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5 Knock-Your-Socks-Off IKEA Tarva Hacks

Remember when I turned that IKEA Tarva three drawer dresser into an awesome drink bar?

And remember how I mentioned it was part of a challenge presented by HomeRight to five of their bloggers?

Guess what?

All five of us ROCKED this challenge.

If I do say so myself.

Here are all of our IKEA Tarva Hacks:

IKEA Tarva Hack turned Drink Bar from Rain on a Tin Roof

IKEA Tarva Dresser turned Hutch from My Repurposed Life

IKEA Tarva Honeycomb Dresser from Simply Designing

IKEA Tarva Dresser turned Bar Cabinet from Addicted 2 DIY

Gold & White Greek Key Dresser from 11 Magnolia Lane

Aren’t they all amazing??

Looking for more great furniture makeovers and flips?

Unique DIY Side Table Ideas – bet you haven’t seen all of these before.

The Bold and the Beautiful Furniture Makeovers – better than the soap opera. 😉

Turn a Bookcase into a Dress Up Station – an easy furniture hack that will occupy your little one for a loooong time.

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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November 3, 2014
7 Super Simple, Super Cute Electrical Tape Crafts

Apparently, this week is a tape themed week. That’s cool – tape is cheap. And cheap crafts are the best crafts. So bouncing off of the Duck Tape Fringed pillow, here are seven super simple, super cute, (and super cheap!) electrical tape crafts!

Electrical Tape Crafts

Electrical Tape Lampshade

I felt like this lampshade was lacking a little, so I upped it’s fun faction with a quick application of electrical tape! Find out how I made this electrical tape lampshade here.

Kate Spade Knockoff Photo Frame

This photo frame retails for about $30. That isn’t a bad price, but you can make your own for about $3 or $4 and yep, you can do it with electrical tape. Grab the tutorial for this Kate Spade Knockoff frame here!

Electrical Tape Wrapped Candles

Aren’t these Electrical Tape Wrapped Candles from Southern State of Mind just so clever?!

Electrical Tape Photo Mat

Customize your frame mats with electrical tape from 6th Street Design School.

Electrical Tape Wall Frame

Instead of buying a wall frame, make your own custom one with electrical tape like these Electrical Tape Frames from Stars for Streetlights.

Electrical Tape Washer and Dryer

Now this Electrical Tape Striped and Dotted Washer and Dryer from A Beautiful Mess is so cool! Would make doing laundry a lot more fun, right?

Electrical Tape Storage Box

Give your storage boxes a chic upgrade with this Black & White Electrical Tape Storage Box tutorial from Decoist.

Want more tape crafting inspiration?

Here are 20+ Duck Tape Crafts and Projects – oh, the power of duck tape.

Don’t miss these 17 Easy Crafts and DIY projects either – you’ll be amazed at how easy, yet how pretty they are!

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October 30, 2014
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 pillow that is adorned with golden fringe – made with, yes, Duck Tape.

Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Fiskars Scissors. However, all opinions and newfound love of Duck Tape fringe is 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I know, right?

That gold paired with the hot pink = AMAZINGNESS.

And its Duck Tape.

Duck Tape.

Best part? SUPER EASY TO MAKE.

How to Make Fringe from Duck Tape

Materials & Supplies Needed:
- A blah and boring pillow.
- Duck Tape – I went with gold duck tape.
- Fiskars Duck Edition Scissors, 8″ Size
- Fiskars Duck Editions Scissors, Detail 5″ size
Steps

Step 1:

Choose which side of your pillow you want to start with. It doesn’t matter which side you choose. I opted to go with one of the short sides first.

Cut a piece of duck tape that is as long as (or if you are paranoid like me, a little longer) than that side with the bigger 8″ duck edition scissors.

These scissors are new from Fiskars and are specifically made to use with Duck Tape. Ya know how your regular scissors get all gunky and gum up when you cut lots of duck tape?

These don’t.

And they are sharp.

Score.

Step 2:

Cut another piece of duck tape the same size as the strip you just cut. Place the two strips on top of each other – sticky side together. The photo below is where I made two strips at one time. You get the idea though.

You should now have one strip of duck tape that has gold (or your color of choice) on both sides – no sticky anywhere.

If it works better for you, instead of cutting out two separate strips, you can pull off a length of tape that is double the size of one of your pillow sides and then fold it back down onto the tape strip and cut it. See photo below.

Step 3:

Trim up any places where your tape didn’t meet up exactly.

Don’t worry about the tape being a perfect rectangle – it isn’t going to happen and it doesn’t matter. You’ll never be able to tell with all the fringe.

Step 4:

Pull out your small 5″ detail scissors.

These are specially made for making smaller, detail cuts.

Starting at one edge of your tape strips, cut smaller strips into the tape, but don’t go all the way through it.

Do this until you have made lots of little strips over the whole larger strip.

Step 5:

Cut off a piece of duck tape that is the length of the large strip you have that you just fringed up. Place the fringed strip on the edge of the strip you just cut.

Step 6:

Place the sticky side of the piece you now have around your pillow edge. Press it firmly into the pillow.

You can loosen the fringe up a bit by ruffling your fingers through it as shown above.

Step back and be amazed by your awesomeness.

YOU GUYS.

I have so many more ideas for this duck tape fringe since it was ridiculously easy to make!

Those Fiskars Duck Edition Scissors knocked this project out in record time – love ’em!

Need more Duck Tape Project Ideas? I got yo’ back:

20+ Duck Tape Crafts, Projects & Ideas – behold the awesomeness of the duck tape.

Duck Tape Trimmed Curtains – take basic, blah curtains and turn them into anything but boring.

Duck Tape Shower Cornice – easy project, big impact.

And don’t miss these amazing home projects made using electrical tape!

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October 28, 2014
Free Banana Leaves Watercolor Printables

When the bathroom makeover turned into a bathroom makeover – ya know – when I removed the popcorn ceiling and that turned into a pink ceiling and that turned into needing new wall paint and then it just all turned into a full on makeover?

Well anyway, what I really really really wanted in the space was some of the Beverly Hills Hotel banana leaf / palm wallpaper.

I didn’t want it over all the walls – just like one.

But even that was outta my league – too pricey.

I really wanted to bring some of that green into my bathroom though. Let’s be honest, I love green. We all know this. There are hints of it in the living room and kitchen, and I wanted to keep that going in the bathroom.

So I searched. I searched high and low, far and wide, for some type of banana leaf / palm leaf / whatever art print.

And everything was out of my price range.

‘Cause let’s face it – I’m cheap.

And then one day I was sitting on the couch and thought to myself, “Self, you should just download that Waterlogue app that was all the rage a few months back and make your own art.”

Self responded, “YES.”

So self bought the app – she thinks it was $3 or so.

Then self went outside and took photos of her own banana tree leaves that she scored at the Haven Conference.

And then she ran them through the app.

And she had beautiful banana leaves watercolors that she used in her bathroom and is sharing with you.

There are four here for you to enjoy and use however you so desire.

(Find out how to download the art at the end of the post.)

I ended up only using one. I framed it and hung it above the towel rack in my bathroom. There simply wasn’t room for more in the space. Don’t worry though – I’m sure they will show up in other rooms soon.

I suggest printing them out in a matte finish – it will help keep that watercolor look.

You can totally just print them out on your printer, but I opted to print them out via a photo service. I think I used Snapfish.

Want more (FREE!) printable art?

Free Printable Horse Art – beautiful color, black and white and watercolor horse art to adorn your walls.

This Kitchen is for Dancing Printable – perfect for those of us with kitchens where more dancing is done than cooking.

Here’s Your One Chance Fancy Printable – don’t let me down by not taking advantage of free Reba McEntire inspired art.

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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October 27, 2014
How to Build a Picnic Table out of a Barn Door
Grunt Labor has lots of great project ideas.

Some of those ideas are born out of sheer creativity and genius.

Some of those ideas are born out of being annoyed by his wife’s ongoing accumulation of ~~junk~~ prized possessions.

This DIY picnic table made out of an old barn door was a combination of both Grunt Labor’s genius and annoyance.

Disclosure: This post is a collaboration with Thompson’s WaterSeal. However, all opinions and accumulation of junk is 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How to Build a Picnic Table out of a Barn Door

After we got past a couple of hiccups with this project, the table is actually pretty easy to build. Of course, you can learn from our mistakes and it’ll be a breeze for you.

Also, if you don’t have a barn door lying around, you could make the base first and then add on some weathered pieces of wood or just 1x8s or 1x10s if you wanted to.

Tools & Materials Needed:
- Nail Gun or Drill
- Nails / Screws
- Old Barn Door
- Six pressure treated 2×6’s
- Scrub Brush
- Water Hose
- Paint Brush
- Garden Sprayer / Pump Sprayer / Spray Bottle or something to mix the cleaner in
- Thompson’s WaterSeal Oxy Foaming Action Cleaner
- Thompson’s WaterSeal Wood Stain Spray
- Thompson’s WaterSeal Advanced Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofer
Steps

Step 1:

Clean the barn door.

