A day’s leave from work is a chance for some full-on knitting. I’ve been working on the stranded skirt that I’m designing:-
I also had a temporary craft-swerve into decoupage, but only because I found a way to do so that involved knitting. Allow me to explain. We have a pug-ugly mirror in our house that the Stoic Spouse bought when he was young. The frame is plasticky beech-effect laminate that’s so orange, it looks like it over-did the fake tan. It’s not even properly trying to look like real wood. I really dislike this mirror. In fact I dislike it so much that I may even have mentioned my dislike of it to the Stoic Spouse one or two thousand times. After all, I may have promised to love the man in sickness and in health, but I don’t recall anything in our marriage vows about loving that flippin’ mirror.
So we agreed some time ago that I would decoupage the frame with pretty, colourful paper. The only problem with this plan was that it didn’t involve knitting, and so the idea slipped slowly down my ‘to-do’ list until it dropped off the bottom and landed on the floor amongst the waste scraps of yarn.
Until today. Savouring the rare experience of no work or children, I wandered into a crafty shop called No Two Things in Didcot where they sell, amongst other temptations, decoupage equipment. Can you guess where this is heading, yet? Yup, they had papers with KNITTING on them! Look!
Suddenly, my motivation to spend an afternoon gluing bits of paper to a mirror frame got a lot stronger. The same principle would probably work quite well in other areas of my life, too. I’d be much more efficient at doing the laundry if the washing machine was adorned with a stockinette design, for example. And if my car was covered with fairisle motifs, I might even get round to washing it.
Anyway, I assembled some basic equipment…
…and started patching:-
…and patching…
…until it was done!
…and ready to be used by sundry household members:-
Anyway, this isn’t a decoupage blog. Back to the knitting and crochet. 🙂
Meanwhile, don’t forget that there’s still time to enter the Stylecraft competition to design a new shade of yarn. I’m getting excited about judging all your entries along with Lucy from Attic24. Good luck, people!
Sharon Mann says
Very cool Phil!
nicolaknits says
I’ve been meaning to try decoupage myself one day. I agree, paper printed with knitting would definitely inspire me!
nicolaknits says
PS: when I say decoupage myself, I don’t mean apply paper to my person! 🙂
arlingwoman says
For a paragraph or so, I was sure you were going to knit a little stretchy sock for the frame. It might have worked! But the decoupage result is very attractive. Now you can like the mirror!
cricketfox says
I love it. that is amazing
dianelaces says
So cool!!!
thecontentedcrafter says
Creativity is creativity however you do it! A much improved looking glass – Miss /Mr Giraffe is looking quite fetching!
Allison says
This totally cracked me up! My own Querido has some possessions that I think he could have left on the country…and I may have mentioned that to him too. Oops.
Allison says
*on the other side of the country
pomegranateandchintz says
That looks great!
narf77 says
OOOOOH that’s perty Ms Twisted! I actually liked the original frame but the decoupage gives it a certain yarny Je ne sais quoi that certainly gives Mr Stuffed Giraffe a run for his money on the lively stakes.
thegrangerange.wordpress.com says
What a transformation, the new mirror looks fab.
gladeridercrafts says
Awesome job! And blog about whatever you want to- it’s your blog! 🙂
Amy at love made my home says
Oh dear!! That is so funny!!! I love that you have a giant giraffe that has its own tall mirror to look into!! The knitting is much nicer than the orange frame! xx
Gallivanta says
Fabulous.
creativityandfamily says
Fantastic!! x
leelah saachi says
AWESOME result and idea! I will decoupage my vacuumcleaner to vacuum more often- and even maybe the waskingmachine -and the frame looks lovely
( and do you know that I use your blog as the day’s vitamines?
littleblackdogsa says
Have done decoupage for a long time, and still do when I get the opportunity. It is great fun. I love to decoupage Ostrich eggs, as we get them here pretty easily. They make a nice display. You did a great job. Well done! 🙂
slippedstitches says
What a fun item it turned out to be! I love the whimsy.
mollieandclaire says
Niiiiiice!
Jane Eldridge says
It looks fabulous! Jane
Jane Eldridge says
Maybe I could decoupage my husband’s ‘football phone’? Yes, a football phone. It is a football that is actually a phone!!!!!!!
shoelaceswitcher says
That’s awesome! I love it (both the design and the mirror).
1marylou says
It looks like your giraffe likes to mirror too.
shawncallen says
Love the result!
kathy says
AwesomeSauce! What a fun makeover idea!
caityrosey says
I haven’t decoupaged anything since I was too little to know what it was. It comes perfectly naturally to a child with a few magazines/catalogues, a scissors, some glue, and little supervision. I’m glad you were able to use it to make something loathed in your home into something you can take pride in instead. (Word to the wise: Do not decoupage your VCR. Dad will be very mad.)
Polly says
This is brilliant, you have given me an idea for a photo frame that I was going to get rid of, thank you. Mr Giraffe likes admiring himself, he is a handsome chap though 🙂
Heather says
Loooove it! What a find!