You won’t believe how easy it is to make this DIY cupcake holder! Not only are these cupcake holders adorable, but they are also super easy to make, can be easily customized to fit your party decor and you can make them with items you find at the thrift store! Here’s how to make a cupcake stand that will wow your party crowd…
Yes, me again. Back with more DIY party decorations from the blue and pink birthday party extravaganza. This time, I’m super excited to share these DIY cupcake stands with you. I think they are just adorable and I made them using items I found at thrift stores!
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Materials and Supplies Needed:
Steps
Step 1
Be sure that the candlesticks and baking pans are clean. Attach the old baking pans to the candlesticks using whichever glue you opted to go with. For me, my pans looked best flipped upside down on the candlestick with the fluted edges pointing down. It’s up to you, though!
Let the glue fully cure overnight.
Step 2
Spray paint the cupcake stands with the color of spray paint you opted for. Let dry completely. You could also opt to spray paint the candlesticks and pans different colors before gluing if you wanted to go for a really colorful or contrasting look.
Step 3
After the cupcake holders are completely dry, cut a circle or square out of your coordinating scrapbook paper that is roughly the size of the top of your cupcake stand tops.
Place the paper on the top of the stand to add a little more pizzaz to the stands. You don’t have to glue it on, it should just sit on top of the stands. Then, for your next party, you can switch up the paper to work for that party’s theme.
Aren’t these just adorable little cupcake display ideas? And so easy and cheap to make!
The cost of this project:
• Baking Dishes: $1.50 each = $3 total
• Candlestick Holders: Free (my aunt was going to throw them away. hello?! Give them to the hoarder, please!)
• Spray paint and liquid nails were all on hand already!
$3 TOTAL!
Bam! That’s what I call a deal!
Other great ideas you could do with these:
• Use as a cake stand or cake plate for smaller cakes.
• Make the stands using various sized baking pans and candleholders, then glue one on top of another to create a tiered cupcake stand or cupcake tower.
Have you made your own cupcake stands before?
Looking for more great DIY party decor ideas?
DIY Party Decorations on a Budget – my best party decor that doesn’t break the bank, but still leaves guests oohing and ahhing.
How to Make a Party Hat – completely (and easily!) customizable for any event!
DIY Plastic Tablecloth Party Backdrop – don’t worry, you’re going to make those cheap tablecloths look so pretty!
Want to remember these little cupcake stands for later? Just pin the image below!
Get more creative ideas on social media!
Looking for an easy party backdrop for an upcoming event? This one is your answer! This party background is super easy to make and costs just around $5 in supplies!
This is the easiest and cheapest party background. In the history of ever.
Really, I promise.
Would I lie to you?
Why absolutely not!
This is one of the many DIY party decorations I made for my daughter’s 1st birthday party and it was also probably the easiest, but yet the largest scale one!
Go figure, right?!
This party backdrop costs about $3 – $6 to make depending on how much you spend on your plastic tablecloths. You can buy the $1 tablecloths for it at the Dollar Tree or you could splurge a little and buy ones that are about $2 or $3 at Party City. It’s totally your choice and it’s totally customizable – you can choose whatever colors you want to for it. Personally, I got my tablecloths from Party City because they have a huge variety of colors.
To make this, you’ll need about an hour or so, but it’s an easy hour!
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Materials Needed:
Steps
The video below will show you exactly how to make the party backdrop step-by-step. I’ve also included written instructions below the video as well.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”yhS6773x” upload-date=”2016-08-16T14:38:10.000Z” name=”Rain on a Tin Roof – DIY Party Backdrop” description=”Make this less than $5 and very simple diy party backdrop to spruce up any party! All it takes is a little time and three plastic tablecloths.”]Step 1
Determine if you want your background to hang horizontally or vertically. The one shown in this post you are reading now is hung horizontally because it worked better that way for the space I was hanging it on. I have made these and hung them vertically though as well. You can see a vertically hung party backdrop I did for the sparkly horses birthday party here.
