Yarn wreath

I have been determined to get a wreath for every season for my front door. It really adds to the curb appeal. So, this one is for winter, when it's not Christmas. It was very simple to do and I was able to make it with supplies I already had. I bought a foam wreath. I wrapped it with yarn and decorated it with flowers. I used scraps of an old sweater and felt to make the flowers. I also knitted a flower. I stalked Pinterest to find different tutorials that I felt comfortable doing. If you haven't figured it out by now, my blog doesn't have a lot of tutorials, because I use other people's. I just like to make things myself, and with Pinterest and other online resources, it's pretty darn easy!

Beautiful bins

This is my beautiful mess before I added my fav: BINS!

This was the bookshelf in my dining before...it's a horrible picture, and a horrible mess.

The bottom just got overrun by toys, junk and who in the world knows what else is down there. My kids access this area a lot with the play food and play dough for the kitchen beside it. I also use it for recipe books (rarely, since I love Pinterest for recipes now.) So, I decided to do what I always do and make some bins. Check out here how I did it before. Last time I used amazon boxes, and this time I used boxes from the post office. They are strong and sturdy. As you can see, I was able to throw all of the food into one box and all of the play-dough into another box. It turned out pretty good. Of course, if I took a picture today, it would be messy again.

The bookshelf after the makeover with the two bins from post offices boxes.

From drab and dirty to fab and fun

I am rather addicted to rescuing old pieces of furniture and making them look new and fresh. I wish I had more time to go looking for potential makeover pieces, but I don’t. It’s probably a good thing because there is a very small workspace in my basement in which I can tackle these projects. So, I do them one at a time.

 There are SO many people who are also into this hobby and are making a living off of it. I do it for fun. I have sold two desks and have another finished. The money is going into my “new house fund.”

 I like to find chairs to go with the desks I do, too. I happened to have a morning free to go to a Kids’ Consignment sale and on the way home stopped at Front Porch Antiques. I hate to offer less than the asking price for things, but I wanted this chair (and another one). This one was priced $5 and the other one was not priced. I only had $7. They didn’t accept credit and I forgot my checkbook. So, out of necessity I asked and he obliged. I threw in an extra 25 cents to truly empty out my wallet. I am too honest, I guess.

I forgot to take a before of the desk, of course…but you can see the transformation of the dirty, dusty chair into something clean and crisp. My favorite part is probably choosing the color schemes. I love seeing it all come together. I don’t love this fabric as much as I thought I did at first, but it will work.  

One of a kind desk chair

I must get better at taking the BEFORE pictures. Because, this one would have made for a great before and after. I pick up pieces of furniture wherever I come across them. Knowing this, my stepdad unloaded this when he saw the back of my pickup truck already full… I am sure he thought, “what’s one more chair?” A scratchy blue fabric covered the chair and it sat in my basement. I probably could have sold it on Craigslist for $5 or maybe for $2 at a yard sale, but then I came across a tutorial on Pinterest on how to redo an office chair. And what seemed impossible, became very probable.

                Making old items new is really just about taking apart something someone made and making it your own.

Materials:

Old Office Chair

Upholstery Fabric

Padding

Batting

Staple gun and staples

Screwdriver

Pliers

Directions:

1. Remove the back and seat. First you have to inspect the chair and see how it is put together. This chair had something weird going on (the back was fastened with a bolt and a screw).  However, it should be as simple as removing the oval shaped do-dad with a screwdriver. Flip the chair over and remove the seat portion. It might be screwed on or bolted on. If you need help, ask a husband or dad…that’s what I always do when I hit a roadblock. Then, I have learned for the next time.

2. Take off the old fabric. This part can cause damage, to your hands! You just have to tackle the staples. I did this while watching TV and a few times when I wasn’t paying attention, I grazed my hand with the screwdriver and drew blood. I tried to loosen the staple with the screwdriver by wriggling it under, and then pulling it out with the pliers, or some combination of both.

3. Replace the fabric and padding. I cut a piece of fabric and batting about 4 inches around all sides for both the back and seat. I did this to be sure I didn’t mess up and waste this expensive fabric. (Purchased from Fabric.com, because it was MUCH cheaper than the local fabric box store.) I cut a piece of padding to match the one that I took out. You don’t have to replace the padding if you want to save money, but it sure will be more comfortable. Then, you place seat piece down, the padding, the batting and then the fabric and kind of wrap it like a present. If this doesn’t make sense, just pay attention as you are taking apart the chair and it will make sense.

