Nightstand for .W.

My friend Becca asked me to help her with some of her furniture that she just wanted to change up. After, talking back and forth for a while we finally got it started. She has some really great wood furniture that just needs some little TLC. The first thing she wanted to change was this cute little nightstand. She hated the red color, it just didn't go with anything in her bedroom.


I like how this night stand is just little but has some good detail to it. It is also a very sturdy piece. First, I used Rust-Oleum Primer and coated it really good.


I was so ecstatic when she said that she wanted to paint it in a light blue color. I have been dying to paint some thing in a Turquoise color. Turquoise is everywhere right now, it was the color of the year last year but it is still going strong! We picked the Rust-Oleum spray paint in Aqua. I was so happy with how it looked.


Of course I couldn't resist glazing it. Have I mentioned it is my favorite thing ever! I used Ralph Lauren Faux Glaze. Just painted it on very generously and then wiped off with a damp rag. I just wiped off until I got the look I wanted, or added more as needed. I love how it just give the details a little definition.

I also replaced the drawer pull, I found this great round pull at home Depot for about $3. It just updates the whole thing.

I totally love it and Becca did too. So exciting. I am on the search for the next thing I can paint this color!

Lisa

Spring Wreath

According to the calendar Spring should be here. But we only get a small glimpse of it every few days. So I wanted to make something that would really bring some fun bright colors in to my home. I found a zillion ideas for ribbon wreaths back in December when I was looking for my Christmas wreath. So I filed this idea away for the future. I thought this would be a prefect ways to bring all things Spring inside and just in time for Easter.

My friend Brie loved the idea too and wanted to make one also. We started with a 12 inch floral hoop from JoAnn's $4.99 (used a 40% off coupon) = $3! And then I bought tons of ribbon. You honestly need about 24 to 25 YARDS of ribbon to to make sure you cover it well. I also used up any old ribbon I had around the house, So I spent about $15 in ribbon. Buy it in bulk if possible. I bought most of it at Walmart and searched for the rolls with the most yardage for the same price. My friend also got about the same amount of ribbon and we mixed the colors for more variety.


We cut the ribbon into about 18" strips, nothing scientific just depending on the thickness of the ribbon as to how it would tie around . Then we started to tie the ribbon on the hoop. Starting with the thicker pieces to cover the whole loop, then moving on to thinner ribbon to go on top. It took a couple of hours all together but it was sure fun to do with a friend. Doesn't it look so festive and fun.

It really did take a lot of ribbon but if you are like me and hang on to a zillion of little scraps, this is a fun way to use them up. I think the Ric Rac and the cute flower ribbon really add a fun punch.

How are you welcoming in Spring?

Lisa

Bathroom Sign

Last summer, I painted and redecorated my bathroom. For a really long time I have been looking for some wall art for it to finish the look. I just hadn't found the right thing. So my sister was telling me about this metal sign she found at Hobby Lobby. She wanted me to make her some vinyl lettering to go on hers. And I thought that it would work perfect in my bathroom too. I have a saying that I have wanted to make for some time and this was perfect.

This is the original sign bought for $15 (after 50% off) at Hobby Lobby. I loved the details along the edges. After I got it home, I realized it is the exact same color as the walls. Since that wouldn't work I decided to paint it green, since I have other elements of green in the room.

After I primed it with Krylon Primer, I used Ivy Leaf Kylon spray paint that I already had on hand.

I like the green but thought it was too bright for the room, and I love the detail, yet it seemed to disappear along the edges. So I had to glaze it - which honestly is my favorite thing.


I covered it very heavily using a brush to make sure I got it in all the little nooks and crannies.

Then using a damp cloth, I wiped off all the Glaze. Being careful not to wipe too much back off. I was very pleased with how it really made it stand out.

I love the saying "In a world where you can be anything... BE YOURSELF!" I don't know who said it but I really love it and have wanted to make a sign for a while. I cut my vinyl letters out with my new Silhouette SD machine. I love this machine! Unlike it's competitors, you use your computer to design what ever you want and are not limited to buying the cartridges. It is awesome. And my Hubby has actually used it even more then me!

Here is the finished project


Awesome, Huh! I am so excited to have it done, it turned out just how I wanted. Total cost was just $15 for the sign, everything else I had here on hand. I love quick and thrifty projects like this. Remember, if you find something you like at the store but it's not the right color you can change it up for pretty inexpensive and make it a custom item for your home.

Lisa

Slacker

My last post was 3 months ago, hello did I die or something!!! Yeah it is a bit ridiculous I might have to admit but it can easily be explained all at the same time with a couple of words PREGNANCY and WINTER. So now that is it warming up and I'm not wanting to sleep all day I want to get back to being creative. I need it. It makes me feel alive to be able to create something beautiful or fun. So I'm admitting this to get my self on the ball again and start creating. I have many projects in my head or already half way in the works, so here is a sneak peak at a few that I hope to finish and post about soon.

