Craft – Varada Sharma

DIY PostIt Notes holder

August 6th, 2015Varada0 Comments

Hi there! Today’s post is a video tutorial showing how to make a PostIt notes holder. I love post it notes and I use them a LOT! I saw a PostIt notes holder on internet somewhere and couldn’t get the idea of making one myself out of my head. So a few weeks ago, I made this one as a gift for one of my dear friends. This time when my Simon Says Stamp card kit for August arrived, I decided to make another one using the papers in the kit. While making this second one, I also put together a …

Pocket books / mini books with index cards and washi tape

March 10th, 2015Varada1 Comment

Each year at her school, my older one participates in a market place. It’s day that students get to be pretend-merchants. They get to make some small items, set up a small store at their school and sell what they made. Last year, when we still lived in TN and princess D went to Moore Elementary school, she had one market place day. Our dear friends Lisa and her lovely daughter Abby helped us make pretty little hair accessories and we also made a tutorial (here). This year princess D goes to Ben Rush elementary at Redmond, WA. She just had …

Valentines – Spring Wreath

March 20th, 2014Varada0 Comments

I guess I am a little late in posting this. But oh well, better late than never, right? I put together this wreath so quickly (about 30mins or so) that I didn’t take step by step pictures. I am so sorry about it :( I will try to explain it in as best as I can. -:Here’s what you need:- A wire frame wreath form that looks something like this: A burlap ribbon from hobby lobby when they were on sale. Kinda like these: And another wide chevron ribbon from Walmart when it was on sale for Valentines. I …

It’s gift giving time

December 23rd, 2013Varada3 Comments

This year I knew I would not have time to make handmade gifts for everyone. So when we went to Gatlinburg in November we visited the Christmas place and got gifts for friends. However, as Christmas came near I did steal some time to make just a couple gifts. The first one was for Princess D’s class teacher. During our PTMs I had noticed that she liked to wear jewelry. So this year I made red and gold necklace – earrings set for her. I am told she really liked it and she also sent a thank you card saying …

Recycled fashion magazine roses

June 26th, 2013Varada0 Comments

Supplies: 1. Fashion magazine with glossy colorful papers 2. Mod podge 3. Glue gun and sticks 4. Scissors Steps: 1. Cut strips of paper about 1 inch wide across the length of the page 2. Fold each strip into half lengthwise 3. Make a tiny fold for the center of the rose and roll the strip one time 4. Fold the strip at an angle 5. Keep folding and rolling. (Kinda like youâ€™d do for quilling a rose). When you reach the end of one strip, adhere the next one to it using modpodge. 6. When the rose is …

A glimpse into our living room and an announcement

June 17th, 2013Varada4 Comments

Shop announcement - http://www.etsy.com/shop/VaradaSharma

A big thank you to all of you for your kind and encouraging words about our chai room. All those facebook likes really made me very happy. Continuing the same spirit, let’s take a sneak peek into the next room – our living room. Today I will show you only one wall because I have a great news to share and I can’t wait to let you in on it. So come on in… The lamp in the left side was plain when we got it. I upcycled it with some flowers made from recycled fashion magazine paper flowers …

Colorful, lightweight, wall mounted vases

January 1st, 2013Varada1 Comment

Empty Pringles / Salt containers (or any cardboard container of your choice) + Mod Podge + Scrapbook papers (Do you remember, the infamous flood in our apartment? Some of my precious scrapbook papers got spoiled at that time due to water. They got black patches. I used these papers here. The blackened portion goes towards the wall and is not seen at all. ) Â Assemble and mount using push-pins on the wall. I cut paper circles and mod-podge’d them to the bottoms of these vases, because I mounted them directly on the wall without any shelf. If you plan to …

Paint Chip Décor DIY

December 11th, 2012Varada0 Comments

Paint chips circles + Flower wire Make the stems. {Use a needle to pierce 2 tiny holes into the paint chip before you put your wire through.} Empty glass bottles + Yarn + Mod Podge Make vases. {Put some mod podge on to clean bottle surface and cover with yarn. Let dry.} Assemble and mount on shelves. Â {Add a handful of rice or some other grains into these vases so the wire can stay steady.} Enjoy!!!