Step 2
Once you decide which direction to hang it, open up one of your tablecloths and put it on the wall with thumbtacks. For mine hanging horizontally, it took 6 thumbtacks. Just start in one corner and tack it up as you go. Once you have the first tablecloth up, step back and decide if it needs to be leveled out in any places and adjust as needed. You can put the tablecloths in any order when it comes to color. In the end, all the colors basically mix together. If you’re really particular about one color showing more than the others, then put the one you want to show more as the last layer on top of the other tablecloths. There will be a little sliver of it that will show more at the very top.
Step 3
After the first tablecloth is up, open up another one and layer it on top of the first one. I did this by removing one tack at a time, and then putting it back through both tablecloths. Repeat with the third and final tablecloth.
Step 4
Next, take a pair of regular scissors and cut strips up to about 3-4 inches from the top of the tablecloths. You are going to cut all three tablecloths at once when you cut a strip. I didn’t even measure the width of my strips, I just eyeballed it. They were each probably around 3-4 inches wide.
Step 5
Once all your strips are cut, you are going to braid each set of strips together. Start on one side of the backdrop, take your first set of strips (one of each color that you cut at the same time), and braid them together from the top down. You only want to braid down far enough to hold the strips together. You don’t have to start with a certain color and end with another one. Just braid each set together – once more, all the colors will blend together in the end. Here is how mine looked when I braided it after I had cut all the strips.
Once you have braided all your strips, you’re done!
Told you it was super simple!
The white thumbtacks were driving me crazy at the top, so I punched out balloon shapes from pink & blue card stock and put them over the tacks with square photo mounts.
Can I make this ahead of time and then take it to the party location and hang it up there?
Yes. What I would suggest doing is lay all the tablecloths on the ground, if you don’t want to put them on your wall. Put some heavy books or something similar along the top to keep them in place, then cut the strips and braid them as stated above. Once braided, you should just be able to pick it up and take it with you.
Could I do this with more than three colors?
You bet! I did this same backdrop with six colors right here!
Could I staple this together and then attach it to a wall with tape? The place the party is located at doesn’t allow thumbtacks in their walls.
I definitely think you could staple it together along the top. As for the tape, I would recommend using a wide width FrogTape. It’s strong, but shouldn’t take the paint off the walls.
Have you ever made a DIY party background before?
See how I put a spin on this backdrop for the kid’s 2nd birthday by layering in more colors here!
Looking for more easy DIY party decorations?
Birthday Photo Collage – perfect for birthday parties, graduations, anniversaries and more!
DIY Party Banner – no fancy cutting machines required! You’ll just need scrapbook paper and scissors!
DIY Bunting Cake Topper – another one where you’ll just need some scrapbook paper!
DIY Cupcake Pedestals – so cute, yet made from thrift store finds!
DIY Party Hat – if you’ve got five minutes, you can make this adorable party hat!
Want to come back to this birthday party backdrop idea later? Just pin the image below!
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We made it through year one. No serious injuries, no serious sickness, only busted her lip a few times, fell off the couch and bed a couple times, multiple bruises, and I only let her eat a clump of dirt once. We. Survived. It. Hallelujah.
Need more designer knock-offs? Here you go!
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It was a blue and pink themed party with LOTS of DIY party decorations (did you really expect me to pay lots of $$ for it all considering how cheap I am?)!
This DIY party banner hung on top of the DIY party backdrop. The banner was super simple to make and turned out really cute! Really, it can be a DIY banner for any kind of celebration – customize it to your own liking!
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Materials Needed:
I know I took pictures of this process, but it appears, I have deleted those photos! I am so sorry, but I promise, this is so easy you really don’t need photos.
Steps
Step 1:
Print out the banner template noted in the supply list from Miss Lovie Creations. She did a great job of making her DIY birthday banner and I did mine similar to hers.
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| Source |
Step 2:
Cut out the template. I used regular scissors for this.
