craftingwithcoco

I’m taking on a new project today:Making this tatami mat fit..

I’m taking on a new project today:
Making this tatami mat fit in my apartment! It’s driving me crazy that it doesn’t fit any more. 😤
Tatami mats are traditional Japanese mats made out of grass and used in tea rooms.
I had to rearrange some things around and it no longer fit so I made a bold decision to take it apart and cut it down.

We learn a lot about something by having to take it apart and putting it back together.

I felt confident in taking this apart and redoing the binding because of my experience with making books!

Wish me luck! 💚

So the answer to the previous post is: I’m making Kakishibu!..

So the answer to the previous post is: I’m making Kakishibu!

Kakishibu is a fermented dye produced from the juices of the unripe astringent Haichiya persimmon containing strong tannin. It takes at least a year for it to ferment.

It has many natural beneficial properties, such as deterring insects and having an anti-mold effect for wood and cloth, and is even used for waterproofing because of the high astringency and tannin content. It’s a gorgeous amber color, and gets darker as it is exposed to sunlight.

It’s basically a magical dye/wood stain created by incredibly hardworking bacteria 😊 it takes over a year for it to age.

I started off by gathering unripe persimmons, then I cut them up, and then I smashed them inside of plastic bag and covered them with non-chlorinated water. I am going to let the fruit sit in the water for 10 days before removing it then I will let it ferment for over a year. 💚

I found a Hachiya persimmon tree yesterday! I was so excited..

I found a Hachiya persimmon tree yesterday! I was so excited because I needed these unripe persimmons for a special project. Guess what I will be doing with them? 😊

It was such a beautiful, perfect windy day today, so I decid..

It was such a beautiful, perfect windy day today, so I decided to go out and fly one of my handmade kites. It flew pretty high! I was so excited! At first, it wasn't flying, but once I adjusted the bridal (the angle of the strings) it started to go higher and I wailed from excitement 😊🪁

Guess what this is? It is pigment from my indigo plants! I..

Guess what this is?

It is pigment from my indigo plants!
I was cleaning out an older vat that I had and found all this pigment in the bottom of vat. A “vat” in dye terminology basically means the vessel that the dye is in.

I am going to let this pigment dry out, and then I am either going to turn it into watercolors or pastels to draw with for later use! 🩵💙🩵💙 Indigo…. The gift that keeps on giving.

Good morning! I started my day off by crafting a cold press..

Good morning!
I started my day off by crafting a cold pressed juice for myself. I’m really not into wasting food as I mentioned on my previous post about drying herbs. Juicing is another way to prevent waste when you have produce that you can’t dry like mint.

Because no heat is used during the extraction process, cold-pressed juice retains more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes than other juicing methods . It helps with inflammation and immune system support! Perfect as we’re starting to transition into fall 😊

One of my favorite parts about this is that after I get to put the juiced out parts into my worm bin for composting. Win! There’s something so satisfying about being zero waste for me. It’s not always possible, but I love it when I can close the loop of waste and letting things return back to the Earth 💚

The heatwave in LA is FINALLY starting to mellow out… I can ..

The heatwave in LA is FINALLY starting to mellow out… I can finally start working in my studio and garden again!

I noticed the first flower in my indigo plants today! When the indigo plant starts to flower that means there are no more harvests left, because it is preparing to go to seed. When a plant begins to flower, that represents the beginning of the end of its life cycle. It’s going to use all its energy now and producing flowers, And once the flowers get pollinated, they will turn to seeds. And then I will collect the seeds to plant for the next season. The cycle continues 💙♻️

✨ Happy weekend everybody ✨ What are you doing this weekend..

✨ Happy weekend everybody ✨

What are you doing this weekend?
If you are looking for a project to do and wanting to flex your creative muscles, I would love if you checked out my OF TV channel! 💪 I have a few crafting project tutorials on there, come get creative with me 😉
You can find my channel here:
https://of.tv/creators/crafting-with-coco/

Leave a comment below, let me know what you think, and/or what else you would like to see 🤔🥰

Lots of love! 🫶🫶🫶
Coco

A friend recently gifted me a paper lantern that I love so m..

