Sweet Paul

I always look forward to Sweet Paul's Crafty Friday posts, but I flipped when I saw his cozy little knit vase. As Paul points out, practically everyone has an old sweater with some sort of defect and a vase laying around the house. Instead of wasting money and time hunting for all of the necessary bits, just take a look through your sweater bins and cabinets to prep for this ridiculously easy DIY. Place the vase in the arm of the sweater, and leave a couple of extra inches of sweater material from the bottom of the vase. Fold the two inches of fabric, and you end up with the cutest Winter vase. Thanks Sweet Paul!

Photos by Alexandra Grablewski

In the new issue of Sweet Paul magazine, there's a feature on using fruits and vegetables to dye fabric naturally. I love the way the gradient on this farmers market bag turned out, and these napkins have me dreaming up colorful outdoor Summer dinner parties, but I also think the colors are so lovely on their own that they'd be just as fantastic as solids.

The issue provided a few more ideas for textiles to dye, including frame mats and pillowcases. Now I'm bursting with thoughts about what décor items around my home I could dye. Some of my favorites that I'd love to try are bed skirts, duvets, bolsters, and cocktail napkins. But I'm also thinking it could be interesting to dye a fabric with a subtle print like seersucker or with texture like quilting, embroidery, or ruffled trim. In case you're interested in getting your hands dirty with some produce, here's some décor that might be fun to try:

I'm going to say it: 2010 was the year of online shelter magazines! The digital sisters to time-honored print glossies kicked butt this year, elevating the new medium to a whole new level. As I pointed out, my only wish is that I had more time to read them all! I polled you all about which online mag is currently stealing your heart the most, and we have a winner!

Sweet Paul, the new pub turned out by food and prop stylist Paul Lowe, gets the reader's choice vote for favorite online shelter magazine! Filled with clever DIYs, mouthwatering recipes, and stylish housewares, not to mention stunning photography, it's no wonder you "nesting" Casa readers fell for it. Congrats Sweet Paul!

And let's give a round of applause to our close runners-up: Nesting Newbies and Rue. Keep up the good work, ladies!

Have you checked out Sweet Paul's Fall magazine yet? It's absolutely overflowing with Fall inspiration, including this adorable pumpkin lamp. Paul made it with a funkin (a fake pumpkin).

Since a funkin is made from low-density foam, it's incredibly light, making it perfect for a seasonal decoration like this overhead light. Want to make your own? Source your own funkin here, and then read more about the project over at Sweet Paul.

I've long admired stylist Sweet Paul's distinctive style. Besides prettifying the world of food and interiors, he also writes a great blog. Did I mention that he's also rather crafty?

Check out what he did to this basic linen bedspread. Using some vintage doilies, he personalized this very basic bedding. To get the same effect, pin the doilies in place, and then stitch them to the fabric. I have a feeling that Paul may have also tea-dyed the doilies to get that pretty color. Why don't you try it out on some basic bedding at your home? So easy, and so beautiful!


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