Step 4:
Cut out the traced pieces. I used scissors for this as well, but you could use the X-Acto knife.
Step 5:
Place the circle template over scrapbook paper or card stock. Trace as many circles as letters you need. Again, you’ll need 13 to spell out “Happy Birthday.” I chose to use just blue and pink solid card stock for this so that my letters didn’t disappear on patterned paper.
Step 6:
Cut out circles.
Step 7:
Write your letters on the circles. I used a pencil to sketch the letters out and then just went over them with a sharpie.
Step 8:
Use the adhesive mounts or some other adhesive to attach the circles to the flags. Hot glue would probably work fine as well.
Step 9:
Use the X-Acto knife to cut small slits in each upper corner of the flags. If you don’t want to use the X-Acto knife for this, you could also use the hole punch.
Step 10:
Weave your ribbon in and out of the flags to string them together, then hang with thumbtacks.
All done! Easy peasy!
I have teamed up with three other bloggers to bring you the Summer Spruce-Up Series. The series is all about sprucing-up our outdoor areas to get them ready for summer! What all of that means is that I had to get off my butt and get to work. Enter my screened-in porch makeover.
My screened-in porch had been so neglected until I was forced to tackle it (a good and needed forced, thanks gals). When we moved in two years ago, the last thing on our minds was the back porch. We were too busy with a kitchen, bathroom, and basically an overhaul of our entire house. I didn’t take a photo of the inside of the porch, but this was the outside, so you can get a pretty good idea of what it was like.
Rough, to say the least.
We finally got around to working on it about six months after we moved in.
But, then I got pregnant.
And lazy.
And tired.
So, for the last year and a half, our screened-in porch has set like this. Partially finished.
Grunt Labor had fixed the screening and added lattice to keep the dogs from getting in. We had also partially painted the woodwork, but that was it.
And now, within the last three weeks, it has finally gotten its long overdue makeover.
With the exception of the chaise lounge and rocking chair, we already had the patio furniture. I picked up the lounge at an antique store for $100. All of the furniture got a fresh coat of gloss black spray paint, which it was in desperate need of.
More outdoor projects you just might want to see:
How to Stain Wood Outdoors the Easy Way (Lattice Makeover in an hour) – super easy with a big impact!
Staining Pressure Treated Wood – No Waiting Required – for realz, no waiting!
Mailbox Makeover in less than an hour – another easy, but big impact project!
I am so flippin’ excited to show you this lamp. I. Love. It. Even Grunt Labor loves it. First, I must thank Heather from Southern State of Mind for inviting me to co-host the Summer Soiree Style Series which made me start thinking Kate Spade, which made me think Kelly Green, which led to “Hmmm……a kelly green lamp……hmmmmm……” and it all resulted in this beauty.
Kate Spade Inspired Lamp Makeover
When I wrote the post on How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest, I touched on making your photos pin-worthy. You should have at least one photo in your post that is made specifically for Pinterest.
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
As you guys already know, Pinterest is huge. Huge. Huge. Pinterest is all about photos (we knew that, Jenna!), and as bloggers, our photos can make or break us!
As bloggers, we want our photos to be pinned and re-pinned over and over again! So, how do we get readers to pin our photos? We must make them pin-worthy!
Let me give you an example of a non-pin-worthy photo:
And a pin-worthy photo:
See the difference? The pin-worthy photo is bright, clear, and sharp. I added an overlay with the project name over it so that people would know what that pin would lead them to and I also added a watermark with my blog url in the bottom corner. This image is also vertical – vertical photos do better on Pinterest, rather than horizontal ones.
Having great photos will not only help grow your blog through Pinterest, but it will keep readers interested in your post, and other posts on your blog.
Here are the steps I take when getting my photos ready for a blog post, and eventually to go on Pinterest. I use PicMonkey features to do all the edits.
