DIY COCOONING RHOMBUSES

It's been a chaotic theme week, but I can't hide the fact that I'm feeling a little tired, if not exhausted... I know it's a time to get over it, but right now it's not easy, and the only moments that make me feel good are the ones I spend under the comforter. I'm teasing my limits and if I don't want to explode in mid-air, I'm going to try to listen to myself a little more. As I reread myself, I think I'm almost at rock bottom, but I'm not, but you know, there are times when you're Up and others when you're Down. I think I'm going through a Down, but I can't tell you how hot the Up is going to be... I've got ideas galore, and right now what's taking up most of my time are boring administrative issues, like setting up a company... I can't wait for all this legal stuff to be behind me so I can finally devote myself to more creative things and things for me!

I've got some good news: spring isn't far off, I know because I've just spent the last 7 days waking up with a start because it was far too light at 8 a.m., so much so that I thought all week I hadn't heard my alarm clock... Good news, the spring light is going to be good for us, and as for me, I'll be able to work and take photos longer in the evening... So when you say spring, you also say extended breakfast, because if I don't have a balcony, I figure there's no reason why I shouldn't be in the zone when it's time for breakfast... So here's an easy, decorative and graphic DIY (which could be a good idea for a gift): a tray/cushion to avoid "tea-bulb-spill-across-the-bed" accidents, or how a good intention can land you in the emergency room. Apart from the chill factor, this DIY can be very practical for working with your computer on your lap...

To make this DIY, you'll need..:

• - a frame (HEMA) with a grommet (optional, but more chic in my opinion),
• - polystyrene beads for padding,
• - slightly thick canvas,
• - half-tone colored paper cut into diamond shapes (10 x 5 cm).
• - sturdy gaffer of various widths,
• - a can of black paint,
• - as well as pins, green glue and a pair of scissors.

To begin, unfold your canvas. Here I've used patterned canvas, but any thick fabric will do, and have fun choosing one with a pattern associated with what you want to place under glass. Draw a rectangle as large as your frame and trace 4 other rectangles starting from each edge of the first rectangle. The depth of these 4 rectangles should be approximately 15cm fig.2.Pin the 15cm sides together fig.3, then machine-stitch them all together tightly, and feel free to double-stitch fig.4. Now take the back of the frame, and the gaffer, and tape the canvas to the back of the frame. Be careful, the canvas must not extend more than one cm under the gaffer. One centimeter is good, as the tape will hold the canvas in place for a long time, providing a reference point for all the edges so that there's no imbalance under the cushion. fig. 5. Tape 3 sides as shown in fig. 6. Now, using a small bowl, fill the cushion with polystyrene beads, up to 3/4 of the cushion. The small bowl will help, as the beads are highly volatile and charged with static electricity, so it's not really easy to do this by hand fig.7. Once your cushion is 3/4 full, tape the last side like the previous ones, and don't hesitate to double the gaffer strips fig.8.

Now it's time to take care of what's going to be in the frame, so you're free to include whatever you like: polka dots, triangles, your children's artwork.... For this week's Rhombus Week, I'll be using rhombuses, but I've decided to work on 2 levels, the first in the frame in the classic way, by gluing rhombuses in the colors fig. 1 to 4. I've deliberately glued them in a slightly random fashion, so that the rest of the operation will be all the more relevant.

And the second plane I wanted to treat is the frame's glass: using a paper rhombus, trace its contours with fine gaffer or masking tape fig. 1. Once you've traced all the sides, you can remove the paper rhombus fig. 2. And repeat the operation as many times as necessary fig.3. Then cover the rest of the glass with gaffer or paper fig.4. This way of working on a second plane adds depth to the rendering, and a little more relief to your tray, a bit like when I showed you the DIY silent rhinestones... 

Of course, protect the table or floor on which you've decided to apply the rhinestones, and open your windows wide and apply the rhinestones 20cm from the glass. One coat should be enough, but if you're not satisfied, wait for the first coat to dry completely before repeating fig.1. Leave to dry for a good half-hour, even an hour - you can never be too careful - and carefully remove the protective tape fig.2. Place the glass over the grommet and lozenges fig.3 and sandwich the whole with the frame and cushion fig.4. Turn the whole over and fold the metal tabs, as if you were closing the frame, to secure the cushion. Turn your tray over and TA - DA! Now it's your turn to make breakfast...

 Little cabbages Odetteavailable at 77 rue Galande, 75005 Paris.