This barn door has made an appearance once more on this blog – when I used it as a backdrop for the kid’s 1st birthday party photo collage. Guess where its sat since then?

In the garage.

Collecting dust.

It was disgusting.

I wet both sides down with the water hose first, let it dry a little, then laid it down over two sawhorses. Next, I mixed up the Oxy Foaming Cleaner and sprayed it on one side of the door with a pump sprayer.

I let the cleaner sit on the door for about five minutes or so, then scrubbed it with a brush to really remove all that dirt. You could literally see the dirt coming off this thing. This is the same cleaner I used to get my sidewalk sparkling clean – and you remember how gross it was. After I scrubbed it good, I sprayed off the cleaner, then flipped the door and repeated it on the next side.

After you have cleaned both sides, prop the door upright and let it fully dry.

Step 2:

Cut the Wood.

Your 2×6’s will need to be cut down to the following sizes:

Two pieces should be cut down to 34 3/8″ long or the size of the top and bottom of your “Z” on the bottom of your barn door. No angles on either side of the wood, just straight cuts like the photo below shows.

Four pieces should be cut down to 48″ long, then miter them with a 45 degree angle on each end. However, you want your “long ends” on opposite sides, meaning the pieces should look the state of Tennessee when you have them cut correctly like the photo below.

Two more pieces should be cut down to 48″ long each then each should be angled at the ends with 45 degree angles to make them look like a trapezoid.

Step 3:

Nail on your base pieces.

Make sure your barn door is laying with the “Z” right side up. Apply glue to the ends of your “Z” on the door and then nail or screw down (we used our framing nailer for this project, just because it made it faster. You can totally use a drill though.) the straight 34 3/8″ long wood pieces.

Step 4:

Attach the legs.

Take the four pieces of wood that you cut to look like the state of Tennessee (don’t you love how technical I am?) and attach two on each side of your barn door. Simply nail / screw through the leg into the straight piece of wood that you just attached to the door as seen below.

This is where we ran into a bit of a snag. See how far out that leg is. That is what you are not supposed to do. When we turned our table right side up, we realized that and had to fix it. Move your legs right into the center of the door, with the tips of both pieces of wood touching as shown below. You will still attach them to the straight piece of wood that you first nailed to the door.

Step 5:

Attach the leg cross pieces.

You should have two long pieces of 2×6 left, the ones you cut to look like a trapezoid. Take those and nail them across your legs, making sure they are level before you nail them in.

Step 6:

Add a little extra support.

You probably don’t really have to do this step, but hey why not? You should have some scrap pieces of wood triangles lying around from where you cut the 2×6’s. Take a few of those and place them behind your legs at the top, where they meet the first piece of wood you secured to the door and nail them in as shown in the photo below.

It takes five minutes to do and doesn’t cost anything extra.

Step 7:

Trim your legs.

At this point, stand your picnic table up and see whether or not you like the height of your table legs. Test out the table with a chair. We wanted to shorten ours a bit, so Grunt Labor used a circular saw to trim them down some.

Step 8:

Stain the legs.

I wanted to keep the barn door’s color as it was, but it didn’t look great against the pressure treated legs.

I used Thompson’s WaterSeal wood spray stain in traditional brown to give the legs a quick and easy stain job. You literally just spray it directly on the wood and let it dry. I did about three light coats to get even coverage. This is the same stuff I have used to makeover my mailbox in under an hour and to refresh my lattice easily.

Step 9:

Seal the barn door.

Like I said, I wanted to keep the barn door the natural color that it had aged to, but I wanted to make sure it was protected. Did I mention this barn door came from my great-grandfather’s barn? And you guys know how attached I get to family heirlooms.

Yes, a barn door is absolutely a family heirloom.

To keep the barn door’s history intact, but protect it, I used Thompson’s WaterSeal Advanced Clear Waterproofer. It takes one single coat and you can use the piece you are protecting the next day.

Fast and easy – my kind of product.

I just poured some out in a small paint container and brushed it on. I did one coat on the edges, top and bottom of the door, then let it dry for a day. The waterproofer did darken the wood a bit, but it definitely still has that old, rustic look to it.

Step 10:

Enjoy.

So, I’m going to be honest.

When Grunt Labor came up with this idea, I wasn’t too gung-ho on it. I was just more doing it because he wanted to.

But…..

I freakin’ love this table.

Like a lot.

A whole lot.

I can’t wait to have some cozy little dinners around this thing.

Want more outdoor project ideas?

Make your own DIY outdoor daybed – perfect for naps during summer afternoons.

This DIY Outdoor Sectional is great for parties – it even has a built in cooler!

And don’t miss these 9 outdoor living spaces to get great ideas for outdoor decorating and entertaining!

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October 23, 2014
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.

About a month and a half back, I was chatting with Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage and attempting to bribe my child to be quiet with a popsicle so I could actually hear what Gina was telling me. I finally figured out we were troubleshooting what she should hang on a blank wall in her living room.

One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were planning a Power Tools 101 series.

Why?

Because we’re bad asses like that.

And we are ADHD.

Ok, that’s not really the reason.

The real reason is because we think that every woman (and all 3 men who read my blog, but don’t need this post – Hi Dad, Dad, and Grunt Labor) should know the basics of power tools.

Why should you know the basics?

Because you are a bad ass.

And every bad ass knows their way around power tools.

Once a month, Gina and I are each going to cover a different power tool. We are going to show you the basics of how the tool works and what it can do.

This month, I am giving you the basics on cordless drills and Gina is sharing the how-to for a jigsaw.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Please use all appropriate and proper safety precautions when using tools and attempting projects. All projects and tool usage are attempted at the reader’s own risk.

First off, the photo above is of the actual drill that we have – a Ryobi One Plus 18V. So far, it has worked really well for us.

Using a Drill

Parts of a Drill

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you where the trigger is or that it makes the drill “go,” but just in case, here ya go…

There is a button on each side with an arrow. You push it back and forth and it controls which direction the drill drives – reverse (counter clockwise) or forward (clockwise). You can also think of it as going inward (clockwise) when drilling into wood or attaching screws or outward (counter clockwise) when pulling a drill bit back out of wood or removing a screw.

Our drill has a dial on top that controls the torque (power / force) that the drill drives with. The lower the number, the less torque and vice versa. Typically, I keep the drill on the lowest number, unless I am drilling into something pretty hard that I need more power with.

What a Drill Can Do

Driving Screws with a Drill

When you are driving a screw, you will want to use a screwdriver bit in the end of your drill that matches the type of screw you are driving. Most likely, you will need to use a straight or a phillips head drill bit.

And here are what some screwdriver bits look like:

This is one set of screwdriver bits we have – a 45 piece set from DeWalt – it has just about any shape or size you could need.

To insert a bit into your drill. Hold your hand firmly around the front part of your drill keeping it still while running the drill in reverse (#1 below). The opening will get larger as you continue to go in reverse (#2) and smaller as you go forward (#3).

When the opening is big enough for your bit to fit in, but small enough for it not to fall too far in the hole, place your bit in the opening, hold your drill firmly as you did before and run the drill in the forward (inward) motion until the bit is securely in the drill (#4).

You can also twist the front part of your drill to release and tighten bits into the drill.

As a side note, Grunt Labor and I have a screw guide that we keep on our drill just about all the time. You put it in and remove it the same way you do a regular drill bit.

Once you place a screw on the bit, you pull the sleeve over the screw and it helps to keep it stable while you are drilling the screw. The cover moves itself back as the screw goes into your surface. A screw guide isn’t necessary, but is super helpful with getting your screws in straight and not having the screw fall off the bit a million times – especially with long screws.

Ok, now that we have a screwdriver bit in the drill, let’s put the screw into the wood. Hold the drill straight (the picture below is not a good example of this because I was taking photos with one hand and using the drill with the other), firmly push down on the drill and pull the trigger at a slow and steady pace.

To remove screws, simply place the screwdriver bit into the screw you are removing, push the button on the side of the drill to make the drill go in the counterclockwise direction and pull the trigger.

How to Use a Drill Bit

Drilling Pilot Holes

Sometimes, you may want to drill a pilot hole before placing your screw directly into the wood. Pilot holes keep your wood from splitting. You will do this with regular drill bits that make holes.

The above set is one that belonged to Grunt Labor’s grandpa and it is great. This set would also be a good option that has just about any size you would ever need.

To drill a pilot hole, select a drill bit that is a little smaller than the tip of your screw. Place the bit in your drill using the same method you used for putting the screwdriver drill bit in place. One more, firmly press down straight onto your drill, while pulling the trigger with a firm and steady motion to start drilling and create your pilot hole (#1 below).