Step One:
Open up your photo in Picmonkey. Under Basic Edits, go to Exposure and adjust the levels as needed. Just play with the levels of each item until your photo looks good. Each photo is different, so there is no exact recipe for this. I usually increase the brightness a bit (especially if the photo is dark to begin with), I will increase the highlights a tad, and the contrast a bit as well. Sometimes, I increase the shadows, but not a whole lot. It tends to make the photo too dark.
Step Two:
Under Basic Edits, go to Colors. Adjust the saturation and temperature as needed. Typically, if you started out with pretty good color, you may not need to adjust these levels at all.
Step Three:
This is when I add my overlays. First, I add the label overlay that usually states the post / project title. Go to the overlays button, the 5th button down on the left. Picmonkey has lots of different labels you can use for this. I typically use one of the banners under Scrapbooky or something under Geometric. If there is some empty space on the photo to start with, I skip the overlay and write the text directly on the photo. Select which one and click on it. Position it where you want it on the photo. Use the bubbles on the corners to size it. You can use the overlay box that pops up beside it to change the color.
Step Four:
Now, you need to add text to your overlay. Go to the text button on the left side, the fourth button down. Click add text. Type your text in the box. Change the color and size with the text box that pops up. Change your font with the menu on the left. When you have your text like you want, drag the text box on top of the overlay.
Step Five:
At this point, you can create another overlay with text that says your blog’s name using the same steps you did above.
Step Six:
Save your photo.
That’s it! Not too hard, especially once you get the hang of PicMonkey!
Do you have any tips for making your photos pin-worthy?
7 Things Your Blog Needs to Keep Readers Coming Back
How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest
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Got a little time on your hands? Ok, probably not, but here are some cute and simple crafts that are worth making some time for!
Napkins into Scrapbook Paper from Blissful Roots
Go get craftin’!
Want more easy craft ideas? Take a look at these…
20+ Duck Tape Crafts and Projects – who knew Duck Tape could do so much?!
7 Super Simple, Super Cute Electrical Tape Crafts – so much fun and so easy!
Can’t find the perfect party hat for the big bash? Don’t fret! Make your own DIY birthday hat in no time using this tutorial for how to make a party hat out of paper! It’s super easy using the provided party hat template!
As you all probably know by now, there is a big birthday party to be had. Baby girl is turning one. Of course, she must have a party hat. I would not settle for your typical birthday hat you can buy at a party store. Those are fine and dandy, but no, no, no. I wanted something that she would really hate me for later in life. That’s how I roll. So, along with all the other DIY party decorations, I made this birthday party hat for her.
Yes, this should do. This birthday hat was surprisingly VERY simple to make. Here’s how to do it…
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Steps
Step 1
Print the party hat template noted above, then cut out the template.
Step 2
Place the template over the paper you are making your party hat out of.
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Learn how to make your own party invitations with this PicMonkey invitation tutorial! You can customize it with any colors or fonts of your choice.
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
With the kid’s 1st birthday quickly approaching, I realized I had better get some invitations made for her birthday party.
As many of you already know, I am a big PicMonkey fan. I love all the cool things it lets you do with photos. And for just $6 a month, it is well worth the money since you can save boatloads on creating your own invitations, holiday cards and more and not pay retail for them! If you don’t have a Picmonkey subscription yet, you can get a free trial by clicking here.
I have used PicMonkey for my master bedroom wall art, my blog design, and to make my pictures “pin-worthy,” among other things. So, with the help of Picmonkey, I whipped up some pretty stellar invitations for the kiddo’s birthday.
Want to see other party invitations I’ve made with Picmonkey…
Colorful Polka Dots Invitation – a basic party invitation that’s great for any party!
Farm Birthday Party Invitation – perfect for your next hoedown!
Need more party ideas? Here you go:
How to Make a Superhero Party Banner with Picmonkey – easy and you can switch it up to match your party’s decor!
DIY $5 Party Backdrop – so stinkin’ easy, cheap and an awesome party decoration!
