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Behind the Scenes : dipping

Posted by Silke Stoddard

Sometimes when we work on stories for Living, we end up developing—and even photographing—more ideas than there is room for in the magazine. It's difficult to edit those out, but thanks to this blog we still get to share them with you!  For the "Take a Dip" story in the August issue of Martha Stewart Living, I had dipped these inexpensive Ikea stool legs into "Plasti Dip." I like the red spark of color, but the paint is kind of rubberlike, so it acts as a scratch protector as well. It is very simple—you can dip a stool leg straight into the can. Do that slowly and evenly, in and out, not having it stay in the paint to long. Then,  ideally, "hang" it to dry. It takes about 24 hours. We got lucky enough to be able to work in our studio for this one as well.

stool legs

Stool and boxes

For the wooden boxes, I simply dipped them in RIT Dye. You need to hold them down, as the wood will float, but since unfinished wood quickly absorbs the color, a minute or two should give you these nice results. Though I spent most of last summer dipping and dyeing various materials and projects, I am still enjoying it, as it is such a simple, quick craft with such colorful impact. I hope you will have a chance to try some of the projects as well.

Contests & Prizes : Congratulations, Melissa Jones!

Posted by Blake Ramsey

Congratulations, Melissa! You won last week's Cricut Cake giveaway. Please e-mail your address to us at thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com so you can get started with your cupcake decorating!

Cricut Cake Giveaway

Our Sources : Shopping for Supplies

Posted by Guest

Hi. I’m Renée, the crafts intern, and a few weeks ago I visited some really great places in the city to pick up a few things for the Crafts Dept.  The first place was the flower market on 28th Street,  between 6th and 7th Avenues, in Chelsea. It's a street lined with florists and floral supplies. Next, I stopped by Elegant Fabric at 222 West 40th Street in the Garment District.  This two-story fabric store is a treat for fashion and craft enthusiasts.

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The flower market is a great source for flowers.

1 The flower market is a great source for flowers.

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Foliage

3 Foliage

Floral supplies

4 Floral supplies

I loved walking into stores and being greeted by the fresh smell and vibrant colors of the flowers.

5 I loved walking into stores and being greeted by the fresh smell and vibrant colors of the flowers.

I couldn't leave empty handed, so I bought a bouquet of sunflowers to brighten up the crafts dept.

6 I couldn't leave empty handed, so I bought a bouquet of sunflowers to brighten up the crafts dept.

Elegant carries a huge selection of fabrics, from ultra suede to faux fur to brocades.

7 Elegant carries a huge selection of fabrics, from ultra suede to faux fur to brocades.

My favorite part of Elegant is their precut fabric samples.  I collected some beautiful swatches for a future craft project.

8 My favorite part of Elegant is their precut fabric samples. I collected some beautiful swatches for a future craft project.

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