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Category: DIY
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Our favorite DIY projects – I guarantee these will inspire
I’ve spent a while gathering up my favorite DIY projects for around the home. Some are quick and easy, some are more involved. The winter is a great time to tackle a lot of these since you are stuck in the house anyway. Just make sure that if you do any requiring paint, chemicals, etc., that you have proper ventilation – and have fun!
Curtains aren’t cheap, and if you like to change them up frequently, your wallet can really take a hit. I wanted ikat curtains but didn’t want to cough up the bucks, so I eventually found a great deal on fabric and sewed them. Another great option is to buy some cheap curtains (or twin flat sheets from walmart) and paint them. I love the ones above. See how to do it here.
See how to do it here.
via Buzzfeed via Apartment Therapy
Hide your unsightly router in decorative boxes or cut out an old book. I love this idea because I hate my router being in plain site. I would make the ventilation holes in the back of the boxes larger though, and make sure that in the beginning you check the router frequently to make sure it’s not overheating.
I also hate a clutter of devices on my desk or counter charging. Creating a charging drawer is such a clever idea. Learn how here.
You can use the same concept for a printer, though it may be harder to find a drawer large enough. Can you tell I don’t like electrical clutter? Learn how here.
Since we just opened up up living room and dining room into one open space, we are going to have to paint. Our ceilings are quite low, and I’ve heard that half-painting a wall or leaving white stripe at the top gives the illusion of higher ceilings. Thoughts? via At Home In Love
Old, ugly doors? Tell me about it – my house is full of them. I’ve been looking for some ways to spruce them up. See how here.
This is a great one. Make a tiled mirror like one seen in Pottery Barn for $10 with supplies from the dollar store. See how here.
Paint those old vinyl floors? I have to admit, the results look amazing, but this one is obviously more involved, and you would want to research how durable it is before taking on all the work. Learn how here.
What do you think? Interested in trying any of these out?
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Not Your Traditional Nightstands!
Sometimes using an item that’s not originally for it’s intend can be a great surprise and fun feature to your room! I’ve found a few alternatives to use for your nightstand that you might find inspiring. Take a look around your home now, I bet you could find a few pieces you already own that would make a great nightstand:
via apartmenttherapyWooden crates are not something new, but I love how they incorporated a light in it and made the boxes able to turn. This piece is definitely makes a statement!A trash can turned upside down. Simple and Genius.Reusing cinder blocks to create a nightstand is pretty brilliant!Making your own nightsand out of something you might have lying around the house. This is seriously creative and a great way to hide clutter in the suitcase itself!!Who would have thought to use a barrel as a nightstand? I love the spray painted black, you could do so many things with a barrel.Cutting a table in half? It’s the perfect way to make an interesting nightstand out of something that you may already have. -
Must see- the mother of all DIY, an abandoned French Chateau from the 1700s
This story is amazing. In the Midi-Pyrenees an 18th century neoclassical French chateau had been left to crumble until it was discovered by an Australian couple who more or less bought it on the spot have been lovingly and painstakingly renovating it. Talk about a DIY project!
Below are just a few photos of how they found the fairytale home and the progress made thus far. Be sure to check out the Chateau de Gudanes’s website – where you can read the history and see all of the amazing photos!
Those doors!
That staircase!
Quite the patch job.
All images from Chateau de Gudanes and Wimp
I think it’s wonderful that the place isn’t being left to decay and be lost forever, but there is something magical about seeing it how it is now.
Reactions?
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Christmas Home Tours
Some great Christmas Home Tours you won’t want to miss, they have brilliant ideas, easy crafts, and interesting decor I’ve never seen before!
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Thanksgiving decorating ideas that you haven’t seen a million times
It’s quite a challenge to find unique decorating ideas for the holidays. Especially with so many people entertaining over Thanksgiving, you want some decor that makes your home a little more memorable. Here are some ideas that I hope are new to you!
Choose an appropriate but non-traditional color palette. Orange and brown is a classic for Thanksgiving, but how about white and brown. It definitely lends your home a fresher look. Click here to get these free Thanksgiving printables!via Pinterest via The Tom Kat Studio
I love this handmade garland with a palette straight from nature. A little metallic paint and you can create a custom message. Learn how herevia Pinerest via Love Paper Paint
The pastel color palette on this table definitely makes it memorable.
via Pinterest via Decorating Your Small Space
And yet another example of how unexpected color freshens up Thanksgiving decor. I love the addition of the pink mums! Without them it would be a pretty, but rather ho-hum porch.
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Bringing back the beadboard!
If you are on a tight budget but need a major makeover, a cheap solution might be right in front of you! Check out some awesome ways to use beadboard, and make it look expensive:
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First glimpse at my wedding! My bouquet and how I made it
As some of you know I was married on May 24 of this year. The day was beyond beautiful and I will be sharing photos and how-to’s with you over the coming months, but first I wanted to show off my gorgeous flowers.
My bouquet!
©2014 Mallory Frazier PhotographyLike many aspects of my wedding, I did the flowers myself – from centerpieces to my bouquet to boutonnieres. There are a few surefire ways to make your wedding flowers look gorgeous and be almost effortless. I recommend sticking to a few flowers or types of greenery. I chose Lamb’s Ear from my mothers garden, Foxtail Fern from an existing plant we had (which we happened to receive as a favor from another wedding), and blush peonies from the amazing Fiftyflowers.com.
