Cultivating Creativity Archives - Borrowing Color, LLC

Posted on October 21, 2021October 18, 2021 by Borrowing Color — Leave a comment

17 Creative Hobbies To Try This Fall!

Hello Friend!

We are already halfway through October, a season full of sensational delights – spicy scents, cooler breezes, warm snuggles… even the way that the light trickles through my windows in the morning time. Fall is magical! I don’t know about you, but this time of year always sparks my creative mind and I find my hands restless for busy work. That is how this post about creative fall hobbies came to be.

As I turned to Pinterest for fresh inspiration, I thought I would bring you along with me. You might not know this but I am incredibly passionate about women tapping into the creative depths of their soul and learning to express creativity in the ways they love! So without further ado, here are some DIY creative projects that I’m very inspired to try! I thought they all seemed possible – even for a beginner. (Because let’s be honest, who is actually a master of everything? It sounds exhausting!) Half the fun of creating is to learn new things! Keep reading to find some creative fall hobbies…

Crochet/Knitting/Sewing

Nothing says autumn like a cozy accessory! Learning basic stitches is simple (thanks to YouTube) and while I don’t know how to knit (yet!) I’m sure it’s equally possible to learn some simple steps in an afternoon (bonus points if you can have a friend who can teach you in person or via zoom!) Patterns I’m loving…

1. Simple Sewn Plush Bunny

And it’s filled with dried lavender!

2. Naturally-Dyed and Crocheted Lovey

My own pattern and tutorial!

3. Mama Made Mini Dinosaurs

Shhhh! All the kids in my life are getting one of these for Christmas! (For real though! I’m already working my way through this pattern and it is so simple. You can find my materials here in my Amazon shop.)

4. Crochet Herringbone Pumpkins

Seriously?! So cute!

5. Crochet Sunday Slippers

I need these for the four weeks of winter we get here in Florida, LOLOL!

6. Knit Easy Blanket Sweater

I REALLYYYYYY need to learn how to knit! How cozy!

Nature-Inspired

As beautiful as our own creations may be, nothing compares to CREATION! I thought these were fun ways to incorporate nature into a craft! (These are great for the kids too.) Grab some leaves and flowers to make…

7. DIY Eucalyptus Wreath

This wreath is amazing even after it dries out!

8. Painted Leaves

These can be as sophisticated (or not!) as you want!

9. Leaf Confetti

Confetti is always fun and the fall leaf colors will give a beautiful range of hues!

10. Framed Dried Flower

Spring and summer might be over, but this trick will keep floral colors around all season!

Paper Art

Sometimes simple paper crafts are the most fun to make! Not only that, but they make great “just because” gifts for friends. These ideas are perfect for the upcoming holiday season…

11. Homemade Custom Stamps

This tutorial makes it so easy!

12. Gift Tags

The best idea for reusing tiny scraps of paper!

13. Recycled Newspaper Notecards

I love this craft. It seems perfect for doing with the kiddos too!

Spa Products

Even the most low-maintenance woman appreciates some safe/natural spa products. These seems easy and fun to make, and are perfect for the cooler weather woes! All you need are a few simple ingredients…

14. DIY Rose Water Toner

I love using this before bed!

15. Lotion Bars

I can’t wait to try these!

16. Vanilla Lavender Lip Balm

Honestly, her whole site looks amazing!

17. Lavender Milk Bath

Need I say more? This sounds incredible!

Well Friends,

I hope that these creative ideas have inspired you to make something with your hands this month. If you want to find more inspo, follow me on Pinterest (I’ve been obsessed with pinning things lately!) and then join my group board Cultivating Creativity to share some of your ideas!

Happy Fall!

xo Alex

Posted on October 18, 2021October 18, 2021 by Borrowing Color — 1 Comment

Make Your Own Simple Plush Bunny Using my FREE Sewing Pattern!

Once upon a time, a girl (me) stumbled across a magical part of the internet known as the small shop world. Intrigued, she was inspired to bring her own creativity to that table and join this very special small shop community. After a lot of trial and error and products that “missed the mark,” she finally designed a bunny sewing pattern and began making and selling plush bunnies in her Etsy store.

As she simultaneously explored natural dyes, she began to produce and sell these aromatherapy plush playthings and they began to fill children’s playrooms, Easter baskets, and doll beds. They were well loved by all!

Posted on July 26, 2021July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color — Leave a comment

How to Make Rose Water Using Dried Roses at Home

Have you ever wondered if you could repurpose those wilting old bouquet roses before they pass on to the next life? Or perhaps you have a prolific rose bush that blooms more than you can find uses for the buds? Today I’m going to show you how to make rose water using dried roses at home!

