Category: Organization

School lunch container tips & tricks

Posted on August 20, 2019 by

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Today we’re talking about the best school lunch containers — what lasts, what’s worth the extra money, and what you can cheap out on — and how to store them!

Category: Organization, School

Stuffed animal zoo re-do

Posted on April 22, 2019 by

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DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo {Heather's Handmade Life}

The more time I spend making things for our home, the more I realize nothing stays the same. Kids grow, needs shift, tastes change, trends pass and what once felt beautiful or functional can suddenly stop being either. Longtime readers may remember that three…

Category: DIY, My Handmade Home, Organization, Our Daughter, Our Son, Woodworking

Skinny closet overhaul

Posted on October 15, 2018 by

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Skinny closet overhaul: How rethinking its shelves changed everything {Heather's Handmade Life}

Thirty-four inches is not reasonable for a walk-in closet. But that’s the width of the ridiculous closet in our basement. It came with two skinny wire shelves, and we added a third at some point. For years I loaded them down with craft supplies…

Category: My Handmade Home, Organization

I’m Heather Laura Clarke. I’m journalist and blogger in beautiful Nova Scotia, I have an 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, I married my high school sweetheart, and this is the story of my handmade life.

I have depression and anxiety, and I fight like hell every day to keep it from taking over my life. Making things isn’t just a hobby — it’s part of what keeps me alive.

Whether I’m decorating a room, busting out my power tools to build furniture, getting muddy in the pottery studio, sewing clothes for my kids, or cross-stitching a swear word, I’m all about using my creativity to craft a life I love.

@HFXHeather on Instagram
I spent hours woodworking this morning and it felt great to be back at it — after what felt like months of just sewing and painting. Handmade Christmas gifts, coming right up! . . . #woodworking #craftsman #webuildpride #womenwithpowertools #allthesawdust #building #handmade #wood Once I finished my impasto flowers, I had to decide what to do next! I settled on trying another portrait — yikes — except this one is going to be in a more abstract, impasto style. . . In this week’s class I did the “underpainting” which is just laying on a base layer of colour. . . I’ve always loved this photo of my babies, back when they could both fit in a grocery cart baby seat! . . #oilpainting #oilpaintings #workinprogress #artclass #underpainting #underpaintinginprogress My painting has been safely delivered to the @marigoldcentre and will be on display tomorrow (Dec. 4) through Dec. 19. . . I can’t wait to see it on the wall. It’s called “Bloom Where You’re Planted” and it’s the third oil painting I’ve done with my class (first two were lemons and the kids, as seen in my “Oil Painting” highlight reel). . . This one is my first impasto piece, which means the paint is THICK and you can see brush strokes / palette knife work. . . I really loved making it — except those times when I cursed the leaves! — so it won’t be my last impasto. . . Scroll to see the unique way I “signed” the painting — technically the frame — using my 3D pen! . . If you’re local, go say hi to it! 🥰 . . #oilpainting #ecmmedia #painting #impastopainting #beginnerpainter #floralpainting #paintedflowers #artshow #marigoldcentre #trurons #truro Pretty sure I will never get Tchaikovsky out of my head, but it’s been an amazing #Nutcracker2019 weekend! Three shows over two days. Long rehearsals. Months of practice. Exhausting for the dancers *and* their parents, but oh so worth it to see them onstage and watch the magic happen. . . . #nutcracker #nutty2019 #gingersnaps #firstnutcracker #dancemom #dancelife Wearing pantyhose + heels + a homemade dress and hoping there are no wardrobe malfunctions! 😂 Let’s go, Nutcracker performance No. 1! . . . #handmade #handmadeclothing #sewing #velvet #christmasdress #nutcracker #cdanutty19 Sad but rad. Anxious but courageous. Always fighting for myself. . . . #mentalhealth #mentalillness #mentalwellness #depression #anxiety #momswithanxiety #momswithdepression #ecmmedia #sadbutrad #wearyourlabel #sicknotweak
@HFXHeather on Twitter
My Top Posts
DIY dog crate cover
Easy DIY sofa tables
How to sew a cozy nap mat
How to transfer photos to wood (without a million failed attempts)
Super easy quilt top for beginners
DIY monkey bars
Our board game wall
Yardzee! DIY Yahtzee for the yard
Sew a reversible circle skirt
Can you paint fabric storage cubes?
PREGNANCY blog posts
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© Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life, 2009-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.