Summer is in full swing and that means lots of outdoor entertaining! Every year, it seems like the Fourth of July comes so quickly and I am scrambling to find or make something cute for outdoor entertaining. Last year, I had fun with estate sale and curbside finds and turning them into Fourth of July decor. Check these out for some inspo! Beverage Station I found this wash tub at an estate sale for $10 and had no idea what I was going to do with it. This was during the phase when I was experimenting with “blue” paint and...
Decor
Roman Shades | Affordable Solution for a Custom Look
These Roman Shades are a great way to add pattern, color and texture in a sleek and simple design. I have to say, I was procrastinating on this project and only because I had never done it before. I searched Pinterest for ideas and essentially followed the instructions from Remodelaholic’s blogpost (which was inspired by 33 Shades of Green). This project was not difficult, it was time consuming and somewhat involved. In the end, I save more than $300 in labor cost by doing it myself. Supplies Fabric ( I had this fabric from when I covered my kitchen chairs....
Marquee Letter Wall Art in Two Simple Steps
If you are anything like me, you have picked up something at a garage/estate sale or Facebook Marketplace thinking “I can do something with this” and then time goes by and you never get to it. Well, this project started out like that and when I finally got to it, the end result was a unique feature in my kitchen. What I Used Marquee Letters (I found these at an antique shop, but these are at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s etc.) Spray Paint (because everything gets pretty with a can of spray paint) Painter’s Tape Rub and Buff STEP ONE Spray...
Christmas Scrabble Letters
I decided to plan a “sister, cousin, daughter, niece” get together and thought it would be fun to make a Christmas craft together. For some reason, I forgot no one is really crafty. Hmmm. I wasn’t going to let that get me distracted! Some how I landed on large Scrabble letters with Christmas-y words for the craft project. Pinterest and YouTube are always good resources to me started and I improvised along the way. Supplies: Wood: 1 x 5 (back); 1 x 4 (bottom); 1 x 2 (front); 1 x 6 (letters). I purchased 8 ft boards as I was...
Upscaled Buffet with Paint and Hardware
Paint and hardware can totally transform any piece of furniture. I purchased this buffet at an estate sale for $30. To be honest, it wasn’t a great quality piece of furniture, but it had tons of storage. And, I wanted to experiment with using SW Naval on a piece – so, this was a low risk opportunity to do that. The paint color was the biggest factor in transforming the piece. (SW Naval) One of the drawers had a broken corner that needed to be “camouflaged”. I looked on Pinterest to see what I could do. I found these L...
Be Merry and Bright Holiday Sign
Ever find a really good deal and think “I’ll find something to do with it”? Well, that is how this project started — I found a $7 wood panel door at Goodwill and transformed it into this fun hanging outdoor holiday sign. And, once I had a plan, it was really fun to execute in just a few steps. FINISHING THE DOOR I lightly sanded the door and applied stain and poly. I used MinWax Dark Walnut. LETTERS Since the wood door had raised panels, I used letters from Hobby Lobby (50% off) to create the message. To add some whimsy...
Travel Inspired Wall Art
I am a lover of travel and it makes me happy to see memories of my adventures around the house. During my travels, I make it a point to collect small prints, paintings or take some great photos that I can use to dress up the walls in my home. And, I have to say, each time I walk by print/photo or painting, it makes me smile at the memory. Here are some of my favorite travel memories BARCELONA ROME PARIS IRELAND VERSAILLES
DIY Barn doors for a Window Covering
Barn doors can be expensive, but with a little creativity and work to source the materials, I was able to make a barn door for under $200. A couple of years ago when barn doors were gaining popularity and I wanted to try one on for size. My son moved into a new home and needed a window treatment for the patio door…so, this was my opportunity to make one. As the base of the door, I wanted something that wasn’t heavy. I found two flat, hollow, interior doors on Craigslist for $5 each. I added some detail by adding plywood...
Thanksgiving Outdoor Decor | Give Thanks
Need Thanksgiving and Fall decor that is simple and affordable? Look no further! This project was super easy and cost almost nothing! Use your imagination and resourcefulness to make your own outdoor decor for any holiday or occasion! WOOD This is a piece of fence that I found while walking my dogs on garbage day. So, the price tag was $0. Right up my alley! I did make a spectacle of myself getting it home, but what is a day without embarrassing yourself or others. 🙂 . Obviously you can use a variety of materials for main structure of the...
Five Tricks to Dress Your Windows with Affordable Curtains
Window treatments can be affordable, functional and still transform the look of a room. When tackling the windows in my new townhome, I decided to shift my approach from simply choosing window coverings to choosing window dressings. Go from drab to dramatic with these five tricks! Source Window dressings can be expensive, but with a bit of shopping, there are some great choices that are super affordable. Kohl’s has such a variety to choose from and ALWAYS has a sale and stackable discounts. (Never buy anything from Kohl’s without a coupon or a sale.) These Sun Zero Extreme Black Out curtains were...
Wall Art | Home Office Motivation
Adding wall decor to a room can add warmth, color and interest — this is nothing new. Filling blank walls can be daunting – but, with a little patience and reflection, you can create something meaningful and not necessarily spend a fortune. My daughter, Kelly, moved into a new townhouse and had very little decor to fill the space. She spends a lot of time in her home office with a lot of light and high ceilings. I took some time and looked for some quotes from some of the people she follows on social media or podcasts. Kelly is...
Pergola Shades | Pretty and Practical
Pergolas are a great way to define an outdoor living space with some architectural interest. As a bonus, pergola shades add great design features through color, texture, movement and shade from the mid-day sun. I installed a pergola a few years ago and loved the defined area and recently decided to tackle the pergola shades. I considered three aspects when tackling this project. FABRIC Outdoor fabrics come in a variety of colors and patterns. (Watch for sales or coupons from JoAnn Fabrics or Hobby Lobby!) The width of the shade is about one inch smaller than the opening of the...
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