This is part of the Grow Your Blog Series. Read more posts from the series here.
If you want your blog to grow, you need your readers to come back for new posts on a frequent basis. There are some things you can do to help ensure they do come back. Some of these are repeats from the 12 Tips to Grow Your Blog, but I felt they should be mentioned here again because they are so important.
Contact Page
Have a clear, easy to find page or space on your blog where people can contact you via email or social media. I have my email on my “About Me” page, my “Start Here” page, and my “Advertise” page.
Great “About Me” Page
I love getting to know the person whose blog I’m reading! Anytime I visit a new-to-me blog and I just love it, I want to find out more about the person who is behind the awesome blog! It doesn’t have to be your life story. If I put my whole life story on my about me page, it would be wayyy too long, bore you in some places, and drop your jaw in others. I will be honest, I am not good at “About Me-s” at all! So, I use photos in my About Me page to help tell my story. Lauren, over at The Thinking Closet wrote a great post about revamping your “About Me” page. Check it out here.
Clear Categories / Labels
Make sure you categorize every post with your labels. Keep your categories clear. Example categories may include: DIY, Crafts, Makeovers, etc. Display your Categories/Labels on your sidebar where they can be easily seen. Mine are in the cloud format, rather than the list. This is just a personal preference. I like how it makes the labels bigger that have more posts.
Social Media Buttons
I said it in the 12 Tips to Grow Your Blog, and I’m sayin it again. Make sure you have social media buttons where they are easily seen on your blog. This allows people to quickly follow you and stay up to date on your posts.
Easy to Read Titles, Fonts, & Colors
Don’t use fancy, swirly hard to read fonts. You may be able to read them just fine, but others may not. Use fonts that can be easily read and keep your colors basic! Don’t use reds, yellows, blues and other colors for the majority of your posts. Its hard to read, and will keep many people from finishing reading a post.
Turn Word Verification OFF
Make sure Word Verification is turned OFF on your blog! This is when the box pops up after someone writes a comment asking them to type in the letters and/or numbers. It is so annoying and will keep many people from leaving you comments! To change your comment settings (on Blogger) go to Settings > Posts & Comments and its all there.
Keep Your Blog Clean and Easy to Navigate
Do not clutter up your sidebars! Keep everything neat and organized. Have a section designated for sponsors, ads, etc. Also, your sidebar is prime real estate! Use it to showcase your most popular posts to keep people around on your blog longer! Make it easy for people to find something they are looking for. Have pages designated for certain topics (I have Seasonal Decorating, Home Tour, etc.) Have a search bar for people to easily search your blog.
7 Things Your Blog Needs to Keep Readers Coming Back
How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest
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This was the room that got put off for a very long time. When we purchased the foreclosure, the last thing on our minds was the bedroom. I am thrilled to announce that our Master Bedroom Makeover is finally complete. 
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
It is finally done. We’ve been in this house almost two years, and the master was always put off on the makeover list. I am so happy to have it done and I’m pretty sure Grunt Labor might be more excited than I am because he doesn’t have to listen to me whine about not finding the right curtains or pillows, or frames. Poor guy. Here is the master bedroom makeover reveal:
I used the amazing Rub ‘n Buff to transform the hardware on our dresser and chest of drawers. Read how easy it was here.
Let’s admit it. If you blog, you want to learn how to make money blogging. Yes, I very much enjoy sharing my projects, and reading about all the amazing things you guys do! And I LOVE all the awesome blogging friends I have met through my blog. But, a little money wouldn’t hurt. I do have a slight, ok, huge crafting and thrifting addiction!
We’ve talked about 12 Tips to Grow Your Blog, How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest, and How to Grow Your Blog with Giveaways. Now, let’s talk about how to make money blogging. If you are just starting out, this is going to be great for you!
This post contains affiliate links.
I’m breaking this down into three basic ways to make money blogging: Ad Networks, Affiliate Networks, and Sponsored Post Networks. Of course, you can always make money by having sponsors that advertise on your blog, but I thought I would keep this post more about networks you can sign up with to make money.
