Category: Arts & Crafts

M&J Blog > Arts & Crafts

DIY: Ribbon Garland

Posted on August 5, 2014August 2, 2018 by M&J Trimming

A very special birthday is coming up, and the cake is definitely bound to have more candles than it can handle. But what do you do when you want to keep the celebratory impact of the cake without turning the cake into a crater? With a simple decoration that’s also easily translatable to walls: ribbon garland!

What You’ll Need:

15mm French DF Satin Ribbon

Thick String

Scissors

E6000

Dowels

1.Cut your ribbons into 4″ strips.

2. Add glue to one side of the ribbon, and place it under the string in the middle.

3. Fold over the ribbon and pat it down. Repeat this step with the other colors until you reached your desired length for your garland.

4. Once the ribbon is dry, fold the tips of each ribbon meeting together. Cut on an angle doing downward.

5. Add dowels to each side of the cake and attach your cake garland to each side.

Ribbon Garland

What You’ll Need:

1.5” Single-Face Satin Ribbon #00299

Thick String

Scissors

E6000

1. Repeat the steps above with 10″ lengths of ribbon.

Cake Topper DIYs

Posted on August 3, 2014August 24, 2017 by M&J Trimming

Do you have a big birthday coming up? A party you want to impress your guests at? A special announcement that needs a special dessert? Enter the cake topper. This wonderful addition to any cake, big or small, can instantly take your cake up a notch or two. Perfect for any occasion, cake toppers make any celebratory event even more exciting, but pre-made varieties can cost more than the cake itself! So why not roll up your sleeves (if they aren’t already rolled from creating that perfect cake) and get crafting!

Gems are totally outrageous, and thus the perfect toppers for a delicious cake. These cute paper and glitter creations from Designlovefest are perfect for any princess’s party!

What’s better than a cake topper? A cake topper you can eat. What’s better than that? A cake topper you can eat with sprinkles. Kojo Designs checked off every box, and made the perfect sprinkle cake topper.

These monogram cake toppers from Design Sponge are so beautiful, we’d hold onto them long after the last slice has been had.

Ombre Flag Cake Toppers

Lauren Conrad must share our love for ombre and ribbons. Just look at these beautiful flag cake toppers! They’re perfect for a baby shower.

Even the smallest of cakes can use a little topper love. These paper clip balloon toppers from Studio DIY are just the ticket for some sweet personalized treats!

Favorite DIYs of July

Posted on July 31, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Summer is always a fun time to DIY because the projects can get bigger, more messy, and brighter! From accessories to art, bloggers have been crafting their hearts out making the coolest projects! Below you’ll find a snapshot of some of our July favorites that really expanded our creativity!
Gold Bulb Chandelier Brit + Co made the coolest chandelier using painted gold bulbs with larger circular ones. We love the clustered effect of this modern chandelier, and wouldn’t mind having it in every room of the house!

This month the beautiful sisters from A Beautiful Mess taught us how to make a simple beaded necklace. When working with natural gemstones, sometimes all you need is something simple to showcase their inherent beauty.

These bridal shower invites from Creme de la Craft are beyond adorable, and just go to show you that it’s the details that make all the difference.

We love the watercolor trend, especially on these beautiful napkins from Paper and Stitch! They’re the perfect addition to your dinner party place settings.

From far away this looks like a piece of traditional Hindu art, but this mandala is definitely modern! Upon closer inspection you’ll find an array of different stickers that are sure to put a smile on your face. We love the stickers they picked out at HonestlyWTF.

DIY: PomPom Placemats

Posted on July 29, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Summer is all about having fun, seeing friends and family, going on adventures and bright, bright colors! Embrace the summer spirit by introducing some fun onto your dinner table with these pompom placemats we’ve created. They add the perfect amount of pizzazz to your summer table, and are great for using when entertaining friends!

Materials for Pom Pom Fringe Placemat What You’ll Need:

Placemats

3/8” Pom Pom Fringe

E6000

Scissors Measuring Pompom Trim for Placemat 1. Lay your pom pom fringe against one side of your placemat, and cut to fit.

Gluing Fringe onto Placemat 2. Place a line of glue going down the edges of the placemat, and glue down your trim.

3. Repeat on all sides.

Finished Pompom Placemat

DIY Summer Centerpieces

Posted on July 27, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

We may be a month or so through summer, but our love for summer parties has not waned! One of our favorite aspects of the summer party, aside from seeing family and friends, is, of course, the decorations. We love the look of a simple centerpiece at the table, whether it is a vase of blooming flowers or a bowl of strategically arranged fruit! We love the bright colors of these simple centerpieces from Delighted Magazine’s Summer 2013 Issue!

This simple floral centerpiece Like a Saturday captures the effortless style of summer, since everything is so beautiful this season, decorating takes practically no effort!

