shak-shuka

Washi Tape Holder 101

Besides my obvious interior design obsession that is peppering all of my posts, I have had an obsession for something else that if you've ordered from Shak-Shuka you may have even seen! Washi tape. And lots of it. Wide, thin, patterns, plain - any kind of washi tape has to be mine - and NOW! If you're not familiar with washi tape, it's a delicated Japanese paper tape that can be used for everything from taping things together (don't try and use it to tape a box to send in the post.....already tried with bad results!) to decorating shelves, pottery, etc. I haven't been that inventive with my washi uses, keeping it more simple and paper-based.

The one issue I have with washi tape is the adorable little rolls seem to roll all over the place! Ugh. What to do? Buying a regular tape holder doesn't make sense (as I would need probably 20+ of them), and buying a proper washi tape holder is insanely expensive. Alas - the geniuses behind Apartment Therapy have answered my paper prayers! A DIY Washi Tape Holder. Doesn't need much more description than that - except I love it - especially the "teeth" cutter at the end of the box to hold and rip off the tape. So go forth: obtain a washi tape obsession, have a stash of tapes, find a suitable cigar-sized box and whip up your own washi tape holder! I'm already on the hunt for a cigar box.....

Flowers, Boats, Angels - Oh My!

A few weeks ago when I was walking home, I saw this gorgeous bouquet of paper flowers in a vase of a studio. I pushed my nose against the glass, and even with my horrendous vision, I was able to make out the name of the maker of those flowers. That's it - Obsession Numero 1 in effect.

I came home, Google-d, and low and behold, it is a Dutch designer! We really love supporting local designers, and Jurianne Matter's work is as green as it is lovely. As many of you know, we really love paper and paper products at Shak-Shuka, and Matter's designs are printed on FSC-approved paper, are produced with vegetable-based inks, and come packaged in a biodegradable wrapper. These are not your run-of-the-mill paper products, but instead an inventive spin on a bouquet of flowers which you never have to water, gorgeous boats to use on their own or to make an adorable garland to hang, or you cannot go wrong with these charming angels which are great on the fireplace now that the weather is turning chilly. It's almost impossible to find one favorite, as the possibilities of how and where you use them are endless - we've already been experimenting over here and plotting where each Blom, Boat and Angel will go in the new Casa Shuka!

DIY Front/Back Coat Rack

One of the things that I love about the web is that you are able to connect with people in other parts of the world. For instance: we wrote about the Ma Cacabane last week, and it was picked up by a Bebe Stilo, a lovely blog in Spain. Naturally out of curiosity we just had to check out the site ourselves, and perused and found some great stuff - including this DIY Animal Coat Rack from none other than Ohdeedoh (a great US site for decor and kid-related things). This Rack is just the thing that any house needs, and even if you don't think you need one, read this line from the description and it will convince you otherwise: "Sure you could probably use a more traditional hook or pull, but why when you can use that pointy zebra you've stepped on 900 times at 3 a.m.?". Anyone who lives with children will love the truth and humor in that, and if you want to some extra giggles, read the comments below the instructions on how to make this adorable rack. For instance, make an Animal Head Rack for the kids, and the butts of the animals for the adults! Win/win either way you slice it! Thanks to the web for bringing us all together!

Rag-a-Muffin Rug

In my constant quest to mentally interior decorate our new apartment before we even step foot in the place (or have the keys), one of the things that my dreams usually miss are rugs. The apartment is much much larger than our current one, and the rugs that we have now, well, let's just say it might be best to turn them into doggy mats.

The only issue is that rugs are usually painfully expensive, and given what we do to rugs (smells, stains and otherwise) I thought a durable and inexpensive rug would be best. The only problem with that is that cheap rugs tend to look even cheaper than they really are and don't scream "decor" like I'd like them to. So, low and behold, when times are tough, it's best to call on your own resources - and resources we have! I recently found this great tutorial for making your own Flokati rug via the fabulous Lil'Magoolie blog. The tutorial was created by a mama-to-be, working on it with her own mother while her baby was busy being baked in the (not-so-easy-bake) oven. I love how candid she is in the fact that even though the rug is insanely cheap to make (scrap tees anyone?!) it is incredibly time consuming. But just like all my other major craft projects, the best ones do seem to take more time, and the end result is so, so, so worth it. Maybe you're not in the mood to make a full dining-room sized rug, but you could start with a doormat and work your way up. I'll post pics when I finish ours!

Let's (Crayon) Roll! Tutorial

I discovered the delightfully crafty site Say Yes to Hoboken when they wrote about one of our products and I had to check out who they were. Every post full of inspiration, and one of them left me hyper with excitement. Even though I don't have that much time to sew any more, but I have seen so many "crayon rolls" (a handy-dandy little thing to keep the crayons organized) that I thought to myself: "these cannot be that hard to make". And low and behold I found Say Yes to Hoboken's answer to my crafty prayers.

Not only is their Crayon Roll tutorial easy enough to follow, but the images are so wonderful that even if you don't have a child that can even use crayons, you'll find one to give the Crayon Roll to. Best of all, the author used remnant fabrics from her stash, which is exactly the type of green-behavior we cheer for around here. Back-to-school time will be here before we know it, so let's (crayon) roll!

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Congratulations to Rea for winning last week's Mama+Me Giveaway! Thank you to all who entered this fabulous giveaway...there will be more to come!

Made by Joel, and Made by You

I'm probably not the only one who spends so much of their day perusing blogs, websites, online stores and the like, that all the information seems to get jumbled altogether. Sometimes I can recall a page or what the domain name looks like, but that's about all. Unless something incredibly exciting or interesting comes along, then I remember everything from the name, product or item and the outfit the person in wearing on the homepage. Yes, I am a bit freaky like that!