Ad Networks
You would place code from these networks onto your sidebar that would then show ads. You would be paid when people look at those ads and/or click on them.
Google AdSense
This is probably the most popular ad network out there. When I first started my blog, I really didn’t think all that much about ads, so they were just randomly placed on my blog. I have moved them to the top of my blog and it has really increased my clicks. They won’t payout until you have $100 in earnings.
This is another very popular ad network. You’ve probably seen these ads on the top of sidebars and the BlogHer TV roll above blog headers. Your blog has to meet certain requirements before you can run their ads and the ads must be placed above the fold. No other ads can be above the fold as well. I have signed up to be social influencer with them, but not an ad publisher yet. Go here for more information.
Content.ad is a related posts network. If you look at the bottom of my blog posts, you will see something that says “What’s Popular Now.” Some of those are my posts, some are other posts through Content.ad. When someone clicks on one of those other posts, I get a small commission. If someone clicks on one of my posts, I get another page view. Its a nice little win-win situation.
More basic ad networks:
Affiliate Networks
ShareASale
This network connects you with online merchants. Once you have signed up with ShareASale, you can apply to become an affiliate with merchants of your choice. There are MANY options, and good ones – one of my favorites on there is Wayfair. You can then place the merchants banners on your blog and insert links into blog posts. When someone clicks on an ad or link, your referral code will be embedded and earn you money if they make a purchase. Sign up for ShareASale here.
Amazon Affiliates
Amazon has pretty much any product ever made, so its pretty easy to find some to promote. You can create a widget that displays products of your choice, get banners, and create links embedded with your referral code to put in blog posts. Go here to sign up.
CJ Affiliates is very similar to Share-A-Sale. It has quickly become one of my favorite affiliate networks. It features some well known brands like CB2, Minted, World Market and more. Sign up here and use Referral Code 4390477.
Reward Style is another affiliate program that is one of my favorites. It is more geared toward fashion and home goods and includes brands such as Etsy, Target and more.
VigLink is a great affiliate network because with it, you don’t have to search for merchants to see if they have an affiliate program or not. You just put the regular old link in your post and if the merchant does have an affiliate program with VigLink, VigLink will automatically turn the link into an affiliate link. Sign up for VigLink here.
Paid Posts Networks
Clever Girls Collective
They connect brands with bloggers to do paid blog posts. I’ve seen brands such as P&G, Allstate, Hanes, etc. Go here for more details.
Sits Girls
They basically do the same thing as Clever Girls. I have not noticed as many opportunities with them as I have with Clever Girls, but its worth it to sign up. I have heard that when opportunities do come around, they are pretty good. Go here for more details.
After signing up with IZEA, you will receive leads to paid post opportunities. You can decide if you want to pursue the lead and negotiate price. The price the lead starts out is based on your numbers in Google Analytics. You have to have this set up on your blog before IZEA will accept you. There are many types of different brands. Sign up for IZEA here.
TapInfluence is one of my favorite sponsored post networks. They will send you direct offers when they think you are a good fit for a campaign. Almost all of the offers I have received from them have been perfect fits. You can decline an offer if you don’t think its right for you. Once more, they will require you to connect your Google Analytics account. Go here for more details.
7 Things Your Blog Needs to Keep Readers Coming Back
How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest
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This was my first adventure with Rub ‘n Buff.
A Rub ‘n Buff hardware makeover.
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
All you do is squeeze a small portion out, I mean SMALL, a little goes a LONG way, and rub it on whatever you want to make gold, silver, etc. Let it dry, then buff. That simple.
Some of them were even a little rusty, so I sanded those first. And the after:
You can always purchase an item you think your readers would like to giveaway as well.
If a company contacts you about doing a blog post about their company, ask them to sponsor a giveaway! It will give their post more views!
