Hands down, my absolute favorite tool is my miter saw. Power miter saws can do so many things – and do it pretty easily as well. This guide will show you the basics of how to use a miter saw and what all a miter saw can be used for.
DIY Projects
DIY Marble Top Table for $30 or less
This one will be as short and sweet as possible, friends. The flu has struck our house and its first victim is me.
I love marble. Have I told you that before? I mean, I’m sure its apparent by looking at my bathroom.
I also love little side tables that can be moved around as needed to hold drinks and what not.
And I love a classic black – paired with gold.
The three loves combined in this DIY Marble Top Table.
6 Creative and Easy Ways to Document Memories
When the kid started talking, she would answer “Sure” instead of “Yes.” Example:
Kid (screaming): “Emonade, emonade, emonade!”
Me (about to lose my sh*t): “Would you like some lemonade?!”
Kid (very nonchalantly, as if she wasn’t just screaming for it: “Sure.”
She now says “Yes” more than “Sure,” which I know is the way things are supposed to go, but it does make me just a little sad.
My point is, I’m always terrified I will forget those little things.
I’m also worried about forgetting Grunt Labor’s ways of saying I Love You, like “You’re the thin set to my tile.”
(Where does he come up with this stuff?)
And the time Will asked if this was Jesus music on the radio.
I mean, it is Garth Brooks, he’s kind of like the Jesus of country music, people.
And then there was the time Grandma told the kid (at the age of 1), “Its amazing how advanced you are. Its also unfortunate.”
Truer words were never spoken.
So, to keep up with all those sweet (and humorous) memories of our cra-cra lives, I’ve found a few ideas.
How to Cover Old Hardware Holes
Want to change the location of hardware in your cabinet doors or on another piece of furniture but don’t know what to do about those old holes? It’s actually an easy fix! Here’s how to fill holes in wood….
DIY Golden Snake Bowl
At my old house, killing snakes was at least a monthly occurrence.
There was the one time my Dad showed up, walked up the porch steps, immediately started jumping around and yelling, “JENNA, SNAKE!”
It was wrapped around a porch chair, hissing.
I killed it with a hoe.
And there was the one that liked to live inside my roof on the back of the house. Every once in a while, it would stick its head out and I could see it from the kitchen window – I could never catch him.
And then once, as I was walking down the stairs, talking to my cousin on the phone, I was met by a snake in the middle of the living room floor. I hung up, killed the snake, then called her back two minutes later.
She answered asking if I was ok. Of course, it was just a snake.
It was a nearly 100 year old farm house with lots of holes – what did you expect?
Luckily, we don’t really have any snakes to deal with around here.
Except pretty gold ones – made into a bowl.
DIY Faux Malachite Tray (For Less than $10)
Lately, I’ve been lusting.
Lusting after this malachite fabric.
I’ve kind of been dreaming and scheming to make that fabric into curtains for the living room.
But I just can’t bite the bullet yet.
But I do love malachite.
And as I was walking through the craft store the other day, plotting to make a pink and white marbled tray, I changed my mind.
Which happens often.
I would make a faux malachite tray.
And I did.
7 Unique Kitchen Island Ideas on a Budget
Increase the counter space and storage space in your kitchen with a new kitchen island – DIY style! Here are seven different kitchen island ideas on a budget that are functional and creative!
DIY Lucite Frame + Gone With the Wind Printable
I am a sucker for many things.
Laffy Taffy.
Kelly Green.
Oh, and Navy Blue or Cobalt Blue – its pretty good too.
Sausage & Biscuits.
Grunt Labor.
Cherry Coke.
Cheap Beer.
Lucite.
Good Southern Movies.
The last two are the focus of this project.
Because really who doesn’t love a little faux lucite and a good Gone With the Wind quote?
Now, let’s pair those together in this DIY Lucite Frame.
Duck Tape Fringe Pillow: Dress Up Boring Pillows on the Cheap
I found a new obsession.
I know. I find a new obsession at least once a week, but I’m ADD – work with me here.
This week’s new obsession?
Duck Tape Fringe.
Especially this Duck Tape Fringe Pillow.
Power Tools 101: How to Use a Drill
A drill is one of the most versatile power tools a person can own. The best thing about it? Learning how to use a drill isn’t hard at all. Besides it being versatile, using a drill is pretty easy.