After your pilot hole is drilled, reattach your screwdriver bit and drill the screw in. If you want to really look like a pro, before putting the screw back in, you can take a larger drill bit, the size of the screw’s head (#2 above) and drill out just a tad bit more where your pilot hole is (#3 above). You just want to drill out enough to where the screw’s head will sink into the wood (called counter-sinking). Once you have done this, drill your screw in and place wood putty on top of the screw – you won’t even be able to tell the screw is there (#4 above).

More Useful Drill Bits

There are other fun and useful bits you can use with a drill, like a spade drill bit.

Drilling a hole with a spade drill bit cuts out circles in wood. You can also get hole saw bits which cut out much larger circles – you can use them for things like cutting out drink holders in a swing.

And if you need to mix up something large, you can use a mixing bit.

Mixing drill bits are super handy for mixing grout, paint, and huge batches of cookies.

Well, I haven’t tried the cookie thing, but I’m pretty sure it would work.

Not too hard, huh?

Seriously, anyone can use a drill. Anyone.

Just don’t let your two year old play with it…. you may end up with a few holes in the wall….not like that’s ever happened to me or anything…

Head over to The Shabby Creek Cottage for a crash course in using a jigsaw – now you get to cut stuff!

Got any tips on how to use a power drill?

Share them in the comments!

Looking for more power tool 101 how-to’s?

How to Use a Circular Saw – a must have tool for any DIYer.

How to Use a Miter Saw – probably my favorite power tool.

How to Use a Heat Gun and 15 Things to Do With It – you won’t believe just what all a heat gun can really do!

How to Use a Sander – a must for furniture makeovers!

Need tool suggestions? Here are the best tools for DIYers at any level.

Want to come back here later? Just pin the image below.

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October 21, 2014
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.

Disclosure: i like that lamp provided me with supplies for this project. However, all opinions and cowgirl fun is 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How to Make a Lampshade

With this kit, its really easy to turn any fabric into a lampshade! Here’s what you’ll need:
- DIY Lampshade Kit (Mine was the 12 x12 one, there are other sizes available as well)
- Fabric of your choice (I think I used about 1/2 a yard or so. This is a similar fabric to the one I used. It doesn’t look like they are selling mine anymore.)
- Scissors
- An old paintbrush
Steps

Step 1:

Open up your kit and remove the styrene sheet.

It’s wrapped in the tissue paper. 🙂

Lay your fabric facedown on a flat surface. Make sure its free from wrinkles. Remove six inches or so of the backing from the styrene and place the styrene on the fabric (its sticky). Slowly remove the rest of the backing while you are sticking the styrene to the fabric.

Cut out the fabric, leaving an inch or so around all edges except for one short edge.

Step 2:

On the short end where you did leave some fabric overhang, go ahead and glue (the glue is included in the kit) that fabric edge down and over the styrene.

Step 3:

Stand the styrene up and shape it into a lampshade. Use the included clips to hold it in place. Attach more of the clips along the top edges of the lampshade and place one of the rings on top of the clips. If your fabric has a pattern that has a definite “right side up” motif, make sure you place the ring with the finial attachment (center ring in middle) on top. See photo #1 below. Make sense?

Run glue around the edges of your fabric and spread it around good with the paintbrush (#2). Pull the fabric over and under the ring and push it in tight with the wooden stick included in the kit (#3).

When you have one end done, flip the shade over and do the same thing on the other end.

Finally, run glue between the two end edges on the side of the lampshade and push firmly together.

Let it dry well before placing it on the lampshade.

And as if it could get any better than a cowgirl lampshade, how about a horse finial to top it off?

Honestly, I think I may have been more excited about the finial kit than the lampshade because I love finials, but they are so overpriced. The finial kit is only $5. Yep, $5.

All you do is choose a small object to put on the finial, put a bit of super glue (included in the kit) on the gold hardware piece in the kit and stick your object on there. I just spray painted a plastic horse red.

There are many more finials in my future.

Big fan of lamps? Me too. See these then…

How to Make Lamp Tassels in Five Minutes– gorgeous, simple to make tassels to easily dress up those lamps!

DIY Agate Slice Lamp Finial – easy to make agate finials that are loads cheaper than what you’d find in a store!

16+ Lamp Ideas and Makeovers – the ultimate list in lamp makeovers and genius lamp ideas!

Giddy up!

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October 20, 2014
The No Priming, No Topcoat, Way to Paint (Seriously, I’m not even kidding.)

Let’s be honest about a couple things:

1. I’m lazy on occasion.

2. I’m impatient.

How does this effect my furniture makeovers?

I hate having to prime a piece before I can put some glorious color on it.

Hate it.

I need instant gratification.

Anyone else?

And when the color is finally on, I can barely wait to get the piece back in its place.

Oh, but wait….it needs a topcoat.

That means I have to wait more.

Did I mention I was impatient?

Did I also mention I found a solution for this problem?

Well, not a solution for being lazy and impatient, but a solution for the priming and top coating.

There is a way to paint that requires no priming and no top coating.

Boom.

World altered.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Velvet Finishes. However, all opinions and hatred of priming are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

So how can you paint without having to prime or give your piece a top coat?

There aren’t any special tools involved. Just one thing.

Paint.

Velvet Finishes Paint.

Velvet Finishes paint was created by Kellie Smith who just so happens to live about 45 minutes from me. How we didn’t find each sooner I don’t know, but I’m so glad it finally happened. Anyway, she couldn’t find the finish and color palette she wanted while working on a client’s project so she just decided to invent her own paint.

How cool is that?

And can we just talk about the colors for just a minute?

They are all gorgeous. There are 21 colors and not a one of them that I don’t like.

I went to her studio a few weeks back and got to see a lot of the colors on real life pieces and y’all the colors were even more jaw-dropping then.

The darker colors are a little thicker than the lighter colors, so you can thin them if you want to. I actually did that on the IKEA Tarva Hack turned Drink Bar that I just posted about. I used Baroque and the Dark Glaze on that piece. I just thinned the Baroque and sprayed it right through my paint sprayer.

Let’s talk about how this works.

Like I said, I got to visit Kellie’s studio and actually painted a piece with her, but I really wanted to put this stuff to the test.

I decided to paint over a side table I used in our master bedroom beside our little reading nook chair.

I had spray painted this side table metallic gold when I first got it.

Have you tried to paint over something with regular paint that has been spray painted?

Kind of bubbles up on ya and takes coat after coat after coat after coat, right?

This didn’t.

Velvet Finishes laughed in the face of spray paint.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA.

Ok, I’m also a little over dramatic.

I didn’t prime the table, I didn’t sand it, I didn’t do anything to it.

Well, I did wipe it down with a dust rag because well, ummm…..its been a week or eight since I’ve dusted our bedroom.

The paint went on perfectly.

If you do have a piece with a very shiny surface, you can use another Velvet Finishes product called Ready before painting the piece. It comes in a spray bottle and all you do is spray it on the piece, let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then wipe it down with a soft cloth.

After three light coats of Velvet Finishes in the Exotic color, I had this beauty.

I kept little touches of the gold for some contrast by cutting pieces of FrogTape down in width a bit, placing them on the table and then just painting right over the tape.

I didn’t do any type of topcoat! This paint already has a topcoat built in!

How freakin’ cool is that?

Its finish is like a low matte sheen.

If you were painting something that is going to get a lot of use, like a kitchen table or coffee table, it is recommended that you use Protect on the piece. Its just a non-yellowing polyurethane.

You can find more information on the Velvet Finishes website.

Need more great furniture makeovers?

Love color? Then see these 11 Colorful Furniture Makeovers.

Find out how easy it is to make your own colored furniture glaze.

Learn how to get a beachy washed out color look on furniture here.

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October 16, 2014
IKEA Tarva Hack: Drink Bar

If you follow me on Facebook, you may remember a month or so back when I posted this picture.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HomeRight. However, all opinions and love of the color green is 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

HomeRight offered a challenge to their brand ambassadors.

They offered to send us one of the IKEA Tarva 3 drawer chests and then have at it – An IKEA Tarva Hack.

There are three things I have never passed up in life:

1. A Good Challenge

2. Free Furniture

3. Cheap Beer

My fingers and toes and arms and legs were crossed in hopes that I would be one of the five chosen ambassadors drawn from a hat for this challenge.

And I was.

*Insert 7th grade girl squeal here, along with fist bumps.*

So what did I turn my chest into?

A drink bar.

A green one.

With pretty gold accents.

To say that I’m happy with this piece is an understatement.

I am still bouncing off the ceiling, throwing confetti, fist bumping the air excited about this piece.