Heartfelt Thanks to Each of You

November 26th, 2012Varada2 Comments

Hi friends, I know I have been away from my blog for quite a few days in a row now. Thanksgiving, 4 days holidays, and shopping frenzy â€“ all are equal reasons for that. But, I am not going to make this post about excuses and â€œSorryâ€. Todayâ€™s magic word is going to be â€œThanksâ€. Deep and heartfelt. For each and every one of you. Personally. This was the first thanksgiving for me and my family and we really loved it. And that is even without the shopping etc. We were able to spend some precious time with each other. …

Felt flower clip {Tutorial}

November 7th, 2012Varada2 Comments

Hi all of you! Hope all of you are doing great and feeling creative at this time. I am going to show you how easily you can make cute hair clips â€“ for yourself or for your kiddos or for friends. This is one fun activity to do – it uses very few materials, can be done in 15 mins from start to finish and does not need any expert level skills. Are you ready? Letâ€™s get started: Hereâ€™s what youâ€™ll need: 1. Some cute buttons 2. Blank clips. I got a pack of colorful ones from HobbyLobby. You can …

DIY Scarecrow – school project

October 15th, 2012Varada3 Comments

When we moved from India to US in the month of August, I was a little worried about my babies. Specially my older one, Diya. She was leaving behind not only her family but also her school – the teachers who adored her; her classmates and seniors who had grown to be great friends. I prayed that her new school should also be something she’d come to love. And with each passing day, I feel my prayers are coming true. Her teachers here in the Moore Elementary School, love and care for her just like her teachers back in India, …

Mere Kanha {and a tutorial}

May 19th, 2012Varada0 Comments

It’s been over a year that I’d been searching for (read pestering Mr. C for) an idol of my Kanha. I wanted him to be playing his flute. I wanted him to have a cow besides him. I wanted an idol whom I can decorate – make jewellery and stuff – just like I will when I’ll actually meet my Kanhaji. That’s the picture I had in my mind. I saw an idol somewhat like that a couple years ago, but for some reason could not take him with me. When I came to Nashville all by myself, thousands of …

Two more scrapbook pages

April 13th, 2012Varada1 Comment

So, over this 3-day-weekend I not only made earrings and cooked, I also stole some time to put together two more scrapbook pages: Page 1: This is where the story of our two little princesses begins. Mom and Dad were just a couple young people who lived miles apart, met online (Yes!), found that they really would like to spend the rest of their lives together. Details of page 1: I hand made the little birdie above Did you catch the tiny miny butterfly? Page 2: The beginning of our happily ever after. Our wedding reception :) The details: Kinda …

A headband {mini tutorial} and two pairs of earrings

January 27th, 2012Varada1 Comment

Before we went to Baroda for Uttarayan, here are a few things that I created: – Two pairs of earrings – for Uma and Shiva – A pretty little headband for Diya For making this headband I used two flower tutorials put up by the oh so talented Emily of JonesDesignCompany: The pink roses are made from synthetic shiny pink fabric using the rolled fabric flowers tutorial: http://jonesdesigncompany.com/flowers/rolled-fabric-flowers-tutorial/ The white flower is made using white satin fabric and white net fabric. At the center are some matching pink and white beads. Here is Emily’s tutorial for the same: http://jonesdesigncompany.com/create/5-days-of-favorite-projects-day-1/ The …

Thank-you (hanging paper craft) {Tutorial}

September 13th, 2011Varada4 Comments

If there’s one thingÂ I want my kids to learn, even if they do not learn anything else much from me, is – the attitude of gratitude. Today’s craft celebrates the simple act that can fill your heart with joy. The act of saying “Thanks”. My aajji (grandma) was close to her eighties. She would wake up quite early each morning – 5’ish and then work in the kitchen and generally around the house all day long. She would have tea in the kitchen itself, no breakfast. Finally after all her kids and kids’ kids were fed, she would sit …