4. Staple the new  pieces to the chair. This part is something I have to practice. It’s very hard to get it very stretched and make the corners right. I just really, really worked with until I felt like it looked good. It still could have been better, but hey…it was my first shot.

5. Reassemble the chair. Voila. It’s your new awesome office chair.

T-shirt quilt not done, but darn near close

Click here to see original post.

I swore that I started this project in 2011, but alas, it was 2009.

Good news is, I feel very close to finishing this 5 year old project. VERY CLOSE. It’s amazing how a few years of crafting increases your confidence.

Last weekend, I teamed up with my sister in law. Both of us were in a crafting slump and meeting together with no kids or distractions was the perfect way to jumpstart our stalled projects. We talked. We laughed and we got some work done. My project is now ready to be quilted together (the scariest step of all for me, anyway.) 

It’s clipped together with magnetic clips…the backing, the batting and the top. I have nightmares about bunching and shifting, but I am committed to taking my time on this guy. This is a sentimental and amazing project that I cannot wait to complete.

Tie it up: Spring wreath

  I have a pretty beautiful front door. It's probably original to the house, built in 1938ish. It's deserving of some adornments. I have a great fall and Christmas wreath that were gifts, but I needed something for spring, summer and winter. So, I set out on a mission. Since it's timely, here is the spring one. I am a pretty random crafter. I kind of start with an idea and just wing it. I am sure this drives some people crazy, but I don't always like to read directions...I just want to craft.

What you need:

Wire wreath frame (About $3 at Wal-mart)

Fabric remnants (a sheet is a great, cheap choice)

Buttons

Needle and thread (hot glue if you hate to sew)

Directions:

 

1. Cut your fabric into strips. I would say about 8 inches or so.

2. The wreath has 4 rings. I found it covers the wreath better with less fabric if you use one of the middle rings and not the inside or outside.

3. Simply start tying knots. You can space them as close or far as you want. Tie until your whole wreath is covered. It’s a great project to do while watching TV or socializing.

4. For the flowers, there are A LOT of tutorials on Pinterest for these. I read a few and then just did what I thought worked for me. I just cut different sizes of a flower shape and layered them until it looked like a flower. I sewed them together in the center and added a button.

That is it! Seriously.

DIY Bible Verse

I drool over personalized wall decals, canvases, and signs on Pinterest. Thankfully, I have the tools, patience and knowledge to make my own.
As we rely on God so much when dealing with daily struggles both big and small, Nate and I have been wanting to put a bible verse in our kitchen to remind us daily of God's awesomeness and to never forget who controls our lives.
There are so many I love, but we went with Nate's chosen verse, Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Some other contenders were:

My verse: Jeremiah 29:11

Or

Philippians 4: 6-7
Isaiah 40: 31
Galatians 5: 22-23
Psalms 37: 4-6
Psalm 55: 22
Psalm 34: 18
Psalm 46: 1
Proverbs 4: 7
2 Corinthians 4: 8-9
Galatians 6:9
Joshua 24: 15

There are SO many methods for making these quote boards.
Here is mine:

1. I picked up a cool board at Ikea for $4. You can find these in the clearance section. They are cupboard doors from pieces of furniture. Wood is wood. I have also been collecting old cupboards that I find at Re-stor that fit my decor. You can always paint it a different color, too.

2. I chose a font from my Cricut and got to work cutting out the letters. I used mostly the same font, but made some important words larger. Some people use stickers. While this is probably easier than cutting out the letters on the Cricut, I like that I don't have to commit to the layout until I am absolutely sure I like the way it looks. Even then, in the process of adhering them to the board, letters get moved around.

 

3. I grabbed Matte Mod Podge. I soaked the board with the adhesive and placed the letters. Then added another layer of the adhesive over top. 

 

4. It's tedious work for sure. However, the result is my very own personalized bible verse made the way I want it for the cost of the board $4 plus I guess the paper and Mod Podge, which I already have on hand.  