IKEA Tarva turned Bar Cabinet

Steps

#1: Put the “frame” together

First off, I put the piece all together just as the directions from IKEA said to with the exception of the drawer slides. I just skipped that part. When the directions started telling me to put together the drawers, I stopped and had this:

#2: Construct the doors

The second thing I did was construct the doors. I wanted to use as much of the wood as I possibly could from this piece so I used the drawer fronts to make the two doors.

I made the doors by first lining up all three of the drawer fronts and clamping them together. I measured to the middle of the top drawer front, then used our miter saw to cut right down the middle of all three drawer fronts. This left me with six pieces – three for each door. (#1 in the photo above.)

Next, I found some pieces of wood that could be used to hold all three pieces of wood together to make a door. I used two drawer sides (that came with the Tarva) for each door and some scrap pieces I had laying around. (#2 in the photo above.)

After I laid out the wood pieces to hold the backs of my doors together, I put glue on the pieces and clamped them down to the door front. (#3 in the photo above.)

Finally, I ran some glue along the backside seams of the door as well (where the old drawer fronts meet). (#4 in the photo above.)

I let the glue fully cure for one day, then I flipped the doors over and filled in the gaps of what were the drawer fronts with wood putty. I also filled the holes that had been pre-drilled for the hardware as well. After the putty was dry, I sanded it smooth.

#3: Construct the Shelves

The bottom shelf is pretty easy. All you do is measure the inside bottom of the frame and cut out a piece of MDF to that size. Leave about a 1/2 inch of clearance in the front so that those wood pieces (I’m sure there is a technical word for those, but you know I don’t do technical) on the back of your doors will have room. After you have your piece cut, run wood glue along the bottom inside edges of the chest and place your piece of wood on top.

The photo above doesn’t show it, but you will need to put some weight on the shelf to make sure it gets a good grip with the wood glue and the chest’s frame. I did this with the super ~~technical~~ resourceful method of stealing landscape bricks from my yard and placing a few around the edges.

For the top shelf:

Take two of the remaining drawer sides that came with the chest and cut 3/4″ off the short sides. I once more clamped them together and did this with my miter saw. (#1 and #2 in the photo below.)

After they were cut, I measured 8 3/4″ down from the inside top of the chest and put the pieces there. Apply wood glue to the back of the pieces first, then clamp them to the chest’s frame making certain they are level. Use small screws to attach them to the frame and then remove the clamps. (#3 and #4 in the photo above.) Do this on both sides.

Make the top shelf the same way you made the bottom one by measuring the inside of the chest. Apply wood glue to the wood pieces on the edges and then place your shelf on top and weight it down for a little while.

#4: Paint It, Baby!

Here’s the fun and easy part – paint it!

I used my HomeRight FinishMax Pro (which as you can see in the photo above works overtime for me) to paint this piece. The paint I used is a new find for me. It is called Velvet Finishes and requires no priming or topcoat. I used the Baroque color in my sprayer and gave the chest three light coats. The paint worked just fine in the sprayer – just needs watering down a bit. The sprayer gave the paint a flawless finish. After the paint dried, I used a dark glaze over the entire piece to give it a bit more dimension.

#5: Attach the Doors

I Grunt Labor did this with simple utility hinges that I picked up at our local hardware store. Screw them onto your doors first and then onto the edges of the chest that are facing you. (Make sense?)

*I must pause here and give a big thank you to Grunt Labor and Bill. Remember how I said the easy part was painting the chest? It totally was. Making the doors and shelves were pretty easy too. However, for me the hardest thing was lining up the hinges correctly to make sure the doors were even. Grunt Labor and Bill swooped in and saved me from an imminent meltdown on that one. Thank you, guys.

#6: Add the Hardware

I used two of the knobs that came with the chest, but I gave them what I’m proclaiming to be a “gold nugget” look with my HomeRight Heat Gun. I’ll post the tutorial for those soon. I also added flat L corner braces to the corners of each of the doors.

And the result is…

Gorgeousness.

Sheer gorgeousness.

See those gold nugget beauties?

I added a towel hook on the back of one door for easy towel access and (more importantly) easy bottle opener access.

I also spiced up the back interior of the cabinet with black and gold polka dotted wrapping paper.

Love a great home decor hack?

Be sure to see how I turned this bookcase into a dress up closet for my kiddo.

Don’t miss these 14+ painted rug hacks either.

And here are five more IKEA Tarva hacks!

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October 14, 2014
14 Classic Black and White DIY Projects for Any Space

I love color. I love kelly green and navy blue and red. And I love black and white. Why? Because it goes with kelly green and navy blue and red. Oh, and also pink and orange and purple and any other color under the sun….These 14 black and white diy projects can be worked into any space.

14 Black and White DIY Projects

Black and White Kate Spade Photo Frame Knock-Off

Black and White Criss-Cross Accent Wall

Black and White Quote Art (With Free Printables)

Electrical Tape Lampshade

Black & White with a Pop of Pink Dining Room from The Shabby Creek Cottage

Black and White Striped Pots from Dimples and Tangles

Black and White Magazine Holders from Cuckoo 4 Design

DIY Black and White Awning from Simple Details

Spray Painted Black and White Chair Makeover from Little Green Notebook

Red, Black and White Chair Makeover from Upcycled Home Blog

Painted Black and White Striped Umbrella from What I Wore

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Looking for more great home decor projects?

Find out just how versatile electrical tape can be when it comes to home decorating here!

Love green? Then be sure to see these emerald green decorating ideas.

A classic navy more your thing? See these navy projects and ideas then.

October 7, 2014
5 Easy Steps to Decorating a Bedroom

Redecorating a bedroom? The struggle is real, right? It gets overwhelming fast! Will the bedding and drapes coordinate? What paint color would be the best? Is my old furniture still going to work in the space? I’ve been there and after quite a few frustrations, I think I’ve finally came up with an easy method for how to decorate a bedroom.

Let’s talk about the boudoir today, shall we?

What are your thoughts on decorating it? Easy? Hard? Somewhere in the middle?

Our first bedroom makeover was definitely harder for me. Or I should say, it just didn’t come together as easily as other makeovers have. That could probably be why I changed it a little more than a year later.

Since then, I’ve figured out an easier method for decorating a bedroom.

Of course, this the “Jenna” way of decorating a bedroom – most definitely not the official way – but I fly my own freak flag.

Proceed with caution.

How to Decorate Your Bedroom

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Before you start anything, gather some inspiration photos. You can create a pin board of bedrooms you like or just save images to your computer. Also, make of list of any needs you have for the bedroom – what definitely needs to be changed or not changed? Keep those a priority as you work on your plan.

Step #1: Start with Fabrics

Top Left Fabric / Bedding / Leopard Pillows / Bottom Right Fabric

The first thing you want to do is select your fabrics for your bedroom. This includes bedding, accent pillows, window treatments, rugs, and any upholstered pieces such as a headboard or chair.

I know – you are wondering why aren’t we starting with paint.

Never ever ever start with paint.

It is much easier to first find fabrics you love, and then a complimentary paint color.

Trust me on this one.

For me, I like to have solid colored bedding and then throw in patterns with pillows and / or curtains. I also like to keep my larger pieces in a solid color – even neutral. This just makes it easier to switch up your decor whenever you want! My current headboard is a creamy beige and anytime I have changed things up in the room, I haven’t had to worry about changing the headboard. It works with anything.

I have found that buying fabrics online is much cheaper than in store…but I know its stressful picking out fabrics when you can’t see them in person. I have some tips here for how I buy fabric online without seeing it in person first.

Step #2: Evaluate Your Furniture

Gray Nightstand / Mod Rocking Chair / Cowhide Chair (I’m dying!) / Dresser / Chest

Take stock of your furniture. Do you need any new pieces? Would your current pieces look better if they were painted? Does your hardware need an update?

As you know, I am a fan of updating my furniture. Simply put – they don’t make furniture like they used to. Yes, it may be cheaper now, but 9 times out of 10 the quality is going to be poor. When I did our bedroom makeover, I most definitely wanted to keep our dresser and chest. However, the hardware was lacking. I gave the hardware a quick and easy makeover with Rub ‘N Buff. That stuff works wonders on hardware – and really anything.

What about chairs? If possible, I love to have at least one chair in a bedroom. Its just a nice little space for a reading nook or to put your shoes on. If its an upholstered piece, make sure the fabric will work with your other fabric selections you chose in Step 1.

Step #3: Select Your Wall Paint

It is much easier to select a wall color when you already have your bigger items such as fabrics and furniture selected. Get paint chips you love from your local hardware store and bring them home.

Do not try to select a paint at the hardware store.

Their lighting isn’t what the lighting in your bedroom will be. Trust me, it is totally different. I have made this mistake before.

Bring the swatches home and lay them out with your fabric selections in your bedroom with your lights on. Get rid of any ones that automatically scream, “This doesn’t work!”