This citronella centerpiece candle from Adventures in Making is both practical AND beautiful. You’ll be throwing out those tiki torches without a second thought!

Who says single buds can’t be just as captivating as a mixed arrangement? Definitely not us, especially when they’re showcased in such a unique way by Hello Bee!

Succulents are all the rage right now, and make a great centerpiece for a beachy summer party! Take a look at how Home Depot made this sweet succulent centerpiece.

Who knew that even sand could get the ombre treatment? Check out the cool summer candle centerpiece they created over at Something Turquoise!

DIY: Shimmering Nail Art

Posted on July 22, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Did you know that the items we sell at M&J aren’t only great for fashion and accessories? You can also use them to beautify your nails! We used some of our smaller Swarovski crystals to add a shimmering accent to a fresh manicure. You can switch out the colors to match or contrast your nail polish for a customized look that’s all your own! What You’ll Need:

Polished nails

SS20 Rose AB Swarovski Flatbacks

SS20 Aquamarine AB Swarovski Flatbacks

SS16 Crystal Swarovski Flatbacks

Nail Glue

Tweezers 1. Once your nails are painted, dab a little glue onto your ring finger, or whichever finger you’d like to be the accent nail.

2. Apply each rhinestone on your nail individually, using tweezers for more precision. Start with bigger rhinestones first, otherwise you may not have room for them later. 3. You can stop at one stone, or continue adding rhinestones until your entire nail is covered.

M&J On the Today Show

Posted on July 21, 2014August 7, 2018 by M&J Trimming

If you were tuned into Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda on Friday, you may have seen some of our star trims in the spotlight during Bobbie’s Buzz, a segment focused on the most current fashion trends. This segment highlighted the DIY craze, and featured three different types of DIYs to take your outfits to the next level!

Our favorite DIY of the three was definitely trim-centric, and featured an ingenious way to add trim to your outfit without ever having to touch a needle and thread.

Watch the video to see the crafty way you can attach trim to your favorite pieces!

Best DIYs of June 2014

Posted on June 30, 2014August 10, 2017 by M&J Trimming

This month was full of fun summer/spring DIYs that are perfect for those upcoming summer parties and beach vacations! Take a look at some of our favorite DIYs this month to help get your creative juices flowing!

Amp up your home with a sequined ampersand made by Sugar and Cloth! We’re happy to find another use for our sequin trim!
Stay sweet with Studio DIY’s delicious ice cream balloon weights!

Miss Kris does it again with this pom pom trimmed poncho that’s perfect for the beach!

Studs and Pearls mixed it up with a cool mixed media necklace.

This table cloth created by A Beautiful Mess is perfect for summer cookouts, and uses a DIY essential, Rit Dye!

Gift Guide for the Crafty Mom

Posted on May 5, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and if your mom loves to DIY as much as you do, we have some suggestions that will make her jump with joy.

The Seamstress – If your mom loves to sew, give her some enhanced essentials! Make a kit with fashion tape, a rainbow of thread, and a unique array of buttons.

The Home Decor Diva – Does your mom change her decor according to styles and not just seasons? Give her some trim that she’s bound to love! How about an elegant tassel fringe, or a fun pom pom fringe?

The Social Butterfly – If your mom is a VIP who is always attending parties and galas, make sure she shines with rhinestone or beaded trim! It’s the perfect trim for adorning an evening dress or clutch.

The Accessory Queen – If your mom loves making her own stylish accessories, check out our Project DIY kits! They have everything you need to make stylish, runway-inspired accessories.

DIY App Roundup

Posted on April 24, 2014October 31, 2017 by M&J Trimming

We’re living in a hyper-digital world, and many of us like to DIY to escape the vibrating computer screen. But digital media can play a part in your next DIY too! There are plenty of apps out there that are the perfect addition to your DIY toolkit or inspiration board.

Need designer style, without having a designer’s eye or a handle on Adobe Suite? Makr makes things simple by giving you on-trend templates for papercrafts and wares. It’s also great for a brand on a budget for those DIYers looking to expand into selling their crafts!

As if DIYing couldn’t get any more fun, enter DIY – Get Skills. Be Awesome. This gamified app grants badges for different types of DIYs that you post and share with friends. This app has a strong community filled with sharing and skill-building!

Can’t keep your patterns in order? This app will help keep you organized. It keeps all of you information on file so that you can make that dress at the drop of a hat.

Dimensions is a great tool if you don’t have a ruler handy. Actually, just drop the ruler and use this app which tells you the dimensions of any item up to .078 millimeters. Now that’s more precise than even our own eyeballs!

Of course Pantone would make an app that would make deciding on colors even more exciting and beautiful. Finding great color combinations has never been easier with this swatch app.