians know that craft expertise doesn't necessarily have to come from book deals or extensive degrees. Sharing the bliss of trying something new and learning tips along the way is ever-present in the Etsy community. This week's How-Tuesday is a sampling of some of the fresh tutorials Etsy members are exhibiting on their blogs, including reupholstering a thrift store sofa courtesy of jstephens13, vibrant watercolor portraits from SusanFaye, and delicate wire knot rings thanks to decors. What I love most about these how-to's is the emphatic encouragement and excitement throughout, sure to ignite your creative fire.


Loveseat Upholstery from jstephens13

An all furniture thrift store was recently introduced to my town. Being forever inspired by "old treasures made new," I immediately gravitated to the Vine Home Thrift. Having spent the last 20 years sewing, creating and designing smaller scale pieces of fashion, recently, I have been pushing for something more, something larger!

My first upholstery installation was an 80s headboard passed down from my parents years ago (a large half-moon shape with plenty of faux bois paneling).  From there I covered many dining chairs, a headboard for my sons’ toddler bed...mostly 1-sided objects. When I found a sweet little loveseat on sale for $10 at my NEW FAVORITE STORE, I knew I had nothing to lose.

The emotion and therapy available in tearing a piece of furniture limb from limb is fantastic; stretching your chosen fabric tightly for a finished look can be breathtaking. Upholstery immediately grabbed me. Returning to the store and feeling a bit cocky, I sought the ugliest monstrosity in the store.

This photo tutorial will demonstrate upholstery techniques and furniture modification (once an enormous davenport/sleeper sofa, now a modern loveseat). Re-use what you can, seek new where needed, and in the end, curl up with a great book!

You can find my upholstery tutorial here.

 

Watercolor Portrait from SusanFaye

For me, watercolor painting is all about the luminosity, flow, and clarity of colors. I began flirting with watercolor during high school, took a class in college, and designed and marketed my first set of watercolor notecards shortly thereafter. Happiness ensued until a chance encounter with clay distracted me for the next 20 years as I became consumed with all things ceramic, porcelain and stoneware. Then carpal tunnel syndrome reared its ugly head. Clay and I were forced to part ways.
 
It was then that I took up again with my old flame, watercolor, and discovered true bliss. In addition to painting and selling traditional nature studies of flora and fauna, I also create whimsical custom Pet People portraits right here on Etsy in my shop. I have painted portraits of feline fanatics from across the U.S., plus cat ladies and lads in Canada, Great Britain, Greece, and Finland! You can see many of these portraits and read their stories on my daily blog.
 
As an occasional workshop instructor, I have discovered that watercolor is one of the most-feared mediums in the art world. Trust me when I tell you, it DOES NOT have to be so scary! I have put together a step-by-step tutorial on "How to Paint a Cat Lady and Lad" in a fun, illustrative style that I hope will inspire you to give it a try!
 
I cover a few watercolor basics such as materials, tools, and color mixing, then show simple techniques for creating an image by painting just one section or shape at a time, with a little blending and layering. Just remember to take your time, and if you goof up, IT'S ONLY PAPER! It's okay to try, try again as many times as you want to (as long as you remember to recycle all that paper)!
 
Important note: It is not cheating to trace, or to pencil in your lines first! (I once "got hell" from a student who had been taught at parochial school that tracing was CHEATING!) A real artist knows this simple rule of thumb: Try everything, and whatever works, just do it... and have FUN!

You can find my watercolor how-to here.

 

Wire Knot Ring from decors


Born and raised in the bustling suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I graduated from my adopted home of Melbourne, Australia, with a Bachelor's Degree in Computing. Starting with basic jewelry craft in December 2007, I quickly moved on to wire jewelry two weeks later and was instantly hooked. Thinking of a way to innovate, I realized that the art of Chinese knotting would introduce a certain je ne sais quoi to my creations, and thus began my fascination and passion for creation in this style and medium.

Amidst the encouragement that accompanied my first tutorial, though, there were some who felt that I should be writing tutorials in my mother tongue, on the narrow-minded pretext of there being a glut of tutorials for the English speaking audience.

I believe art should live naturally and be expressed as freely as breathing, which is why I continue to write and design as much as I can, in as many languages as I can. Wires taught me to be humble, and I give a short prayer of thanks each time they survive my designs.

You can find my wire knot ring tutorial here.

Do you include how-to's on your blog? Share in the comments below! Thanks to jstephens13, SusanFaye, and decors for these inspiring tutorials. I am grateful for how much I learn every day from the Etsy community!