Narrow your paint colors down to 2 or 3. Go get samples of those and paint small patches on your bedroom wall. Once dry, place your fabrics beside the colors and see which works best.

Step #4: Put It All Together

This is the easy step. You’ve made all the hard decisions – fabric, furniture, paint colors, etc. Now its just time to put it all together. Pull as much stuff out of the room as you can. Tape off your trim, cover up your flooring and any furniture and paint those walls! Go ahead and take the time to touch up trim if its needed.

If you are re-doing any furniture, do it now.

After you paint, bring it all back in. Start with your large pieces such as dressers, night stands and chairs. Work your way to your window treatments, bedding, and then accent pillows.

Step #5: Bring in Accessories

Gold Lion Head / Mirror / Lamp / Pocket Watch Clock / Lucite Box / Fitzgerald Quote Print

I am one of those people who believes that sometimes when redecorating a bedroom or any space for that matter, you have to pull all of those trinkets and accessories out of the space and do some heavy editing of what you had. Pull out all those lamps, pretty storage boxes, clocks, frames, vases, knick-knacks, etc. After you put all your big stuff in the space – furniture, bedding, window treatments – come back in and slowly add in your lamps, mirrors, etc. Sometimes you may just find that less is more. This was exactly the case in my recent dining room makeover. There was simply way too much crap in that space.

Do you have any great tips on decorating or redecorating a bedroom?

Need more bedroom inspiration? These might help…

14 Real Life Bedroom Ideas Anyone Can Do – real, doable ideas!

Well Traveled Master Bedroom Makeover – a master bedroom makeover with a “well traveled” vibe.

Masculine Bedroom Makeover – a masculine bedroom that’s still full of character.

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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October 2, 2014
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!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

When I realized the bathroom was getting a makeover, even though I hadn’t intended for it to, I knew I wanted to change up the decor on the built-in bathroom shelving.

I needed new art.

And I love quotes.

Quote art was obviously the way to go.

The More Issues Than Vogue is a Sex and the City quote.

I made it by wrapping some of the black and white fabric leftover from the DIY shower curtain and cornice around a canvas and stapling it.

I placed the printable on top, pushed furniture tacks through the corners, then put a bit of hot glue around the backs of the tacks to secure them.

The other quote, I carried a watermelon, is from…

Come on, you should know this!

Dirty Dancing.

Its one of my favorite movies. Ever.

These printables were easy to whip up. I made them with PicMonkey and had them both finished in under 10 minutes.

But…if you want, I’ll share them with you – for free.

‘Cause I’m cool like that.

Looking for more free printable art?

Here’s Your One Chance Fancy Printable Art – Yep, just like the Reba song.

This Kitchen is for Dancing Printable – because, what else would it be for?

Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn Printable – just like Rhett told Scarlett.

Find Her Jesus, Keep Her Well Printable – for all the girls in your life. 🙂

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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September 30, 2014
Ampersand Pumpkin
I did it guys.

I’m sorry, but I lied to you. I didn’t mean to lie to you. It just happened.

When I posted the 7 simple & frugal fall crafts, I said there probably wouldn’t be many new fall crafts around here – if any.

And then I decided I needed a green pumpkin…with an ampersand symbol.

Before I knew it, I was in the driver’s seat and my car was practically steering itself to Michael’s.

Story of my life.

Hello Ampersand Pumpkin.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Even though I caved and did a fall craft, luckily this is one of those pumpkins that will be around forever.

Because its fake.

Let’s be honest, it may not always have an ampersand symbol, seeing as how I change things up often, but I didn’t waste my time painting and poking holes in a pumpkin that will rot in a few weeks.

I do wish though that they would start making these fake pumpkins with bigger stems. Someone needs to tell those people that bigger stems make a pumpkin prettier.

I like big stems and I cannot lie.

Preferably gold or glittered ones.

How to Make an Ampersand Embellished Pumpkin

Materials Needed:
- Pumpkin – Fake or real. Mine is a fake one from Michael’s.
- Paint – I used this spray paint.
- Paper copy of an ampersand symbol – I just searched for one online, then saved it and printed it out.
- Scissors
- Decorative furniture tacks or thumb tacks – I used the furniture tacks because I had a lot laying around.
- Pencil
Steps

Step 1

Paint your pumpkin whatever color you want to. I went with green. It works with the rest of my decor. I don’t really care if everyone else says that green is not a fall color and that I should be using orange, red, or yellow. I’m a rebel like that.

Step 2

After your pumpkin has dried, cut out your ampersand symbol. Place it on your pumpkin with a few of the tacks.

Take a pencil and trace around the ampersand. Be sure to trace on the inside of the symbol as well.

Step 3

Take the ampersand off your pumpkin, but don’t remove the tacks. Just tear it away from the tacks.

This just helps to give you a few anchor points. Fill in the symbol with the tacks.

How easy was that?

Have you done any fall crafts with furniture or thumb tacks?

Need more fall crafting inspiration?

5 Free Fall Mums Watercolor Printables – so so so pretty!

7 Simple & Frugal Fall Crafts – fall decor shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg!

Fall Home Tour – thing blue jeans and guitars. 🙂

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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September 29, 2014
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!

Feature walls can be a total game changer for a room. Not only do they add character and beauty, but they can define a space and bring it to a whole other level – not that this happened in my dining room or anything lately. 😉

Below you’ll find a few of my favorite easy and cheap accent wall ideas for multiple different areas in your home! The best part? Each one costs just $30 or less to complete!

Easy Accent Wall Ideas

Washed Out Stripes Wall

Bathroom Accent Wall

A sample pot of paint. Yep. Just that, a ruler and some tape and you can create this washed out stripe look in your home!

Object and Text Wall

Kids Room Wall

This is one of the sweetest walls I’ve ever done. I mixed in objects and vinyl text lettering to create a feature wall especially for my daughter.

Carpeted Wall

Putting Carpet on Walls

Yes m’am, I did! Carpeted feature walls got a bad vibe back in the day, but I’m on a mission to change that! I put a $30 astroturf rug on a wall in my bedroom and it added the perfect amount of color and texture to the space.e

Cane Inspired Feature Wall

Cane Inspired Accent Wall for $25 or Less

This one might look a little complicated, but it’s actually quite easy! All you need is a little painter’s tape and paint, of course! This bathroom accent wall could be recreated in any space in your home.

Painting One Wall

Blue Accent Wall

You don’t always have to paint every wall or create a pattern on the walls – sometimes just painting one will do the trick!

Gallery Wall that Hides the TV

Black & White Gallery Wall

This is still one of my favorite walls to date! I love this black and white gallery wall for two reasons. 1. It takes your wall art to a whole other level. 2. The television practically disappears into the wall.

Wood Accent Wall

DIY Wood Wainscoting Panels

This is a cheap way to bring gorgeous stained wood walls into a room!

Fun and Carefree Wall

Confetti Accent Wall

This easy confetti accent wall isn’t only easy and cheap to make, but its also fun. It adds a touch of whimsy to any space and is ridiculously easy to complete! This one is super budget friendly too – you can just use a bottle of craft paint for it!

Classic Style Accent Wall

Criss-Cross Accent Wal l

This criss-cross wall was a huge game-changer for my dining room! It helps to anchor the dining room with it’s traditional feel and pattern, but can easily work with color and modern decor as well.

An Accent Ceiling

Pink Ceiling

How about an accent ceiling? I painted my bathroom ceiling pink with faux white moldings. It adds a lot of interest to an otherwise all white bathroom. You can always opt for a different paint color to not make it seem as girly.

Accent Squares

Painted Wall Treatment on a Budget from Thistlewood Farms

I love this simple graphic wall treatment from Karianne. And guess what? She did it with just a sample pot of paint!

No Paint Accent Wall

Striped Accent Wall without Paint from Homey Oh My

This accent wall doesn’t even require paint! And isn’t that black and white classic?

Stencil Wall

Circle Patterned Wall from Lilikoi Joy

I love the circles on this one – adds a good dose of fun! You just switch it up with any kind of colors you prefer!

Square on Squares Accent Wall

Graphic Statement Wall from AKA Design

Squares are always a favorite of mine – and these make a bold statement, but are a simple pattern. This would be great in a modern home.

Triangle Wall

Triangle Accent Wall from Upcycled Treasures

Another one that doesn’t require paint! If modern is your style, this one might be perfect for your home too. Simply use peel and stick triangles to achieve the look!

+ Accent Wall

Plus Signs Accent Wall from Knack Studios

These plus signs or crosses are a fun and unexpected twist for another modern statement wall! You could easily create them with paint pens or electrical tape!

Now go create an accent wall and come back and tell us all about it!

Want more great ideas for your walls?

Wall Paint Design Ideas with Tape – if you can tape it off, you can make it happen! You won’t believe some of these walls!

