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In this crafty corner, a favourite fabric swatch was used to inspire the choice of colours Resene Lusty, Resene Bitter, Resene Dust Storm, Resene Tuscany and Resene Twine. These hues, on wall patterns, furniture and décor, bring colour and energy to an otherwise neutral space with floor and walls in Resene Rice Cake. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.
This stunning DIY dowel vase is painted in Resene Paper Doll, with table in Resene Bone and wall in Resene Merino. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
As seen on the cover of habitat issue 38, these DIY balance rocks are not only a great mindful project, but they are also a pleasing and appealing decorative item. These wooden rocks are stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman tinted to the shades Resene Japanese Maple, Resene Warm Kwila, Resene Bark, Resene Driftwood and Resene Riverstone. Project by Shani Luckman, image by Bryce Carleton.
This statement floor sets the stage for a creative crafter in a disused corner of a garage. It was created with a base of Resene Half Villa White and diminishing rectangles of green-gold Resene Rococo, muted violet Resene Memory Lane, lichen green Resene Unwind and bold orange Resene Jailbreak. The walls and pegboard are painted in Resene Half Villa White with a hand-painted frame, shelves and pegs in Resene Noir, table in Resene Rice Cake and Resene Noir, chair in Resene Liberty, plant pot in Resene Noir, jars in Resene Irresistible and Resene Ethereal and spotted vase in Resene Noir, Resene Rice Cake and Resene Rose Gold. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Melanie Jenkins.
Take your own ‘tote’-ally unique bag to the shops next time you need groceries. Ours is painted in Resene Float and Resene Time Out. The coat rack is painted in Resene Float and wall in Resene Oxygen.
These paper blooms are no shrinking violets. Flowers made from offcuts of Resene Wallpaper Collection 91310 with stamen in Resene Wallpaper Collection M30602 and branches stained in Resene Woodsman Dark Oak. Wall painted in Resene Breathless (top) and Resene Duck Egg Blue (bottom), table in Resene Papier Mache and vase in Resene Quarter Spanish White.
Craftcore: A new trend in home decor for the DIY enthusiast
In an era of mass production and digital innovations, where technology reigns supreme, a remarkable trend has quietly emerged, breathing new life into the world of craftsmanship. Craftcore is a conscious shift away from soulless, mass-produced goods towards objects that carry a story, a soul and a personal touch. With an array of Resene paints and wallpapers, you can create just about anything for, and in, your home!
Craftcore is a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics, where age-old techniques meet modern design sensibilities. It’s a celebration of the art of making, whether through pottery, woodworking, painting or textile arts, as a craftcore enthusiast, you’ll find joy in the uniqueness of handmade items, understanding that each piece is imbued with the essence of its creator, their skill and their passion.
Check out some of our ideas to create a unique, stylish and colourful touch to your home’s décor:
Dowel-ightful vases
This stunning DIY dowel vase is painted in Resene Paper Doll, with table in Resene Bone and wall in Resene Merino. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
If you’re a plant lover and you’re running out of vases, try making your own instead of buying another expensive pot. With thousands of Resene paint colours, you can create a vase in your favourite shade that matches your décor and colour palette. This vase is made from dowel, 16cm in length and 0.6cm thick, glued to a plain glass jar or vase which you can find in the recycling or lying around your home. All you need is some clear glue, a paintbrush and a testpot or two of your favourite Resene paint colour.
If you’re not a lover of pink, try a mint green like Resene Transcend, a baby blue like Resene Sail or a terracotta orange like Resene Tuscany. You could even get creative and add some patterns like stripes or polka dots.
Finding balance
As seen on the cover of habitat issue 38, these DIY balance rocks are not only a great mindful project, but they are also a pleasing and appealing decorative item. These wooden rocks are stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman tinted to the shades Resene Japanese Maple, Resene Warm Kwila, Resene Bark, Resene Driftwood and Resene Riverstone. Project by Shani Luckman, image by Bryce Carleton.
When the odds seem stacked against you, this mindful craft project is a way to find peace. Balancing rocks is an ancient practice stacked with meaning. In ancient Scotland, rock cairns were used to mark safe travel on hilly terrain, while Norse sailors used stacked rocks as navigational tools in treacherous weather. In Japan, balanced stones were used to remember loved ones and as a mindful zen activity. One thing is universal: balancing rocks, blocks or stones on top of each other takes patience and focus.
Stone-stacking in nature can impact wildlife such as nesting birds, so why not try Tumi Ishi, a Japanese wooden-block stacking game that allows you to take up this mindful activity in your home or garden? Numerous studies have noted that painting and arts and crafts can help relieve stress and focus a restless mind. These Tumi Ishi wooden blocks are stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman wood stains and combine the best of both worlds, an arts and crafts project that’s fun to play but relaxing to make too – and a beautiful decorative item for your mantelpiece or entranceway.
Try other shades such as Resene Crowshead, a dark almost black stain, Resene Earthsong, a gorgeous green, or Resene Pickled Bluewood for a beachy blue look.
Crafty’s corner
In this crafty corner, a favourite fabric swatch was used to inspire the choice of colours Resene Lusty, Resene Bitter, Resene Dust Storm, Resene Tuscany and Resene Twine. These hues, on wall patterns, furniture and décor, bring colour and energy to an otherwise neutral space with floor and walls in Resene Rice Cake. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.