More How-Tuesday Posts | Supplies Category | DIY Made Simple Gift Guide

Tags blog, blogger, community, craft, decors, DIY, How-To, HOW-TO, How-Tuesday, instructions, jstephens13, lifestyle, pattern, project, supplies, SusanFaye, tutorial, upholstery, watercolor, wire jewelry
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81 comments     Login to add your own!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. AlexMetalArts

Cool! Off to try out the wire ring now.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. BeadinBabe

Looks awesome! I love the knot ring!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2 p.m. satellitedaisy

i love to upholster! it's like a new couch whenever you want
one...now, where did i put my staple gun?

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:01 p.m. ChloesRuffleButt

Wow! 3 for 1 today! I am glad to hear that penciling your lines in before painting is not cheating. I have always done it, but felt dirty about it. Now I feel better! Thanks!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:05 p.m. thebestvintage

This is great. I'm going to try all three!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. beautifulbridget

Yay for great projects!! Love them all!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. DancingMooney

I love ReclaimTheThrone's shop, yay!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. EJPcreations

Great projects! Must give the ring a try!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. girltuesdayjewelry

These are all great! I have yet to post a tutorial of my own creation on my blog, but it is definitely something I want to do! Thanks for sharing such great information!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. warpedLaurie

The knot ring is so fab.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:19 p.m. ornamentsbydeb

Love the watercolor!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. jlrdesigns

I *LOVE* the Love knot ring. So awesome!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:25 p.m. CantrixJewelry

Gorgeous ring!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. RussianDollDesigns

thanks for these projects, can't wait to try them

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:29 p.m. birdie1

Thanks so much! I've only done very minor reupholstry but this opens a whole new world!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. PoppysVintageGarden

THis is Great!
I can't believe it, that Same Exact sofa is sitting on the treelawn across the street with that same old fabulous fabric. I think I might go over and atleast steal the fabric to make something incredible!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. bylynnkrestel

wow - 3 for 1!!
i love how-to tuesday!!
thanks!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:33 p.m. beadsandbits

I love these projects -- partly because I love to watercolor, but I've always shied away from pets & portraits (seascapes, flowers, landscapes -- my comfort zones!). I envy anyone who can re-make and re-upholster furniture, too. And who doesn't love a good love-knot ring?!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:34 p.m. paramountvintage

i love all of these projects. my favorite is the upholstery because i've always wanted to learn how. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. VixVintage

Love it all! Would rather buy than make :)

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. AngelsCreation

Awesome tutorials. I've been wanting to do a upholstery job soon... poor old chair. And I love the ring. I may give the water color a try... maybe for Christmas gifts.

I do have one tutorial on my blog for a 3D crystal dragonfly at Angelscreationhandmade. There's even a scruptious recipe there. I need to blog more :)

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. ArtDecoDame

great tutorials!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. lavenderrabbit

Wonderful! Thank you.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:48 p.m. BabbidgePatch

fabulous how-tos! thanks for sharing. I haven't added how -to's to my blog yet, but it's on my list !

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:50 p.m. mtcoffinz

The knot ring looks like fun. I know I have some wire around here somewhere...

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. pinkytoeclothing

Wow! Awesome how-tos! I love the knotted ring, fantastic!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:55 p.m. SimpleJoysPaperie

A big thank you to the talented and generous artists!
I have already dabbled in watercolor and wire jewelry...
now I want to upholster something! :)

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:58 p.m. StudioCherie

Love the DIY spirit here. Maybe I will post a slip covering tutorial on my blog, since that is such a big part of what I do.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. Aquanetta

Fun projects :)

Oct. 6, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. uncharted

thanks for sharing these projects

Oct. 6, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. justlikeyouimagined

very helpful, thanks :D

Oct. 6, 2009 at 3:44 p.m. beachhouseblues

Can't wait to try the watercolors!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 3:53 p.m. lovelygifts

Great project.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 4:08 p.m. 4TheSparrowsNest

THREE fun tutorials?! Sweet!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. bugbitesplayfood

Gorgeous collection of projects! I love the watercolors especially.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. recycledwares

reupholstering a sofa will really come in handy. i could save so much money - new sofas are expensive and you can't always the color and style you want.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. Morado

Awesome! 3 in 1....yahoo!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. jodieflowers

Awesome!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. SundraSandrusi

great projects!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. simplyworn

Etsians sharing the love....inspired again,
thanks

Oct. 6, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. SailmakersDaughter

I love that Sofa. Ireland has NO second hand furniture stores with remotely reasonable stock. I'll be thinking free-cycle instead once I move outta the city

Oct. 6, 2009 at 5:24 p.m. JeannineRobertsRoyce

Sofas and chairs are so fun to "renew". Can also bring an entire room back to life with new slipcovers or just draping interesting fabric, sarongs, tapestries etc

Oct. 6, 2009 at 6:14 p.m. LittleWhiteDresser

SUPER!!! Thanks for sharing :)

