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How to make miniature mushrooms with air dry clay

6/12/2025

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Handmade miniature clay mushroom glued to a faux floral display.

These days, there’s a new favorite medium in my tool kit—air-dry clay! The more I work with this product, the more inspired I am to create things with it. It’s so organic!

Anyone who enjoys baking can relate to the satisfaction of feeling their fingers push into soft dough, shaping and reshaping it until they achieve just the right texture and form. I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance as I experimented with this clay material.  

And, since this is a new fascination for me, I simply HAD to include something clay in my new handcrafted fairy houses! Two new projects need a final whimsical flourish, and I immediately thought of miniature clay mushrooms. What could be more magical?!

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Pumpkin wire wreath DIY with fall faux florals

10/12/2024

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Fall faux floral arrangement on a Dollar Store pumpkin wireframe

​In today’s DIY, I will show you how I made a fall door wreath using a pumpkin-shaped wireframe from Dollar Tree, spooky Halloween ribbon, and fall faux florals. 

It’s getting close to Halloween and nothing is on my front door! So I decided to make a door wreath using a pumpkin wireframe I bought from Dollar Tree last year. The wireframe will be dressed up with black cat wire ribbon and faux floral stems in red and cream (my favorite color combination), all from Factory Direct Craft with a few green leaves scavenged from my faux floral stash. Since I want to reuse the materials after Halloween I used minimal hot glue in this project.

Here’s the best part—this simple DIY project can be done in under an hour!




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How to apply dollhouse roof shingles

10/6/2024

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Dollhouse roof with wood fishscale shingles

If you’ve ever tried to apply shingles in a straight line on a dollhouse roof you know the challenge of keeping everything straight and in alignment! The struggle is real!

One of my current craft projects involves applying shingles to a miniature fairy house roof. The rhythmic visual effect of overlapping tiles on a roof is strangely satisfying…but the same can’t be said of the process of applying those tiles! With a little preparation though this activity can go a lot smoother. 

Today’s blog outlines steps to help make the application of dollhouse roof tiles easy and precise so you can enjoy both the process and the result. 



Wood fish scale shingles on a dollhouse roof

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Three simple methods for creating a 3D cone cutout from a pencil drawing

10/3/2024

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Paper cutout cone made from grid paper.

If you are a crafter or artist who would like to know how to create a three-dimensional cone shape from a 2D drawing this article is for you!

In today’s blog, I will share three simple ways to draw a 2D pattern for a cone. We will try the following techniques: 1) use a triangle point to draw a circle, 2) use a triangle’s diagonal line to draw an arc, or 3) draw triple triangles. 




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9 simple cleaning tips to prepare your living and dining room for fall decorations

8/17/2024

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​It’s the end of August and you know what that means…It’s time to get creative and do some festive fall decorating!!! 

Oh…wait…we have to clean first…

If you’re like me there are probably corners of your room that haven’t seen a dust rag in longer than you’ll ever admit! There are too many other “distractions” in life and it’s hard enough to keep up with the basics. And let’s face it, who likes to clean?! Cleaning is a tedious task that’s easy to put off.

But—ever the optimist—I’ve decided to tackle this tedious task with a smile. I lie…but at least I have a well-thought-out game plan!

The game plan is to take a large, overwhelming task and break it down into manageable pieces. Below are 9 tried-and-true tips for getting your living and dining space clean and ready for fall decorating!



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What Creative Faux Floral Ideas Can Enhance Your Event's Decor?

5/21/2024

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Guest post by Kim G.
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Artificial Flowers by Andrii, Adobe Stock.

​Throwing a party? Planning a wedding? You know decorations are a big deal. They set the scene and make your event feel special, but picking them out can be stressful! 

Here's the good news: creating amazing decorations doesn't have to be hard. In fact, you can use some cool fake flowers to make your event space look fantastic!  

We're talking about faux flowers, not real ones. That means they're made to look real, but they last longer and come in all sorts of fun colors and styles.  




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Pyrography supplies for beginner artists and crafters

5/19/2024

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Wood-burned Celtic Mother's Knot on a wood plaque.
Celtic Mother's Knot Wood-burned Plaque by Di's Studio Designs.
Are you new to wood burning? 