DIY Indoor Lattice Wall – yes, lattice inside makes for a gorgeous wall treatment!

Want to come back to these wall ideas later? Just pin the image below!

September 25, 2014
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.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by FrogTape. However, all opinions, game-changing black and white accent walls, and references to Kriss Kross are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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.

Jump jump!

Ok, I’ll quit referencing Kriss Kross songs now. Maybe.

Materials & Supplies Needed:
- 2 – 2 inch width (technically 1.88 inch width) rolls of FrogTape (If your wall is smaller than mine, you may even need less.)
- Paint color(s) of your choice – I used SnowFall by Behr (1 quart, give or take a little. I had extra left over from the bathroom) and Oxyx Black by Glidden (1 quart).
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Credit Card
- 12 x 12 piece of cardboard or scrapbook paper
- X-Acto Knife
Steps

Step 1

If you are cool with the current paint color on your wall and just want to add in the criss-cross, leave your wall color as is and just choose a color for the criss-cross. If not, go ahead and paint your wall. I wanted the crisp black and white combo, so I painted the wall first with my paintstick and Snowfall by Behr.

Step 2

To make the criss-cross pattern, you are essentially creating squares that you will paint around. To start it off, take a piece of 12 x 12 cardboard or 12 x 12 scrapbook paper and place it in the top center of your wall turned sideways. Trace around the cardboard / paper.

After you have traced it, place your FrogTape along your lines. You want the outside edge of your FrogTape to go right along the traced lines, therefore keeping your overall square 12 x 12, but making the white space within the tape smaller than that. Make sense?

Step 3

From here, you can go about making the rest of the pattern two ways. The first way is to place two pieces of tape along the edges of your square you just made and then trace another square, and repeat steps two and three until your wall is covered. Like this:

I did this method for a little while and then saw that my pattern was becoming quite uneven. I removed some of my uneven spots and started using a good old ruler and pencil to measure out the rest of my pattern. Either way you do it, I suggest using the 12 x 12 piece of cardboard or scrapbook paper to make your first square. The measurements below are what you should be using to get your squares right:

Just take your ruler and make tick marks, then put your tape along those marks and repeat.

Step 4

Once you have all your pattern taped out, you need to go back and even up your tape edges, so that you have perfect squares and can paint around them. I did this with an X-Acto knife and ruler.

Step 7

After your tape is squared up, take a credit card and use it to press firmly along the edges to seal the tape.

Step 6

Paint around your squares.

Step 7

After your final coat of paint, remove the tape.

And just so we remember how this space started, here’s the before:

And now:

Ya know it makes ya wanna jump jump!

Yea, I lied about the whole “I’ll stop referencing Kriss-Kross” thing.

I’m sure it seems like this took forever to do. It actually really didn’t. Once you get in the hang of marking your measurements, it goes really fast.

If you want to see the whole new dining room, you can tour it here.

Need more accent wall ideas? I’m your girl!

Cane Inspired Accent Wall for $25 or Less – a gorgeous wall that packs a big punch for not a lot of money!

Black & White Gallery Wall – one of my favorite accent walls of all time, and an easy one to do!

Easy Confetti Accent Wall – super easy and super fun accent wall!

9 Accent Walls for $30 or Less – on a tight budget? Check these out!

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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September 23, 2014
Blue Jean Jackets, Cowboy Boots, and a few Pumpkins: Fall Home Tour

I know I told you I wouldn’t be doing much fall decorating this year – and I haven’t; I hadn’t even planned on doing a fall home tour, but when Lindsay from The White Buffalo Styling Co. asked me to join in on her Blogger Stylin’ Fall Home Tours, I simply couldn’t say no – and then I thought of a story I wanted to share with you along with the tour, so it was destiny.

Ok, I’m a little over dramatic.

If you are coming over from Decorchick, welcome! There’s no doubt in my mind that Emily left you in awe with her talent.

If you happen to have some Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, or maybe some Merle Haggard nearby, go ahead and turn it on…it will go nicely with this tour.

(more…)

September 22, 2014
Vintage Modern Rustic Dining Room Tour

There is always that one room that I don’t get along with.

It never likes anything I do. It never feels quite right.

I will rearrange furniture, add this accessory, take away this, paint that – and it always ends with me throwing my hands in the air, saying screw it, and having a drink.

The dining room was that room.

Emphasis on the was.

Once I finally decided to stop worrying so much about it, it evolved into a space that I love.

It now has that same Vintage-Modern-Rustic vibe that the rest of the house has.

(more…)

September 19, 2014
9 Things I Wish We’d Registered For (And What No One Should be Without)

Every time I go to pull out my nice china, I kick myself.

Because its not there.

It never was.

I have my great grandmother’s floral patterned china which is perfect for Easter, but no wedding china of my own.

That is the number one item I wish we’d registered for.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Target. However, all opinions and registry regrets are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Also, I did not intentionally make it wedding week around here. It just kind of happened that way. So yes, while the legality of my marriage is in question, these are all items I wish we would have registered for. I mean did we really need that rug I was over in less than six months? No. We needed this stuff.

#1: China / China Storage

I’ve already said my biggest regret is not registering for china. Everyday I wish I had registered for a classic pattern that I could use during holidays. I’m also a sappy person and wish I had that to pass on to the kid one day. My luck, she probably wouldn’t give a crap about it. I also wish I would have registered for this fab china storage.

It would have been perfect for housing my great-grandmother’s china.

#2: Nice Sheets

Friends, please do yourself a favor. Every year invest in a new pair of nice sheets for yourself.

The investment is so worth it. Grunt Labor and I decided last year that our anniversary present to each other must include a new set of nice sheets.

#3: Good Pots & Pans

Luckily when Grunt Labor and I got together, his mom, Mama, had hooked him up with great pots and pans.

We are still using those and they are still doing pretty great. This is one of those investments that will pay off! Our set is similar to this one and we love them.

#4: A Good Camera

There is simply no substitute for a good camera. Your phone simply will not take as good of pictures and neither will a point and shoot.

Less than six months into my marriage, I was ready for a better camera. We didn’t have enough money for one until right before the kid was born. I have the Canon Rebel and love it.

#5: A Good Coffeemaker

When Grunt Labor and I got married, I was still carting around the Gevalia coffeemaker I had gotten for “free” when filling out a postcard. Needless to say, it was temperamental.

I bought another cheap one that didn’t last very long, but two Christmas’ ago, I finally asked for a new one. I got not one, but two new coffeemakers – A Keurig and a Cusinart. Both are fab.

#6: Pyrex Storage Set

This is another thing no kitchen should be without – a good set of Pyrex Glass Storage.

I use these almost daily.

#7: Nice Towels

Just like good sheets, everyone deserves nice, big, fluffy towels.

Of course, I am partial to this green color. Imagine that. However, I am a fan of white towels as well. Bleach those bad boys as needed and they are stain free.

#8: Pretty Flatware

This one kind of goes along with the china – I wish we had a bit more formal flatware to use on special occasions.

I love this gold set from Target. I’m sure its not meant to be a family heirloom, but it would fancy up a table quickly.

#9: Baskets

Simply put, a person can never have too many baskets.

Not only are they decorative, but I love big baskets like the ones above to put extra blankets in and store away essential items that aren’t so pretty. Yes, I like big baskets and I cannot lie.

Is there anything you wish you had registered for?

What’s your biggest registry regret?

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September 17, 2014
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.

The great thing about this project is that you don’t have to screw up and waste countless hours like I did.

Or maybe you are a master carver and could totally carve a greek key into a piece of wood like nobody’s business. If so, please help a sister out.

DIY Shower Cornice & Curtains

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Materials and Tools Needed for Cornice:
- 1″ x 10″ x 6′ Pine Board
- Saw (or have the folks at the hardware store cut your board for you)
- Paint color of your choice, preferably a Semi-Gloss or Gloss
- Paint Brush / Roller
- Gold Duck Tape
- 4 Corner Braces & Screws
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Drill
- X-Acto Knife
Steps

Step 1

Cut the board down to the width of your shower. Mine was about 59″. Test it out to make sure it fits above your shower. Cut more as needed. I cut it with our miter saw, but a circular saw will do fine. You can even have the fellas at the hardware store cut it for you! Paint both sides of the board a color of your choice. I suggest a semi-gloss or gloss. It holds up better in a bathroom and will help to keep moisture out of the board better.

Step 2

After the paint is dry, take your ruler and make small tick marks 1/2″ all around the board.

Step 3

Run the outside edge of your duck tape horizontally and then vertically along your tick marks.

Step 4

Take an X-Acto knife and ruler and trim up where the edges of the duck tape meet.

Step 5

How freakin’ easy was that? Your cornice is done and now you just need to hang it. You guys know I’m the queen of easy projects, thus once more, why the heck did I think I could carve a cornice? Seriously?