A picture for my bathroom

A daddy of all projects the console T.V. - their making a come back.... well in a new way.
So keep posted and thanks for sticking with me on this.

Lisa

Wreaths

I have been working on many holiday crafts lately. I just had to make these amazing wreaths. I have made two different ones so far, in my searches I have found many more I just will have to make through out the year.

The first one I made I got the idea from All Things Thrifty Lima Bean Wreath. I fell in love with it and wanted to make me one. Once I decided I wanted to hang it on my french doors I decided I needed two. While shopping at JoAnn's, I was inspired to try and make a square wreath instead. Who ever said they had to all be round??? I purchased 2- 12x12 pieces of Styrofoam, about an inch thick, for $5 each and used a 40% off coupon.
I cut out the center of each square to make a 6inch square in the middle. Then I also trimmed a little of the corners so it was rounded and not so square. (just a side note... I hate the sound of Styrofoam, so this was difficult for me to get through.) But I'm sure glad I did.

The example used Lima beans, but I have a million Pinto beans lying around (honestly I wont be cooking them anytime soon). Since I plan on painting the wreaths anyway, it will be no big deal. Pinto beans - FREE! I hot glued them on at a 45 degree angle.

It took just a little less then a 1 lb. bag of Pinto beans to do each wreath. (I will have to think of another project for the other 20 bags I have been storing.) It was pretty tedious work and took about 4 hours for the first one and about half the time on the second. Minus the 15 minute break when I burned my finger so bad that I sat there wanting to cry. But I did make it through.

I wanted to paint my wreaths Red. It has to be one of my favorite colors. So first I sprayed it with white Primer which really made all the dumb glue strings stand out. Then I sprayed it with the Red. Which helped re-hide some of the glue and the white cracks between the beans. Tied it up with some ribbon that I also purchased at JoAnn's for a few dollars.
And here is the finished project.


I really think it turned out awesome. They fit in the space perfectly and just add a fun look to the glass doors. Both wreaths were about $10 together!!!

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Another wreath I made was based on function more then just aesthetics. I have really wanted a fun way to display all of those Christmas cards from family and friends. In years past I would just tape them on the door but It looked pretty bad. So I searched and searched for inspiration on an idea. I knew I still wanted it on the door because of lack of space to put another object and I wanted it where we will all see them. After, a couple different trips to different craft stores I found the wire wreath frame for about $4 and this block "W" for $5. I painted the "W" green with paint I had on hand. Then, I bought a package of clips for $3 and the ribbon was some I already had. I Think it turned out great for about $12!!! It makes all the cards look amazing and it is fun to have a place for them all to go.



Lisa

Entertainment simplified

Do you have one of those entertainment areas that need help. Need organization, and simplification. We sure did. A few months ago my hubby got a new fancy flat screen TV. So in the process we rearranged the family room. We put the new flat screen above the mantel which is nice that it keeps it away from little fingers but all the other components were stacked up there along side it. We love the new TV but hated the mess that it brought just having everything right there. We had plans to build a simple shelf to hold it all and be able to still look nice.

Erek took this project on and together we brainstormed what would work best for us. Since Erek is very much a man of action he we taking it all apart before I could even take a picture so there isn't any before pictures but we did get a few of the project as we were painting it.

We purchased a piece of wood for $22, it was enough to all parts the main shelf and legs. We also purchased some screws and paint. Total project about $35.

Here is a close up of it up on the mantel. I like the it is a very simple design and doesn't take way from the design of the mantel or the decor of the room. Finally, the finished project with all the Christmas decor on the mantel.

Lisa

Halloween Fun

I love Halloween. I love decorating for Halloween. I just want to show you a few of the things I have made for the holiday this year. This is my book shelf in our Office.
I got the pictures from the internet and put them in frames. It is hard to see the one in the top corner but it is of a skeleton riding a bike which I thought was pretty cool, and very fitting for our home.
My favorite project was the potions. I bought the 4 different bottles at World Market all for $16. There are tons of cool labels to put on bottles I got theses from Love Manor (They really know how to do Halloween.) There is tons of different labels to use. I put them on with Mod Podge so they will last and it wouldn't matter if they get wet. Once we had the labels on I let the kids in on the fun of making the potions. They thought it was so fun to come up with the colors and creations.
I used the Bottles as a table decoration for our family Halloween party too.
I also made these cute Halloween plates with the use of my friends Cricut machine and glass etched in the design. I bought the plates at Target 4 for $7.


Lisa