Hi, I’m Monica Ewing Jensen (formerly Monica Ewing). I’m a born crafter and a born nester. I began decorating homes at an early age — staging elaborate living spaces for Barbie dolls. Now that I’m semi-grown-up, I furnish and beautify the home I share with my amazing husband. We married in 2019, and we live contentedly in a 1927 Spanish bungalow in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although my dreams are grand, our budget and square footage are small, so resourcefulness — and a handy husband — have become my best allies.

I launched Crafty Nest in June of 2008, at a time when I was freelancing and living in a small apartment with a roommate. My budget was extremely tight, but I had all the time in the world. Then Crafty Nest took a back seat when I got a full-time job and the 90-minute commute that came with it. My commute is shorter now, so I find myself with a little more time for blogging. My husband and I have done a lot of work on our house, and there’s much more planned, so I thought I’d again share my — now our — DIY projects with the world.

My premise for Crafty Nest remains the same: I think up something I need or see something I like, then figure out how to make my own version. I specialize in refurbishing/repurposing shabby and unwanted items. I don’t claim to be an expert or furniture restorer; I just love creating new things. I’m always making something new and rotating out the old because I have more ideas than one small house can hold.

I aim to make each project as inexpensively as I can. And I try to use salvaged or thrifted materials whenever possible. I also attempt to keep my projects as easy as possible for people like me who don’t have a lot of time to kill. However, they invariably end up being a bit more difficult and expensive than I plan.

Thank you for visiting my crafty nest!