These faux marble countertops are a great and affordable alternative to stone. This summer, I volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity build, where laminate is the typical material used for kitchen countertops. In this case, the kitchen layout allowed for an island whereby laminate material was not deep enough to cover the island. Several of my fellow DIYers on Instagram applied a resin over a painted faux marble surface and created a beautiful countertop. I couldn’t wait to do a project with this technique. I purchased Crystal Montenegro’s ebook detailing the process and the countertops turned out beautifully! Base Countertop...
DIY Projects
Dollhouse DIY Bathroom Details
They say kitchens and bathrooms “make” the house! Well, this dollhouse is no exception! The tile, wallpaper and vanity are DIY showstoppers! Tile This DIY tile took some effort, but was simple to make! The tile was made with the hot glue and a silicone candy mold from Hobby Lobby. Resin is also a possible material option for the tile. Hot glue is affordable and I had it on hand! The process was quick. The hot glue dries quickly! Make your best attempt to fill all portions of the mold with equal amounts of hot glue. This ensures for a...
Dollhouse Kitchen Details
The kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in the dollhouse. I love how they came together and proud of myself that I managed to build the cabinets, hood and island. So tiny!!! Cabinets I took inspiration from @dearlillie’s blogpost on how to build the cabinets. I used craft boards from the Dollar Tree. In some cases, I used a miter saw for some cuts and a coping saw for others. The board was thick enough that a knife wasn’t efficient. I think a scroll saw would have worked well. I built the refrigerator and island first. The front panel...
Dollhouse Bedroom
It is said that great design is in the details. And, this cozy bedroom has tons of details! Let’s do a recap of the some of the features! Furniture The bed is a local, vintage store find. The desk and chest are Dollar Tree finds and stain/painted. Such great “miniature” finds for decorating on a budget. The chest is also from the Dollar Tree, found in the “craft” area. These are gift boxes. The desk chair is part of the dining set purchased at Hobby Lobby. Wall Decor The ”Lea” pendent is made from ribbon and felt. Simple! The two...
Dollhouse Windows & Window Boxes
Who doesn’t love a house with lots of natural light? This cute little dollhouse has lots of windows. It is a vintage piece and some of the windows were in disrepair and the mullions were not consistent throughout. Replacing or Making Windows I am sure there are a variety of materials that can be used to make these windows. I attempted to use materials I had on hand and this case was no exception. I had thick cellophane bags left over from charcuterie cups I made and this worked out well. First, I carefully removed the window casing so it...
Dollhouse Living Room Details
It was so fun to think creatively when pulling together the decor for this adorable living room! In my last post, I shared information on the flooring and base moulding. Let’s take a look at the rest of the details. Paint The walls/ceiling are painted Sherwin Williams Alabaster and the base/ case mouldings and stairs are painted Sherwin Williams Alpaca. The spindles are Behr Limousine Leather. I had all colors on hand. So, no additional purchase! Lighting I got inspiration from a Serena & Lily light fixture. I’ve seen it in the homes of many of my favorite DIYers too!...
Dollhouse Flooring Options
If you have been following me a while, you know I am a DIYer and have lots of building and craft ”stuff” to pull from for this dollhouse. For this dollhouse, I pulled ideas from previous projects for much of the flooring. Hardwood Floors I spent entirely too much time on Pinterest and YouTube looking for flooring ideas. I love the idea of hardwood floors. I contemplated installing popsicle sticks individually (too tedious) or using a printed image (lack of dimension). In the end, I used pole wrap left over from another furniture renovation project. Pole wrap is a flexible,...
Baby Shower Welcome Sign
Baby shower decor! It’s so fun to create! This welcome sign was my DIY contribution to my niece’s baby shower. I was so sorry to miss it, but happy to add to the decor! The sign stand was originally made for my son’s wedding shower a couple of weeks earlier. This blogpost has the details on how that was made. Acrylic I purchased the 24 x 36 frosted acrylic at Menards for ~ $40. It was $7 less than the piece I got at Home Depot for the last sign. I am still looking for a better source for the...
MacKenzie Childs Inspired Courtly Check |Upcycled Spice Rack
I found this vintage spice rack at an estate sale and the size was perfect for a small space in my kitchen to hold essential oils. So, if you are looking for something vintage for your oils, the spice rack was perfect! I added some decorative trim to the shelves for interest and to prevent the oils from falling from the shelf. I primed and painted the spice rack in SW Alabaster. (My go-to white.) I really wanted to try the new MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check pattern on something (see below) and thought this was a great project to give...
Wedding Welcome Sign
I’ve been working on lots of wedding decor items and it’s been so fun! Last week, I finished up this welcome sign that pulled inspiration from lots of places. Acrylic My future daughter-in-law wanted an acrylic sign, so that’s where we started! I ordered this frosted piece of acrylic from Home Depot. It is 24” x 36” and was the most expensive material in the project ($47), but not too bad! I have heard you can get clear acrylic and sand it to get the same effect as the frosted acrylic. The frosted is more expensive than clear. I’ll will...
Affordable DIY barn doors!
If you have some decent DIY skills, making barn doors from a slab is an affordable approach. I had the opportunity to help out a family friend who is making some updates to her Chicago condo. One of the updates was to replace french doors that open into the room with barn doors. Essentially, trading space in the room with space along the wall. This is a picture of how the area started out. Check out that view! Five panel doors at the size needed were a custom order or available on Wayfair for about $310/door. This is without the...
Kitchen Cabinet Refresh | Key Tips!
Painting kitchen cabinets is a great refresh to update tired, wood cabinets. It is an undertaking, but the results are worth it! This client kitchen had dark, ’90s oak cabinets and the client was getting the property ready to rent. The appliances and countertop were also replaced. I have painted several kitchen and bathroom cabinets for my own investment properties and I continue to learn! Here are some tried and true strategies that continue to work well for me! Surface Preparation Preparing the painting surface is everything! This sounds basic, but, taking short cuts on this step may lead to...