This is what happened to me when I fell upon the site Made by Joel which has some amazing craft ideas. The one that caught my eye (and brought me to the site) is the Paper City that they created and you can even print it out at home and create your own paper city! Forget going to the store to get an item you just saw online, this is instant gratification at it's finest! Usually craft websites are dingy and dusty looking, with equally pitiful photography, but Made by Joel could convert even the most un-crafty person go craft-zy. So go ahead, print out your own little Paper City and see where your imagination takes you - it could be Paris, Tokyo, Bombay, or even your own backyard. That's for you to decide and get creative!

Father's Day Craftiness Ideas

Although Father's Day isn't until next weekend, but since we are suggesting that you make something instead of buy, we'd give you plenty of time to try out some different crafts, leaving room for mistakes, rather than have a doozy of a time trying to crank out something in one night with your hands super-glued or sewn together. Trust me, it can happen, even to good crafters.

I'd first like to acknowledge Father's Day and the wonderful fathers who do the toughest job on earth (parenting that is) day in, day out, sharing responsibilities with their partner and really going the extra mile. In a generation of children to divorced or single parents, it's amazing to see so many dedicate fathers really step up to the plate and give their children the confidence and security they need and deserve. Kudos to you papas, these gifts are for you!

And to the single mamas who are doing it all by themselves (like my own kickass mama), you rightfully deserve credit on Father's Day too as you're carrying the entire load yourselves, which is no easy task. Whether you're a papa or a single mama, enjoy either receiving or making these crafts, and then sit back, have a great meal, and gaze at your wonderful accomplishment: the Father's Day craft and your children.....

• For the Quirky Papa who already has way too many ties, get your neck around this
• For the Artsy Fartsy Papa who is also eco-inclined, this is up your alley
• For the Bookworm Papa who can't get enough of his books or kiddos, read here
• For the BBQ King Papa who will create any excuse to hang around fire, this will light your fire

Rock-Paper-(Eco)Scissors

When a child enters the "toddler" stage, all the soft baby toys have virtually no function (except to be thrown at you) and you need a whole new army of toys to entertain. For my daughter, that means heaps of dolls, shopping baskets, and kitchen wear (yes, I know, gender stereotyping, but I tried with EVERYTHING!). The one item that she would give up everything for are her scissors. Although it's mildly disturbing that a child so young can be so obsessed with a "sharp" object, knowing that they're blunt and can't really cut anything but paper makes me breathe a bit better. Or breathe at all!

Imagine my delight when we found a pair made from recycled plastic! It's impossible to find scissors that don't have a plastic handle (you know how I "poo poo" plastic whenever possible), it's great that there is an eco-friendly version of a classic. Fiskars, the famous scissor maker, makes these recycled scissors that are super easy for little hands to hold, and cut just enough (for them) but not too much (for you). It's a win/win situation, and your toddler will enjoy feeling like a big kid with their own pair of scissors. Tap into your child's inner Toddler Scissorhands and reach for these recycled Fiskars scissors - rock, paper, scissors the best!

Guerrilla Garden Your 'Hood

The majority of my friends, and I think most people, live in or at least near a metropolitan city. There are many perks of living in a city: close proximity to everything, variety of choice in shopping and eating (my favorite hobbies) and a diverse mix of cultures. I personally love living in a city, but there are some aspects which are not so good - mostly the lack of nature (which seems ironic seeing as I say I love living in the city). Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't want to live in the middle of the woods, but it is such a wonderful respite from hard city life to sit on a patch of grass and stare at some beautiful flowers or at the sky.

I'm sure if you're also a city dweller you will remember passing by so many patches of dead earth that have the potential for a mini garden oasis. There's even one about 500 meters from my house that I have been dying to get my (black thumbs) hands into. Light bulb moment - there is an organization that does exactly what's brewing in my mind: transforms otherwise discarded or forgotten plots of land into beautiful patches of wildflowers and plants. Guerrilla Gardening may be a bit extreme for some, but I love their philosophy of doing something mildly illegal (apparently gardening requires a permit in some countries) that actually benefits the community. In April Guerrilla Gardening held a "Pimp Your Pavement" celebration in London that encouraged citizens in London to transform tiny spaces into gardening gems. You can start a Guerrilla Gardening movement in your own city or country, or there seem to be posses in nearly every pocket of the world! If getting dirty isn't your thing, you can also purchase their book, which is available in a slew of languages. Even though I have a black thumb, I'm seriously considering "guerrila-ing" my own neighborhood, starting with that tiny patch of sad dirty nearby....under the cloak of darkness of course!

Almond Scented Sticky Heaven

When I was little I used to smell everything - it was even a running joke that I was raised by our dogs and therefore learned to "get to know someone or something" with my nose first, then my eyes. Years have passed and few things have changed, and my olfactory sense is still top-notch (only rivaled by our 70kg St Bernard of course...). I can be attracted to someone/thing just by the way it smells, or completely turned off and never give it another chance if the smell is too bad/overpowering/fake.

Having done loads of arts+crafts projects, I have tested what feels like the whole lot of crafty products. Nothing has turned my sense of smell on alert like this sticky paste from Italy called Coccoina. Packaged in a beautiful antique-looking tin, Coccoina is no ordinary paste: it holds beautifully, is non-toxic, non-solvent and acid-free (great for gluing photos in photo albums) and....drumroll please....smells like almonds. Or better yet - marzipan. Imagine all the craft projects I have done just so I could get to be surrounded by some almond-y-paste pleasure. Bordering on addiction, this Coccoina paste has a hold on me, and I think we just might have to add it to our natural arts+crafts section. Do I sense a Marzipan Making Madness on the way?!