DIY print cork coasters

I love little creative projects that take hardly any time or effort at all, and this is definitely one of those:

I've got a thing for cork at the moment, and fancied incorporating something corky 

in my new, little Coffee station I put together in my kitchen the other week....so I decided to make myself some new coasters..

Being a cheapskate very frugal person, I just cut out my disk shaped coasters from a cork tile I had left over from when I did my loft makeover (hence why they are a little rough around the edges ) , but you can get plain cork coasters , like these, really cheap.

There are of course loads of ways you can decorate plain cork coasters, check out pinterest for inspiration, but I actually used cookie cutters to print my cork coasters with.

I managed to get a set of hexagon fondant cookie cutters on sale in Dunelm mills, but this set gives you a great selection of geometric shapes at a very reasonable price.

Then all you'll need is some paint, in your choice of colours.

I chose a minty blue, a greeny-yellow and some white + a coral shade that really pops!

Love this colour combination!!

I just painted the thicker side rim of the cookie-cutter shapes with paint...

...then pressed the paint onto the cork coaster. 

Pretty self explanatory really.

Then I painted the rim of the coasters white.

 Simple!

I also made some matching tea towels, that I will be sharing with you all next week...

 These little creative projects helps add personality into my interiors, and by making useful things for the home, as simple as they are, helps add some creative beauty to my everyday...

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My New Coffee station...

An early morning upgrade

I love mornings.

It is my favorite time of the day.

I love getting up with sunrise and see the day get gradually lighter outside...when all is quiet and calm...

And I love my morning coffee....and last week I posted about my quest to make my first morning coffee even more enjoyable, when I looked into creating a coffee station.

I wanted to see how I could use beautiful, yet functional design to enhance that first sleepy half hour of my day, and make the coffee-brewing experience as lovely as that first cup of coffee...

So today I am sharing my design picks for my dream coffee station....some of which I've already acquired, and some that are on my wish list:

1/ Wood collar Chemex 6 cup coffee maker 2/Hario V60 Buono Power Kettle 3/square wooden tray 4/Super living Amanda blue Sugarpot 5/Superliving Amanda blue milkjug 6/glass storage jar with wooden lid 7/House of Rym TISSAGE cup 8/small wire storage basket 9/Hay coffe bag clip and measuring spoon 10/Salvaged cork coasters 11/CoffeeSock Chemex Filter 12/Cafe de Tiamo Stainless Steel Hand Coffee Grinder Skerton 13/Tall Glass storage jar with wooden lid 14/Marimekko Oiva teapot 15/Linen napkin 16/Stelton copper thermos flask

My Coffee station essentials list consists of:

A tray to gather the coffee making essentials on, with beautiful storage jars for teabags and coffee beans, a pretty sugar pot and milk jug....A handy basket for storing coffee filters, tea towels and coasters.....a beautiful , new favorite cup and a handy measuring spoon is on my wishlist...as is a stylish new kettle and thermos flask to keep the coffee warm....and a nice teapot for the tea drinkers.

And I really want a handheld coffee bean grinder, to replace my electric one (as apparently this will prevent the coffee beans from getting scorched in this process)...

But top of my wishlist was a Chemex coffee maker, as I'd heard so much praise for it...so after much deliberation, I took the plunge and got one to replace my hideous green plastic cafetiere

....and I have to say...it lives up to it's expectations:

Not only is it beautiful, like a piece of art, to look at, but it really does make THE best coffee!

There is a bit of an art to brewing the perfect cup of coffee with the Chemex, and at the bottom of this post you can find my Chemex coffee brewing guide. But as convoluted as the process may sound, the Chemex has most definitely improved my morning coffee, beyond the fantastic taste....

...it has made the coffee brewing an enjoyable morning ritual, and I find (now that I've got the hang of the process) that it focuses my mind and sets me up for the day...

Who knew that a coffee maker could do all that?

Of course, my coffee station is more than my new Chemex...it is now not just an organised space where I keep my hot-drinks essentials, but also a more aesthetically pleasing corner of my kitchen.

My late mormor's old copper tea-caddy has now found it't use, as mu new sugar bowl, and has pride of place....

And this stylish milk jug was a bargain from Tiger...

The cork coasters are a DIY that I will share with you all in my next post...

As is the wooden bead trivet, handy for resting my Chemex on to protect my kitchen counter. (tutorial coming soon)

I've also printed some tea-towels to go with my DIY coasters that I also will share with you soon....

But for now, I will leave you with this little guide to brewing the perfect cup of coffee using a Chemex:

Photo by Cindy Loughridge  from her atmospheric 365 days of coffee tumble page.

I hope you all feel inspired to upgrade your morning coffee fix.

