Valley of the Muse

These ribbon balls are the easiest and quickest home decor project I’ve ever done!

To create your own, you’ll need:

• styrofoam balls
• ribbon with different textures (can all be same colour or different, depending on room)
• pin with flat metal head (you’ll need 2 per ball)

Start by pinning one end of the ribbon to the styrofoam ball, then simply wrap the ribbon around until it’s completely covered. I found it easiest to create two poles at opposite ends of the ball, so that it resembles the longitude (meridian) lines of a globe – this helped keep the ribbon on the ball without it unravelling, and it also meant I didn’t have to worry about using glue since I was working with the shape of the sphere.

Make sure that you pull the ribbon taut so that the white styrofoam can’t be seen underneath once you’re finished. When everything is covered, use the second pin to secure the end of the ribbon. If you can, hide the metal end underneath a layer of ribbon (since you didn’t glue it down, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a looser bit), and then cut off the excess.

You can also experiment with different materials, such as wool or natural fibres, to match your decor. Overall, it shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes to create these custom ribbon balls.

A few weeks ago I went to San Francisco and couldn’t resist buying the most adorable purse. The store was Loyal Army Clothing and I had the hardest time deciding what to get from it. If you click on the pic below, you’ll see the details, like an onion with a tear and a carrot with a toothy grin on the healthy side, and the hamburgers with vampire teeth on the unhealthy side.

If you’re looking for cool T-shirts and accessories go to http://www.loyalarmy.com/

Then I went to a BBQ where I met a girl who makes purses out of recycled magazines and wrapping paper, and decided to make this into a post featuring some of the unique bags that I’ve found.

Hamiltontankgirl makes purses out of recycled magazines, and my favourite one is the sushi purse shown below. I like that it reuses magazines and that it’s waterproof. She also can do custom designs. Her etsy store is here.

This bag is also from etsy, and I love that it’s made of different fabrics. The artisan has a few different styles, but I thought this colour/fabric combination was the best one. Tremundo’s etsy store can be found here.

If you prefer bags with sleek, clean lines, you’ll love these bags from Revamp Productions. They have a retro pin-up feel, and my favourites are in the style of a classic car (shown below). Check out their website for more styles and colours.

Or if you’d prefer your purse look like modern art, you’ll love the purses by Eylem Binboğa. The black cherry touch at the side is so pretty against the purple leather on the purse below. Visit Accessories by Eylem Binboğa here.

I couldn’t resist including the following two. They’re not really bags, but instead cakes that are made to look like bags.

If you’re in Toronto (like me), you’ll want to contact “Sweet Things” for your next creative cake art. This Louis Vuitton purse looks delicious and pretty. Blog with other examples (including a yoda cake!) can be found here.

Or, check out this Prada inspired purse cake by “I Dream of Cake”. The website has some beutiful high end creations.

What do you think of these purses? Do you create unique purses and bags? Have you purchased one? Leave a comment and link!

I found a simple round wooden-framed mirror for less than $5.00 at Home Depot a few years back, and had the idea to decorate it using glass vase fillers.

Oh, and the metal frog and seahorse were purchased from a fantastic London-based artist. You can find Richard Pell’s work here.