DIY Cupcake Tin Advent

There are lots of awesome advent calendars out there...but they can cost a fortune. Last year, I started making my own. In this season of life, I like to keep it simple.
Last year, I started using the cupcake tin idea. I am sure this idea came from Pinterst. It was quite an undertaking because I had to cut out all of the circles and numbers...thankfully I saved all the covers and was able to assemble quickly this year. If you have more than one child, just get some more cupcake tins!

What you need:
Mini cupcake tin
24 pieces of miniature candies or small toys
Holiday paper
1-24 Stickers or cutouts from Cricut
24 Circles 2 inch circles (use Cricut or hole punch) 
24 Circles 2 1/2 inch circles (use Cricut or hole punch)
Glue or adhesive
Glue dots

Directions:
Cut out the numbers 1-24 (to save time you can buy stickers).
Cut out the circles. Place the numbers on each of the smaller circles and layer on top of a larger circle.
Place a piece of chocolate or small toy in each of the circles. Place a glue dot on the top and bottom the assembled circle and stick to cover the opening.

As you can see by the finished product, gluing the small numbers made a bit of a mess....so stickers would definitely be a cleaner, quicker option.

 

DIY Gallery Wall Obessesion

Ever since I started stalking Pinterest, I have been looking for ways to spruce up my 5-year-old home decor. Enter: The Gallery Wall. I love it! It's busy, random and totally out of my comfort zone. I tried to make it symettrical, but my husband says sometimes you have to be random...I like it! I did measure the spot on the wall where I wanted to put it (about 5 by 5) and used the floor to lay it out.

Of course, as we hung it, it transformed. Well, let's be truthful, I stood back and gave directions while he hung it. I am not the most adept at hammers and nails...and forget screws.

In the process, we added and deleted. And, with another baby on the way...there had to be room to add some more photos. I still want to incorporate a few more funky pieces (we were thinking old saw or shot gun...ha). I also would like to color the "S" a tan to contrast, but that won't take long. I have seen a lot of gallery walls that I love, but of course, when you make your own...it's right at home.

Broken clock dodges landfill

5.5 years ago we got a clock for a wedding gift. It never got hung up and when I dug it back out...it didn't work. Even a new battery didn't solve the problem. We didn't need it anyway, so i skipped getting a new clock kit. Instead, I turned it into the centerpiece for our gallery wall.

I cut out some decorative paper to fit and used my Cricut to cut out the letters and for my own personal touch I turned the fluer de lis upside down. I used mod podge matte to adhere the letters. I put the clock back exactly as it was (in case I ever need a clock again) and hung it up. Voila, broken clock avoids landfill!

Redone desk

This little beauty wasn't so bad before in the left picture, however, it was a very poor paint job, and I wanted to give it new life. The paint was chipping and bubbly in spots. It was also really, really shiny. The color is very popular right now, but I still felt like it needed something to revive it. And who doesn't love shabby chic.

I started off with some paint stripper only to find that whomever painted it really didn't take their time nor have concern for the nice piece of real workmanship of this desk. The tongue and groove drawers and great construction showed that this desk was very sturdy and would certainly stand the test of time. The stripper was making a such a royal mess, I asked my little princess to help me clean up.

So after attempting to strip without success (blisters, sweat and curse words later), I decided this was a candidate for a good sanding job, primer and a fresh coat of paint.  I ended up just cleaning it up the best that I could and sanding it as smooth as I could. I applied a coat or white primer. Then took to painting.  Instead of painting, then sanding to make the distressed look, I decided to experiment with some painting techniques. This is what the drawer looked like before as I was trying to strip.Then the after. To get the look, I painted the drawer with primer. Painted a layer of green called Canteen.

                                                                                                                   After that dried, I took a lighter aqua color. I dipped my brush in water first, then in paint. I lightly brushed the drawer and then dabbed off the excess with a paper towel. When that dried, I drug a little stain over the drawer. And that was all. I decided to avoid a lot of distress, I only accented the drawers with the paint technique and used the canteen green and aqua to paint the rest. I am pleased with the results. I finished it off with a wax instead of polyurethane because I wanted it to look more natural and less shiny. I am please. The plan now is to sell the desk, however, I am not sure where to even start. How much to I charge, where do I list it? This is the first piece that I didn't do for myself, even though I think it would look awesome in Ayla's room!                                    

