A Door With More
Happy lucky 29th of February!! I love how quirky it is to have a extra day every 4 years. Wishing all those who are celebrating their birthdays today a very special Happy Birthday.
I haven't been sewing as much as I'd like over the past few months because in those precious spare moments of creative time I've been tackling long overdue projects around the house. Some are a bit boring, like painting furniture and looking for bathroom vanities but some are fun and colourful like decorating my lounge room door.
Although I used tissue paper and there's not a stitch in sight I think the door looks like a quilt with colourful patterned blocks joined with sashing.
It's not a room that needs privacy so the glass didn't need to be fully covered, in fact I wanted the light to still be able to travel through when the door was closed.
Which it does perfectly.
I hadn't thought of the shadows it would create so when I was even more pleased when I saw the ethereal lace-like patterns on the wall behind.
Another surprise that I noticed later was how the shapes echo the shapes and lines in the nearby rug.
Here's how it works with my quilts on the walls. I think it fits in perfectly.
Yes, I love colour!!
For those interested in how I went about making my colourful door here are the easy step by step instructions.
I used tissue paper because I like the translucent effect it gives, but I've done things in the past using thicker coloured paper.
Start by cutting out rectangles the same size as the window pane.
Fold the rectangles into segments and cut out shapes on the folds. It's fun to experiment with folding the paper in different ways to get a variety of results. You could practise with newspaper if you first to get a feel for the technique and not waste precious coloured paper. I'm not at all pedantic about perfectly cut shapes, i like the hand cut look.
Once you are happy with your design give it a press with a cool iron ( depending on what paper you've used) and pressing cloth to remove the creases made from folding.
I used small pieces of clear sticky tape to attach them to the glass. I'm sure glue would work as well but I liked that the sticky tape made it easy to move them around to get the right colour placement.
A bonus is that it makes lots of pretty confetti.
43 Comments
Yes please! I was thinking while reading this that your house must be full of interesting colour stories! More please Rachael..pretty please!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see more. You're always so inventive:-)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachael,yes please ,i love this ,what a wonderful happy idea,your door looks fantastic and i really love the patterns it makes on your walls and floor,you are such a clever chicky,thankyou for sharing my friend xx
ReplyDeleteWow, I love your door, its so cute. I want a door with glass panels so I can do this too.
ReplyDeleteYour lounge room is so colourful and happy.
Please show us more of your colourful house projects. I need inspiration.
Love your door GALORE! Also you bright colors are stunning.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! It looks so pretty with all your beautiful quilts. YES we want to see more.....
ReplyDeleteYour so creative Rachael ! It does look like a quilt so it does look great with them. As I was reading I was wondering about your sewing room, if you ever got moved in.....so yes, show us more. When we have bible study birthday parties, I love to go to each other homes, you get decorating wonderful ideas and it's just fun !
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I love the patterns of light and shadow. Would love to see more:) Have you seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Cutting-Book-Contemporary-Timeless/dp/0811874524
ReplyDeletePlayful as well, love your colorful home! I'm going to participate with Faeriesandfibres.blogspot.com blog hexie quilt along. Thought you might want to check it out! Karen is busy making the quilt right now. Love to see what thrilling colors you'd use. All the best, Caroline
ReplyDeleteYes, I want to see it all!! I love the shadow play that happens and the colorful cutouts look wonderful with your quilts!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! More house projects, please! The door is a perfect complement to all your colorful quilts on the walls. It's a beautiful gallery of accomplishment and love of color. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteWonderful and inspired, like everything you make! What a happy entry to your lounge, and it is perfect with your happy quilts on the walls and the rug. I would LOVE to see more of your fun house projects!
ReplyDeleteOh! All the colo(u)rs! It is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, MORE, esp if they are ORANGE :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright, cheerful home you must have!
ReplyDeleteI adore the door transformation and the dappled shadows are a double bonus!
Your home is filled with handcrafted colour and unique pieces - very special!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, ig is so pretty and colourful. The shadows must be spectacular.
ReplyDeleteYes please, show more of your "home" work.
That is pretty awesome. By all means please take us on a tour of more colourful projects, I for one love peeking into other people's creativity. please tell me though you are not super neat and you have an unmentionables drawer that is colour coordinated and looks like a quilt when you open it! Lol!
ReplyDeleteSilly girl.... of course I want to see more of your creative talents!
ReplyDeleteYou're always so colorful. The shadow play is super fun too. Of course, we all want to see more!
ReplyDeleteI also love colour! Wow! My eyes were immediately drawn to the yo-yo quilt on the wall. I have only seen yoyos as a solid colour. Do you sew strips together before making the yoyo? Are they sewn on a patchwork piece of fabric? Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteThe jury is in More Happy House.
ReplyDeleteThe cut outs are wonderful. Reminds me of tissue paper cut out bunting from Oxfam that we used in the girls rooms. Just as happy now.
This does look like a lot of fun. I do like seeing all the colours on the door, especially with your gorgeous quilts hanging nearby. This must be a really cheerful room.
ReplyDeleteI for one would definitely like to see more of your place! You have worked magic with your paper cuts on the door, very clever.
ReplyDeleteNow show us the wallpaper wall!!
ReplyDeleteWould love to see more!! Love your door! How creative! Colours are wanderful! Your quilt on the wall(as with all your quilts) is so joyful and puts a huge smile on my face!!
ReplyDeletemore? yes please!
ReplyDeleteYour windows look so fun and festive. what a creative idea!
Your quilts look stunning and they have such great lighting.
Awesome black patterned run too!
What fun Racharl and so full of Happy Colour! Yes please...of course we want more!
ReplyDeleteYes please!! How pretty your door looks against your quilts. Such a clever idea. I love the way it casts shadows too.
ReplyDeleteWowzers girl, that is gorgeous! I love it! I get so happy when I come visit your blog - so much brilliant color, such original ideas. Your door looks amazing with all your quilts!! And yes please, do show more! BTW, one of my favorite things used to be painting furniture...the quirkier and more colorful the better!
ReplyDeleteOoh, love seeing the pic of your quilts on the walls! And your door is very creative. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a FUN idea! Your rooms are so colorful -- and HAPPY -- I LOVE it!!!
ReplyDeleteI do so love to see people inhabiting their homes like this, in simple, modest ways that are yet so expressive of the lives in those homes. Well done letting the life shine out.
ReplyDeleteSo miss Rachel daisy like. : ) Love it!!! Janita
ReplyDeleteYou are a clever lady Rachael! Your door is fabulous and goes so beautifully with your quilts and floor rug! Very clever isea.
ReplyDeleteI would be spending all my time in that room looking at the shawdows on the wall, they are possibly the best of all!!
Love all your confetti left overs, what a fun way to brighten up a glass door.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to other peeks into your colourful world.
So happy to find happy happy post to make me happier!!
ReplyDeleteYou have to ask? I love your door! And I loved seeing your yo-yo quilt on your wall too (and the gorgeous piece of furniture underneath it. Is that bark cloth on top?).
ReplyDeleteYes please, more Rachael colour stories!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Partners in Crime is an excellent name for your new old quilt! I got to hear Gwen Marston give a talk a couple of Sundays ago. It was very good. I should blog about it :-)
I'd like to have you decorate my house!
ReplyDeleteOh wow!!! The door is amazing and I totally want to come and live with you and all that pretty colour! I would love to see more of your house and projects xx
ReplyDeleteso awesome !!
ReplyDeletethis is my 1st visit to your site, I fell in love with your door, how vary inspirational
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving me a comment. Your kind words encourage me to keep sharing my work and stories.