Another great idea is to have an entry (on the Rafflecopter) for when participants share the giveaway on their Facebook, blog, Twitter, etc. This gives your giveaway more exposure, in turn giving your blog more exposure.
Pinterest is big. Wait, let me rephrase. Pinterest is ginormous. Really guys, its huge. A LARGE portion of my blog traffic is due to Pinterest. That’s why I told you to pin your own photos in the 12 Tips to Grow Your Blog post! Because Pinterest is so big, its a great source for growing your blog!
Here’s how to grow your blog with Pinterest.
And here is a photo from later on in my blogging career about another lamp makeover:
7 Things Your Blog Needs to Keep Readers Coming Back
Since December I have been trying really hard to build and grow my blog into something great. I started this blog back in August 2011. I was going full speed ahead (although my photos from those posts are definitely lacking), and then I got pregnant. I felt miserable and blogging was the last thing on my mind. I would post every now and then, but with no regularity. But this past December, I decided to do this blogging thing all the way. I love doing it, and I love following other amazing blogs and getting great ideas – its my passion.
So, back at the start of December, I had around 40 GFC followers, 20 feed subscribers, not even close to 100 facebook followers, and about 100 Pinterest followers. (I don’t do Twitter – I know, I must be the only one in the world who doesn’t. I just can’t take it on right now.) Now, as of this post I have 170 GFC followers, 92 feed subscribers, 330+ Facebook followers, and 366 Pinterest followers. I’m not bragging. I am no where near MANY other amazing blogs. But, I am proud of the growth of my blog in the past three months. I still have a LONG way to go! All of the tips below are things I have done, and still do, to grow my blog in the past three months.
1. Post on a Regular Basis
Do not make my mistake. When I got pregnant, I rarely posted at all. My blog was stagnant. If you want your blog to grow, you have to post on a regular basis! This doesn’t mean you have to post every single day.
Y’all, Pinterest is HUGE – and getting bigger everyday! Do not underestimate the power of the pin! TONS of my traffic (and from what I’ve read, many other blogs traffic) comes from Pinterest. By having a “Pin It” button on every image, it makes it easy for readers to pin your image, and then their followers see it, re-pin, visit, and the cycle continues.
3. Pin Your Own Posts
That’s right, I said it. People follow you on Pinterest because they like what you pin. What you pin is probably similar to what you post! Pin your posts! Your followers will re-pin and their followers will re-pin and the beautiful cycle mentioned above ensues!
4. Social Media Buttons
Have social media buttons placed where followers can easily see them and use them to follow along. Mine are on the top of my sidebar. You can get free social media buttons in all different colors here.
5. USE Social Media
Put links to your posts on your Facebook page, Tweet it, share it on Google+. Show “teaser” post photos on Facebook. And once more, pin your images!
6. Put the Best Image at the Top of Your Post
I made this mistake when I started blogging. I would do a “before and after” project, and always show the before at the beginning, which one would normally do, except in blogging, and the after at the end of the post. You need to show readers your “after” photo first though, to draw them in and make them want to read about how you got to the “after.”
7. Highlight your Most Popular / Best Posts on your Sidebar
That sidebar is prime real estate! Put an image with a link to the post. This keeps readers on your blog longer, which means they might follow along if they keep seeing your amazing work!
8. Link Parties, Link Parties, Link Parties
Link up your posts, people! This gets your blog and posts out there for potential readers to see! You can’t just post something, walk away, and expect readers to come check it out. You have to promote it!
9. Visit, Visit, Visit
Don’t go link up at a party and not visit other posts! How rude!
Couldn’t resist Stephanie’s famous line from Full House. Anyway, you want people to come view your posts, so shouldn’t you view theirs as well?! You don’t have to visit other posts right that second, but do go back and try to visit a few and leave a nice comment.
10. Comment, Comment, Comment
Leave a comment for the link party host saying thanks. Comment on the links you visit. Comment, comment, comment! When you comment on someone else’s blog, they are more likely to come visit your blog, and possibly follow (especially if you follow them). When someone comments on your blog, respond to the comment, go visit their blog, and comment! Everyone LOVES comments!
