Infini-tee by maya*made

All this talk about repurposing old tee shirts into wall art and bags made me think of this lovely idea! By Maya, of maya*made fame. She uses two tee shirts in this project. And calls it infini-tee, so apt because it is a scarf, a skirt-wrap AND a shoulder poncho-like thing, all at one go! So so so inspiring, this is one of my favourites.

Go check out the instructions on how to make this here.

Sharing one pic from Maya’s blog here, for colour inspiration!

The picture is courtesy maya*made, please do not copy without permission from Maya.

Patchwork bed linen

Sangita Mohta, who retails garments like salwars, kurtis, etc. has an eye for what kind of fabrics and colours work to make cute bed linen. These are sheets which are patched together using bits and pieces of like-coloured and like-patterned fabrics, and adding a dash of interest with embroidered patches.

She is not exclusively into salvaging cloth and making these lovely coordinated sets, but it is something she has followed up to make the most use of any fabric she can find. And they look nice!

They range around Rs.300 Rs.400 for a sheet plus a pillow cover. to For these patchwork sheets, Sangita can be contacted at:

9, 4th Main Road, 1st Cross, Rammohanpura (near Devaiah Park), Bangalore.

Ph: 9900254100, 080 231344651

Conscious decorating this Diwali

The world – at least the printed world – in general, goes crazy every Diwali. The papers are chock-a-block with ads. Companies offer everything on sale from lingerie to light bulbs. And the word in the air (literally, if you brave enough to listen to the radio this season) is buy, buy, buy! Why? Because too many people are out there sell, sell, selling!

Diwali is a time for new beginnings, for many, and it does feel good to shop for new clothes, jewellery, new appliances for the home and a new look. While most of these are reasonable, the season in general urges us to spend more than we would in a calmer, saner state of mind . Did I really need one more brass lamp, 2 more lengths of electric lights to add to the 3 at home, or more clothes than there is space for in the cupboard? I think not.

Go DIY for Diwali ideas, instead of rushing off to the stores. Diwali decor and celebrations can cost nothing!

Have old diyas? No one likes cleaning old, oily diyas. A simple cleaning with a brush and some soap water, a coat of paint with ordinary water colours and you have a new set, practically!

Paint and decorate metal lids of small jars. They make interesting temporary diyas too.

Hoarded blouse pieces (we all have some that will never be a blouse one day), old sarees, old curtains – cut and patch into new cushion covers. If you have zari or embroidery from old salwars, embellish!

Make mobiles from bits of bright cloth or coloured paper and string them up! Just small bits of cardboard, colourful cloth, and some glue are all you need to make diya mobiles. Like this one.

No fret if you do not have a brass urli. Use a deep steel plate or shallow basin to float flowers or candles in. They look pretty in the night light, just like brass or bronze.

Paint on the outside of small pickle or dip jars and use as tea light holders, they can even be reused for storage later. Glue cutouts, even easier than painting! I had actually made these for Christmas last year, but they serve just great for Diwali too!

If the jars are a little high and you cannot get inside to light or place a candle, fill up half the jar with any rations available – rice, dal, or even sand! to raise the height of the candle and add some texture and colour.

When I mentioned having colour paper, chocolate wrappings, lids, here is what Shruthy BM from the 220 group said: Make small flowers form the choclate wrapping and stick it inside those lids and float it on the water along with the floating candles…you also decorate the lids with glitter glue to give a Diwali touch.

Do glass painting on the glass jars fill it wth water and pua a money palnt place it in bathrrom or kitchen. (Love that!)

If you have green ideas this Diwali, share them on the blog with us! Love to hear from you…

Upcycled silk!

It was a breezy afternoon on the beach in Trivandrum. Near white sand, clear waters and a family of three simply soaking up the sun. Only, suddenly a blaze of colour appeared stage left… It was street vendors selling wrap around skirts made from….. old silk sarees. The colours were so dazzling, I had to pick up a few. They were a 100 rupees each. Back in 2006. They didn’t get used much. Perhaps they were waiting for their new avatar, as little jewellery pouches or gift bags. Mythili (my SIL) and Mrs.Savithri (my mom-in-law) turn them into baubles I couldn’t have imagined! Here are just a few of them… For more, be sure to come to the 220 Flea Market!

Pics by Suresh G