Ok, sorry for digressing….take your four corner braces and attach one in each corner of your board. After attaching them to your board, recruit help.

No seriously, I mean it. This part is much easier with someone holding the board and someone else drilling.

Place your cornice where you want it to be above your shower and screw it into the wall through the other side of the brackets.

Most likely, you are going to have a stud in the area where you attach the braces to the wall. However, if you don’t, I would recommend using an anchor when screwing them to the wall. The photo above also shows how I hid the shower curtain rods behind the cornice. I used a cheap tension rod and curtain rod rings to hang the black and white shower curtains. I kept my old shower curtain rod and shower curtain and just slid it to one side of the shower and hid it behind the black and white curtains.

If you want to make the shower curtains as well, they are super easy. You just need four yards of fabric (or more if you want to make them longer). I used this fabric. And a side note on the fabric: You may want to go with an outdoor fabric for this. It will hold up better in a bathroom. However, I went with a regular upholstery fabric and then waterproofed it and stain repelled it myself. You can totally do that too and find out how to here.

Lay out your fabric, cut it to the length you want it. I made mine 78″ long.

Fold your fabric in half and cut it down the middle.

When my curtains are closed, there is about an inch on each side where you can still see through to the shower. That doesn’t bother me, because they aren’t meant to be closed. My old shower curtain still functions as the actual shower curtain we use when showering. If you do want to close these, you will need to buy more fabric.

After cutting your panels out, pin all your edges down and then sew.

That’s my easy, breezy, (and ok, a little lazy) curtain hack. I’ve done it for every single curtain I’ve ever sewed. I just hang them with clip-on curtain rings.

Nothing more classic that a good black and white stripe.

And a salvaged DIY distaster.

Have you made your own cornice before?

I’m sure you did and I’m sure yours was amazing from the beginning….unlike mine.

See more of the Preppy meets Hollywood Regency Bathroom Makeover here!

Want another great duck tape window treatment hack? Then see these duck tape trimmed curtains and don’t miss this post with 20+ Duck Tape Crafts and Projects!

There’s more Trash to Treasure goodness to see!

AKA Design: Grapevine & Berry Wreath

So Much Better With Age: Update Old Artwork

Thistlewood Farms: Make a Pillow from a Reusable Shopping Bag

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September 12, 2014
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.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HomeRight. However, all opinions and bright pink ceilings are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How to Paint a Pink Ceiling with Faux Moldings

Tools & Materials Needed:
- Flat Finish Pink Paint (Ok, another color of your choice if you insist. I used Glidden Watermelon Smoothie.)
- Flat Finish White Paint or your standard White Ceiling Paint, which is what I used
- HomeRight Paint Stick
- HomeRight Quick Painter Edge Painter
- 1.41 in width FrogTape
- X-Acto Knife
- Ruler
- Pencil
First of all, I removed the popcorn from my ceiling. I showed you how to do that yesterday in this post. If you don’t have popcorn ceilings – lucky you! If you do have popcorn ceilings, you can still paint it, but obviously it won’t be smooth and you probably won’t be able to do the faux moldings.

Steps

Step 1

Roll on and edge in your flat finish white paint or standard white ceiling paint around the first 6-7 inches of the ceiling.

Do two coats of this paint to make sure you have a solid white color there. I like to use my HomeRight Edge Painter to easily paint around the edges. By the way, when I was painting, I wasn’t worried about getting it on the wall – I already knew I was going to be touching up the wall paint and most likely changing it out. Thus, why the photo above looks rough.

Step 2

After the white paint has fully cured (I like to give it at least three days), you need to mark where you want your faux moldings to start. I chose to come out 2 3/4 inches from the edge of the ceiling. Go around the entire ceiling making tick marks wherever you want your measurement to be.

Step 3

Run tape all along the tick marks.

I went with the 1.41 inch FrogTape because I didn’t want too wide of a “molding.”

After you run your tape along the tick marks, go back and press the tape and the edges down firmly with a credit card.

Step 4

To have clean straight corners, you need to straighten up your tape in the corners. Do this by taking an X-Acto knife and running it along the edges of the tape.

And in that photo above, my knife should totally be on the other side of that tape strip. Whoops. Y’all get the idea though. A lot of times, I use a ruler to guide my knife. This time, I just eyeballed it. (I was lazy and didn’t want to go downstairs to get the ruler.) I recommend the ruler method though, y’all.

After you trim up your corners, make sure that tape is securely down by running a credit card over those edges in the corners again.

Step 5

Paint the pink on the entire ceiling.

I used my PaintStick Mini to do this which made the job go so much faster. You just suck that paint up in the stick and roll it on pushing the end of the stick as you need more paint. The PaintStick Mini is now sold as an attachment to the regular PaintStick. The mini is just a smaller handle which is great for tight spaces.

I did two coats of pink. You may need more or less depending on your paint and its color.

Step 6

Remove the tape to reveal your faux moldings.

When I did this, I was worried about the pink casting a pink shadow over the entire bathroom. Well, it did…at first. The gray paint I had on the walls just was not meshing well with that pink. The pink shadow was everywhere. Before all my hard work was lost by painting the ceiling just plain ol’ white, I decided to paint all the walls a bright, crisp white in hopes of combating the pink shadow.

And it worked!

There is a slight pink haze / shadow around the top first 5 or 6 inches of wall, but that’s it. I can’t see it when I’m getting ready at all. The only time I do see it is when I look up at that little space around the top of the wall and its hard to spot it then!

Want more painted ceiling ideas? Don’t miss these gorgeous painted ceiling designs then!

Want more ideas for painting patterns on your walls, ceiling and furniture? Then see these Wall Painting Ideas and Painting Designs!

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September 9, 2014
How (And How Not To) Remove Popcorn Ceilings
Is your ceiling sporting that (not-so) glorious popcorn texture that was once so popular? Mine was too until I decided to pull a little DIY popcorn ceiling removal. Read on to learn how to remove popcorn ceiling the right way – and what not to do. Learn from my mistakes, friends.

Friends, this is one of those projects that is not for everyone.

Removing a popcorn ceiling is not necessarily hard, but its messy.

And frustrating.

And did I say it was messy?

Oh and this single project is what sparked the entire makeover of the bathroom.

However, in the end, for me, it was worth it.

Lucky for you, I screwed up multiple times during this process and can tell you exactly what not to do.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HomeRight, however all opinions and popcorn ceiling messes are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How to Get Rid of Popcorn Ceilings

*Before you start anything you need to determine whether or not your ceiling contains asbestos. If your house was built prior or around 1978, your ceiling could contain asbestos. You can do testing for asbestos by using this kit.

Tools & Materials Needed:
- Tank Garden Sprayer – I used this one.
- Wide Putty Knife
- Plastic Sheeting or Drop Cloths (If you want to keep a mushy mess from getting on your floor and ceilings)
- FrogTape or Painter’s Tape (needed if you use the plastic sheeting)
- Ladder
- Breathing Mask
- Water
- Safety Glasses / Goggles
What You May Need if You Screw Up Like I Did:
- Joint Compound
- Sandpaper
But you are going to pay close attention to the what not to do’s and not need those last two items above, mmkay?

Learn from my mistakes, y’all.

Steps

Step 1

Remove any light fixtures and cover up the wiring so that it isn’t exposed to water. Also be warned that when water hits a hot light bulb, the bulb will bust. Yes, this may have happened to me.

If you want to avoid a big mess, at this point you need to run the plastic sheeting all along your walls and floors securing it with tape along the edges. If you like big messes or you really don’t care to clean it up, you can skip this part.

Guess who skipped this part because she may have been a bit too impatient?

Yep. I’m still cleaning popcorn ceiling remnants out of my grout.

And yes, I realize that was more like three different steps, but its all just prep work.

Step 2

Fill up your garden sprayer with water. Nothing else, just plain water. Do not fill it so full that it is too heavy to carry across your shoulder while you are on the ladder. Yes, I nearly toppled myself over because of that.

Step 3

Pump up the pressure on your tank sprayer and aim your nozzle toward the ceiling. Begin spraying the water directly onto your popcorn ceiling. Wear safety glasses / goggles to keep the water from dripping onto your eyes and eventually the popcorn. Do not try to be a rebel and not wear them. Take it from me.

If you are working in a small space, as my bathroom was, then spray the entire ceiling down at once. If it is a large space, work in sections.

After you spray the entire ceiling down once, go back to where you began and spray it down again.

How to Scrape Popcorn Ceilings

Step 4

Put on your breathing mask. Seriously, put it on. I mean it.

After the water has had about 15 minutes to soak in, go back to where you began spraying, take your putty knife and scrape the ceiling texture right off the ceiling.