A friend recently gifted me a paper lantern that I love so much… and it got me thinking 🤔

I think I want to try and craft one of my own???

It’s been a goal of mine for a looong time to make a lamp! I think I’m gonna try to make one 😊 I feel really inspired by the humble materials. All it takes is some lightweight but strong translucent paper, some bamboo, and glue. And I’ve always enjoyed working with these materials so I think I should give it a go!

Whoaaaaaa! LA is experiencing a very intense heat wave this..

Whoaaaaaa!
LA is experiencing a very intense heat wave this week 🥵 over 100 for the next few days…

My poor indigo plants are taking a beating 😭 I started harvesting more of them today because a lot of the leaves are getting fried from the sun. You can see how they start to turn blue once they’re dry 🥺💙

I won’t let these leaves go in vain! Saving as much as I can to make my next batch of indigo dye.

Finished a reed basket for some flowers 💐💐💐 I love the shado..

Finished a reed basket for some flowers 💐💐💐
I love the shadow it casts as well!

Happy Labor Day! I’m celebrating this day by making a bask..

Happy Labor Day!

I’m celebrating this day by making a basket to hold some flowers 💐

Weaving rocks by the sea today :-) I love this process and ..

Weaving rocks by the sea today :-)

I love this process and making rocks feel so much more special by doing so. It’s my new favorite hobby 🤍

Working on a new kite design today! So fun to just let my mi..

Working on a new kite design today! So fun to just let my mind wander around and to dream of new possibilities. Will share soon when I’m ready! I wanna make one more kite before summer is over🪁💕

I had more fresh mint than I was able to use and I didn’t wa..

I had more fresh mint than I was able to use and I didn’t want it to go to waste!

Since I wouldn’t be able to use all the fresh mint in time, I decided to dry it for future use. 💚 I don’t like being wasteful 😊 and I love mint tea, so it’s a win win.

If some of your herbs are on their way out but they’re not quite ready to throw away yet, you can always dry them. Just give them a wash, pat them dry, and let them dry in a well ventilated area or even in your oven. This will provide prevent mold from forming! Try to dry them in a spot without a lot of sun, so it doesn’t get too brown. I knew my mint was fully dry when it was crumbly to the touch :-)

Now I have mint tea for later 🍵 I love how crafting also has taught me how to be resourceful with my materials and the earth 🥹🌿

Finished my little net experiment 😊 Haha, I wanted to keep i..

Finished my little net experiment 😊
Haha, I wanted to keep it small! Perfect size for one hass avocado. 😝🥑 I like the idea of it only holding one fruit. Just one!

I want to make something really big next 🤔

I can’t stop netting…. Making more nets 🥅 I’m using a waxed..

I can’t stop netting….

Making more nets 🥅
I’m using a waxed linen thread which has been so fun to work with. It feels good on my hands and it holds structure very well! I’m interested in exploring different forms and shapes right now. I am using a square jar that I found to make a square net 💛

Today was one of those days where I just wanted to be in my ..

Today was one of those days where I just wanted to be in my garden. The work/life balance …

Aaaaandddddd I’m so glad I spent time in there today because WOW! Look at this insanely gorgeous flower my cactus left for me. I had no idea it would create these flowers! What an amazing surprise!!!! It’s called a Stapelia. I screamed when I saw it lol. I was wondering where the strange odor was coming from. It’s very hairy, stinky, and sticky to attract flies to help it pollinate. It’s sooooo beautiful!!! 😭😭😭 Nature is the best.

One of my favorite ways to relax is sitting at home and tyin..

One of my favorite ways to relax is sitting at home and tying knots lol. It feels so meditative! This net is turning out to be very long and narrow. What should I put inside? Fruit? 🍒🍓🍇🍎🍉🍑🍊🍋🍍🍌🥑🍏🍈🍐🥝🥭🥥🍅🫐

I’m working on making a net right now! I’ve always been ver..