It doesn't have to cost a lot: Some new storage jars to keep your essentials in or  A pretty, new favorite mug could make a big improvement...

And investing in a Chemex will only set you back about £40...

....I mean: surely we all deserve to start each day in the best possible way:

With a great cup of coffee!

8 inspirational Coffee stations...

...from the www.

I hate to break it to you guys, but summer is coming to an end...

...and that means, it is back to routine for most of us: Busy mornings, school-runs and work.

It can be hard to keep your home looking it's best with hectic long days and busy schedules, let alone to find the time to enjoy it. So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am going to be investigating how we can keep our homes looking good....even if you've not had a chance to tidy, and how good design can improve our lives, as well as our homes.

 And this is my first post in this new series, called Beautiful utility.

So, first thing's first: 

Coffee!!

Image from Me and Alice

I don't know about you, but for me, every day starts with coffee!

In fact, without coffee, the day is a complete non-starter!

So, coffee is VERY important to my everyday life.

But, I felt like my experience of reaching for that sleepy first cup of morning coffee could be improved upon.

Admittedly, having to reach into cupboards to pull out the percolator and cups, is not a hard task, but in a bid to maximize my enjoyment of this first, quiet half hour of my day, I want to A) Make it a more aesthetically pleasing experience and B) Make it a better quality experience!

Like I said: Coffee is VERY important to me!

After all, a good start to the day sets you up for success...right??

So, I've decided to create a little coffee station in my kitchen, and upgrade some of my basic coffee-making essentials.

Image from Desire to inspire

What is a coffee station? And is it not a bit indulgent to have one in your home??

Well...yes, perhaps it is a little indulgent, but after all the hard graft I've put into redecorating out home, it is a luxury I deserve...

...and so do you!

A coffee station is what you make it....Chances are you've already got one in your kitchen:

It is basically where you keep your kettle, ground coffee,teabags and any other hot drinks paraphernalia you may use on a daily basis.
A Coffee station is just a more luxurious and practical way to organize this area.

Image via Pinterest

My aim is to make this area more pleasant to use...

...make it an easier "I can do this in my sleep" experience (which is often the case, LOL)

...make it a more attractive area of my kitchen, but in a very functional way

...And last, but not least, Improve the quality of my morning coffee!

Image from Dust jacket attict

I've been investigating good looking, high quality coffee makers...and although I'd love to have a barista style frappuccino machine extraordinaire with bells on...I have to consider the limited space I have available to me on the worktop, so my new coffee station will not be quite as pro-looking as some of the ones pictured in this post...

Image from Le ButikSofie

But, never the less, these images represent my ideal coffee station, and will be my inspiration as I create my own, that I will share with you all next week.

Image via My Scandinavian home

I love the idea of a good coffee station:

Keeping all your coffee-making essentials in one place makes sense, but more than that, this is about quality design and making it an attractive display: I am talking about beautiful electric kettles, coffee makers, storage jars and cups here.... Making the coffee making experience as enjoyable as the coffee itself...

Image via SFgirl by bay

...setting you up for a good day....right from the start! To see more inspirational images of those perfect coffee moments, check out photographer Cindy Loughridge's tumbler page 365 days of coffee

Back to basics....

....A pretty, useful mess

But as anyone posting images of their homes online will tell you: Behind every lovely picture, on the other side of the lens, there is a pile of mess: A bed filled with dirty washing, a floor strewn with toys, a sink filled with washing up or a desk covered in paperwork...As an interior blogger, I am constantly sharing images of my home online, whether it is here on the blog or on social media, such as instagram or pinterest ...And I also love seeing pictures of other peoples beautiful homes: Perfectly styled corners of a room, all tidy and clean...or close ups of details, beautifully curated items grouped together in a thoughtful way...
...life online can seem pretty perfect!

Real life could never be that picture perfect....

...or could it??

Image from My Scandinavian home

When I visited Copenhagen, I stayed with an old school friend....and even though his home was far from perfect, with signs of daily life everywhere: his 1 year old son's toys strewn across the living room floor, and a constant pile of dirty dishes in the sink, it always looked stylish!

It took me a day or two to work out what it was that made his un-styled, messily real apartment always look like it was instagram-perfect, then I realized:

It s all about design!

Danish people inherently know that good design is paramount to good living!

From the people friendly infrastructure of Copenhagen to the architectural layout of their homes and the way even the cheaper housing, like the block of flats my friend lived in, is built around a communal backyard, with a playground and a landscaped garden that provides the residents with accessible outdoor space and invites them to socialize.....All aspects of Design is well thought out ,and with daily life in mind!
This emphasis on design is of course extended to the Danes approach to interiors, but way beyond the Arne Jacobsen chairs and the Louis Poulsen lamps commonly associated with Danish interior design...