Oct. 6, 2009 at 7:09 p.m. creativelyspun

great read! always motived by these posts!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. honeypoprags

That sofa looks amazing!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. breadandroses

That was one of the ugliest sofa ever; it looks so good now. Great feature, even better info. So timely for me. Big hug & thanks for it!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. SusanFaye

Thanks, Etsy, for this chance to share my watercolor tutorial in How-Tuesday!! It's a delight and a thrill! And thank you for all the kind comments--hope everyone will find the joy in watercolors that I have!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 7:56 p.m. MinceCo

no excuse for being bored today!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 8:07 p.m. decors

3 in 1! Hehe! Hope everyone have fun with the TwinHearts Knot Ring!!!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. themefragrance

we love tutorials!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 8:44 p.m. cynthiacallan

Inspiring!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 8:51 p.m. lealerjcreates

Cool stuff! Love all the stuff!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 9:14 p.m. annamatrona

i love the blogosphere!

Oct. 6, 2009 at 11:48 p.m. anteakbooteek

YYYAAAYYYYY Upholstering! Love it, making old crap into new lovelies.

Oct. 7, 2009 at 1:21 a.m. MyMoms

Great article, very inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 7:21 a.m. LazyTcrochet

Oh my gosh, that was my grandmother's davenport!! LOL We had her hand-me-down sofa and it was that exact fabric and style. We got rid of it a few years ago, but kept the matching chair ; )

Oct. 7, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. cassidycay

Awesome! Three times the Tuesday fun!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 8:36 a.m. amoronia

That's great!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. mulch

I love the sofa. Thanks for sharing. This is great!!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 10 a.m. clarelupino

I think this is great keep up the good work

Oct. 7, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. monkeyandsquirrel

yay tutorials... i love 'em!!!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 11:49 a.m. theferngate

Definitely inspiring!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. shopgoodgrace

LOVE these!! What a terrific variety! The upholstery how-to is right up my alley... and I've always been insanely jealous of people who can paint in watercolor --- I mean really! There's no way you can really "fix" a goof up in watercolor. (vs oil/acrylic)

Thanks for the links & great project ideas!! :)

Oct. 7, 2009 at 2:23 p.m. PipocaHandmade

Love the Red Fans Loveseat! Thanks for the links...very handy!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. AudreyGardenLady

This ring is sooooooo beautiful!
Thanks for sharing!

Audrey Fetterhoff

Oct. 7, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. michon

I have a tutorial page on my blog, http://www.michondesign.com/jewelry-b...

Oct. 7, 2009 at 10:35 p.m. SecondHandNews

What great project ideas, thanks so much

Oct. 7, 2009 at 10:58 p.m. vivikas

Great stuff as always!

Oct. 7, 2009 at 11:19 p.m. gilstrapdesigns

I have always been interested in learning how to upholster furniture what a good article I like all of these projects.

Oct. 8, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. bhangtiez

thanks 4 sharing....cool ideas.

Oct. 8, 2009 at 3:13 p.m. minisupplyhouse

WOW, what a couch! Very cool ideas!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 6:01 p.m. odiliafu

Want to pick up my paint brushes again!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. alamodestuff

I have several great diy projects on my blog:

http://www.alamodestuffblog.com/searc...

Please come check them out!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 7:49 p.m. polkadotrabbitdotcom

I'm inspired to try a couch over the summer!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 10:16 p.m. sapphiregem

Amazing tutorials-you are all so creative!

Oct. 8, 2009 at 10:23 p.m. doublebrush

The creative and generous people of Etsy continue to motivate and inspire me!

Oct. 9, 2009 at 1:22 p.m. MagicMarkingsArt

I love Susan's watercolors! Although I am an artist, working mainly in acrylics, I've always desired the ability to create beautiful watercolor paintings - like Susan's. I am checking out her tutorial - and promise myself to try some this week!!!!! Perhaps, they'll show up in my Etsy shop :) Thank you so much for this inspirational push!

Oct. 9, 2009 at 4:23 p.m. barbedlotus

lol, we used that have that exact same couch that's in the 3rd picture.

Oct. 9, 2009 at 5:14 p.m. damonique

My husband has been interested in doing uphosltery for a long time I am definitely going to have him check out this article! Great tips!

Also, very cool to see how to make the wire ring- I had one once and I wore it everyday for about 5 years before it broke! Now I can make my own!

Oct. 14, 2009 at 8:46 a.m. kalicat

I love seeing projects come to life with pictures detailling different stages of the creative process

Oct. 15, 2009 at 4:09 p.m. zafran

Yes, I do make tutorials, too. The latest is called "Turning Running Outlets Into Busts" and you can find it on my blog: http://zafraniversum.blogspot.com/200...

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