How to Make a Lampshade & Finial (Giddy up, Cowgirl)
I’m usually really good at saying no to impulse buys.
Well, except for when something is on clearance. If its on clearance and I love it, but have absolutely no need for it, its definitely coming home with me.
I have a fabric hoarding problem as well.
Its all just so pretty and colorful and pattern-ful. (That’s totally a word.)
And so when I saw this cowgirl fabric this past spring, I had to have it.
I also had no use for it whatsoever.
Until I found this gold lamp on clearance at Target.
And I didn’t have a use for it either.
But I bought it anyway.
And then I needed a shade.
And then Kiri from i like that lamp* sent me a lampshade kit.
And then I thought of the cowgirl fabric.
And then a cowgirl lampshade was born.
And then all was right in the world.
DIY Quote Art {Free Sex and the City & Dirty Dancing Printables}
If you know anything about me, its probably two things:
1. I like cheap beer.
2. I quote Sex and the City waaaay too much.
Seriously guys, its impossible for me to count how many times I have quoted Carrie Bradshaw or any character from Sex and the City on this blog. And then there’s all the times I’ve quoted it in real life – besides to my friends that live in the computer as Grunt Labor says.
In the ongoing group text message between myself, Grunt Labor, Nicky, and the Man of Questionable Honor, I know there were two days in a row where Sex and the City quotes were flying everywhere.
You see, The Man of Questionable Honor has not only moved to New York City (the Sex and the City mecca), but he has fallen in love.
And as Carrie Bradshaw said,
“Year after year, twenty-something women come to New York City in search of the two L’s: labels and love.”
Ok, so Brandon is a guy and he’s not in his 20’s, but ya know, same thing. He’s got both L’s now.
Anyone who knows me would also say I am incredibly random.
The previous paragraphs prove this.
Let’s chat about this DIY Quote Art today, shall we?
I also have some snazzy printables for ya!
10+ Gorgeous DIY Accent Wall Ideas for Just $30 or Less
Want to create a gorgeous focal point in your home? Have you thought about an accent wall? These DIY accent wall ideas bring the beauty but don’t require a lot of cash!
Criss-Cross Accent Wall for $30 or Less
First off, the title of this post totally has me singing the Kriss Kross Jump song – you’ll think me later for sharing that link.
Other than Criss-Cross, I couldn’t think of a better description for this wall though – besides of course amazingly-awesome-and-total-game-changer-for-my-dining-room.
But that would have been a really long title.
Now, in true “Jenna” fashion, I discovered how and how not to do this type of accent wall.
I started out doing it one way and then ended up doing it another way.
Either way, this criss-cross accent wall was truly a huge game changer for my dining room and does make me wanna jump-jump.
Depending on what colors you want to use and how big your wall is, you can totally get by with $30 for creating this wall.
Yes, $30 for one huge impact.
DIY Shower Cornice with Black & White Shower Curtains A.K.A. That Time I thought I Could Carve Something
As the Preppy meets Hollywood Regency Bathroom Makeover (that wasn’t supposed to happen) progressed, I had a brilliant idea.
I would make a shower cornice. I had always wanted one, so now was the perfect time.
This would not be just any cornice though.
No, no, no.
It would be a Greek Key Carved Shower Cornice.
I spent hours actually using a ruler and level (instead of eyeballing it) drawing the perfect greek key pattern on my new cornice.
And then I went to carve it out.
Who the hell was I kidding?
After about 15 minutes of trying to follow those lines, I realized it was going to look already looked like sh*t.
Instead of tossing it into the trash though, I flipped the board over and whipped up a little Trash to Treasure Shower Cornice.
A Pink Ceiling with Faux Moldings
Every time I visit the paint counter, the paint guy rolls his eyes at me.
He is shocked not when I hand him a mint green or bright pink paint swatch, but a white, black or cream colored swatch.
He has grown accustomed to me selecting not-so-average paint colors.
A couple months ago when I walked in with my Glidden Watermelon Smoothie paint card and handed it to him, he just shook his head.
When I told him it was going on the ceiling, I think he almost laughed.
Heck, I laughed.
This is one of my craziest ideas to date and I wasn’t 100% sure it was going to work out.
It ended up being the spark of the entire Preppy meets Hollywood Regency Bathroom Makeover.
Oh, the power of a pink ceiling.
With pretty white faux molding.