After this tutorial you will actually have two different types – distilled rose water (a hydrosol that is shelf-stable) and steeped rose water (a concentrated brew that is not shelf-stable but can be frozen for later use.) Both are incredible in their own way!

Posted on March 28, 2021July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color — Leave a comment

3 Naturally Dyed Easter Egg Tutorials – Using Food Waste and Kitchen Scraps to Dye Eggs!

Spring is here! One of our favorite annual activities is dyeing Easter eggs with natural dyes. Eggs are the perfect reminder of the changing of seasons, of new birth, of the struggle before the victory… I love the lessons they can teach us. Today I want to show you how to make some of the best naturally dyed Easter eggs!

We will make naturally dyed Easter Eggs using food scraps and kitchen waste to create eco-friendly dyes.

Posted on January 13, 2021July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color — Leave a comment

How to Cultivate Pretend Play at Home (And why you want to!)

I don’t know about you, but when I stop for just a moment to watch and listen to my children play, I am captured by the magic of their imaginations. Their make-believe play reminds me of my favorite parts of childhood. It is SO important to me to preserve and guard this!

These days, there are few open-ended toys. The “gadgets” that are marketed to our kids as toys talk for them, play for them, and limit their imagination. More than any generation before, our kids are growing up in an environment of streaming services, tablets, social media, parents on devices, and peers that are tech-obsessed. How do we preserve childhood play in this climate?

Posted on January 13, 2021July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color — 1 Comment

Stamps 101: How to Carve and Use a Custom Stamp for OOAK Prints

On a scale of 1 to 10, how crafty are you? I’d say I fall somewhere in the middle. Now I know most of you would be shocked at that self-assessment. (Right?! You guys have surely been following along enough to know that my entire business revolves around crafting…) but hear me out!

I don’t often have “epiphany” ideas – most of what I create comes from a heck of a lot of research, trial and error, and failed attempts. Creativity has to be cultivated and a lot of that happens from being a student, learning from others around us, and trying new things.

Where am I going with this? I like to share a lot of BTS (behind the scenes) glimpses into how I make things and dye them on my Instagram accounts. And every time, you guys always show up in my DMs. I love having those “wow” conversations with you and I can’t tell you how many questions I’ve gotten about the basics of natural dyeing. I love it when creativity rubs off on people!

I want to create more content that enables YOU to pursue creative things too! A week or two ago, I asked you in an IG poll what sort of a free resource you’d like me to create and the majority of you said – a stamp carving/printing tutorial! (Don’t worry if you voted for something else – I’ll be creating more things in the future!)

Posted on October 12, 2019July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color

Easy Naturally-Dyed and Crocheted Lovey – DIY Blanket Pattern and Natural Dye Method

As this blog transitions to include my journey as a maker, I want to occasionally share projects that anyone can easily make on their own at home. I am not a traditional crafty person. Much of what I have learned related to crocheting, sewing, and natural dying are skills I have picked up through Google, trial and error, reading books, and learning from others. I tell you this so that you can know that being a maker is possible with enough diligence and hard work!

Today’s DIY project is one of my favorites! Today is I Love Yarn Day and in honor of that, I am posting this crochet + dye tutorial!

Posted on December 5, 2018July 27, 2021 by Borrowing Color — Leave a comment

Easy Eucalyptus Wreath Tutorial – How To Make An Eucalyptus Wreath For Any Occasion

As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, I am a lover of pretty things. What sorts of things strike my fancy? Nature, calm and cool colors, lovely aromas (and, no, beauty is not always seen – sometimes it is encountered through the other senses!), warm drinks on cool days (few and far between here in Florida, lol), cozy hugs, old movies, etc. I’m sure you get the picture…

Not only do I love experiencing the pretty and beautiful aspects of life, I also love to make them. This is part of my WHY behind becoming a maker and starting an my shop (more on that in a later post!) This post was birthed out of my latest creative obsession and my desire to share how-to and DIY posts on this remade blog.

You see, it is fun to create, but it is incredibly rewarding to empower others to create.

I believe it is good for the soul – your soul AND mine. My commitment to you is to make things fun and attainable. Your commitment to me is to not take yourself too seriously and simply enjoy the process – whatever it looks like!

Have I convinced you to try the creative process? I hope so! Today’s tutorial is for a lovely (and easy!) Eucalyptus Wreath. I promise you will love having this in your home! Its aesthetics are gorgeous and its scent is heavenly!