If it doesn’t come down easily with one scrape, stop and let the water soak in more or spray more water on the ceiling. Do not think that constantly scraping it will make it come down. Wait until it is soaked through and it will come down super easily – like mush. Literally.

Keep the putty knife flush against the ceiling and don’t angle it on the ends one way or the other.

Ok, so see that small putty knife I was using? This works so much better and goes faster with a wider, larger putty knife. The small one is good for going back and getting small pieces of popcorn you missed, but a larger one is better overall.

Where was my large putty knife you ask?

Buried in a box of sandpaper that I found after I had scraped the ceilings. Story of my life.

Do not think that you can leave small pieces of popcorn behind.

All those small pieces gotta go too. If they dry before you get to them, wet them back down and then scrape.

When scraping the popcorn off, try to keep the putty knife as level as possible against the ceiling. Do not put too much pressure on the edges or you will gouge the ceiling:

Where you see the brown is where I put too much pressure on one side of the knife and took off some of the drywall paper. Not good, but fixable.

In the end, you will be left with this:

The above picture is why you tape plastic sheeting up. I think the picture proves the value of this.

Step 5

After you have scraped all the popcorn off, allow the ceiling to fully dry. If you scored an A+ in following my what not to do’s, then you may not need to do this step.

If you do have some spots, like I did, where the paper on the drywall tore or you gouged the ceiling, you’ll need to fix them now.

Lightly sand them to make them as even as possible, then spackle as needed. Allow the spackle to dry and then sand them smooth.

If the ceiling is really bad, you might need to skim coat the whole ceiling with drywall mud, let dry, then sand.

Step 6

Prime and paint the ceiling. I used Kilz 2 Primer and my Paintstick.

You should only need one coat of primer. This just helps to seal the drywall and keep your ceiling paint from soaking in too much and requiring multiple coats.

At this point, you can paint your ceiling white or whatever color you want to paint it.

Oh, you are wondering if I was just lazy and left my ceiling primed? Nope…..I painted it PINK and added some faux white moldings to it. See that tutorial here!

Have you done a DIY popcorn ceiling removal before?

Share your experience in the comments!

More helpful ceiling posts:

Not ready to take the plunge into removing your popcorn ceiling? I totally get it – see these ideas instead for distracting from your popcorn ceilings!

Painted Ceiling Designs – you’ve banished the popcorn, now make that ceiling shine!

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September 8, 2014
Preppy meets Hollywood Regency Bathroom Makeover

I never intended to do an entire bathroom makeover when I started this a couple months ago.

It really hasn’t been that long since the last bathroom makeover.

I just wanted a bit more color.

It started with the ceiling.

I thought to myself, “Self, you should scrape off the popcorn and paint the ceiling pink.”

Self responded with a very enthusiastic, “YES.”

So I did.

But then the gray paint on the walls didn’t go with the pink very well like I thought it would.

So I painted the walls.

And then I realized the vanity had these weird yellowy patches on it.

So I painted the vanity.

And then I looked at the old shower curtain – it could be a bit more stylish.

So I made a new shower curtain and cornice.

And then I thought to myself, “Self, what about some new artwork?”

You can guess what Self said.

That non-makeover escalated quickly.

Friends, welcome to my new Preppy meets Hollywood Regency Bathroom that wasn’t supposed to be.

(more…)

September 4, 2014
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?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

DIY Succulent Book Planter

Before I tell you how to make this little project, let me answer your question that I know you are asking, “Aren’t the pages going to get moldy and mildewy from the plant’s moisture?”

Why no, they are not. We are going to seal the pages.

Materials Needed:
- Small Potted Succulent
- Plastic tray to go around base of the succulent pot
- Books that you don’t care to cut
- Dremel Micro 8050
- Pencil
- Mod Podge
- Paint Brush
Steps

Step 1

Determine the order you want to stack your books in. Take the book that will be on top and lay the plastic tray in the center of it and trace around it.

Step 2

Put the cutting disc on the Dremel Micro 8050, and begin cutting through the cover of the book. I put the Dremel on the highest speed to do all my cutting. The Micro 8050 is pretty cool because it can cut, carve, engrave, sand, grind, sharpen, clean and polish—helping you bring just about any brilliant project to life. It’s also cordless – which means no worrying about accidentally cutting through cords – not that I’ve ever done that before or anything…

Step 3

Once you get through the front cover of the book, open it up and continue cutting through the pages.

Step 4

Once you get all the way through your book, your circle may be a bit smaller on the back than the front. Flip the book over to the back and cut the circle as needed. You can go up and down with the Dremel to get a good even cut. It is very light and easy to handle in tight spaces, the Dremel® Micro™8050 is packed with features that have crafters, hobbyists and DIYers in mind: soft grip, LED front-end lighting to illuminate projects, a docking station that continually charges, and an 8V Max Lithium-ion battery.

Step 5

After your top book has its circle cut out, place your succulent pot in the book to make sure it will fit properly. If it doesn’t cut more as needed. If its good to go, move on to cutting the second book. Do this by placing the book you have already cut on top of the book you are about to cut. Use a pencil and trace inside the circle onto the book to be cut.

Step 6

Remove the top book and place the plastic tray around the traced circle. Trace around the plastic tray – it may be slightly bigger and you want that measurement, not the smaller one.

Step 7

Begin cutting out the hole in the second book as you did with the first book.

Step 8

If your pot was the same size as mine, you may not need to go all the way through the back cover on the second book, test the pot in the book as you go to determine how much more you need to cut. If your pot is narrower at the base, as most are, it will be ok if the hole in the second book is a bit angled as you see above. Just test the pot to see if it fits.

Step 9

After all the cutting is done, clean off the books and shake out any pieces of cut paper. To seal the books and keep mildew and mold from forming, you need to apply Mod Podge to the cut edges of the books. I started at the back cover and worked my way through the book. You don’t have to go through every single page, do small sections of pages at a time and you can put it on heavy.

Step 10

On the inside covers of the books, apply Mod Podge all over the cover and pages to keep the book shut.

Step 11

If you want to, you can seal the outer edges of the book with Mod Podge as well.

Step 12

To hold the books together, apply Mod Podge to the covers of the books and place them in the order you want them stacked. Also, be sure to give the top book cover a really good coat of Mod Podge.

Step 13

After the Mod Podge has dried, place your plastic tray in the books and then your potted succulent plant.

Isn’t this a fun twist on a planter?

The Dremel made the process of cutting out the pages go so fast and even I was able to cut out a decent circle.

I’m even liking it more than I expected.

You can purchase the Dremel Micro 8050 online at Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com.

Want more great planter ideas?

DIY Cedar Planter Box – a great DIY project that will add some curb appeal to your home!

Modern Painted Planter Pots – take basic planters and snaz them up with spray paint!

10+ Creative Flower Pot Ideas – full of so many out-of-the-box ideas!

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September 2, 2014
7 Simple and Frugal Fall Crafts & Decorating Ideas

Want to get your home decor ready for fall on a budget? You’re in the right place! These simple fall crafts are perfect for just that! Not only are these easy fall crafts to make, but they are also made with budget in mind!

I’m going to be real honest with you guys. There most likely will not be lots of new fall decor at my house this year. I would just rather spend my time working on stuff I will see all year long than just for a month or two. That doesn’t mean I don’t love fall – I do. And I will still put out my fall decor from years past, just not anything new. So, here are my favorite fall crafts and decorating ideas I’ve done in the past that may be oldies, but still goodies.

Simple Autumn Crafts to Make

Fall Mums Printables

Free Fall Mums Watercolor Printables – There are multiple different scenes and varieties available to print. Simply print out and you’ve got instant fall decor. How much easier could it be?

Dollar Store Pumpkin Place Card Holders

How about some pumpkin crafts? These Pumpkin Place Card Holders were made with Dollar Tree Pumpkins – so easy to make!

Ribbon Wrapped Pumpkins

Dollar Tree Pumpkins Upcycle – more pumpkins from the Dollar Tree that got a much needed makeover! Isn’t the little orange ribbon sweet? The Dollar Tree is always full of potential DIY fall crafts!

Ampersand Pumpkin

Ampersand Pumpkin – I adore how this pumpkin turned out – still one of my favorite fall decor pieces! It adds a chic touch to fall decorating.

Simple Fall Decorating Ideas

Simple Fall Decorating Ideas – lots beautiful, but easy fall decor ideas here.

DIY Fall Door Decor

DIY Fall Door Decor – a little spin on the traditional fall wreath!

Glittery Fall Garland

Glittery Fall Garland – another oldie, but always a favorite! This garland has just the right amount of color! This one is also a great one for the kiddos to get involved with.

Fall Wreath

I made this fall wreath simply by wrapping yarn around a wreath form and embellishing it!

Can you share any easy fall crafts with us?

See all my seasonal decorating ideas here!

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August 28, 2014