DIY Felted Stone Mat

Last night was one of those cool, clear, crisp late August evenings. I will not lament about the end of summer, let’s just enjoy what’s left and notice what is knocking on summer's door – autumn. Lovely! It is a rare weekend that my family (daughter, son and their boy/girlfriends) is all together. We have a late evening tradition of dipping into our wood-fired hot tub when the temps are not sweltering. All summer I’ve been padding around the hot tub barefoot. But, last night was chilly and I wished we had a mat next to the tub.

I’ve coveted the beautiful, earthy-colored Clustered Felted Mat (above) from VivaTerra for a while. How beautiful is that? It would be just perfect on my deck right next to the tub. While I have purchased items from VivaTerra in the past because I love their commitment to the environment and for using pure and stylish materials handcrafted by artisans, this mat is just too pricey to put next to the tub (large mat - $695). But...they can provide the inspiration for DIY possibilities to create something similar to this:

This tutorial from Craftster uses felted leftover yarn balls. The creator of the DIY rug explains her process:

“I started making balls out of my stash of leftover wool. (You know that stash of wool you can't bear to part with but don't have enough to actually knit/crochet a whole project?) I used a combination of hand and machine felting, and sewed the stones together by hand with a nylon twine."

Made in neutral stone-colored tones, I think this method for creating a similar mat, might just be what will keep my feet toasty after those evening dips. Certainly worth a try, don’t you think?

Credits: VivaTerra, Sea Otter Designs, Crafster

What The Sea Left Behind

“In every outthrust headland, sale in every curving beach, mind in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.” ~ Rachel Carson After boarding the ferry home from Martha’s Vineyard, my head was swimming with beachy DIY ideas. I’m somewhat obsessed with collecting things the sea left behind – sea glass, beach stones and shells. The weathering forces of the salty ocean, with its abrasive pounding and then sun-faded drying, transforms shells, discarded glass and stones into alluring objects.

For years, I kept the rewards of my beachcombing in jars and bowls around the house. Now is the time to dip into those beach treasures and harvest some beauties for DIY projects.

Come back for more econesting posts with projects from what the sea left behind. Let’s start with beach stones…

Beach Stone Closure

Do you need a closure for an outdoor shower or garden gate? This clasp is secure enough to keep peeping Toms out, and easy enough for a child to open. You’ll need an array of beach stones, a drill, hemp twine and this Care2 tutorial to make this simple clasp.

Credit: Remodelista.

Rock, Paper…Table

Brazilian designer Domingos Tótora's table appears to be balanced on large stones. Right? On closer inspection, the Agua Table is easy to move, eco-friendly, and no stones were harmed in the making of it. The table is created from recycled cardboard. Check out these amazing photos of the artisan's process behind making the Agua Table via Contemporist:

DIY Natural Stone Knobs

"A stone is ingrained with geological and historical memories, ”says master stone artist and environmentalist" ~ Andy Goldsworthy. If you are like me, you pick up stones and rocks to remember places, to connect with nature and because you like the “feel” of stones. From almost every view inside and outside of my home, you can spy a cluster of stones or just a lone beauty here and there.

Stones have been used for many years in spiritual healings and for meditative purposes. Since stones come from the Earth, many believe their properties possess an abundance of powers from promoting good health to acquiring prosperity.

Do you collect stones? It is easy to make your own stone knobs for drawers or cabinets using the materials and technique below. The natural color and texture of the stones, along with the size of your drawer or cabinet door, will determine your unique one-of-a-kind knob.

DIY Natural Stone Knobs

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Materials:

Rocks – beach, river Drawer pull(s) – a small metal cylinder with a flat top surface – one that will withstand repeated stress pulling. Glue – we used Gorilla glue Coarse Sand Paper

Stone-Knobs-in-line

What to do:

1. Collect rocks – select size and shape according to drawer or cabinet size. 2. Wash and dry thoroughly. 3. If the draw pull is smooth, sand the end of the drawer pull where it will be glued to the rock to rough it up. 4. Sand the rock on the side that the drawer pull will attach to. 5. Glue the stone to the drawer pull. 6. Let dry and screw into drawer.

This article originally posted on Care2.