Easy to make Flowers: Poppies

I saw these lovely flowers on Ez's blog Creature Comforts a while back and was dying to try them out. When I finally went to Mumbai in March, my sister and I picked up some satin to try our hand at all the enticing flowers we've been pinning onto our DIY boards. I'd seen the tutorial for these ones and tried them out.

Now that am back home, I made a fresh batch of two! The little one was a great accessory for my bright red saree. It made me feel like a retro film star, mostly because of my hairstyle really. The big poppy has been made for a special little girl. I just need to figure out how to get it to her now.

Go check out Ez's super easy tutorial. She's even added videos, just watch them even if you aren't making the flowers right away. You never know when you'll be in the mood for poppies too. These make excellent gift toppers, hair accessories or brooches.

I've made much flatter versions of the original design, with only three whorls, which I think look good as hair accessories. If you add your own little twist, be sure to share it with us.

Shutter Love: Porbandar

Hello, hope you had a lovely weekend. We spent ours travelling from the state of Gujarat to the state of Kerala. En-route, we had a grand time with family and friends in Mumbai. It's wonderful to be back home though, and am looking forward to a week filled with once-familiar, now blurry in memory sounds, sights and smells.

Before we left Porbandar, I had intended to do a full post which captured the city through my pictures. So here it is, visions of a wonderful time getting to know a new port and people. The pictures capture life around the sea, simply because that is where I hung out most often.

More pictures of Porbandar from a tour of Mahatma Gandhi's home tomorrow.

6 Easy ways to dress up Gifts

Now that the season of giving is here, it's time to get busy rounding up the gifts you've bought. And to add that personal touch, I thought I'd help you with 5 ways to dress up your gifts. I've tried to find these keeping in mind the quick access to supplies and the little time they take to create. Have fun making your own versions:

1. These poppy flowers from Creature Comforts are so easy to make and are sure to make the person feel special. 
2. Gorgeous minimalistic burlap bows at For the Love simply say chic. Perfect way to be your understated elegant self. 
3. Another pretty flower gift topper that can cheer up any paper bag by Nice Package. It's so pretty, it just melts my heart.
4. Okay, so you don't like fluffy gifts or gift bags. You'd rather make a clean style statement with your gifts. Well then, here's something that may appeal to you by ManMade.
5. For those of you who would rather use recyclable material for you gift wrapping, I have found something lovely. Here's an excellent tutorial of a few styles of using Furoshiki, the Japanese traditional wrapping cloth, by Jenn Playford in an interview by furochic on Etsy.
6. If you're headed to a party and have thoughtfully picked up a bottle of wine to gift, this tag by d.Sharp journal will let you express your love. For the host or the wine, I leave that to you!