​If you are an artist or crafter who wants to create wood-burned art but doesn’t know what supplies you’ll need, this article is for you! 

Below is a list of tools, safety equipment, cleaning materials, accessories, and how-to books for those new to the art of pyrography. This should give you a better idea of what you will need for your projects so you can start with confidence! 




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Need new arts and crafts supplies for those spring DIY projects?

2/11/2024

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Take a look at my top 17 picks from Blick Art Materials!
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Images from Dickblick.com. Click the links below to view or purchase.

Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. 



Spring is around the corner…and that means new craft projects! But you’ll get nowhere fast without the proper materials! 

​This is the time of year when I plan out the projects for the next few months and take stock of my arts and crafts supplies. The most frustrating situation is when I am working on a craft and realize I have run out of something vital. Everything stops…including the creative roll. This is the life of a creative, right? 

In the spirit of starting this year off on the right foot, I scoured Blick Art Materials’ website to see what’s new in their spring catalog. I collated 17 handy items for your crafty spring DIY projects. 




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Drawing tutorials for Celtic knot borders and corners

1/24/2024

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How to handle corners in Celtic knotwork

Drawing borders with knotwork patterns can be a gratifying way to add drama to art pieces, picture frames, mirror frames, and trays. But what happens when you get to the corners? Dealing with corners can be tricky, but there are a few ways to handle this dilemma. 


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Simple Rustic DIY Holiday Wreath

12/13/2023

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Rustic DIY grapevine holiday wreath on a mirror.
Are you looking for a quick, easy DIY idea for a welcoming holiday wreath?

This DIY idea will take about 15 minutes to put together and is perfect for a last-minute touch or to fill an empty space on a door or wall. ​

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Simple Holiday Front Door Wreath Tutorial

12/13/2023

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DIY  front door wreath with faux juniper, eucalyptus, and berries.

​Last year, I created a few blogs about decorating on a budget. This year, we will continue this theme with new ideas! 

The cost of living is so high right now that it is more important than ever to be frugal and find ways to cut corners anywhere possible. Beautiful new decorations from the latest trending collections are impressive and make for gorgeous holiday interiors, but you can achieve a welcoming interior for your holiday guests on a budget.

Today’s DIY will show you a simple way to create a statement for your front door using a grapevine wreath and faux florals from your own stash. You could even create something similar with florals from your local dollar store.




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How to make handmade pearl swag Christmas tree ornaments

12/8/2023

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Handmade gold pearl swag Christmas tree ornaments.

​I spent the past month writing blogs about different holiday decor styles and color schemes. This research inspired me to be brave and experiment with my usual Christmas tree decor.

So, one sunny afternoon, I went shopping for ideas for my tree and ended up at Hobby Lobby, where I was greeted with a 50% off Christmas decor sale! (I’m not an affiliate or sponsored by Hobby Lobby.) My goal was to find some gorgeous extra wide ribbons and greenery to fill out my tree and wreaths. I walked out with a bundle of red cardinals, fluffy white owls, faux juniper sprays…and no ribbon. The ribbon aisle was picked clean, but the birds inspired me to create an entirely different decor scheme than was planned. So I came home and rifled through the trim-a-tree boxes and ribbon totes in search of ornaments and ribbons to coordinate with the stuff I bought. Long story short, this year’s Christmas tree features red, white, and gold decor. 

Which brings me to today’s little tutorial…

I have this wonderful knack for creating projects for myself! Today’s project was to make some gold swag tree ornaments for my tree to give it more elegance and add visual variety. These ornament swags are a simple and inexpensive way to create a little holiday bling, but you don’t have to use gold pearls. Any color pearls or beads would work well for this project. I will say this project was a little fiddly, but the finished pieces were so worth it and took the look of my tree to another level!




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20 Holiday gift ideas & stocking stuffers for crafters

11/18/2023

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More Christmas gifts and stocking stuffer ideas from Blick Art! 
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Images from Dickblick.com. Click the links below to view or purchase.

Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. 