Another important thing about comments – make sure word verification is turned OFF on your blog! This is when the box pops up after someone writes a comment asking them to type in the letters and/or numbers! No one wants to deal with that when leaving a comment! If you are worried about getting comments from spammers, set your comment settings to where no anonymous users can comment. To change these settings (on Blogger) go to Settings -> Posts & Comments and its all there.
11. Guest Post at other Blogs
If you see an opportunity to guest post at another blog, go for it! When you post at another blog, some of their readers will visit your blog, and may become followers.
12. Swap Buttons or Links with Other Blogs
Many bloggers love to swap buttons and links! This gives you some advertisement and them as well! Check out blog’s advertise pages to see if they swap buttons or email them. Include swap buttons or links on your sidebar under a “Blogroll.”
I hope that these tips help you out in growing your blog! I am not an expert, by any means, but these are just a few little things I’ve learned in the past few months and thought it might be helpful to you!
If you have any tips, I would LOVE to hear them! Please leave a comment!
7 Things Your Blog Needs to Keep Readers Coming Back
How to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest
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Y’all, this might be the cutest dang thang I’ve ever made….
Easter is one holiday that I was lacking decorations in. Not anymore. After this quick project, and a trip to the Goodwill (a “finds” post coming soon) I am set. It’s just a matter of getting all the decorations off my dining room table and actually using them to decorate around the house. Anyway, after seeing these two adorable bunny projects, I knew I had to have a bunny of my own.
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I just opened it in word and made it pretty big. That chick comes with it too, but when I made the bunny bigger, it kicked the chick’s butt right off the page. But, yes, I know, that chick is too cute as well. Another easter project? Hmmmmm….
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
I did this all in Picmonkey.
Supplies:
–Graphics / Images in .png format (.png gives the images a transparent background)
–Backgrounds of your choice
I bought images on Etsy from GraphicDreamz and from Graphique. When you order, just specify in the message that you would like the .png file.
Looking for more easy wall decor? Check these out:
How to Make a Silhouette the Easy Way
You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.
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Have you guys noticed all these decorative animal home accessories that are out lately? Like this…
Well, I couldn’t spend $30+ on one of these when I knew I would probably get tired of it soon. So, I decided to make my own decorative horse accessories.
When I bought these little guys at the 127 yard sale months ago, my friend, Lindsay looked at me like I had gone bat-shit crazy.
Like what you see?
I love music. In fact, I don’t just love music, I live music. If you have ever read my About Me page, you know that my musical tastes are incredibly varied. I’m talking Patsy Cline one minute and KISS the next. Yep, I’m that girl. I even made my daughter a playlist before she was born to make sure she was raised up on the classics. The child has yet to listen to an actual lullaby or kids song. We have dance parties to Jason Aldean, Scissor Sisters, and Poison among others. The wheels on the bus what? Not here. So, obviously, music is very important to me.
When I chose the graphics to use for my DIY bedroom wall art, for the most part, I chose images that were special or had a connection to my husband and I in some way. Besides those prints, I wanted to put something else that had a significant meaning up. What better than song lyrics? So, I took lyrics from our favorite song and put together a print on Picmonkey to use song lyrics as wall art.
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Looking for more easy wall decor? Check these out:
How to Make a Silhouette the Easy Way – seriously, super EASY!
Sassy Fabric Covered Message Board – super fun bulletin board!
Monogram Photo Art – monogram art using family photos!
Vintage Nursery Rhyme Art – don’t toss those old nursery rhyme books!
DIY Wall Art with Picmonkey – when you can’t find the art you want, you make your own!
You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.
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Remember the small gray table in my master bedroom reading nook?This french country chest below was also part of that Craigslist haul where Grunt Labor was counting the farm animals. It has turned out to be one of my absolute favorite pieces I’ve ever done.
