Design

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Creatives

12.09.15

This is the year, friends. The year that I get all my holiday gift shopping done AHEAD OF TIME. No fast-walking through the mall on December 24th trying to find something passable along with every other poor planner in Boston. Who’s with me??

This is also the year I’m especially excited to shop for the creatives in my life. With The Holiday Collective, plus my artsy in-real-life friends, I’ve got a bunch! Here’s a few gift ideas for creatives to help you find the perfect gift for yours, too.

Gift Guide for Creatives @idlehandsawake

one: An epic planner.

Creatives are sometimes really organized. And sometimes, not so much. The Visionary Journal is not only a planner, but a vision manager that helps you stay focused on your goals and implement the steps to make them happen. Perfect for that creative with big dreams and scattered to-do lists.

two: Fancy scissors.

Yes, really. Fancy scissors are a must for every creative. Just trust me. I personally own this pair by Nate Berkus and they are not only super fancy, are also damn good. They can cut fabric. If you have ever used crappy scissors you know that is a win.

three: A creative class (or two!).

If there’s one thing that creatives all share, it’s a desire—nay, a NEED—to keep trying new things. Printmaking. Sculpture. Watercolor. Learn all the things! A creative class is the answer. I’ve heard great things about Creativebug (pictured here is an example from the Beginning Watercolor course). I’d also recommend Skillshare, or the Photo Styling 101 course from my friend Rachel of The Crafted Life!

four: A blank notebook and nice pens.

Just as important as a planner for organized thoughts is a blank notebook* for brain dumping/doodling/daydreaming. And of course pretty pretty pens.*

five: An Instax camera.

Kinda specific, I know, but toying around with an Instax camera* is SO good for practicing creativity. Think of it as another sketchbook. Plus you end up with lots of pretty pictures that actually exist in the real world! So old school.

six: An inspirational art print.

There are many, many inspirational art prints out there, but this lovely sentiment by MJ of Pars Caeli really speaks to me.

seven: An eye mask.

What? Hear me out: creatives work really hard. They need sleep. And exercise, relaxation, etc. Feel free to sub a yoga mat, Fitbit,* a soothing tea blend, or whatever else to keep your creative sound in body.

…………………………….

Alright, who’s the hardest person on your list to shop for? Mine is definitely my dad: the man builds fully submersible radio-controlled model submarines from scratch, and he buys himself whatever he wants. Always a puzzler.

*Affiliate links. This means if you purchase, I will earn a small commission at no extra charge to you, which is pretty sweet because it helps me pay blogging bills, so thank you! I will only link to products I have used or would use myself, pinky promise!
30 Minutes or Less / DIY

DIY Modern Air Plant Garland

12.08.15

A couple weeks ago I was suffering from some serious #jungalow envy.

So naturally, I went out and bought as many plants as I could fit in my little granny-chic rolling shopping cart and arduously wheel home uphill for 30 minutes. It was a lot of plants. My wallet might say too many plants, but I say “too many plants” is an oxymoron.

The star of the haul was a giant, exotic, perfect xerographica air plant I named Ruby. Ruby demanded a special project be made just for her. I obliged and this DIY modern air plant garland was born.

DIY Modern Air Plant Garland by Idle Hands Awake

I mean look at that thing. Have you ever seen a plant more deserving of her own blog post?

DIY Modern Air Plant Garland by Idle Hands Awake Read More

DIY

DIY Leather Gemstone Ornaments

12.03.15

I know, I KNOW. Gemstones are so last year. But leather is way in so I’m half on-trend with these cuties. Anyways I still like diamondey things so I’m going with these DIY leather gemstone ornaments and you’ll just have to deal.

DIY Leather Gemstone Ornaments by Idle Hands Awake

DIY Leather Gemstone Ornaments by Idle Hands Awake

Keep on reading to learn how to make your own DIY leather gemstone ornaments, plus learn the easy trick for gold foiling which I’ve just discovered and want to do forevermore. Foil all the things! Read More

Giveaways

THC Giveaways: Win $150 to Artfully Walls! [CLOSED]

12.02.15

IT’S GIVEAWAY DAY!

Today is all about YOU, my lovely readers. YOU make this blog a fun place for me to be. Your views, comments, likes, pins, and shares are the reason Idle Hands Awake exists at all, and for that I am more thankful than you can know. Ugh, I’m making myself tearful now, gross.