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​’Tis the season for gift-giving…and crafting!!!

Do you or someone you know need MORE craft supplies? (Because you can never have enough craft supplies, right?!) Do you need stocking stuffers for that crafty person in the family? (Or for your OWN stocking…I won’t judge!) 

Below is a list I compiled of twenty handy and creative gift ideas to fill up the holiday stockings and decorate the space under the tree!




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Circular Twist Border Ring Tutorial

11/8/2023

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Circular border knot drawing on grid paper.
In a previous tutorial, we created a circular Celtic braid. This tutorial will be a simpler version of that design, just a basic twist that I will be using in a new piece of Celtic art—a High Cross.
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Drawing supply gift ideas for the artist in the family

11/7/2023

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Christmas gifts and stocking stuffer ideas from Blick Art Materials
Picture
Images from Dickblick.com. Click the links below to view or purchase.

Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. 




​Can you believe the holidays are almost here? Where the heck did this year go?! 

​With only a few weeks left for holiday gift buying, the pressure is on to find something for the creatives in your life. I scoured Blick Art Supplies for some of the most practical drawing supplies for my artistic readers and YouTube followers! Some of the items below are supplies I own or have purchased for one of the creatives in my household. (We’re all creative souls here!)

So, without further ado, here are some of my best picks for drawing supply gift ideas for the artist in your life…




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DIY lighted pumpkin stack using up-cycled candy buckets

10/12/2023

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Painted Halloween candy bucket.
​In a previous blog, I showed you how to up-cycled old jack-o-lanterns using chalk and craft paint. In this blog, I will share how I transformed a few old plastic Halloween candy buckets into “new” decor for my home. Reusing and updating old decor is such a fun and budget-friendly way to create a fresh look in your home for the season without breaking the bank! I don’t know about you, but money has been extraordinarily tight this year…And my kids are all grown now, so they don’t need those old buckets anyway!

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Halloween DIY using chalk paint to revive an old plastic pumpkin

10/9/2023

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Plastic jack-o-lantern lit with lights.

​Money is tight this year, so the focus for the fall decorating season has been on up-cycling and reusing wherever possible. But, just to make my life more difficult, I also wanted to change my usual fall decor.

Every year I pull out these light-up jack-o-lanterns along with the rest of my bright orange, yellow, and red fall and Halloween decor. This year, I decided I’d had enough of these bright colors! My kids are all grown, and I want more muted colors for this fall season. So, a Halloween DIY project was born!




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How to Get Streak-Free Windows and Mirrors

8/29/2023

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​We've all experienced the frustration of cleaning windows and mirrors, only to be left with stubborn streaks or cloudy surfaces. In this blog post, we'll walk you through some simple yet effective tips to help you achieve streak-free windows and mirrors.

Your windows and mirrors probably have residue from cleaning products you may have used prior. This means the cleaner and materials you use have to cut through residue to reveal streak-free surfaces.

So here are some tips to help you get those windows and mirrors clear and shiny!




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How to Revive Your Cat's Favorite Scratching Post

7/26/2023

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Cat's scratching post newly rewrapped with jute twine.
​Hey there, fellow cat lovers! We all know how much our feline friends adore their scratching posts. Over time, though, these scratching posts can begin to look ragged. In this blog post, we'll walk you through rewrapping your cat's scratching post, giving it a fresh lease on life. So grab your materials, and let's dive right in!

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How to clean a fabric lampshade

4/27/2023

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​Do you have fabric lampshades that could use a good cleaning but are hesitant to try because you are afraid to damage the fabric? Today’s blog article offers a few tips for cleaning those dingy, dirty lampshades.

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    Author


    Diane M. Lilly
    ​Owner of Di's Studio Designs
    Artist/Home Decor Designer/Writer/
    ​Photographer


    Welcome to Di's Studio Designs blog! I invite you to share my creative journey and read along as I explore art, fairy thermes, home decor, and nature...

    Subscribe to my monthly newsletter here so you never miss a blog post!
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    ​Some of the posts on this site contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.

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  • Home
  • About the Artist
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  • Privacy and Disclosure Policies
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