Keeping the different types of flowers or greenery in your wedding to a few types will drastically cut your costs. Another mistake I see DIY brides make is having way too many colors going on in her bouquet and centerpieces. Unless you’re a pro, stick to your palette, or stick to tried and true color combos. Another good rule of thumb is to have one main color and two accent colors. The amazing textures of leaves and flowers make it really hard for even a monochrome bouquet to be boring, and it will undoubtedly look more sophisticated then a bouquet sporting a rainbow of flowers.
My peonies arrived carefully packaged. Fifty Flowers customer service kept me updated on their arrival time and how to care for them.
Once I had my flowers and greenery gathered up, I began making my bouquet and my bridesmaid’s bouquets. Our bouquets were the same except that mine was larger. I also had ready a few buckets with water and flower food* on hand to store the bouquets until we were ready for them.
Remove excess leaves from your flowers and greenery. This will allow moisture in the plant focusing on the buds and blossoms, not on leaves. You will also need a few inches of bare stem for wrapping your bouquet.
Begin composing your bouquet. Whenever I arrange flowers, I compose them in my hand first, before I start to trim stems. Once you have your bouquet or arrangement how you want it, then you can secure the base and trim the stems evenly.
Once I was happy with a bouquet, I secured the stems in place with floral tape* and snipped the stems even at the bottom.
For my bouquet, which was thicker, I secured it with wire* before wrapping it in tape. Next, starting slightly above the tape so it is not visible, begin wrapping your ribbon around the stems. You can use a pin to hold it in place at the top while you wrap.
Once the tape was completely covered by ribbon*, I secured the ends of the ribbon by making just a small stitch with a needle and thread.
The finished product! Keep your bouquets in a cool dark place with fresh water (I added flower food to mine) until you are ready to use them.
©2014 Mallory Frazier Photography
I couldn’t have been happier with my bouquet. The peonies from Fifty Flowers lasted so long, I used them to decorate my house and they lived for another whole week.
*Supplies: Wilton Gum Paste Wire and Tape
30 Quart Cut Flower Food
May Arts 3/4-Inch Wide Ribbon, Pewter Velvet
50 Blush Peonies from fiftyflowers.com
Lamb’s Ear from our garden
Foxtail Fern from our plantA huge thanks to Fiftyflowers.com who provided the peonies for my wedding
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Blogs I’m Loving!
Check out some of the amazing blogs I’ve found recently that are definitely worth a read:
This dinning room screams glamorous to me! The glass above the fireplace makes a huge statement and the rest of this Victorian house tour is lovely – check it out at styleinsideuk.
I am anxiously waiting for one of my favorite bloggers books that’s out on preorder now! Erin Gates from Elements of Style has always been a great source of inspiration for me.
Bloesem also featured this new veggie collection of prints by Carmen to spice up your walls! This is a great way to add some color and life to your space.
Love this bar inspired by old crafstmen table, and built from reclaimed pine. Check out more amazing reclaimed art projects at Sikada Creative.
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DIY: How to change out a wall mounted light fixture
This post may not be the typical sort of thing I feature, but I was lucky enough to receive two lighting fixtures from Westside Wholesale and wanted to show them off in a meaningful way by showing you step by step out to change out a wall mounted light fixture. The lighting that was installed in our master bath when we moved in was nice, but it just wasn’t our style. So I jumped on the offer two review some fixtures of my choice and went with a classic, sophisticated wall mount – the Kichler 5367CH Bathroom Light.
Pretty.
Let’s begin. Part 1: Removing the current fixture . VERY IMPORTANT – Turn off the light switch that powers the fixture.
The existing fixture
Gather up any tools you think you may need ahead of time
Find the screw or peg that attaches the current fixture to the plate to remove the fixture. Then, unscrew the back plate or begin disconnecting the wires (see below)
If you have to disconnect the wires first, you will notice black wires and white wires. Black first and then white. Untwist the cap connecting the black wires and then untwist them.
Next do the same to the white
Next, untwist the grounding wires
Loosen the grounding screw so you and release the grounding wire.
If you didn’t remove the plate before, do it now. Your old mount should now be completely removed.
Depending on what shape box is installed in your wall already, you may need to pop out some of the “tabs” on the plate. Then, assemble the fixture as it will be on the wall.
FIRST – twist together the white wires and top off with the screw cap.
Second, screw together the black wires and top off with a screw cap. Third, twist together the grounding wires. I made a little video for you but it’s not working very well so I have two screen grabs above for you. It is similar to removing an existing fixture except for the order.
Once you have connected all the wires from the wall box to the new fixture, it’s time to attach the plate of the new fixture to the wall.
Push the wires into the box, and screw on the plate.
Loosen up the ground screw and twist the grounding wire around the screw. Retighten the screw.
Place the new fixture on the plate – lining up the screw holes on the top and bottom of the fixture to the holes in the plate.
Tighten the screws so the fixture holds firm and flush against the wall.
That wasn’t hard was it?
Now we just need to paint – and maybe get some matching lightbulbs…
I hope this has inspired you to take on a little DIY project and swap out any fixtures that need to go!
disclosure: I received the light fixtures as a sample from Westside Wholesale