How (And How Not To) Remove Popcorn Ceilings
Ready to get rid of that popcorn ceiling? Let me show you how to remove popcorn ceilings and how not to – learn from my mistakes, y’all.
DIY Succulent Book Planter
I may be giving myself too much credit.
My head may be getting a bit too big.
But….
I’m giving succulents a try again.
With the success (meaning I’ve had it for more than a month and haven’t killed it yet) of the fiddle leaf fig and the banana tree, I’m thinking, hoping, praying that I can keep these succulents alive.
In the past year, I’ve successfully killed two succulents.
Yes, I’m well aware I’m the only person on the planet who can’t keep them alive.
I decided that maybe if I gave this new succulent a cozy, happy, pretty home it would want to live longer, so I made it a succulent book planter.
What better place for a succulent to live than in between the pages of a book?
Heck, what better place for anyone to live than in between the pages of a book?
17 Easy Crafts and DIY Projects for under $10
What makes DIY projects and crafts even better?
When they are EASY DIY Projects and EASY crafts and……..when they cost LESS THAN $10!
Can I get an amen?!
14 Painted Rug Hacks
I love a good hack, especially a good hack that is so much cheaper than the real thing. Painting a basic rug is an affordable way to get exactly the look you want without paying a fortune on a rug that may get grape Kool-Aid spilled on it only minutes after you put it down. Yea, you know what I’m talking about.
DIY Faux Jadeite from thrift store finds
You guys.
I just got back from an amazingly fun wedding weekend.
In Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Totally in the middle of nowhere – or so it seemed, but our group rocked that town like none other. You can see some of the debauchery that took place on my Instagram account.
There are so many stories from this weekend that will be making their way onto the blog.
Prepare yourself.
However, I am still trying to unpack and regain some sleep from the lack thereof this weekend.
Oh, and Better Homes & Gardens is coming to photograph my kitchen on Wednesday.
Wha What?
Yep. I found out about a week and a half ago and went into crazy mode immediately.
Needless to say, I am running around patching nail holes, touching up paint, and deep cleaning like nobody’s business.
Therefore, I have for you a very quick, very simple, very cheap DIY project:
Faux Jadeite
How to Glitter Mason Jars
Is there anyone else out there that just feels the need to add a little bling everywhere?
A little gold here, a little glitter there?
It just makes everything a little more fun and pretty.
When I made over the porch recently, I realized that these mason jars didn’t quite fit with the fun, colorful vibe going on out there. I wanted to keep them though to use as lanterns for extra lighting at night.
My solution: Bling ‘Em Out.
Now, I have sparkly glitter mason jars.
DIY Floating Curtain Panels
As you guys well know, I will stretch a dollar as far as I possibly can.
And then some.
The same is true with fabric.
When I started the colorful porch makeover, Grunt Labor had one request:
Curtains.
Well he had other requests too, like a fireplace and a television, but at the current moment, those aren’t attainable.
He was adamant on the curtains though. He thought it would make the space feel more homey.
Yes, that coming from a male who even refers to himself as Grunt Labor is a little odd, but he was right. And really, the man rarely asks for anything around here – there was no way I could say no.
My problem was that I only had three yards of fabric for the curtains. Typically, I would be lucky to get two curtain panels out of three yards – and they would be skinnier panels at that.
My other problem here was that even though the porch is screened-in, the curtains were still going to get dirty at the bottom pretty quickly.
Luckily at Home Depot one day, the lightbulb went off.
Does anyone else have moments of genius at Home Depot? I swear sometimes that’s the only place I get them. I will have ran in for one can of spray paint and by the time I get to the checkout line, I’m struggling to hold onto everything that I’ve picked up and apologizing for knocking over a display with the 10 foot piece of pipe I’m barely holding under my arm.
Yep, I’m that girl.
But it was that stroke of genius that solved both problems – I would make Floating Curtain Panels.
10 of My Favorite Weapons of Choice for DIY Projects
By now, many of you could easily tell a perfect stranger what my favorite colors are, my favorite beverage of choice, and that I call my husband Grunt Labor.
And we’ve only met through the internet.
Most of you could probably whip up a list in under a minute of my favorite weapons – products and tools for DIY projects.
But, just in case you can’t and if you were wondering here is my complete list (at the moment) of my favorite weapons of choice.
Commentaries included.