Whether you want to work from home or create a space just for your crafts and hobbies, we’re here to remind you that you don’t need a room with four walls to make that happen. Most of us have some space – be it a corner, closet, alcove or niche beneath our stairs – that can be reclaimed where we can create a special zone dedicated for just us without taking up an entire room.
Show off your DIY skills by creating a craft corner in your home. We used a swatch of one of our favourite fabrics to inspire our colour scheme. If you have a similarly beloved textile, you can bring it into your local Resene ColorShop and the staff there will be able to help you find colours to match or coordinate with it. Alternatively, you can upload a scan or photo of your fabric to the free online Resene Colour Palette Generator to find Resene colour suggestions yourself.
Like many creative people, there are probably a whole bunch of different crafts you like to take part in. Open shelves are a great option for pretty or inspiring items, or those you use most frequently, while hooks and pegboards are great for tools that can be hung or spools of ribbon. Upcycled glass jars are ideal for smaller, loose items. You can colour code them by painting each lid first in Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and then two coats of a different Resene testpot colour that goes with your palette.
Clever she-shed
This statement floor sets the stage for a creative crafter in a disused corner of a garage. It was created with a base of Resene Half Villa White and diminishing rectangles of green-gold Resene Rococo, muted violet Resene Memory Lane, lichen green Resene Unwind and bold orange Resene Jailbreak. The walls and pegboard are painted in Resene Half Villa White with a hand-painted frame, shelves and pegs, plant pot in Resene Noir, table in Resene Rice Cake and Resene Noir, chair in Resene Liberty, jars in Resene Irresistible and Resene Ethereal and spotted vase in Resene Noir, Resene Rice Cake and Resene Rose Gold. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Melanie Jenkins.
Women are told from a young age to let the boys have their fun, to make way for men to take over the dens, garages and basements of the world with their bar signs and beanbag chairs. Enter the ‘she shed’ – a space for women to immerse themselves in activities that bring them joy. While the word ‘shed’ may bring to mind a shabby chic sort of space, there is no limit to how luxurious or humble your hideaway can be.
Crafter’s bits and bobs are best stored in ways where they can be easily seen so you can always find what you’re looking for. Incorporating a painted pegboard to hold spools of ribbon, hang up small shelves and house glass mason jars of smaller supplies is a great way to do this. A neutral colour is a great backdrop for displaying items, such as Resene Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene Merino.
Colour coding can be a key to help identify where different types of tools and craft provisions can be found. Paint storage boxes in an inspiring spectrum of colours using Resene FX Chalkboard Paint or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. These finishes work as a chalkboard, so they can be written on with chalk and wiped clean with a damp cloth. Or, get really crafty and paint a symbol on each that hints at its contents. It's your she-shed, be as colourful as your heart desires! Try bright shades like Resene Unicorn, Resene Sassy, Resene Red Hot and Resene Pizazz.
And of course, alongside the she-shed are the quintessential man shed. If you are good at sharing nicely you can even opt for a ‘we-shed’ – just make sure you both have enough space for your crafting supplies and workspace.
Tote-ally unique
Take your own ‘tote’-ally unique bag to the shops next time you need groceries. Ours is painted in Resene Float and Resene Time Out. The coat rack is painted in Resene Float and wall in Resene Oxygen.
Tote bags are not only spacious and hold large amounts of groceries or personal belongings, but they are also an environmentally friendly option and a great alternative to single-use plastic bags. Make your own tote or buy a plain one and personalise it to suit your style!
What you need:
- A premade cloth bag
- A piece of cardboard (to fit inside the bag)
- Sticker adhesive cut in heart shape
- Two pencils with rubber top ends
- Two testpots of your chosen Resene paint colours. We used Resene Float and Resene Time out.
Step 1: Put your piece of cardboard inside the bag (this is to prevent the paint going through to the back of the bag).
Step 2: Draw and cut a heart shaped large sticker and apply to the middle of the bag.
Step 3: Using the end of a rubber top pencil, dot the end into a Resene testpot in your choice of colour and dot on the bag around the heart shape as shown in the photo. Repeat for the two colours, or however many you choose. We used Resene Float and Resene Time Out.
Step 4: Peel off sticker once dry to reveal your heart pattern.
Wallpaper wonders
These paper blooms are no shrinking violets. Flowers made from offcuts of Resene Wallpaper Collection 91310 with stamen in Resene Wallpaper Collection M30602 and branches stained in Resene Woodsman Dark Oak. Wall painted in Resene Breathless (top) and Resene Duck Egg Blue (bottom), table in Resene Papier Mache and vase in Resene Quarter Spanish White.
These blossoms, made from leftover Resene wallpaper after decorating, will mean your décor will be blooming gorgeous, no matter the season. Making your own flowers is a cost-effective way of decorating your home, use whatever wallpaper cut-offs you like to suit your home’s décor.
Incorporating craftcore into interior design through creative paint techniques and unique wallpapers offers a charming and personalised touch, revitalising spaces with an artisanal aesthetic. For more advice on paints and wallpapers visit your local Resene ColorShop.
Published: 13 Jun 2023
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
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