Image from Daniella Witte

It is all in the details: from The coffee maker to the washing up brush in the kitchen, the laundry basket to the dust pan and brush....even the kids toys: Everything is beautifully designed....functional , but beautiful....
....and when your everyday necessities look this stylish, your home will ultimately look stylish as well!

Image from Avenue Lifestyle

So, over the next few weeks I am going back to basics here at Nostalgiecat, showing you how good, functional design can elevate your interiors, and make your everyday life a bit more stylish.
Introducing my theory that if your everyday mess looks good, your home will look good....but more than that: Your quality of life will be better....that is the power of good, functional design!

I will be looking at everything from kitchen utensils to housekeeping essentials, sharing my picks of beautifully designed products with a purpose, storage and organisation.... even kids toys....as well as, of course,  the odd useful DIY!



I call it BEAUTIFUL UTILITY.
An if you'd like to have a sneak peek on what sort of thing you can expect me to be posting about here on the blog, why not check out my Pinterest board of the same name.

Image from An angel at my table

Thanks for popping by, and hope to see you later this week , when I start this series of posts by looking at how to make ,perhaps THE most important everyday essential, THE MORNING COFFEE, a more beautiful experience!

Moon phase wall decoration DIY

In the Scandinavian countries there is a word: "Pyssel", which basically means small, enjoyable often creative activities....something to do..

This little project pretty much falls under this category:

I made this decorative wall hanging, inspired by the varying phases of the moon, for Mia's new look room (See my One Room Challenge posts, in the sidebar--->)

And it perfectly compliments the DIY feature wall I did, but more than that: This is  a quick , easy and enjoyable  "pyssel"....something to do: And it looks great!!

It adds a bit of fun and interest on Mia's wall...

Fancy having a go??

Here's how:

You will need:

Black polymer (Ovenbake) clay

wooden beads (I painted some of mine)

Embroidery thread/ cotton cord (You may need a needle)

Jewelery chain and jump rings

Wooden curtain ring

Rolling pin

Baking paper

Glass

Craft knife/tool

pencil

Fine grade sandpaper

wirecutters

Pointed pliers

Knead the dough until soft and pliable, then place it between two sheets of baking paper and roll out thin (5mm or less). Remove the top sheet of baking paper and, using a glass as a template, cut out 2 circles and two crescent moons with a craft knife/ sharp tool. Cut one of the circles into two halves.

Keep the shapes on the baking paper and transfer onto a baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees centigrade.

Use the tip of a pencil to pierce small holes in your clay-shapes. These are for attaching the chain to later.

Cover the clay-shapes with another piece of baking paper, then place another baking tray on top and weigh it down with something heavy (I used a heavy casserole) . This is to ensure your clay-shapes cook flat. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. (The general rule when cooking polymer clay is 15 minutes per 5mm thickness)

Take out of the oven and leave to cool down with the weighted baking tray still on top.

 Whilst you are waiting for the clay to cool down, get your thread and make a tassel:

Cut out a piece of cardboard and wrap your thread around as shown above.

Thread one of the jump rings onto the thread as you wrap it around the cardboard, so that it ends up at the top of the tassel. Finish it off by wrapping come thread around the top of the tassel and tie tightly.

Using a bit of fine sandpaper, gently sand back any rough edges and any bumpy-ness on the surface of your moon-shapes. (Don't worry about getting it super smooth, just a little tickle will suffice!)

Take them outside and give them one or two coats of clear lacquer...

Whilst you are waiting for the clear lacquer to dry, attach the wooden beads to your tassel to make the bottom of your wall decoration:

Tie another piece of thread through the jump ring at the top of your tassel and thread on the beads. Then tie the beaded tassel to the end of your chain, as shown above. Tuck the end of the thread back into the beads for a neat finish.

When the varnish has dried on the clay-moon-shapes, bring them in to attach them onto the chain.

Using wire cutters, cut the chain up into 4 equal small lengths to go between each moon shape + the beaded tassel end and a longer length for the top.

Using the pointed pliers manipulate the jump rings into the holes in your shapes and attach the chain before squeezing the jump rings shut. Assemble the wall hanging in this way, then finally attach the wooden curtain ring at the top to use to hang the wall decoration from:

Make it as long or short as you want....Perfect for those awkward little spots on a wall that's just screaming out for a bit of added interest!

I love the graphic black moon shapes against Mia's new pale grey wall...

And the beaded tassel at the bottom adds a bit of colour and fun!

Easy, cool and cute...I'd actually quite like one for our living room!

What do you think?

You up for a bit of "pyssel"??

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