If you are an avid DIYer, at this time of the year, you are looking for ideas for creative and personal gifts. For those of you with young ones in your life, perhaps some of these ideas might give you some inspiration to get those gifts underway. I wish I could say that these Ideas were my own — but, these ideas all came from Pinterest and I either used the inspiration, or frankly, I loved what I saw and made the same. (Thank you to those who created these first.) DRESS UP WARDROBE This one is perfect for the...
DIY Projects
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...
Refinished Drafting Table Turned Desk
I love the story behind old furniture and frequently think of the original owners while I work on making the piece pretty again. This beautiful find, was sitting in the basement of an estate sale home, under a bunch of pots and pans. The previous owner used this drafting table 50-60 years ago. The top showed signs of wear, including the pinpoints used to hold down the drafting paper. This table was one of my favorite finds and “before and after” transformations. Not only was the cost only $30, it was relatively easy to refinish. The table was in rough...
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...
Beverage Container | Fourth of July
Check out this estate sale find I picked up for $10. It was the perfect price point to test the navy blue and copper paint colors I had been wanting to try. The tub could be used for an outdoor beverage container, a planter or perfect for “bob for apples”! I cleaned it up a bit and applied a couple of coats of spray paint to give it new life. This summer, I dressed the tub up for the 4th of July!
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...
Kitchen Refresh | 5 High Impact Changes to Gorgeous in Gold and Grey
My kitchen was one of the last, big projects to tackle in my house. Even though I was not changing the kitchen layout or flooring, I was procrastinating a bit due to the expense and disruption. Let’s take a look at the five upgrades that transformed my kitchen from builder-grade to a gorgeous gold and grey upgrade! CABINETS Let’s face it, kitchen cabinets have significant impact when changing the look of a kitchen. With this remodel, I budgeted for new cabinets, but didn’t break the bank. I went to my friends at Dawson Builders for my Aspect cabinets (Aspen, Poplar) with...
Laundry Room | Puppy Room Made Buffalo Check Fancy
With what started out as a kitchen renovation on the main floor of the house, has turned into a refresh of all of the adjoining rooms. Our laundry room gets ALOT of traffic. It houses the entrance from the garbage (the most used entrance into the house), the dog’s bowls, leases and of course, the washer/dryer. The laundry room had been painted some time ago with a two tone paint technique and a black border. The laundry tub was stained with paint and the molding was in definite need of a refresh. I had an extra cabinet from a miss-order...
Half Bath Refresh | 5 Updates with Big Impact
Last year I replaced my kitchen cabinets and countertops and at the same time, replaced the vanity countertop in the nearby half bath. As with all remodels, one thing leads to another and I didn’t like the color of the vanity with the countertop, as lovely as each of them are separately. It was time to give the half bath a refresh. Sometimes starting a project can be overwhelming, but the refresh really boiled down to six easy updates that transformed the room. 1. VANITY The vanity was is good condition but the wood color did not go well with...