 

Printable computer art

I cannot take credit for this one....Click here to see the blog post I used to help me learn how to make this lovely computer quote. I have been wanting to add personal bible verses and quotes strategically to my house to inspire us and help us remember what is important. I've seen dozens on Pinterest or Etsy. I have tinkered with it over the past several months in Adobe and Word and nothing came out of it that I liked....until, I used this blog to help me. My one tip is to download the fonts you want with Picasa closed, so they are all there when you open it. I thought it wasn't working, I just had to close out. And of course, my new printer worked awesomely, wirelessly from the laptop! Ah, technology

Mission: Organize jewels

That my friends was my idea of jewelry organization when I had to organize and declutter before Ayla was born. Well, since then I've discovered Pinterest and having be pining for a more functional and eye-appealing way to organize my jewelry before baby boy comes. These little containers were a great way to contain the earrings in one locale but definitely not easy to find matches.  And once Ayla found them, forget it. So, I made this:

Just by going through and picking out the pairs to put on the jewelry holder was eye-opening. I found a pair I loved, but never knew I had and have never worn. 

And this fancy little holder cost me 25 cents, actually maybe less.  No kidding. I already had the purple beading wire and white spray paint. The frame was a Rescue Mission find. It's marked 25 cents because it was missing the glass (which I didn't need anyway) and frames were but one get one free that day, seriously. 

To be fair, I didn't know what I was going to use this frame for. It was a candidate for Ayla's gallery wall, but I didn't end up needing it. I pick up inexpensive materials as I find them. It makes my craft corner a cluttered mess, but saves me a trip out when I have a project I'd like to start. This is part one of three parts of mission organize jewels. So there is more to come! 

Ayla's big girl room

 For the longest time, I have been plotting Ayla's big girl room. I scoured Pinterest, came up with some ideas, visited tons of thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets and slowly started assembling the pieces. My goal was to come up with a shabby chic, vintage-looking pretty room for my little lady. It's really a room that I would love to sleep in, but I am sure she will, too. It still has a little work to make it complete, but I think it's ready for her, when I am ready to move her out of her nursery. The plus of this room is that it has a huge closet where we can put all of her toys and clothes and keep the room looking clean and girly. And this room was seriously very, very inexpensive. Really. You know me!

In the first photo, is the reading corner.
1. The tree is a hand-me-down from grandmother.
2. The rocking chair was a gift.
3. My dad is an avid auction goer and gets me the best deals, so I do have an insider. The little wicker shelf beside the rocking chair was probably only a dollar or two at an auction.
4. The window came from Re-Stor in Lancaster for $10. I added the bird decal (Stampin' UP) and the Dream word (A.C. Moore) for only a few dollars. It's hung with a rustic looking chain and hook I found at the Re-Stor in York for less than $1 for both.
5. The dresser was $2. Not kidding. It needed a little TLC and after fixing a few problems, I painted it white and distressed it with sand paper. The new knobs were less than $20 at Home Depot.
6. The shutter was 25 cents at a yard sale, and I added a light coat of acrylic paint.
7. The pictures on the wall were made by my crafty mother.
8. The jars and glasses came from yard sales.

 This photo shows the gallery wall...my new obsession. I love the look of these and they can be done so inexpensively. I eventually may add more, and of course replace the old advertisement in one. I can with all honesty say that this wall cost me less than $10, with most of the cost coming from the Command Strips I had to use to hang some of the frames. Most of the frames were from the York Rescue Mission Thrift Store. They were having a 50% off frame sale (as if they weren't cheap enough), so they came out to be about 25 to 50 cents each. I looked for the old gold and silver metal frames. After I got a stock-pile, I laid them all out and spray painted them in the yard. The silver tray was 50 cents at the same thrift store as well as the two small mirrors. You really can't look at something for its color or material. A coat of spray paint does wonders. I painted the silver tray with chalk board paint. I found the old sheet music at the coolest little store in York New Salem on the square. The little place is full of old books and quirky little things. He is open Fridays and Sundays. The quote and the bird on the sheet music were cut out with my beloved Cricut. The A, is really just a wooden A from the craft store and covered it with decorative paper.  Her bed is under the gallery wall, but for now it's just a mattress on the floor for safety...so I kept it out of the photo.