I’m working on making a net right now!
I’ve always been very fascinated by nets as tools used to hold, trap, and collect things in them.

I’ve been so addicted to making nets. I love that it only requires one thing: string.

I’m using a yogurt container to create the shape of the net. Stay tuned to see how it comes out 😊

Went into nature today to get recharged and inspired. After ..

Went into nature today to get recharged and inspired. After doing so many projects it’s so nice to reconnect with my favorite thing: nature and the outdoors! I love redwood trees so much.

Ok so I ended up weaving it into a lighter holder!!! Honestl..

Ok so I ended up weaving it into a lighter holder!!! Honestly I’m so happy with the outcome. It’s so cute! And the waxed linen feels really good to hold.

First as I was weaving it I didn’t have a specific project in mind, but the size started to remind me of a lighter. Then lo and behold…. It actually fit!!! 🤯🤯🤯

I love little surprises like that. 🥹

I’m starting a new little weaving project today. I wonder wh..

I’m starting a new little weaving project today. I wonder what this will be 🤔 I have to put tape on my fingers because all the friction from weaving starts to hurt after a while! Safety first 🤗

Learned a new way to make a handle for my baskets! This is..

Learned a new way to make a handle for my baskets!

This is a 7 braided chain and was super easy to do. I made an octagon out of cardboard and cut slits in it. All I had to do was to jump over 2 strands and bring it into the empty slit. It was really fun to make and actually quite quick to do! Check out the end result :-) ⛓️

I’ve been working on some tedious projects lately, which I c..

I’ve been working on some tedious projects lately, which I can’t wait to share, but I’m going to share this one first. I needed a break from doing such detailed work, so I needed to do something mindless. Here is a type of weaving called “Random Weaving” and it’s exactly what it sounds like- random!

I built an armature with some round reed then randomly stuck a bunch of reeds wherever they fit. I then decided to keep it open on one side so that I could potentially use it as a lamp shade. I don’t hate it :-) it came out pretty cool in the end!

I started my basketry lessons today and I’m learning a new t..

I started my basketry lessons today and I’m learning a new type of basket form! I’m so excited and humbled. I always enjoy learning something new and having a beginner’s mindset because it gives me a lot of freedom to play, make mistakes, and learn A LOT 😊

This process is called ‘twining’ and it involves using waxed linen twine to create organic yet rigid forms. The waxed linen feels really nice and sticky and holds the shape well.

I’m being pretty organic with this basket and it will probably be less functional and more sculptural. I’m learning how to split it in half. Stay tuned for how it turns out! 🧺

In a similar vein to basketmaking, making this purse shared ..

In a similar vein to basketmaking, making this purse shared a likeness to the process of making baskets. I made this bag from scratch using different types of grasses such as Cattail and reeds, but also incorporated some rubber cord for the straps.

First, I had to make the rope by twisting different grasses together. When I twisted enough rope, I was finally able to weave the rubber cord in and out of the rope to hold the pieces together. And viola! A little natural purse big enough to hold my belongings was born :-)

Whenever you look at the base of a basket, you can start to ..

Whenever you look at the base of a basket, you can start to imagine the starting point. The cross is where I began the base and then started working my way up :-)

Ahhhhhhh it’s been crazy hot in LA! Finding time to cool d..

Ahhhhhhh it’s been crazy hot in LA!

Finding time to cool down with basket weaving 😝 I’m so happy I’m starting basketmaking classes this week. I want my baskets to start looking more wacky! I think that’s cool.

Here is a very basic basket called an onion basket. (For holding onions)! 🧅 I like how organic this shape is! I’m gonna start sharing more of my baskets :-) 🧺

GASSSSPPPPPP! This is the final product :’) I was able to m..

GASSSSPPPPPP!

This is the final product :’) I was able to make two because I sewed them at the sane time. One is cotton and one is on linen. The one on the left will be a curtain!!! I’m so freaking happy. Taking out the threads takes soooo long and makes me so anxious and excited…

What do you think? ☺️🩵 it feels so rewarding to complete a project and see it through. I’m really inspired by making new things for my new little space. 🥲