So anyways today I’m so happy to have partnered with The Holiday Collective Giveaways and Artfully Walls to give one lucky winner $150 worth of gorgeous art—winner’s choice!

Win $150 to spend at Artfully Walls!

Secret Garden Galaxy Collection

Nothing like a good old holiday giveaway to get you in the mood for gifting!

As usual with giveaways, as much as I am stoked for you, I am also a little jealous because I want that black-and-white flower print sooooo bad. Can I enter my own giveaway? That’s not tacky, right?

THC Giveaways: Enter to Win $150 to spend at Artfully Walls!

If you need some eye candy to see how to make Artfully Walls work for you, check out the beautiful gallery Amy made on Homey Oh My.

Gallery Wall by Homey Oh My

Glorious.

I think that’s enough pretty pictures to convince you how awesome this giveaway is. So go ahead and enter already! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Artfully Walls for sponsoring this giveaway! Giveaway ends 12/5 at midnight US Eastern Time. Winner will be randomly chosen via Rafflecopter and notified by email. Winner will have 3 days to reply and claim their prize, otherwise another winner will be chosen. Open to U.S. residents only–sorry, international friends, I’ll get you another time! Thank you everyone for reading Idle Hands Awake!

***Update: the giveaway is now closed! Congratulations, Kristine P., check your email because you are the winner! Thank you everyone SO SO much for reading and entering—you are all winners to m! 😉

Don’t forget, there’s still time to enter the giveaways on Pars Caeli, Fall for DIY, and Squirrelly Minds! And we at THC have MANY more giveaways coming up. Because we love you. Because you’re awesome. Take another look at the schedule below, and follow us on Facebook for giveaway reminders!

Nov. 28 – Pars Caeli is giving away a $100 to Seedling

Nov. 29 – Fall for DIY is giving away a Silhouette Cameo ($300 value)

Nov. 30 – Squirrelly Minds is giving away a $200 to SnapBox

Dec. 1 – This Little Street is giving away a $200 to Anthropologie and a beauty assortment box

Dec. 2 – Idle Hands Awake is giving away $150 to Artfully Walls

Dec. 3 – A Bubbly Life is giving away $250 to Pottery Barn Teen

Dec. 4 – Alice & Lois is giving away $200 in Banana Republic shop cards

Dec. 5 – This Heart of Mine is giving away 4 pairs of Livie & Luca shoes

Dec. 6 – The Merrythought is giving away 1 adult bicycle & 1 kid’s bicycle from Brilliant Bicycle Co. ($588 value)

Dec. 7 – Shrimp Salad Circus is giving away a $200 to Michaels

Dec. 8 – Lovely Indeed is giving away $150 to Social Print Studio

Dec. 9 – A Girl Named PJ is giving away $250 to BRIKA

Dec. 10 – Brepurposed is giving away a Welcome Package + 2 yards of modern jersey fabric to Spoonflower

Dec. 11 – Damask Love is giving away a Cricut prize bundle

Dec. 12 – Hey There Home is giving away $200 to Pottery Barn

Dec. 13 – Alice & Lois is giving away $200 to Minted

Dec. 14 – Hello Lidy is giving away a pair of Lotta from Stockholm clogs (up to $200 value)

Dec. 15 – Lulu the Baker is giving away $200 to Design Life Kids Thank you thank you thank you for being here with me on the interwebs! Here’s wishing you an awesome holiday season full of good people, good food, and good DIYs. xoxo

DIY / Printables

DIY Printable Advent Calendar

11.30.15

You know when you are typing the same word over and over, and it starts to lose all meaning and you begin questioning if “five” is really spelled that way, and your husband looks at you like he’s wondering if it’s safe to suggest you take a break?

Well you will not have to deal with that absurdity to make this graphic and modern DIY printable Advent calendar because I did the annoying designing part for you.

You’re welcome.

DIY Printable Advent Calendar by Idle Hands Awake

DIY Printable Advent Calendar by Idle Hands Awake

That’s right, all YOU have to do to is grab some envelopes and print on ’em. And yes, you can print on any kind of envelope with your regular old home printer. I will show you how and you will want to print on all the things and you will hate me for getting you to spend more money on ink. You’re welcome for that too.

DIY Printable Advent Calendar by Idle Hands Awake

But come on—worth it, right?

DIY Printable Advent Calendar by Idle Hands Awake Read More