And the final photo is her vanity/desk/bookshelf. Who knows what she will use this for.
1. The vanity/desk was the most expensive buy ($75) and it's probably the one piece she will take the longest to use. However, I fell in love with it at Restoration Warehouse in York. It is also clear that whomever painted it knows much more about it than I do..because it's gorgeously distressed with silvers and grays.
2. The chair was the perfect color and already distressed, and again, my dad got it at an auction for a steal, I am sure.
3. The magnetic board behind the desk/vanity is my masterpiece. I used an old frame I found in my basement. I think it was part of a box lot at an auction for $1. I covered a piece of sheet metal (aluminum so it's magnetic) with fabric (a few dollars at Joann Fabric). I can't remember what I bought, but a nice gentleman at Home Depot was very helpful in finding me what I needed. It was $10. I cut it with tin snips to fit the frame.Take a magnet with you to make sure. The magnets are actually vintage buttons and old clip-on earrings I found at yard sales. I used metal cutters and glue to assemble them.
4. The bookshelf was $1 at an auction (again my dad). I cleaned it up, removed the ugly legs and distressed it.
5. The mirror above the bookshelf was $1 at a church yard sale. It was gold, and I spray painted it gray. Going with the distressed look is lovely because you don't have to worry about chipping paint or colors showing through because that adds to its charm.
5. The silver frames on the book shelf were 50 cents each at same church yard sale. I added some acrylic white paint. I have to find something cool to put in them.
6. The top shelf has old children's books I've collected over the years.
7. The middle shelf has a large food can I covered with decorative paper, as well as a frame I painted with chalk board paint.
8. The plastic storage bin are from the Dollar Tree. $1 of course.

Overall, I am pleased with the room. Of course, I don't think it looks much like the lovely ideas I had in my head or the dazzling photos on Pinterst, but it's unique and there is no other room like it. I put a lot of love into it and used many items from family that mean a lot.

Storage bin beauty

It's been my mission to organize like crazy. I've always been really organized, but it's not always been incorporated into my decor. Thanks to all the glory of the Internet, I've been inspired. Here is my latest..Amazon boxes into storage bins. It's super easy. All it took was an search for homemade bins and a million ideas, videos and blogs come up. This requires a little sewing, but it's so forgiving if you are not perfect!

Shabby chic success

I have been drooling over shabby chic furniture on Pinterest, Blogs and Web sites for weeks. I knew I had it it me to tackle a piece on my own, but I just needed the right one. Enter: My Dad Chuck. While bidding at an auction on a dresser for Ayla's new big girl room, he also came across this kid-size bookshelf for $1! The quality was really very good, and the only features I didn't like were the metal legs and the collection of spider eggs that came with it. But, those are easy fixes. The legs screwed right out and the shop vac took care of the spider sacs. I had everything I needed at home for this lovely project so I didn't even have to trek to Home Depot. Two coats of primer, a coat of white paint, some serious sandpaper action, Mod Podge (oh but of course), decorative wrapping paper and Polyurethane was all I needed to make my drooling days end! It took me a few trips to the basement between Ayla's naps today to add each coat and this is what I came up with. It's for Ayla's bedroom, but

the photo I took of it finished in the basement didn't do it justice, so I staged it in my living room. And, I actually love it there for now. I haven't added the coat of Polyurethane yet, but I wanted to make sure I really did like it before I made it permanent. My original idea was to do the backs silver or gray, because that is the theme of Ayla's room...Shabby Chic Glamour, but I loved the way the green turned out. I am sure the little addition of color will just steer the theme into a different direction. So, I write this blog with a happy heart that I tackled something new and it turned out just as I had imagined.

Strawberry baskets

While spending the day in my dad's workshop, he unloaded a few items on me which included three strawberry boxes. I love them because they represent so much of my past (growing up working on a farm and watching my family can and freeze fresh produce).  I saw a really cool idea on Pinterest for putting 365 small index cards in a strawberry box with the date starting at January 1 and ending with December 31 on each card. Each day of the year, you write the year on a line and one thing that happened in your family. So, for yesterday August 23, I might write: 2012: Ayla learns to make the owl sound. Then next year on that day I write on the next line: 2013: Ayla pees on the potty (we hope so, ha ha). It's a great way to keep track of life's simple moments in a very compact place.

I also saw an idea for putting name labels on baskets and putting them on your stairs so when you clean, you can sort each family member's items into their respective box. That was my intention when I made the labels, but then I couldn't find baskets laying around the house that would work for my purpose. So, until I can come up with something (probably covering diaper boxes with fabric and liners) I added the labels to the strawberry boxes. They aren't being used right now...but I am open for suggestions. Maybe I should just do the index card idea for all of us. That would be interesting!

Mod Podge Masterpiece

Masterpiece is a bit ambition...but I love the alliteration.
Anyway, a lonely bottle of Mod Podge ($2) accompanied my endless craft supplies for years. I never used it. WHAT was I thinking? That stuff is amazing. I have been trying to take my Pinterest inspirations and not directly copy them, rather put my own twist on them. A crafter has to be a little creative, right?
I fell in love with the saying you see in the picture and wanted it for Ayla's room. It really exemplifies how Nate and I feel about our first born. On Pinterest, the saying was on a fancy wooden sign with fancy illustrated text. I jumped on the laptop to try to emulate the look, but since I am not trained in Adobe Illustrator and I am no expert in Word, I quickly got frustrated and quit. I dug out my Cricut cutter and decorative paper and experimented with various sizes and styles of the letters. Once I was happy with the results I placed them on the small piece of canvas ($1.50 and also victim to the getting lost in my craft supplies for years and never having a purpose). I brushed the Mod Podge over the canvas and placed the letters. Once they were set, I brushed another layer over the canvas to "finish" the canvas with a glossy look. Mod Podge comes in a variety of finishes. When I told a few middle-age co-workers about my Mod Podge project, they giggled. "We used to LOVE that stuff." Well ladies, I am bringing it back. In fact, there is a Mod Podge blog that I love to read. It showcases amazing ideas of other creative people.

From check box to bathroom beauty

How many of you have cleaning ADD? I do. Even after telling myself to stay in ONE room, I end up all over the house. It drives me insane because it probably makes my house feel dirtier than it is. Over the summer, I spent hours organizing the basement, kitchen drawers and cabinets, and closets. I have to admit, it's a cleansing feeling after a school year of chaos. 

Mid-summer, we had our nasty old stand up shower replaced with a beautiful tub/shower combo and the fresh paint job made the bathroom sparkle. And even though they were hidden, the vanity drawers filled with my husbands hair trimmings and all kinds of other dirt needed to be part of the makeover. My daughter loves to play in these drawers, and being the laid-back-let-her-explore type of momma, I let her. I just clean up when she is through. However, nothing had a place, so it all got thrown into the drawer, and I had to root. Soooo, I wanted to organize. I was on a full day mission to clean, so I did not want to run to the store for organizing implements such as drawer bins. I searched my house for the perfect size and in the office drawer, I found empty check boxes and my iPhone box. I also uncovered some cardboard jewelry boxes. I doused the check boxes with Modge Podge and covered them with decorative paper. And as you can see (sort of), I now have two contained bins that can hold the little things that roll around the drawer. I am getting better at covering things with fabric and paper (there is definitely a method), but as you can see, there is a little edge that is sticking out. I am not concerned, it's not out in the open. I ended up using the iPhone box in a lower drawer for perfume samples. And the cardboard jewelry box holds the millions of hair ties that meander all over the place. What a relief, to finally have some organization in my bathroom drawers without spending a dime. Other items you can use are old silverware drawers, wipe containers, any cardboard box cut down. The list goes on. Think about turning trash to treasure.

Power hour

I am really proud of myself for finally finding the courage to take the power tool plunge. There are so many ideas on Pinterest (my new addiction) that require a little knowledge of drills, screws and saws. And surpisingly, it's really easy to use these tools that are usually reserved for the man of the house.  My dad spent a little time showing me a little of the ropes. I just took a deep breath and dove in. I wanted to create something unique that wasn't on Pinterest. I have an industrial look in my kitchen. It's painted grey with copper and silver accents. I don't really know how the idea came to me, it just did as I was digging through my tool box. I uncovered the old knobs I took off my built-in buffet (copper). They were replaced with cool yellow jeweled baubles. So, I had the cool tin trough with the copper handles and the copper handles. I decided to make a shelf-style storage container for the kitchen. I have no idea what will go in it, but that is for another day.